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Change abounds in our modern world with recognition that so many systems we have come to rely upon may not entirely be the best. In healthcare, many individuals are becoming frustrated by the approach of the western, allopathic model. Whether it’s receiving an antibiotic prescription for a viral infection or giving an immune suppressant to an immune compromised individual, many of the pharmaceutical approaches to health and disease leave a lot to be desired.
Doctors are limited to the tools that are included in their education. For most western allopathic MD’s, the tools include pharmaceutical drugs and surgery. If it can’t be poisoned, or cut out, we’ll have to just wait for it to get worse in order to treat it! While this is clearly an exaggeration, it may not be far from what many patients experience today. To care for a patient’s health is the goal of any doctor. However, when the tools available are primarily useful for crisis management, or serving as a crutch for long term dependence, the health of an individual will not likely improve overall. Western medicine has incredible expertise at repairing severely damaged systems. Heart attacks, automobile accidents, epidemic diseases, etc… But when it comes to the overall improvement of health, chronic disease and long term wellness the world of natural therapeutics has a great deal to offer.
Meanwhile, the world wide web is offering countless cures and remedies, as well as support groups for every type of illness and various approaches to move beyond illness and into optimal health. Without guidance, or regulation the products available could be anything from a high quality organic herb to grass clippings and industrial waste materials. The effect of these products on each individual is going to be widely varied and in many ways unknown. Adding to the complexity is the uniqueness of each individual and the combination of our own biochemistry, genetics, personality, organ function and energetic qualities.
Naturopathic and Classical Chinese medicine offer systematic ways to not only manage pain and treat disease, but ultimately to improve overall health by treating the underlying imbalance in an individuals state of health. While a dozen people may present the same symptom, there may be a dozen different causes and thus, different prescriptions to bring the individuals back into a state of health. Utilizing the broad spectrum of medicinal substances, practitioners of natural medicine are able to meet individuals wherever they are at and work as guides to navigate the healthcare options leading each person toward a greater state of health.
In a world of so much opportunity, choose the best for yourselves and those you love by putting your healthcare into the hands of experts in all systems of medicine. In the Portland area, I have the great pleasure of working in 2 of the cities best clinics in holistic healthcare, Kwan Yin Healing Arts in northwest, and the Natural Health Center in southwest. Naturopathic Doctors are the best practitioners for initial care of any system. They can then make referrals to every other type of practitioner in the healthcare system and help to organize and integrate the care to ensure that all the bases are covered, providing the most effective use of all resources available. If you are living outside of the Portland area you can utilize the licensing boards for each profession to ensure you are working with a qualified practitioner.
For Chinese medicine practitioners, visit:
http://www.nccaom.org/find/index.html
For Naturopathic Doctors, visit:
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