A Vision for Health Care

A Vision for Health Care

Andrew Still, the founder of Osteopathy, said anyone can find disease but goal should be to find health. Osteopaths are doctors with the letters D O after their name. There is another type of doctor called Naturopath. They are trained in natural healing techniques and have the letters N D after their name. They were founded by medical doctors with the letters M D after their name. Samuel Thompson, an early American herbalist, said the best way treat disease is to use the same techniques that promote health. Perhaps our health care system should start with the least invasive and costly medical interventions that can achieve the desired outcomes first. There is an order of treatment proposed by Naturopathic doctors that does this.

Health can be defined resilience in our minds and bodies rather than the absence of disease. Resilience would be the ability to adapt to changes in our environment. Therefore, disease would be loss of that ability and its associated symptoms.

When disease develops   the order of treatment recommended by Naturopathic doctors and would probably be recommended by Andrew Still and Samuel Thompson is as follows:

1. Remove the obstacles to health by focusing on lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, stress management, movement, exposure to nature (fresh air, sun shine, and clean water) and social support.
2. Stimulate healing using therapies that include prayer, meditation, homeopathy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy and energy healing techniques.
3. Strengthen weakened systems with vitamin and mineral supplementation and  plant (herbal) medicine to support specific organ systems.
4. Correct structural integrity with massage therapy, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation and stretching or strengthening exercises.
5. Use natural substances to control symptoms.
6. Use pharmaceuticals (drugs} to control symptoms.
7. Use surgical, chemical or radiation treatments to remove damaged or diseased tissues and organs.