Healthcare for You

(photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash)

As a patient, I have had experiences with both Western (Allopathic) and Eastern  (CAM-Complimentary and Alternative) Medicine. Both practices provide necessary care, yet each approach is different.

Western medicine focuses on diagnosing and treating a disease or illness based on a patient’s symptoms. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Western medicine can be defined as, “A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery.”

“The basic philosophy of Eastern medicine practitioners is to treat the whole person, encouraging a healthy body to prevent illness and speed recovery.” Eastern medicine considers both the patient’s symptoms and an individualized diagnosis of a patient’s ‘Qi’ (or chi). Eastern medicine views the mind and body as one interconnected unit. When we do not feel well (physically, mentally, or emotionally), this is a sign that our body is out of balance in some way. Processes focus on bringing the body back to balance.

Here are some of my own personal experiences with Allopathic medicine.

As a child, I had an accident that required stitches. I was rushed to the hospital, and was quickly taken as an emergency. Stitched up, fixed up, done.

As a teenager, I had too many teeth in my mouth. If I did nothing, I may have had challenges as an adult. An oral surgeon pulled several teeth out (not all at once, haha). I’ll never forget the smell of peppermint gas that knocked me out causing some crazy dreams during the surgeries.

And, I had two experiences where two different doctors gave me prescription medicine, for sleep and stomach issues. While these medicines are helpful for others, they did not work for me.

Lastly, I contracted Lyme Disease from a tick bite. At the emergency room, I was given antibiotics immediately to begin the process.

The above examples show that my Allopathic experiences were either emergency situations that needed immediate care and attention, surgeries that were deemed necessary to help me later in life, and prescription drugs.

Now here are my Eastern medicine examples:

For Lyme Disease (LD), after seeing my PCP, I met with a Naturopathic Doctor (ND). An ND goes to medical school just like an MD does. However, instead of learning about prescription drugs and surgery, the ND studies nutrition, homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, and counseling.  To combat the LD, I was given homeopathic remedies, supplements, and acupuncture treatments, along with a recommendation to use food as medicine, sticking to an organic, whole-foods diet. The goal was to boost my immune system. A test at the beginning of treatment confirmed that I had one strand (out of four) of LD. At the end of the treatment, test results showed no LD strands present.

I saw an ND for my stomach issues as well. The same protocols were given (acupuncture, diet change, supplements) to build up the immune system. A month or two after this process, my chronic stomach pain was gone, and my energy was up.

One area of my health that I can’t seem to figure out, even with eastern medicine, is sleep. My long-standing sleep issues are still prevalent. However, a few of the times that I had acupuncture specifically for sleep issues, I either fell asleep during the acupuncture session, or fell asleep easily that night. So that’s progress.

Some States allow naturopathic doctors to be primary care physicians. Someday, I’d like to make this switch. However, my State is one that does not yet allow this. But more States are coming on board each year.

Ultimately, a combination of Western and Eastern medicine is best. Find the best combination for you. Many individuals try alternative medicine to alleviate chronic ailments when Western protocols are not successful. If you are open to Eastern medicine, give it a try. Explore an alternative medicine treatment  in conjunction with your allopathic methods, and get the best of both worlds.

What is one small step you can do for your own health now?