There is a distinct delineation in the concept of healing between Traditional Medicine and Alternative Medicine that isn’t easy for many people to understand and it does cause confusion. The desired outcome in both traditions is to be healthy. Neither tradition is better or worse than the other. In fact, they are meant to compliment each other and work together as a complete and whole Healing System.

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Traditional Medicine focuses primarily on the physical body with only a few mental and emotional characteristics taken into consideration. The body as a whole is separated into specific focus areas for more specified diseases and illnesses. Psychology is separated out to primarily handle the concerns of the mental and emotional aspects of a person, not the physical aspects. Everything is neatly compartmentalized.

So if you have a bike accident, you would go to your Traditional Medical Doctor in order to have them figure out what happened to your body from the accident. They will examine the leg to see how injured you are and if x-rays are needed. X-rays may find a broken or fractured leg, which is set in a cast or brace for some length of time to heal in place. Prescriptions for pain and swelling may be given or over the counter medications may be recommended. Traditional Medical’s primary expertise and function lays in the treatment of the physical body only, and thank God we have it available to us.

Now this isn’t to say that there aren’t open minded doctors, nurses and healthcare workers in the Traditional Medicine Industry that take into account the whole person approach. It does means that they are a minority of the industry. Osteopathy and Chiropractic are two older examples of more open minded and whole body Traditional Medicine thinking that also can fall into the Alternative Medicine category. In addition, newer areas such as Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine move closer towards a whole body approach as well.

We absolutely need the professional knowledge and care of Traditional Medicine. There are absolutely situations where, medical testing, x-rays, blood work, prescriptions and surgery are mandatory in order to repair and fix the physical body. We cannot do without the Traditional Medicine world. Evidence has been found of surgeries being done thousands of years ago all over the world. The only things older are the original forms of Alternative Medicine, such as herbalism and energetic healing, which traces it’s roots back through archaeological records millions of years.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Alternative Medicine is defined as medical therapies that are not considered orthodox by the medical profession. These therapies and modalities take into consideration the person as a whole; physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, which means they include the human energetic system as well. Some types of these are Herbalism, Homeopathy, Acupuncture and Energy Healing like Reiki or Sekhem. This is only a small sampling of the extensive list of different modalities and therapies considered to be Alternative Medicine.

In Alternative Medicine the person is thought of in terms as a whole human being. Here we believe that people’s health is not just effected by our physical circumstances, but also by our thoughts, emotions and beliefs within the physical structure of our three dimensional body, which includes being effected by our energetic body as well. These all combine to be one whole human being. The different Alternative modalities and therapies all work on this principal.

Taking into account all these different levels of a person, physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and the human energy field, the information given by the client is then looked at as to how all these levels effect each other. This gives us a picture of what makes up that whole person.

All of these aspect combine to effect our health positively and negatively. Our thoughts and emotions effect our physical health in more ways than the Western World teaches us. They contribute to our health, our illnesses and our overall well being and cannot be separated out.

A COMPLETE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Slowly there is an expanding belief in combining these two health care systems together in order to provide a more complete health care system for their clients. Alternative Medicine is extremely oriented towards preventative measures of maintaining health, as well as the healing and maintenance after problems occur. Where Traditional Medicine is inclined more for after a problem is already in the process of illness.

There are doctors, hospitals and clinics that offer both types of medicines in limited modalities. It may take some research, but they can be found in many cities around the country and definitely around the world. Independent Alternative Medicine Practitioners, as well as Doctors and Nurse Practitioners, can be found the same way. You can also ask at your natural health stores and natural grocer type stores.

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