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.
About the author:
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.
© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004 - 2005
