Complementary Medicines "a fad?

The rise of complementary medicines is more than a fad. Probably the important thing is the variety of existing techniques, but what it represents as a symptom of change in mentality of growing sectors of the population.

Some 36% of Americans use some alternative or complementary medicine. In Europe, the tradition is even older, and homeopathy is used by large segments of the population, while in some countries-France, Germany, for example, covered by social security. In England, the leading advocate of complementary medicines is Prince Charles, which supports as much passion for organic farming.

Although it seems a recent phenomenon, the truth is that many of these therapies have thousands of years old, traditional Chinese medicine, medicinal plants, yoga ... - other for over a century of evolution, homeopathy, osteopathy ... -- almost as much as conventional medicine. In Germany the figure of Heilpraktiker (equivalent to "naturopath" in Spain), recognized since the 30s, part of the national health service, with well-defined responsibilities, different and complementary to the doctor. For this entroque with folk medicine to the WHO calls "Traditional Medicine" and has launched a project to evaluate its effectiveness, to encourage their use and stimulate the formation and regulation of the practice of these medicines worldwide .


Mindset

But perhaps the important thing is the variety of existing techniques, but what it represents as a symptom of change in mentality of growing sectors of the population. Easy access to medical services in developed societies, and the reverence initial synthetic substances, has made us perhaps "delegated" in the wrong hands and chemistry of health care. It is no coincidence that "patient" and "passive" share the same etymological root.

But the increase in degenerative diseases and escalating healthcare expenditure show that the path of the medicalization of health care is unsustainable in the medium term. Interest in alternative care is therefore an inevitable response to a collective need, the more reasonable to find ways to achieve prosperity, if however excluding artificial treatments when really necessary. But also avoid the use of suppressive medicine and side effects generators to solve problems that respond well to a simple change in habits or friendly methods. In other words, restore common sense.

And is that natural medicine is not a set of more or less effective techniques, but a way of seeing and understanding health, and a breakthrough in the relationship between user and provider of healthcare services.

In this new paradigm, disease is no longer considered the enemy that attacks from outside (cure was to fight the disease) but a specific manifestation of a local or global imbalance. You do not work against it, but for the body and its ability to heal and self-regulation. And is that the main "therapeutic tool" of natural medicine is inherently self-healing capacity of the organism (the "placebo effect" is a good example of this). The criterion is no longer merely suppress symptoms, or replace functions, but to stimulate as much as possible and remove obstacles to such self-healing powers and act on the causes. Impingement can be solved with a session of osteopathy, but if not done any practice of stretching (yoga, for example) and corrected positions (pilates, rpg), mineral deficiencies are corrected, or addresses the emotional component when there is clamping is expected to play.


Start at the top

If conventional medicine is responsible physician in this new mindset, you understand that no doctor or therapist who can resolve, for example, the ravages of poor diet and unhealthy living. In the same way that large epidemics declined in settled sewage systems and running water in cities today is becoming increasingly clear that before a prior quality-conventional medicine or alternative care, it is necessary the "conditions" in which we live: good food, clean air, clean water, family life, social, healthy, rewarding work activity ... remedies come later.

This approach focuses more on the "causes" that the "consequences", but not everything depends on you. Many people wonder why so much zeal to regulate the market for herbal medicines or dietary supplements, while allowing and subsidizing the massive use of pesticides and herbicides, known to make people sick. Falling fertility and increased hormone-dependent cancers is one of the many consequences A recent example was given in Israel, where a single pesticide ban reduced the incidence of breast cancer by 30%, a figure that shows that "early detection" is necessary but insufficient.


Half measures

Sometimes there are half measures, for example, when using natural remedies, but with the same mechanistic mindset of the conventional view. We seek a miracle cure, this time from plant or energy, but only to suppress symptoms without changing the causes that created them. But that is not natural medicine. Many people think that more important than seeking miracle cures in distant forests, degrading the delicate biodiversity of ecosystems-is to order "at home" and stop-by-example to the thousands of harmful substances that we ingest through food , water or air.


Stop being "patients"

The user-or-supporter of complementary medicines is aware of this, and so his first change is to eat organic food. You can start with either of them, and end by not using any in particular, because they need them-but instead change their way of eating, exercising healthy, or even change their priorities or occupations. And in the end, understand that your health is responsible for it. And perhaps most interesting is the process of maturity and independence that begins when you choose natural medicine practice.