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Health is one’s normal condition where harmony of body, mind and environment
are intact. Understanding health is the basis of all healthcare systems.
Healthcare really means promotion of health and prevention of diseases.
Disease is a deranged state of health or an ill-feeling (either in body or
mind). Our body has in-built system for restoration or recovery in case of
simple or acute diseases or injuries i.e., God designed our body with natural
healing too. So, to re-discover health and happiness one needs to provide
adequate care with proper rest and diet and wait with patience and cooperate
with our body.
But in this hurried world, not having any patience and also to outweigh all
risk factors, everyone approaches doctors with a lot of hope, expecting instant
and miraculous cure.
Cure means revival of normal comfort feeling. Cure can be felt only by the
patient or the sufferer. Unlike for acute and simple ailments, chronic
complaints need medicines/medications to get relief or cure. If they are not
properly treated, complaints usually tend to prolong or get complicated. So,
different modes of treatments are evolved with time empirically or with
different principles.
Every
imagination has been used and applied. Dr Samuel Hahnemann analysed all the
available treatment modes in his period (pre- and post-Hippocratic) and
categorised them with their principle of action:
Antipathy, Isopathy, Allopathy, Homeopathy
Antipathy
Means
“opposite sufferings”. Dr Hahnemann also called this mode as palliative
treatment. For example – using cold water sponge bath for fever and using
purgatives for constipation. Even though it works immediately, with
experience one can realise its short-lived action.
Isopathy
Means “same sufferings”. Here things which are
identical in kind will be applied. Also sometimes here, treatment will be
opted with same contagious substances that produce it. For example – applying
snow for frostbite and using scorpion sting as medicinal substance for its
bite.
Allopathy
Means
“other sufferings”. In Allopathy, there won’t be any fixed law or
relationship between drug, disease and treatment mode. It originated
empirically over time with advancement of science, imagination and series of
lab analysis. I.e. it evolves as the best for the period. Sometimes medicines
are prescribed bearing opposite relationship, sometimes similar relationship
and sometimes there won’t be any relationship at all between drug and
diseases.
Since it could not support prescription of medicine with definite principles,
the medicines could not sustain for a long time. They themselves will discard
yesterday’s magical medicine as today’s poison. Further, dependency on drugs
may develop in course of time and patients may have to live with it and its
side-effects. In spite of all this, no one can deny its worth during
emergency care. Their vaccines, insulin, hypertensive drugs, etc., are saving
innumerable lives today and every day. Also their innovation in surgery to
make patient comfort all the way, i.e., from simple cataract surgery to
cardiac bypass surgery, has made them ‘Heroic Medicine’ or ‘Modern Medicine’.
Homeopathy
means ‘similar sufferings’. Homeopathy is a rational science, based on
definite principle i.e. law of similars – which means “let likes be treated
with likes” - a scientific phenomenon where relation is found between drug
symptoms (obtained by proving) and disease symptoms to obtain cure.
Homoeopathy deals more with patients and their feelings than with the diseases
or its symptoms. Homoeopathic medicines are very much refined and are given
in minimal and minute doses, so there are no side-effects at all. Homeopathy
treats the patient as a whole (i.e. mind and body) and makes one free of the
disease condition and prevents recurrence. In addition to all this,
Homoeopathy medicines are proved in human beings (not in animals).
Now speciality clinics are mushrooming and treating human beings in parts.
But Homeopathy always has a personalised approach and works in a wholesome
way. This will usually comfort patients and help them get cured. In total,
Homeopathy is the fingerpost on the crossroads of healing which directs the
way of Safest, Effective Permanent Cure.
From
ancient days, medical systems have been of different types. They are:
- Hippocratic period
of medicine - which in course of time advanced in different ways to get
named as conventional medicine/Western Medicine/Modern
Medicine/Allopathy
- Homeopathy
- Chinese medicine
- Acupuncture/Acupressure
- Ayurveda or Indian
medicine
- Egyptian Medicine
- Greek Medicine
- Roman Medicine
- Mesopotamian
medicine
- Arabic medicine
- Unani (Greek and
Arabic medicines)
- Naturopathy
- Herbalism
- Tibetan medicine
- Siddha or Tamil
medicine
- Chiropractic
- Osteopathy
- Anthroposophy
- Hydrotherapy
- Aromatherapy
- Spa or
Balneotherapy
- Psychotherapy
- Behaviour therapy
- Physiotherapy
They treat
the patients in different ways, through different approaches and with
different principles to bring positive health. Each one has its own efficacy,
advantages, disadvantages and limitations. Everyone should be aware that they
have all evolved for the welfare of humanity.
The best system of the hour depends upon the crucial time
availability, presentation of complaint, nature of disease, etc. Here one
should consider cure/betterment as more important than the system or the
doctor.
for new
hope
Dr. S.
Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)
Laxmi Homeo
Clinic
24 E. New
Mahalipatti Road
Madurai, TN
625 001
India
Tel: +91-984-319-1011 (Mob / Whatsapp)
Clinic :
+91-452-233-8833 |
E-mail: drcheena@gmail.com
(Disclaimer - The contents of this column are for
informational purpose only. The content is not intended to be a substitute
for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the
advice of healthcare professional for any health problem or medical
condition.)
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