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Another document about energy healing power
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The Energy Healing Power of Natural Medicine
Natural medicine is a system that uses a variety of therapeutic or preventive health care
practices such as homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, and herbal medicine. Alternative
medicine is also known as traditional, naturopathic, natural or holistic medicine. Proponents
of alternative medicine are not refuting the validity of discoveries in and the practical uses of
conventional medicine, but are merely trying to put some things into perspective. Due to the
widespread interest in natural medicine along with the disappointment and disenchantment
with Western medicine, many people, especially in the United States and Europe, where
conventional medicine has taken a dominant foothold, are seeking the advice and treatment
from naturopathic physicians. These practitioners include herbalists, acupuncturists,
naturopaths, chiropractors, and others, who advocate preventative health measures as well
as recommend wholesome foods and nutritional supplements for their patients and clients.
Considering the growing popularity and effectiveness of alternative health treatments and
products, certified and licensed professional practitioners of such medical practices should
be given their rightful and respectful place in medical society. Natural medicine has been
proven not only to be safe, but more effective than Western medicine in treating many
chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and many other diseases as well
The history of Natural Medicine and its roots can be traced back thousands of years to
ancient cultures such as India and China. Ayurvedic (E. Indian) and Chinese medicine, along
with their diagnostic and herbal systems, are still used in these countries extensively, as well
as in the United States, especially in Europe, where alternative medicine is well respected.
Chinese herbal medicine has a documented history of over 2500 years in China, and is now
widely used by practitioners all over the world. It has been legally practiced in the United
States. since the mid seventies by licensed acupuncturists. Homeopathy is also a well-known
form of alternative medicine discovered in the 18th century by German physician Samuel
Hahnemann, but was practically stamped out in the U.S. in the late nineteenth century by the
American Medical Association. In 1938, though, the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
finally recognized homeopathic pharmacopoeia as the legal equivalent of allopathic
medicine.
Another more contemporary and popular form of herbal medicine, called Western herbalism,
can be traced back about two hundred years in America. Samuel Thomson, born in 1769, is
considered the father of Western herbalism. He discovered over sixty different medically
effective native plants by clinical testing, and on the basis of these findings, devised a theory
of disease and botanical drug action. Randy Kidu, D.V.M., Ph.D., writes in his articled entitled
A Brief History of Alternative Medicine: "The history of herbal medicine is interesting because
herbs have been a part of our diet and pharmacy since man began roaming the earth.
Coprophytic evidence (seeds and other plant part(found in preserved fecal pellets) points to
herbal use by cavemen. Early herbalists practiced their trade since before recorded history in
all parts of the world including China, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Africa, England, the Americas,
and Europe. Many herbs are also mentioned in the Bible. Today, based on sheer numbers of
folks who use one form of herbal medicine or another, it remains the most-used medicine
worldwide."
Twenty-five hundred years after the advent of allopathic medicine, modern medicine is still
grappling with the idea that herbal medicine could be an effective treatment, and not just
quackery, although thousands of years of recorded history has proved its efficacy. A new
model of understanding in medicine needs to be incorporated into the existing allopathic
model. Because of the growing popularity and effectiveness of natural medicine, practitioners
may eventually be given their deserved place in medical society. The incorporation of natural
medical practices into the existing model of conventional Western medicine, including the
training of new medical doctors, is now called Complimentary Medicine. In order to solve our
health problems, this modern paradigm for treatment in medicine must be promoted. This
can only truly emerge when bias, self-interest, greed and discrimination is discarded and
diverse medical knowledge is promoted and shared, not only between university trained
scientists and medical doctors, but among Alternative Medicine practitioners, philosophers,
metaphysicians, and other intelligentsia of society as well.