Proactive Medicine
By Danny Siegenthaler
Proactive medicine on the other hand aims
to maintain homeostasis. That is, it aims
to maintain health on the physical, mental
and emotional levels. The principle behind
proactive medicine is prevention is better
than cure. In traditional Chinese medicine,
for example, patients used to visit their
doctors while they were well and healthy and
they paid the doctor for his/her services,
however, if a patient became ill the treatments
were free. The assumption being that the doctor
did not do his/her job properly and therefore
the patient become ill. Luckily, this is no
longer the case, even in China.
If one of the doctor's patients died,
irrespective of the cause, the doctor
was forced to hand a red lantern in his
surgery and this would tell all his patients
how many of the doctor’s patients had
died. Boy, talk about having to be accountable.
Proactive medicine includes advising
patients about diet, exercise, stress
management and lifestyle choices. It also
included the use of preventative forms
of medicine, examples include: massage
and aromatherapy treatments as well as
Acupuncture, Chinese and western herbal
medicine. Each of these forms of therapy
or medicine acknowledges the fact, that
there are ways to strengthen the body’s
resistance to disease and maintain health
and wellbeing.
The effects of massage for example, have
been shown to work on a variety of levels.
Physically, massage improves blood and
lymph circulation, lowers blood pressure,
improves immune and digestive system functioning
and increases metabolism. Massage also
speeds recovery time for athletes and
others with injuries, as well as decreasing
pain in many chronic conditions such as
tension headaches, back problems and arthritis.
Psychologically, massage calms the nervous
system, decreases stress and boosts energy
levels.
Aromatherapy, used as a proactive medicine,
has similar effects to massage, with the
additional benefit of the therapeutic
properties contained in the essential
oils.
In addition, Yoga and Tai Chi, both quite
well known in the west these days, are
forms of proactive medicine, as they aim
to establish and maintain the energy balance
of the body. Both these forms of ‘exercise’
are well documented in helping people
to regain and maintain a good level of
fitness, flexibility and overall health.
They have been practiced for thousands
of years in both India and China and have
well and truly stood the test of time
in terms of proving their effectiveness.
Both Tai Chi and Yoga improve overall
fitness, balance, coordination, and agility.
They have also been shown to lower blood
pressure and heart rates, promote relaxation,
and release stress and tension. People
who practice Tai Chi or Yoga on a regular
basis tend to have good posture, flexibility,
and range of motion, are more mentally
alert, and sleep more soundly at night.
Some other conditions positively affected
by Tai Chi and Yoga include: Chronic pain
and headaches, arthritis and osteoporosis,
heart disease, depression and anxiety,
high blood pressure, asthma, bronchitis,
and emphysema, and many more. Tai Chi
and Yoga thus perform a vital function
as proactive medicines, with far-reaching
benefits way beyond just physical fitness.
Similarly, the use of meditation and
relaxation as proactive medicines are
not to be underestimated. Generally speaking,
meditation is an experience of relaxing
the body, quieting the mind, and awakening
the spirit. There are many types of meditation,
and each has specific techniques and skills
that can be learned. The benefits of meditation
are, generally, quite extraordinary. For
many people, the physical, emotional,
psychological, and spiritual benefits
of meditation might include: higher levels
of energy, creativity, and spontaneity;
lower blood pressure; increased exercise
tolerance; better concentration; decreased
depression and anxiety; fewer cravings
for alcohol and cigarettes; increased
job satisfaction, and better relationships
with others, just to mention a few.
In short, proactive medicine is the best
approach to establish and maintain a healthy
mind, body and spirit.
Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional
Chinese medicine and together with his
wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist,
they have created Natural Skin Care Products
by Wildcrafted
Herbal Products to share their 40
years of combined expertise with you.
Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter
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