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of Conventional, Complementary-, Alternative- & Holistic- Medicine Conventional (allopathic) Medicine depends on expensive high-tech diagnostic methods, surgery and synthetic or bioengineered medicinal agents (antimicrobials, analgesics, cytotoxic chemotherapy, mood-altering drugs, tranquillisers, hormones & vaccines, etc.). It is best in emergencies & in cases that have serious infections, metabolic or hormonal conditions. It is essential in cases that genuinely need surgery, but it tends to overuse surgery - many cases can be treated successfully without that. Conventional medicine has a high rate of adverse side-effects, i.e. causes an unacceptable rate of iatrogenic disease. As its medicaments are largely symptom-suppressive or palliative, it usually fails to help the adaptive / homeostatic mechanisms of the body-mind-spirit & rarely addresses the root causes of disease. Therefore its clinical success in many chronic or recurring diseases is poor. Complementary Medicine (Integrative Medicine) includes any forms of physical, nutritional, mental or spiritual therapy that can address the root causes of disease, and/or substitute for, or improve, the clinical outcome of conventional medicine and/or alleviate its adverse side-effects. Alternative Medicine: The term is a misnomer. Practitioners of "alternative medicine" provide inferior medical care because there is no good alternative to expert holistic medicine. Those who trust "alternative" medical or veterinary therapy at best trust an illusion, & at worst will know the reality of that illusion in time. Holistic medicine is the best medicine for humans or animals. It embraces the best of conventional medicine, plus the best of "complementary medicine". Where necessary, it includes surgery. It attains optimal clinical results with minimal side effects to the patient & at less cost than high-tech conventional medicine. Holistic medicine examines all the interactions between the external environment and the body-mind-spirit of the patient. It does not view the Syndrome (the Lesion-Symptom Complex) as the disease per se. The Syndrome is only the clinical manifestation of the disease, i.e. the Branch, or end-result, of the body's defensive reaction, its attempt to try to correct the Energetic Imbalance, which is the Root cause of the disease. In Chinese Medicine Holistic medicine aims to diagnose the predisposing factors (usually energetic and/or genetic) & the precipitating factors (usually external factors, but sometimes internal-emotional factors) that trigger the Syndrome in the weak physical structures, organs or parts of the body or in the psyche / spirit of the patient. It places less importance on the Syndrome (Branch) & the weak physical structures than on the Root causes.Treating the Branch is like taking an analgesic for a headache, or an antibiotic for a bacterial infection. It may be necessary for rapid symptomatic relief, but it does NOT address the Root cause of the headache, or of the suppressed immune status that allowed the bacteria to overcome the body's natural defences. Where possible, holistic medicine Treats the Root, i.e uses whatever methods are needed to remove, neutralise or alleviate the root causes of disease. Its modalities include acupuncture, herbal (especially oriental) medicine, homeopathy, immunostimulation therapy, osteopathy / chiropractic, nutritional supplements, dietary adjustment, advice on lifestyle, physical / mental exercises, stress control / hypnosis / relaxation therapy, etc. When indicated, it also uses conventional physiotherapy, medicine, surgery, nutrition, counselling, etc. If Root Treatment does not give the desired result, and in all syndromes that pose a serious threat to life, it Treats the Branch, i.e. to tackle the symptoms & / or lesions directly. In many cases, for example in severe pain, it combines Branch and Root treatment, including helping the client to attain a more balanced mental-spiritual state. |
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