Holistic Medicine
While there are many over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that work to treat the common cold, premenstrual syndrome, insomnia and many other illnesses, most conventional medications simply mask symptoms and may inhibit the body's natural ability to heal itself, according to Dworkin (1999). However, herbs and vitamins have a tendency to be gentler on the body and often enhance the body's natural recovery process. For this reason, many people are swapping their OTC medicines for holistic medicines.
Dr. Samuel Hahnemann discovered holistic medicine in the early 1800's. The doctor believed that medicine practiced during this time was barbaric and sought alternatives, experimenting on his family and friends. Hahnemann discovered that large dosages of herbs increased symptoms so he decreased the dosage and discovered that the symptoms decreased and usually ceased (Smith, p. 10).
Upon his discovery, the popularity of holistic medicine was incredible, particularly because most patients resisted modern techniques of medicine. This pattern is happening again today, as people are once again turning to holistic medicine because the "promise of allopathic medicine has lost its luster"(Smith, p. 10).
Today many people demand alternatives to conventional medicine, and are seeking for better alternatives for treating conditions that can be only palliated with toxic substances through modern medicine. For these people holistic medicine offers a choice (Gareth, 2002). When correctly prescribed, holistic remedies stimulate the body's natural immune defenses, acting rapidly without side effects.
Holistic medicine assumes that disease occurs when the body's defenses are affected by stress or other factors. The goal of holistic medicine is to strengthen the entire body, mind and soul, allowing the body can cure the illness itself. Holistic medicine does not directly destroy illnesses or their cause or mask the symptoms of disease.
Holistic medicine has been a controversial subject for many years. As with every debate, there are two different sides (Woolf, 2001). Opponents argue that if holistic medicine really worked, it would be more widely accepted and many illnesses and ailments would have been cured a long time age. Therefore, opponents say that herbs and medications are often used inappropriately without proper training and understanding of the potential side effects or dangers and without real proof that they work.
Proponents argue that holistic medicine offers a more natural way to heal the body in a world full of chemicals, preservatives and synthetics. In many cases, holistic medicine is used to supplement more traditional treatments, rather than serving as the only treatment. Proponents also say that, during the process of treatment, patients come to understand the cause of his or her illness, learns to take responsibility for his or her individual health, and uses different tools to improve his or her own physical health, energy and mental clarity (Vaidya, 2001).
For example, a holistic doctor treated a five-year-old girl with a homeopathic medicine that primarily focused on the energy level. According to the doctor (Vaidya, 2001), "Her mother brought her in with a history of acute bronchial asthma. She had had recurring symptoms of asthma following each cold for the last six months. Her conventional treatment consisted of inhalers and steroids, which did not cure her symptoms. When I examined Jessica, she had difficulty breathing due to excess mucus in her throat, which she was not able to cough up. Her lungs were filled with mucus and she had a rattling sound in her chest. She was not able to sleep at night and had to sit up to breathe."
The doctors recognized that her symptoms matched the homeopathic remedy called Antimony Tartaricum. After administering two doses of this remedy, her symptoms improved.
According to the doctor (Vaidya, 2001), "The next morning her mother reported that Jessica had slept through the night for the first time in two weeks and coughed only occasionally. Her breathing had improved almost 90%. Her mother had not administered any inhaler treatment that night. She continued to improve with an occasional dose of the homeopathic remedy in a low potency. Her mother was surprised to see her progress in such a short time....
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