Whole alternative medical systems

Whole alternative medical systems rely on focusing not only on the symptoms which are showing in the person and treating them, but also relies on the person on the whole; this includes mood, lifestyle, exercise or lack of it and also strongly relies on practise and theory.

Many whole alternative medical systems have been used for several thousand years and have been practised throughout the world by different cultures. The most popular forms of this type of alternative medicine include Traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurevedic, homeopathy and naturopathy.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

This total health care system originated from China and has been used and relied upon there for thousands of years. According to theory, for the person to be in good health then the yin and yang has to be in complete harmony. If this gets blocked then disharmony is caused and illness shows in the body.

Yin and yang in relation to the human body is hot and cold, wet and dry, day and night, everything has an opposite and equal. The Chinese believe that energy flows through the body along what are called “meridian channels” and it is when these channels become blocked that problems occur and show as illness and disease. Common forms of Chinese medicine include massage, herbal remedies and acupuncture.

Naturopathy

Naturopathy original came from Europe and focuses on the body’s natural ability to heal itself, today naturopathic medicine is practiced throughout the world. There are basically six principles which form naturopathic medicine, these are the healing power that nature provides, the identification of the cause of the disease, the concept of first do no harm, the Doctor as the teacher, treating the person as a whole and prevention of disease.

The form relies on making changes to the diet and supplements within the diet, herbal medication, acupuncture, hydrotherapy and lifestyle changes. The treatment varies from patient to patient and what the Doctor thinks would be most beneficial to them as individuals, regardless of the fact that two people might have the same symptoms, treatment could be vastly different.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is becoming widely known as an alternative form of medicine with more and more people turning to this form when convention methods have failed them. In many forms of this type of medicine, the theory “what makes you ill, cures”.

For example in the case of allergies then allergens would be introduced in minuscule amounts to help build up resistance and immunity towards them. The persons emotional and physical state is also taken into account when making a diagnosis and suggesting treatment.

Ayurevedic medicine

This form is also gaining in popularity throughout the world and literally means “the science of life”. It is an ancient Indian form of medicine and relies on the person as a whole when diagnosing and treating, for example the person’s emotional state, thoughts and feelings are all taken into account along with physical symptoms. Changes to the diet, meditation, exercise, herbal remedies and massage are all used in ayurevedic medicine.