Day 233 of 365 - Integrative Health Care
If, like me, you happen to be a frequent health and wellness online event subscriber, you will have noticed in the past few years a lot of interviews and documentaries which critique the Western Medicine approach to many ailments. The most controversial series have probably been the ones about how to beat or treat cancer.
This is a hot topic, because just about all of us know someone who is in cancer treatment, or maybe you have had that diagnosis yourself. Statistics now tell us, because of the dramatic increase in cancer prevalence in the past fifty years or so, it is no longer a matter of whether cancer will be detected in your body, but when. Currently, one in two men can expect this in their lifetime, and one in three women.
Many people take a stand firmly on one side of the fence or the other in terms of treatment options. There are those who are fully believing in and relying upon the traditional approach of surgery, chemo or radiation. Also, there are those who completely reject that methodology and resort only to alternative strategies.
What if there is room for both? At the present time, in North America, if someone with a cancer diagnosis wants to blend treatment approaches, the traditional methods are covered by health insurance but alternative approaches have to be paid for out of pocket, except for a small number of practices like acupuncture, for example which might be covered by private insurance benefits.
In one of the series that I watched not too long ago, the hosts were exploring perspectives for treatment in several countries throughout Asia. The remarkable thing, to me, was that in countries like Japan, Taiwan, Philippines and India, it is a given that a variety of health care methods are integrated in managing a patient's condition. This means that doctors can be certified in any approach and it is standard practice to integrate traditional and alternative medicine.
As a result, the patient receives a more holistic line of action which addresses much more than just attacking and removing the cancer. Strategies are used to remove cancer cells, but also to build up the immune system so that the body can do a better job itself of dealing with them. Additionally, it is typical for emotional and spiritual issues to be considered and treated as well. Of course, in all those countries explored, a nutritional plan was also a key component.
The topic of integrative health care has become more popular in North America in recent years, and there are now some programs where doctors can take additional training around that, to be able to offer their patients a greater variety of services to manage their conditions. Those doctors, however are still the exception and most would be working in private practice, requiring the patient to pay.
Given the propensity for all of us being likely to deal with a serious diagnosis at some point, it would seem beneficial for our health care systems to consider a broader approach. It's a tough road in the current economic climate of cutbacks, but, still worth hoping for as a future option.
This is a hot topic, because just about all of us know someone who is in cancer treatment, or maybe you have had that diagnosis yourself. Statistics now tell us, because of the dramatic increase in cancer prevalence in the past fifty years or so, it is no longer a matter of whether cancer will be detected in your body, but when. Currently, one in two men can expect this in their lifetime, and one in three women.
Many people take a stand firmly on one side of the fence or the other in terms of treatment options. There are those who are fully believing in and relying upon the traditional approach of surgery, chemo or radiation. Also, there are those who completely reject that methodology and resort only to alternative strategies.
What if there is room for both? At the present time, in North America, if someone with a cancer diagnosis wants to blend treatment approaches, the traditional methods are covered by health insurance but alternative approaches have to be paid for out of pocket, except for a small number of practices like acupuncture, for example which might be covered by private insurance benefits.
In one of the series that I watched not too long ago, the hosts were exploring perspectives for treatment in several countries throughout Asia. The remarkable thing, to me, was that in countries like Japan, Taiwan, Philippines and India, it is a given that a variety of health care methods are integrated in managing a patient's condition. This means that doctors can be certified in any approach and it is standard practice to integrate traditional and alternative medicine.
As a result, the patient receives a more holistic line of action which addresses much more than just attacking and removing the cancer. Strategies are used to remove cancer cells, but also to build up the immune system so that the body can do a better job itself of dealing with them. Additionally, it is typical for emotional and spiritual issues to be considered and treated as well. Of course, in all those countries explored, a nutritional plan was also a key component.
The topic of integrative health care has become more popular in North America in recent years, and there are now some programs where doctors can take additional training around that, to be able to offer their patients a greater variety of services to manage their conditions. Those doctors, however are still the exception and most would be working in private practice, requiring the patient to pay.
Given the propensity for all of us being likely to deal with a serious diagnosis at some point, it would seem beneficial for our health care systems to consider a broader approach. It's a tough road in the current economic climate of cutbacks, but, still worth hoping for as a future option.
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