When I was studying pre-medicine in college, planning to become a physician, I began wondering how the body was treated before these past couple hundred years of technology and science and in other parts of the world. I decided to take a break and travel to explore other cultures and medical practices. What better way to gain perspective on our own social and medical culture than by leaving and seeing other ways of living?
I soon saw that the medical system in a country reflects the values of its culture. One example is time. In the US, we are taught that efficiency is important, and that time is wasted if nothing is clearly gained today. In other places, there’s more value in taking one’s time, to be sure that the task is done right and won’t need to be repeated. In our country, we expect the medication to work immediately as it’s often been designed to. The drug may be designed to block a symptom rather than deal with the chronic dysfunction of the body. Changing a chronic pattern in the body typically takes time.
Natural Health Care: There are Various Options
There are many various time-tested ways of healing the body used throughout the world. In Europe, homeopathic medicine can often be the first choice before pharmaceutical medication. In China, acupuncture or herbs are commonly used as the initial treatment approach for many conditions. In the US, we are seeing more and more research dedicated to the many less invasive forms of healing.
In my exploration, I became quickly attracted to Chinese culture and medicine and have pursued it over these past twenty years. I’ve also gained great respect and familiarity with other natural forms of medicine. You’ll find that the intention of many of these therapies is in supporting your body’s natural abilities to regulate itself. In central Vermont, along with your western medical doctor, you have access to many different options of health care to address your concerns. Some of these are:
- Acupuncture and Chinese medicine – the insertion of very fine needles through the skin at strategic points on your body, among the other tools of an over 3,000-year-old model of medical care
- Naturopathic medicine – a distinct primary health care profession emphasizing prevention and treatment that encourages individuals’ inherent self-healing.
- Chiropractic care – physical manipulation that focuses on musculoskeletal disorders and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health
- Various forms of massage therapy – a variety of manual manipulation of soft body tissues
- Homeopathic medicine – the administration of minute doses of a remedy to support natural healing that would in larger amounts produce in healthy person symptoms similar to those of the disease
- Craniosacral therapy – uses very light touching to balance the craniosacral system in the body, which includes the bones, nerves, fluids, and connective tissues of the cranium and spinal area
- Nutritional counseling – a process in which a dietitian works with an individual to assess his or her dietary intake and identify areas where change is needed
- Herbal medicine – the use of plants to prevent and treat an illness, or to achieve improved health
- Spiritual and emotional counseling – addresses the emotional, social, spiritual, and physical health concerns people may have at different stages in their lives.
Working Together as Partners for Your Health
What is exciting to me is that we have such an extensive variety of these evidence-based, effective options within a relatively small community to help manage your health and well-being. These providers should not necessarily be exclusively utilized, as quality integrative care is when these various practitioners effectively communicate with each other, your primary care provider and the specialist, to give you the greatest potential toward improvement. As a patient, you can encourage this type of integrative care. By asking for a referral from your provider, your neighbors or friends, or from your own searching, you’ll find this variety of care in our community. Feel free to contact me to guide you further in your integrative health care options.