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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : September 24, 2021 8:01 PM IST
Image credits by: Alternative healing focuses on the roots, that is what causes such devastating disease.
Traditional healing methods are an integral part of human society. For centuries humans have faced illness and thus traditional healing methods have evolved with time. While the methods can be different for different regions based upon the geographical features such as environmental conditions, resource availability, type of crops, etc, the fundamental aim remains the same, that is "good health".
As per WHO, "Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease". While most of us are focussed on the "absence of disease" part, we easily neglect mental well-being, which controls the physical and social aspect.
Traditional healing methods in general explore the power of mind over the body where in, the mind is trained in a certain way, by meditation or other practises to initiate body healing. While Chinese medicine talks about the balancing of the two major life forces "Yin'' and "Yang", Indian Ayurveda focuses on meditation, massage, herbs, and controlled breathing. "Yoga" is also one of the foundation stones of Ayurveda and has gained momentum in the last decade due to its excellent result on human health. It involves a series of physical exercises and meditation practises to initiate the seven body "chakras" that control the overall human body and mind.
The lack of scientific evidence for these traditional healing methods paved the way for allopathic medicine in the 20th century which today is recognized as the mainstream healthcare. Although some traditional methods or others which have some scientific backings, their benefits are considered under "Alternative methods" or "Complementary methods" in a sense that they complement mainstream healthcare.
Complementary and alternative healthcare and medical practice (CAM) is a diverse set of medical and health systems, practices, and products that are not currently considered part of traditional medicine. CAM practices and therapies that have been proven safe and effective are accepted as "mainstream" healthcare practices, the list of practices that qualify for CAM continues to change.
Today, CAM practice can be divided into five main areas: alternative medical systems, bio-based treatments, physical and mental interventions, energy therapy, and body-based techniques. Examples of "Complementary methods'' includes "Acupuncture", a practise of using needles on specific body points to stimulate the body's natural ability to heal itself, "Chiropractic medicine", a practise of manipulating spine to improve health without medication or surgery, "Herbal medicine", a practise of using plant-based products to treat diseases and overall health, etc.
Practitioners in this profession believe that alternative treatment methods act on the patient's subconscious mind to help them relax for treatment, which may not be possible with the use of heavy equipment or drugs. For example, art therapy uses colours to initiate healing as colours activate our organs and glands. These may also be present in our food. Therefore, when we see colours and touch them, it helps to rejuvenate our minds and souls. Other common therapies that have gained exposure recently include Water therapy, Music therapy, Spiritual healing etc.
In the end, it's very important to understand the difference between medical healing and alternative healing to get the best cure for any disease. Medical healing is a process where the treatment is being done on the human body and organs where the doctors are able to see the problem, tests being done to find out where the real problem lies. Whereas, in alternative healing the focus is on the roots, that is what causes such devastating disease. Physically evident diseases need medical treatment like medicines, tests, etc, but to deal with the real cause, alternative methods come in use because it is related to the lifestyle. When a human body faces health issues like heart disease, cancer, inability in conceiving these are all caused by the disbalance of good and bad hormones in the body. Alternative healing helps in connecting the mind to nature and cures the disease from within. Nowadays, we don't have time to think about our body and mind. We just try to escape whenever we feel any stress, anxiety, or anger but now is the right time to balance the stress hormones and have more production of good hormones to lead a healthy life.
The article is contributed by Pritika Singh, Founder & CEO, Prayag Hospital & Research Pvt. Ltd. The hospital offers alternative therapies such as Water Therapy, Music Therapy, SpiritualIndian Healing and Past Life Regression that have shown tremendous benefits to the patients.
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