| The American Heritage Dictionary of the | | | | that have defied modern medicine. Natural |
| English Language defined healthcare as the | | | | medicine is unarguably better in this |
| prevention, treatment and management of | | | | respect. Natural medicine, for the great |
| illness and the preservation of mental and | | | | part, is concerned with maintaining health |
| physical well-being through the services | | | | and preventing illness instead of managing |
| offered by the medical and allied health | | | | diseases. Nature is replete with substances, |
| professions. If we follow this definition of | | | | herbs, just name it, that when effectively |
| medical care, then alternative medicine would | | | | used, can guarantee that you will hardly fall |
| be seen as the use of other means, either as | | | | sick.Besides herbs and other natural |
| a complement or in place of conventional | | | | substances, natural medicine can boast |
| orthodox medical care. This nomenclature and | | | | several procedures that have been shown to be |
| definition have relegated natural medicine to | | | | very effective. Let's talk acupuncture for |
| a second class status and unfortunately, this | | | | example. This simple procedure has been in |
| has been accepted by almost everybody | | | | practice for over two thousand years and has |
| involved.Realistically, it might be foolish | | | | remained as effective as ever. Long before |
| to attempt to regard natural medicine as | | | | modern medicine, acupuncture practitioners |
| superior and of more benefit compared to | | | | realized that there are several energy |
| orthodox medicine; however, it won't be | | | | pathways in the body and by interrupting or |
| unreasonable to opine that both means of | | | | stimulating energy flow across these |
| achieving balanced physical and mental health | | | | pathways, the body is stimulated to enhance |
| stand on equal grounds, both with its | | | | self healing, improve body function and |
| shortcomings and merits.Most of the prejudice | | | | provide an overall boost to the body |
| about natural medicine (or alternative | | | | system.Look at massaging or yoga that have |
| medicine, if you want), is grounded on the | | | | even been accepted by most medical |
| premise that the procedures and substances | | | | practitioners as a complement to orthodox |
| employed are not scientifically proved, as | | | | medicine. These procedures have been proved |
| far as modern science is concerned. But the | | | | to be effective both in improving mental and |
| fact remains that, if we look deep enough, | | | | physical health as well as emotional health. |
| there is countless research and evidence to | | | | There are also innumerable nutritional |
| prove the efficacy of most natural cures. | | | | supplements made with natural substances that |
| Talking about scientific proof, you and I can | | | | are known to promote health and prevent |
| name a couple of orthodox drugs that were | | | | several disease conditions. Although modern |
| certified safe and good for consumption by | | | | science would want us to believe that these |
| all agencies involved and later recognized to | | | | procedures and substances are not medically |
| be damaging to health, after countless | | | | or scientifically proved to be safe for |
| innocent people had lost their lives or | | | | consumption, one reasonable question to ask |
| suffered debilitating disabilities as a | | | | is whether the medically or scientifically |
| result of these drugs.Let's face the fact, | | | | proven orthodox drugs have been really |
| even in the most developed countries of the | | | | safe.So far, one can conveniently conclude |
| world, today, millions of people are every | | | | that orthodox and natural medicines are both |
| day becoming disillusioned with orthodox | | | | man's attempt to ensure better health, making |
| drugs and their approach to health and | | | | use of the intelligence and materials that |
| illness. Modern science is basically | | | | nature has provided him; thus, one approach |
| concerned with managing a disease after it | | | | might not be placed above the other, both |
| has occurred, how far has this got us? There | | | | should be seen as different approaches to the |
| are countless numbers of terminal illnesses | | | | same problem. |