Bosterson Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I would prefer to see a naturopath for what ever is my problem long before I would go see a western doctor. Most naturopaths concentrate on diet first and foremost. Western doctors have never asked me what I eat. And since diet is the key to a long and healthy life, well you get the point. Like malnutrition in Africa, this is not some sort of inherent problem but rather a problem of policy. The problem of what you are referring to as "western medicine" (should we say "the medical institution?") is that it de-prioritizes the patient. I have no beef with this issue - improved doctor-patient relationships is one of the goals of holistic medicine, and is something that the medical institution is slowly picking up on. If doctors weren't always running out the door and would actually talk to us, we might all feel better after having seen them. Certainly, HMOs included, the whole process could be done better. However, being that this is a policy problem - a problem of how medicine is being carried out - I do not agree that there is some sort of inherent advantage to what "alternative" medicine would have us do - in fact, I think the opposite. Mundane things like diet, exercise, blah blah are not where this is important: no one with, say, a cerebral hemorrhage goes to an herbalist or a naturopath. No amount of acupuncture will fix a deflated lung or a broken bone. In other words, no one with serious medical problems is seeking alternative therapies. It's like certain unnamed people who profess problems with the "scientific method" still going on airplanes: it's hypocrisy. If you have complaints about mainstream medicine's failure to investigate the holistic component of our lives, including everyday health (diet, exercise, general well being and happiness, etc.), blame it on the institution. Doctors used to make house calls; you used to have a family doctor who you saw from when you were born until you were old. Nowadays you get a different doctor each time you go to the office. You only talk to that person for ten minutes. This is a problem of practice. Furthermore, people generally eat worse, sleep less, exercise less, are more stressed, work jobs they hate, etc. etc. Modern life is not all it cracked up to be. It is also nonsense to argue that Chinese medicine is better because it is older. Do you know what passed for "medicine" a couple thousand years ago? The Four Humours? Trephining? A theory of mental illness that explained psychosis in terms of being possessed by demons? Please. It's one thing to have a problem with the way medicine is practiced (eg, insurance companies, drug company sponsorships, and no real personal interaction with doctors), but it is another matter entirely to call into question the scientific basis that underlies our theory of medicine. (Feel free to do so - I'm just saying they're different issues, one of which I will definitely not agree with you on.) I'm not saying contemporary medicine is practiced in the best way possible, but I don't think naturopathy (and all of the made up gluten allergies that seem to come with it) is the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minx Posted June 26, 2009 Author Share Posted June 26, 2009 yes i'm sure diet is going to solve my whooping cough problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Smith Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I don’t believe I was making the argument that Chinese medicine is better simply because it is older. Simply making an observation. I also pointed out that there is a time and place for both customs. I would not go see a naturopath for a punctured lung. As far as acupuncture goes. I am a firm believer in this process. I used to not believe, and then I witnessed acupuncture multiple times before my eyes. I watched it work on patients. I started to believe. I have found that eastern philosophy teaches mind over matter (believe what you will) and western medicine teaches Vicodin over pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosterson Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I am a firm believer in this process. I used to not believe, and then I witnessed acupuncture multiple times before my eyes. I watched it work on patients. I started to believe. Wow. I'm not sure I've ever seen someone make such a blatant connection between alternative medicine and faith healing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosterson Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 yes i'm sure diet is going to solve my whooping cough problem Eww - you have whooping cough? Good thing you weren't immunized. Quarantine thyself in Cafe Sensitivo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimmo Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 the lines between "western" medicine and "alternative" medicine have blurred over the last few decades, and i think this is a good thing. there are MD's who are also ND's, and more and more doctors seem to understand that it doesn't so much matter whether an approach is "alternative" or orthodox, as long as the one who is seeking relief from a particular set of symptoms gets better. BTW, i only fly on the astral plane. see you there, buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosterson Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 there are MD's who are also ND's, and more and more doctors seem to understand that it doesn't so much matter whether an approach is "alternative" or orthodox, as long as the one who is seeking relief from a particular set of symptoms gets better. I don't know which state you're in, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out here in Oregon now that naturopaths are allowed to prescribe a broader spectrum of drugs even though the training required by law is significantly shorter for naturopaths than for doctors. BTW, i only fly on the astral plane. see you there, buddy. Dude, watch out for that shit. I read Stranger With My Face as a kid and when you mess around with the astral plane, your secret twin sister will try to steal your body! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Smith Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 I don't know which state you're in, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out here in Oregon now that naturopaths are allowed to prescribe a broader spectrum of drugs even though the training required by law is significantly shorter for naturopaths than for doctors. I would say chiropractors would fall into the same category you just described. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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