Biokind

It seems that everywhere you look the traditional or allopathic method of medicine is being talked about in one way or another. Whether it is the advertisements on television promoting different drugs that are available for any number of 'ailments' or talking about the local hospital's new pediatric wing or what not. We have either forgotten or been convinced that our bodies are unaware of what is happening throughout the human system or we have allowed ourselves to believe the slanted opinion of the medical community.

The fact is our bodies are made to be healthy. It has an innate intelligence. Our body is such a marvelous creation of intricate workings and early warning signs; we just have become unconscious of those signals.

A little history lesson if I may. Traditional, conventional, allopathic medicine was originally intended for the battlefield for wartime injuries and is sometimes called 'heroic medicine". All too often what happened then as now, was that for a terrible wound or treatment of gangrene was/is to amputate. I think in many ways for all the technological advances we have made we are still practicing some very barbaric methods. However, at this time, we are starting to better with artificial limbs and skin grafts, etc. but so much of it is still in its infancy.

So, what did every day people do in the past when they were ill or suffered some disease or a chronic illness? They called in the local healer or midwife. Their stock in trade was locally grown herbs, poultices and tinctures made from those herbs. In other words, everything came from natural sources. i.e. roots, berries, bark, etc. This type of 'medicine' became known as naturopathy.

Since traditional, Western medicine has become so complicated and expensive there is a shift taking place away from specialists to natural approaches. Several years ago if you went into a traditional, Western doctors' office and mentioned vitamins, minerals or alternative medicine they would have a fit and severely criticize vitamins, herbs and other methodologies.

They are not trained in how to use vitamins and herbs; they are influenced heavily by the pharmaceutical companies to 'push' medications without knowing the side effects of the medication only because the pharmaceutical companies cannot control herbs or vitamins. The same was true if you went to the doctor to lose weight, they are not trained in nutrition. Specialization became the norm.

The alternative methods of healing are many: from Bach Flower therapy, to light therapy, Reiki, Qiquong and T'ai Chi, guided imagery, hypnotherapy, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, hand and foot reflexology, massage therapy, kinesiology, polarity therapy, magnet therapy, biofeedback, chiropractic, and enzyme therapy, to name a few.

I do have to share a funny with you though: Often times within some groups, such as aging, you will hear the term "preventative health". Now, I'm sorry, I always have to struggle with not grinning on that because it is actually an oxymoron. The question and statement that always runs through my mind is: Why do you want to prevent health? Just follow allopathic advice and you can do just that!

Seriously though, there is a place for both allopathic and homeopathic/naturopathic medicine.