When it comes to healthcare & medicine, we’re living in an ever-changing & evidence-based time – very different to hundreds of years ago where scientific evidence was less available, and people made their health decisions based on anecdotal & traditional evidence.
Given that modalities, such as naturopathy (which stems from traditional medicine), are also on the rise in 2021, it’s fair to ask the question, “why should I choose natural medicine?”
Before diving into our top 5 reasons to give natural medicine a go, let’s define naturopathy, one of the major natural medicine modalities at present.
Naturopathy is a holistic form of alternative healthcare that encourages healing by using natural medicines, including herbs, nutrition and lifestyle modifications.
The practice of naturopathy varies widely (especially in Australia), but the modality as a whole is based on these basic principles:
- The human body has an innate capacity to heal itself, when circumstances are right
- Naturopaths aim to address the root cause of symptoms, rather than suppress symptoms
- Use the least force necessary when treating a health concern
- Prevention is better than cure
- There is medicine in educating patients along their healing journey
- Treat the person as a unique individual, not the disease
Overall, these principles differ from conventional medicine (e.g. an appointment with a general practitioner or specialist doctor), where diagnosis of disease is prioritised and employing symptom-clearing medicines (that may not address the root cause, or may be stronger than necessary) is the main treatment. Of course, we acknowledge that all practitioners and doctors across all modalities practice differently.
So, here are our top 4 reasons to consider trying a natural medicine modality as part of your healthcare regimen:
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It takes your individuality into account; treatment is very tailored to you.
First-time appointments with a natural health practitioner are usually 60 – 90 minutes long. This allows the practitioner to get an in-depth idea of who you are, your health history and the nitty gritty of your current circumstances and health concerns.
With this time, practitioners can call upon supplements, herbs, foods, nutrients and other products or lifestyle practices that are most suited to your unique presentation & constitution.
If you have an issue with certain medicines (e.g. hard time taking tablets, difficulty with taste of teas or liquid herbs, etc), your practitioner will always aim to find remedies that are safe & comfortable for you to take.
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It address the root cause of your concerns, leading to sustainable health outcomes
With medical practices that aim to remove the symptoms for the patient (which is sometimes needed for one’s quality of life), there can be a big gap in not addressing the root cause.
The root cause of a disease is essentially what is producing, sustaining or perpetuating your pesky symptom(s). This could be a genetic factor, change in organ function, exposure to toxins, diet that isn’t suited to your body, an underlying allergy or intolerance, an emotional disturbance, and so on.
When the root cause is addressed, corrected or worked on, this allows for long-term healing, rather than just a quick fix that removes symptoms while something may continue to fester “below the surface”.
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Eliminating disease isn’t the main priority – ensuring that you can THRIVE is the goal
Many natural health practitioners work in a way that focuses on thriving, not just surviving.
Regular or seasonal appointments with a natural medicine practitioner not only ensure disease is prevented, but can also encourage you to live at your fullest potential of health, enabling you to experience true wellness.
In cases where a disease is not preventable or curable, your practitioner will ensure that you can live with the best quality of life possible for your specific case.
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Treatment is truly holistic
Instead of relying on a single tool or healing remedy, naturopaths and other natural medicine practitioners have a huge ‘healing toolbox’, filled with a wide array of potential treatment options for you.
These can include herbal medicines, in either tablets, capsules, powders, teas or tinctures. Teas and tinctures are quite brilliant, in that your practitioner can create a blend of herbs very specific to you!
Nutritional medicine can also be applied, by using nutritional supplementation to correct any vitamin or mineral deficiencies that could be impacting your health, such as iron, vitamin D, etc.
Branching off from nutrition, food as medicine is another treatment principle that many natural medicine practitioners call upon. This refers to the idea that what we eat (and how we eat) is key to treating certain health complaints, but especially for preventing disease and maintaining optimal health.
A natural medicine practitioner will often recommend lifestyle practices, such as exercise or movement rituals, hobbies to help your nervous system, breathing or meditation techniques or activities in nature (which we also believe is very healing in itself).
Your specific practitioner may also use some energetic healing tools, such as Reiki, kinesiology, flower essences
You don’t have to wait until the new year to get started on supercharging your health – our naturopaths have availabilities until the 23rd of December!
Click here to check out our current natural health practitioners – see which profiles & modalities resonate with you, and call us to book in or to ask any questions!