Alternative is Relative
WHAT'S
IN A NAME?
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Alternative Health is big news these days, but
the term is misleading. Herbology, for instance, is thousands of years old, but
to many sounds novel because our society has a short memory. Two generations
ago, all medicines came from plants. Now they come from test tubes, yet we call
the far older approach "alternative." Within a few decades, western
medicine has "normalized" synthetics, and all but discarded centuries
of accumulated indigenous knowledge about valuable, natural medicines.
As alternatives go mainstream, the word quickly loses its meaning. An
alternative term for "alternative" is "non-traditional" but
that's relative too. To many of us, "traditional" medicine means MD's
and drug-stores. To native Americans, shamanism is traditional.
I prefer terms like complementary medicine, or integrative therapy. This implies
cooperation - not competition - with established methods. The new, holistic
over-view is like a larger umbrella covering our previous medical knowledge, not
excluding it.
A
PLACE FOR HIGH-TECH
What we have come to think of as conventional medicine is a high-intervention,
bio-analytical form of allopathy. It relies primarily on chemical drugs,
surgery, radiation, and other high technology. It excels at symptomology and
exacting diagnosis. It is the system of choice for infectious and
life-threatening diseases, organ failure, traumatic injuries, acute pain and
emergencies. In other words, if you have a broken leg, forget the home remedies
and go get it repaired by the best medical technicians!
However, if you suffer from chronic fatigue, hypertension, digestive disorders,
colds, tension headaches, back pain, allergies, complexion problems, or the
numerous other unfortunate consequences of stress, junkfood, overweight,
substance abuse, lack of exercise, or pollution, neither the hospital nor your
doctor will be able to offer much help. First you have to do your own
health-care homework.
A
GOOD DOCTOR
Eighty percent of modern America's medical complaints are preventable life-style
or stress-related disorders. The holistic practitioner's job is to educate and
encourage people to take care of themselves. He or she does not diagnose,
prescribe, or cure, but rather coaches. An adjunct practitioner, she takes some
of the load off your Doctor, who does not have the time to review your
lifestyle, assess you work environment, analyze your diet, counsel your
addictions, examine your relationships, teach you stress management, monitor
your fitness program, or direct you to further resources.
Supposing you discover - while taking medications to lower your blood pressure,
reduce pain, or get to sleep - that you can learn relaxation with bio-feedback,
a low-risk, inexpensive alternative. Any good doctor would support this
worthwhile goal (although not all offer it). In this case an
"alternative" makes a good co-therapy, or may just become the
treatment of choice.
We should also be aware of how commercialism and the media co-op and corrupt
health terminology. The word "organic" finally has a federally-defined
legal definition, but not so for terms like "natural,"
"holistic," or even "herbal." Unfortunately and all too
often, these have become meaningless marketing tools.
WHATEVER
WORKS
The New England Journal of Medicine, has reported that millions of Americans
spend billions of their own dollars on health services not covered by medical
insurance. The fact that 80% of these determined health consumers did not tell
their regular physicians of their decision to seek alternatives reveals a crises
of confidence in the establishment.
The government has recognized the issue by forming a special Office of
Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health to investigate the
efficacy of homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, apitherapy, magnetic therapy, and
other "traditional" modalities.
But the surge of acceptance of new (and old) approaches need not lead to a turf
war between MD's and alternative practitioners. In a shrinking world and a time
of information explosion, what will prevail is what works. Twenty-first-century
medicine will witness the inevitable and long-overdue reconciliation of science
and art, east and west, old and new, body, mind and soul. The resulting
Co-operative Medicine, will naturally allow for all the diverse and mysterious
ways in which healing occurs.
Lonny J. Brown is the author of "Self-Actuated Healing" (Amazon.com),
"Meditation - Beginners' Questions & Answers" www.SelfHelpGuides.com), and "Enlightenment In Our Time"
www.BookLocker.com/LonnyBrown), and His writings on holistic health have
appeared on AOL's Alternative Medicine Forum and in Alternative Health
Practitioner, Yoga Journal, and many other progressive publications. Brown
offers holistic health counseling by email, phone, and in person in the
Monadnock region of New Hampshire, and teaches meditation, mind/body healing,
and stress reduction courses at hospitals, schools and businesses throughout the
US. His Web site also features essays, tapes, books, and links to a variety of
integrative health sources. www.holistic.com/lonny
lonny@holistic.com lonnybrown@aol.com