The Case for Complementary Therapies
Complementary strategies continue to become increasingly recognized in the mainstream as individuals focus more on selfcare in hopes of reducing the reliance on conventional medications. Even though it is often used as a standalone means to treat various ailments, with the growing amount of evidence-based research it is increasingly being adopted in modern medical settings through the practice of Integrative Medicine whereby alternative or complementary therapies are combined with conventional standard medical approaches.
Conventional Medicine Vs. Complementary Therapies
The fundamental difference between the conventional and the complementary approach in health care is best understood in terms of the differences in their basic perceptions of health. Conventional medicine typically views health as the absence of disease, whereas complementary medicine tends to view health as a balance of body systems encompassing the mental, emotional, and physical state of beings.
Complementary medicine endeavors to understand the basic imbalance that exists within the disease state and attempts to correct that imbalance. Thereby, complementary medicine not only ameliorates or removes the manifested symptom, but also treats the cause to minimize or eliminate the possibility of recurrence.
At CoAT, we practice the following four approaches.
- Botanical Medicine
- Homeopathy
- Nutritional Consulting
- Ayurvedic Counseling
- Acupressure and Laser Therapy
Botanical Medicine
Botanical medicine refers to the use of herbal materials such as plants and substances that come from plants to treat specific ailments. We have all cooked with herbs and appreciate their culinary value, however, herbs have always in some way given rise to remarkable therapeutic agents in medicine. Much of today’s medicines come from manipulations of natural products isolated from plant or animal sources. For ease and effectiveness of treatment, botanical materials are commonly prescribed in the form in capsules, tablets, powders, tinctures, or teas, and for topical use, as creams, lotions, and gels.
The emergence of herbs as therapeutic agents should be in fact be a “re-emergence” as the value of using herbs for their medicinal benefits is not new. The therapeutic value of herbs has been documented for centuries, and in some societies around the world, botanical medicine or herbal remedies precedes conventional medical drug therapy.
Homeopathy
In homeopathy, the human body generates a healing response to the homeopathic remedy that is given. The approach is suitable, safe, and effective for the young and old. By contrast, modern drugs have evolved based on a “disease” being reduced to a symptom or set of symptoms and offering instant relief.
Disease is by nature multi-factorial, and chronic diseases manifest over years, so it makes sense that homeopathy remedies require time to be most effective. Over time, homeopathy stimulates the body’s natural restorative and defensive system of healing without producing the side effects that typically occur with drug products.
Nutritional Consulting
The food choices we make each day can help us to either achieve healthy happy lives, or burden us with adverse health effects, conditions and chronic diseases.
There are many factors that can have a tremendous impact when it comes influencing individual food choices and can be loosely categorized as being external and personal factors.
External factors are environmental aspects that can influence food choice decisions such as culture, religion, socioeconomic conditions, food availability, and impact from food marketing.
Personal factors extend beyond individual taste preferences to include health and family history, lifestyle and eating habits, emotional, mental, and physical state (stress levels, sleep, self-care practices, and exercise), addiction, and food knowledge and support.
Our certified registered nutritionist takes an integrated natural approach by considering all these factors when guiding clients toward making healthy nutrition choices. We do this by assessing the overall health and well-being of each person, looking beyond surface symptoms to get to the root cause of health concerns, and taking the time understand how some or all the above factors may be influencing daily food choices.
Nutritional education plays a vital role in getting on the road to better health. We empower clients with a solid nutritional foundation so they can make healthier food choices to achieve successful health outcomes.
Ayurvedic Counseling
Ayurveda means Knowledge of Life and its ancient origins date back approximately 5000 years. The basis of Ayurveda is the art of appropriate living with the goal to achieving longevity. This requires attaining a balanced state of body and mind by way of focusing on long-term health maintenance of health and disease prevention.
Our Ayurveda Health Consultation services starts with an evaluation your general physical health. Ayurveda recognizes that each person has a unique mind-body constitution and therefore requires a thorough assessment of your personal and medical history, including questions about daily diet, profession and working conditions, exercise routines, relationships, and mental health. This process is part of our clinic’s normal intake process and initial consultation.
Upon evaluation, we will recommend self-care goals often in the form of an Ayurvedic detox (also known as Nasya) that is tailored to your individual needs. This may include yoga, nutrition, and herbal medicines (herb fluid extract, herbal powder, and capsules).
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese Herbal Medicine: Rooted in ancient China, Chinese herbal medicine has a history spanning thousands of years as well. It is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which includes a range of therapies such as acupuncture, cupping, and qigong. Chinese herbal medicine is based on the concept of balancing the body’s vital energy, known as “qi” or “chi.”
Acupressure
Acupressure is similar to acupuncture however uses finger pressure rather than needles on specific points along the body to treat ailments and help the body regain balance. Benefits of acupressure include helping relieve muscle aches and pain, tension, and stress, remove toxins from the tissues, increase blood circulation, as well treat many other conditions including, sinus congestion, headaches, menstrual difficulties, and discomforts of pregnancy and labor.
Acupressure is one of several treatment methods regularly used in Traditional Chinese methods or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a system of healthcare that originated in China thousands of years ago and is still widely practiced in Asian countries today.