 Joyce Vetterlein, Osteopath
If I am allowed to substitute the word alternative for complementary.....
The hallmarks of complementary health or healthcare are the insistence on looking at what is happening to the whole body, both emotionally and physically. How this manifests as patterns of health and disease, and how the individual copes with inherited and environmental factors complete the picture of each persons health. Disease organisms are always with us; we even give them house room, yet we are not ill all the time.
The overriding benefit of the complementary health approach is in prevention of ill health before it manifests. When this fails or has been instigated too late, and the individual does become ill, a complementary view will try to encompass all the factors that have lead up to this situation and look for ways of encouraging the body to heal itself and stay healthy.
When I see a new patient I ask about the history of the presenting symptoms and past medical history. I then examine them and do any relevant tests such as a neurological or cardiovascular examination. I try to give the patient a diagnosis that could be easily understood by other health care professionals, try to give them an idea of the prognosis and what they can do in the future to avoid a recurrence. As I work in a multi-disciplinary clinic, I will refer the patient to colleagues when appropriate.
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Maura Bright, Acupuncturist, Reflexologist, Chinese Face Reader
To me, as an acupuncturist, Complementary Medicine has its own integrated system of diagnosis and treatment which comes from a fundamentally different culture and philosophy. I think the current drive to incorporate acupuncture into primary health care might just turn it into a series of formulae. By treating the whole person, I mean finding the underlying causative factor and syndromes according to the diagnostic
techniques which I use in acupuncture (Five Elements and 8 Principles), working with the Qi energy, using treatments and supplements and/or herbs.
The benefits of Complementary Medicine:
symptom relief and/or management, improved overall health and stable functions such as sleep, digestion...
A clearer mental outlook, better stress management, less emotional lability,
self responsibility and ongoing health management (e.g. quarterly maintenance treatments etc),
time with your practitioner who will actually listen to you,
a shoulder to cry on, a counsellor, astrologer, priestess, shaman, and, if your practitioner is able , a non-colluder in your ongoing soap opera.
What can patients expect : detailed case history including consideration of lifestyle choices, diet, emotional and mental state, tongue and pulse, physical palpation, structural examination.
Where to find a practitioner : Through the relevant professional association.
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Dr Robert Jacobs, Biological Medicine
Complementary Medicine is
The promotion of health without the use of agents that are themselves intrinsically harmful.
Health without Harm
Health as part of a deeper understanding of oneself ,ones environment and ones relationship to it.
Better Health combined with a deeper understanding of oneself and ones place in the Universe.
In my experience the best way to find a good practitioner is by personal recommendation from someone you trust. Check with Professional Societies of the various Treatment and Therapy modalities but be wary of bureaucracy and of "official" bodies with a hidden agenda.
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Harriet di Luzio, Iridologist, Herbalist, Naturopath
All complementary therapy, when practised wholistically rather than just as a technique concerns itself with keeping the body at its strongest with preventative health measures. Unfortunately in my practice I do not always see people at this stage; often not until things have already taken hold, whereupon we take a case history and proceed to look at the complete person in all aspects of mind, body and spirit.
I feel that education and promotion of health are extremely important. I would expect that all the people I see are made aware of the relevant self-help programmes for their needs, from skin brushing to castor oil packs, from exercise to diet, breathing exercises and elimination. Tthe list goes on.
Why? What am I trying to do?
I am trying to make people aware that they are not only responsible for their daily existence out in the world but also their own health, with a long term view point and of course how they can be a part of their own improvement. If they are doing something for themselves, nurturing themselves, then they are going to get a much better result than just being a patient receiving treatment.
When did you last give yourself some form of care? If there is cooperation then we can work together for the changes you want regarding your health, whether they are in mind, body or spirit, whilst at the same time being totally supported.
Where to find a complementary practitioner
Personal recommendations from a trusted source
The relevant professional body.
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