Achieving Natural Health through Alternative Medicine

For individuals seeking holistic health, alternative medicine may be the route to take in addition to their conventional health plan. Alternative medicine uses natural health methods to bring a person's body back into proper functioning. Rather than using medications that are fabricated synthetically, the alternative medicine treatments will use herbs that are combined in ways to better help the person's body, bringing it back into balance. These herbs are usually taken through boiling them in water to make a tea, or are also taken in a pill or powder form, depending on the practitioner. These herbs are all natural and have very few side effects that are linked to their use. This is much different than conventional medications which have a long list of side effects with them and in addition, often kill the good cells or bacteria along with the bad, leaving the person weaker after treatment than before.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Since alternative medicine uses natural health techniques in treatment, the diagnostic process is also based on a holistic look at the person's body and lifestyle. The diagnosis starts with the practitioner observing and smelling the patient to see if there are any abnormalities. The practitioner will often look at the person's tongue, since it is considered to be the mirror to the body. The moisture of the tongue, the coating on it, the size of the tongue and any abnormalities are noted by the practitioner to help him pinpoint the problems in the person's body. The belief behind alternative medicine is that the natural health of the body is preserved when the electrical pathways and patterns are clear in the person's body. When there is a disruption in this electrical pattern or pathway then there is an illness. The goal is to help the patient by restoring these patterns and pathways so that he can live in health.

Another part of the alternative medicine natural health diagnosis is for the practitioner to ask questions of the patient to see what his lifestyle is like. In doing so, the practitioner listens to the voice of the individual and his breathing patterns to see if there are any issues there. The questions will cover things like the patient's diet and exercise plans so that the practitioner can determine if these things are correct for the body type of the individual. If not, part of the alternative medicine natural health plan for that patient will include a diet and exercise change.