The Pros and Cons of Natural Medicine

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The Pros and Cons of Natural Medicine

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One could argue that science, including the institution of medicine, depends heavily on opposing Mother Nature.
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The foundational methods of research and experimentation answer fundamental questions about how and why things happen in nature—specifically, why they happen to us.
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Medicine is, by design, an antidote to some of nature’s destructive effects. Antibiotics stop infections, vaccines prepare the immune system for microbial attacks, surgeries patch holes, remove tumors and restore lost limbs, and pharmacology reverses the body’s many chemical faults.
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The list of ways that medicine negates harmful effects of the natural world is inexhaustible. Most traditional adherents to western medicine would define it as only the product of carefully controlled research methods.
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Modern medicine isn’t faultless, however, and even the most carefully tested therapies carry some risks. Some people feel more comfortable with natural alternatives to medication.
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Additionally, the formerly altruistic reputation of medicine has become marred by suspicion in recent years, largely due to the public perception that the big-business side of medicine “poisons you for profit”.
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Although this is far from the reality, natural and alternative medicine does hold quite a bit of merit. Both sides of the conventional/alternative debate make valid points, and both deserve fair attention.

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The Match-up of Science vs Tradition
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At the far ends of the spectrum are staunch scientists who regard all “natural” and alternative therapies as snake oil scams, and the other side which is vehemently opposed to anything “chemical”.
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The extremes of these two opposing views leave little room for compromise or discussion, and both tend to miss the big picture.
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Traditional medicine is subject to legal regulation in most parts of the Western world. Stringently regulated research produces, data about experimental treatments and painstaking processes is a requirement for every FDA-approved therapy in use, from pills to procedures.
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Many medical providers have formed organizations, such as ACN SCAM, dedicated to dismantling the alternative medicine movement.
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On the other side of the coin is a constituency of naturalists so distrustful of traditional medicine that they forgo vaccines, refuse antibiotics, and seek only what they perceive to be plant-based “natural” treatments for a variety of ailments.
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This group tends to see Big Pharma as a scam, believing that medications are synthetic, toxic chemicals, sold as expensive poison to the total disregard of wellness.
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A Happy Medium
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The truth is that both alternative and traditional therapies offer benefits, and it’s important to be able to distinguish the situations that make one more appropriate than the other.
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Natural medicine has been in use long since before the advent of modern medical science as the world know it. Today, the research in the area of herbs and supplements is growing with public and medical interest.
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Multi-faceted conditions like pain, depression and anxiety benefit greatly from holistic therapies that focus on the wellness of the whole person rather than just treating a particular symptom.
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It is well documented that yoga, acupuncture, massage and certain herbal remedies, for instance, can significantly improve a number of medical conditions. And many of these therapies are covered by private insurance as they do work, giving exceptional result.
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If a patient can benefit on several levels from meditation rather than anxiety medication, then the alternative therapy is safer and clearly the superior choice.
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There is data available on many popular herbal supplements as well, including vitamin D3, turmeric powder and cinnamon, demonstrating efficacy against bone loss, high lipids, blood sugar levels and arthritis.
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It’s important to know how to marry the use of both fields of treatment. Both traditional and alternative therapies have an important place in patient care. So always use knowledge and common sense when deciding which type care would be more beneficial.
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If you find a holistic therapist who is also a medical doctor, and there are more and more of these people, hold on to him/her for your dear health!

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Article by Anica Oaks anicaoaks@gmail.com
Freelance writer and web enthusiast
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