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- Finding the right Practitioner
Philosophy
What is the difference between acute and chronic disease?
Acute disease is that which comes on quickly and is often severe. An example of acute disease is influenza, the common cold, or an injury. Chronic disease is that with which one has struggled for a longer period of time. An example of chronic disease may be allergies, recurrent headaches, or depression.
How are symptoms viewed by holistic practitioners?
Conventional medicine views symptoms as being caused by a disease that must be diagnosed and removed through the application of pharmaceutical agents that alter the biochemistry of the person being treated. Symptoms according to this philosophy are considered negative, body-system specific, and unrelated to the whole person. Individuals being treated by conventional medicine are led to believe that symptoms result from underlying physical problems. Consequently, symptoms in conventional medicine are most often suppressed. This suppression promotes a dangerous separateness among mind, body and spirit.
Holistic practitioners view symptoms much differently. Under the care of a holistic practitioner, symptoms are viewed in a positive perspective as the communication tool of an individual's vital force. Symptoms in this model are considered the outward representation of the inner energetic imbalance. According to this view, symptoms are the body's best attempt to regain balance. Respecting symptoms as the body's method of communication encourages connectedness among the different planes of one's existence. Therefore, suppression of such is considered contradictory to the body's goal of self-healing.
How are health and disease viewed by holistic practitioners?
Conventional medicine views “health” as the absence of symptoms. Disease in this model is the literal renaming of symptoms in the Latin language and is looked upon as having a personality of its own. In this model, one is either afflicted with this entity or not. It views disease as an intruder to the physical body. Such a vantage point gives responsibility to the “disease” and to the conventional physician, who must “fight” it. This requires reliance on pharmaceuticals, technology, and insurance companies. The patient must look outside of himself to become well. Consequently, such a view of health and disease removes independence and responsibility from the individual.
Holistic medicine understands health as the homeostasis of internal energy as observed by the absence of any physical or mental limitations. Disease is best expressed as “dis-ease,” or the lack of internal energetic balance. Disease is the dynamic expression of one's vital force. The picture of disease tends to get more superficial (afflicting exterior organs, as opposed to interior organ systems) as one's vital force gains internal energetic balance. Examination of this expression provides the individual with opportunity for self-understanding and increased self-awareness. Therefore, this vantage point on health and disease decreases dependence on the practitioner and increases the responsibility of the individual. Consequently, such a system is more preventative and less expensive.
Terminology
What is homeostasis?
Homeostasis comes from the Greek homoios , which means “becoming like,” and stasis , which means “to stand.” It represents a physiological balance. Our bodies use symptoms to regain balance. For example, our body produces a fever in order to kill invading pathogens. The fever is the body's attempt to regain homeostasis, or balance.
What is susceptibility?
According to Oxford American Dictionary, the term susceptibility means “ the state or fact of being likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing: lack of exercise increases susceptibility to disease. ” With regards to the use of this term in the field of alternative health, susceptibility is the degree to which one is able to become infected.
Susceptibility does not measure disease, but rather, is the measure of one's ability to be influenced by a disease-causing agent.
What is a totality?
Totality is the term used to describe the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. Holistic medicine seeks to treat a person's totality, as opposed to treating individual symptoms separately.
What is vital force?
Vital force is concept made popular by Samuel Hahnemann, the Father of Homeopathy, to describe the energy that flows through each of us. Vital force is known as chi in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Since all disease is first experienced on an energetic level before it is manifested on the physical level, keeping the vital force balanced lowers susceptibility to disease.
Professional Credentials
What are the important credentials for naturopaths?
There are many different kinds of naturopathic practitioners. Those that attended one of the four naturopathic medical schools have initials ND or NMD after their name. Those that attended one of the schools of traditional naturopathy have an ND after their name. Regardless of training, all naturopaths in Wisconsin must practice traditionally.
Qualified and competent practitioners are board certified. There are two major certification boards in the United States: The American Naturopathic Medical Certification Board (ANMCB) and the American Naturopathic Certification Board (ANCB). A qualified practitioner will be certified by one of these certification boards.
What are some helpful internet links providing information on traditional naturopathy?
The American Naturopathic Certification Board: www.ancb.net
Classical Traditional Naturopathy: www.classicalnaturopathy.org
The Coalition for Natural Health: www.naturalhealth.org
What are the important credentials for homeopaths?
A significant amount of homeopathic training is included in most Doctor of Naturopathy (ND) programs. Nonetheless, a classical homeopath is a practitioner who has participated in a four-year specialty program, specifically designed to train professional classical homeopaths independent of other practitioner training.
As with naturopathy, there is a national certification board for classical homeopaths, called the Council for Homeopathic Certification (CHC). The North American Society of Homeopaths requires CHC accreditation in order to apply for membership. Board certified practitioners will either have CCH (Certified Classical Homeopath) or NASH (North American Society of Homeopaths) as part of their title. Those accredited through The Society of Homeopaths in the United Kingdom will have RSHom as part of their title.
What are some good internet links providing information on homeopathy?
Classical Homeopathy: www.homeopathy-cures.com
ABC Homeopathy: www.abchomeopathy.com
Council for Homeopathic Certification: www.homeopathicdirectory.com
Health Freedom Law
What is Health Freedom Law? Do we have such a law in Wisconsin?
Alternative healers who have worked to maintain professional credentials in their healing art are often not afforded the right to be licensed in their state. Health Freedom Law protects each citizen's right to choose alternative healthcare modalities and each practitioner's right to practice as they were trained.
The Wisconsin Health Freedom Coalition is working to protect the right of every Wisconsin citizen to have a choice in selecting the best health care available by any healing arts practitioner. While Wisconsin has a coalition to support legislation, Wisconsin does not yet have a Health Freedom Law in place. Much consumer support is needed for this to move forward. The following links help describe the importance of Health Freedom Law:
Health Freedom law: www.healthfreedomlaw.com
Foundation for the Advancement of Innovative Medicine: www.faim.org
Health Freedom States: www.faim.org/states.htm
Wisconsin Health Freedom Coalition: www.wihfc.com
Finding the right Practitioner
I'm not interested in a long initial session. Why can't I just schedule a quick nutritional consultation?
Engaging in a quick nutritional consultation is an excellent place to begin your path towards wellness. A quick session, however, prevents the practitioner from fully understanding your totality. Nutrition may be one of many components affecting a “dis-eased” state. A comprehensive consultation provides the practitioner with a solid understanding of your unique needs on the physical, mental, and spiritual planes.
I like your philosophy, but I don't live in the area and don't want to work over the phone. How can I find a practitioner closer to where I live?
The American Naturopathic Certification Board (ANCB) provides a link on their website to locate Certified Traditional Naturopaths nationwide. The Council for Homeopathic Certification provides a link on its website to locate Certified Classical Homeopaths nationwide:
American Naturopathic Certification Board: www.ancb.net
Council for Homeopathic Certification: www.homeopathicdirectory.com
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