I often heard variations of this question: “Why should I choose a doctor for my natural traditional MD?” Part of the answer lies in another question: “What is herbal medicine?” Natural medicine is a discipline that focuses on the body’s ability to heal itself and maintain optimal health. Naturopathic doctors use herbs and foods to stimulate the healing of the body rather than using only medications to treat the symptoms of a disease. Simplistically, natural medicine can be considered as asset management, rather than disease management.

Thus, choosing natural medicine, a person has chosen to adopt a preventive approach, proactive approach to health rather than reactive – waiting until a health problem occurs and seek treatment. He or she has chosen to tackle the root causes of health problems rather than cure the symptoms. This does not mean that natural medicine does not treat symptoms, but not. For example, a person committed to natural medicine can make the wort, instead of synthetic pharmaceutical drugs to fight symptoms of depression.

This does not mean that a person who chooses natural medicine should reject traditional medicine. This is not a matter of choice or situation. Natural medicine and traditional allopathic medicine can and should exist side by side, but balanced.

Naturopathic practitioners believe the body’s ability to heal itself. Focus on strengthening and balancing the body’s systems – immune, nervous, hormonal and detoxification – which is a healing and optimal health is restored. Because each approach in naturopathic holistic patient, they seek to discover and treat the underlying imbalances, such as nutrition, rather than treating the symptom of health. Treating the symptom may be a quick Band Aid, but addressing the underlying causes will help the body regain its natural state of optimal health.

Natural medicine is not a panacea, the magic bullet approach. A drug may offer fast relief of symptoms but does not provide a cure? Maybe yes, maybe not. However, excellent results with natural medicine in May from positive changes in behavior and the perseverance necessary to maintain these changes long enough for the body to react.

If you believe in the concept of perfect health, development of optimal wellness and disease prevention, perhaps you should consider natural medicine before the next doctor visit.

1. Natural Health Education Natural health education is very important because it helps address information is power. In fact, knowing a thing or two...