As they say, prevention is better than cure, and using natural therapies can be a great way to ensure that you are in optimal health, or to pick up on any potential problems before they have the chance to cause harm.
Natural therapies are designed to diagnose, treat and prevent disorders using only natural methods and materials. There are many kinds of natural therapies, from acupuncture, right through to herbal medicine, yoga, chiropractic, massage and many more. Whatever method or natural therapist you choose; the underlying message is that the body has the ability to heal itself. This ability comes through in the body’s energy system. When the body’s energy is flowing correctly, a person will be in good health. If the flow of energy is blocked for any reason, then ill health may occur.
By giving your body the support it needs, it will find its own sense of balance and there should be no need to use traditional medicine. What is important to remember however, is that natural therapies are a long term approach, not a quick fix. The goal of natural therapies is prevention.
The aim of prevention in natural therapies is to improve a person’s overall health rather than just curing or improving an illness or disorder. There are three different types of prevention. Primary prevention is concerned with stopping an illness or injury from happening in the first place. Secondary prevention is concerned with early detection and intervention so that disease processes do not have a chance to develop and grow into something more serious. Tertiary prevention is concerned with treating illnesses and stopping them from becoming any worse.
Because each person is different, the natural therapist will work with a person’s strengths and weaknesses and prescribe a specific prevention program. You will need to have an initial consultation with your therapist, which will be detailed and focused on understanding your body as well as assessing your current levels of health. Once this assessment has been completed, the therapist will tell you how often you should attend in order to gain the maximum preventative benefits. It is important to see your natural therapist on a regular basis – weekly or monthly – as prevention is an ongoing process. Just because you feel well does not mean that you should stop attending, as you may lose all the benefits over time.