| The American Heritage Dictionary of the English | | | | terminal illnesses that have defied modern medicine. |
| Language defined healthcare as the prevention, | | | | Natural medicine is unarguably better in this respect. |
| treatment and management of illness and the | | | | Natural medicine, for the great part, is concerned |
| preservation of mental and physical well-being | | | | with maintaining health and preventing illness instead |
| through the services offered by the medical and allied | | | | of managing diseases. Nature is replete with |
| health professions. If we follow this definition of | | | | substances, herbs, just name it, that when |
| medical care, then alternative medicine would be seen | | | | effectively used, can guarantee that you will hardly |
| as the use of other means, either as a complement | | | | fall sick.Besides herbs and other natural substances, |
| or in place of conventional orthodox medical care. | | | | natural medicine can boast several procedures that |
| This nomenclature and definition have relegated | | | | have been shown to be very effective. Let's talk |
| natural medicine to a second class status and | | | | acupuncture for example. This simple procedure has |
| unfortunately, this has been accepted by almost | | | | been in practice for over two thousand years and |
| everybody involved.Realistically, it might be foolish to | | | | has remained as effective as ever. Long before |
| attempt to regard natural medicine as superior and of | | | | modern medicine, acupuncture practitioners realized |
| more benefit compared to orthodox medicine; | | | | that there are several energy pathways in the body |
| however, it won't be unreasonable to opine that both | | | | and by interrupting or stimulating energy flow across |
| means of achieving balanced physical and mental | | | | these pathways, the body is stimulated to enhance |
| health stand on equal grounds, both with its | | | | self healing, improve body function and provide an |
| shortcomings and merits.Most of the prejudice about | | | | overall boost to the body system.Look at massaging |
| natural medicine (or alternative medicine, if you | | | | or yoga that have even been accepted by most |
| want), is grounded on the premise that the | | | | medical practitioners as a complement to orthodox |
| procedures and substances employed are not | | | | medicine. These procedures have been proved to be |
| scientifically proved, as far as modern science is | | | | effective both in improving mental and physical health |
| concerned. But the fact remains that, if we look | | | | as well as emotional health. There are also |
| deep enough, there is countless research and | | | | innumerable nutritional supplements made with natural |
| evidence to prove the efficacy of most natural | | | | substances that are known to promote health and |
| cures. Talking about scientific proof, you and I can | | | | prevent several disease conditions. Although modern |
| name a couple of orthodox drugs that were certified | | | | science would want us to believe that these |
| safe and good for consumption by all agencies | | | | procedures and substances are not medically or |
| involved and later recognized to be damaging to | | | | scientifically proved to be safe for consumption, one |
| health, after countless innocent people had lost their | | | | reasonable question to ask is whether the medically |
| lives or suffered debilitating disabilities as a result of | | | | or scientifically proven orthodox drugs have been |
| these drugs.Let's face the fact, even in the most | | | | really safe.So far, one can conveniently conclude that |
| developed countries of the world, today, millions of | | | | orthodox and natural medicines are both man's |
| people are every day becoming disillusioned with | | | | attempt to ensure better health, making use of the |
| orthodox drugs and their approach to health and | | | | intelligence and materials that nature has provided |
| illness. Modern science is basically concerned with | | | | him; thus, one approach might not be placed above |
| managing a disease after it has occurred, how far | | | | the other, both should be seen as different |
| has this got us? There are countless numbers of | | | | approaches to the same problem. |