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Many therapies like homoeopathy and naturopathy have lost their former ‘mumbo-jumbo’ status and are now endorsed by doctors in the UK and USA
Many physicians in the wider world have diversified from conventional medicine to take on additional complementary disciplines and many others hold doctorates in their own alternative speciality, like Chiropractic and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
I’m often asked what the difference is between ‘alternative’ and ‘complementary’ therapy. Is it just a question of which word each practitioner chooses to use? As a nutritional therapist, I prefer to think of mine as complementary because it deals with an integral part of life. The food we eat and the natural herbs – like olive leaf extract and oil of oregano – we can use as supplements helps us achieve a better state of health. But in fact it’s not easy to allocate one word or the other to many of today’s therapies.
Take Ayurveda, for instance, which is India’s most widely used healthcare system. It’s recognised as a principal healing discipline by the World Health Organisation. It’s the forefather of all eastern forms of medicine and is ‘alternative’ only in that it aims to treat the body holistically; eradicating the underlying cause of disease rather than just treating the symptoms – as is the case with much modern conventional medical practice. As anyone reading my column regularly knows, I recommend Ayurvedic herbs and preparations for a multitude of problems particularly gastric and liver function, for which Liv.52 is invaluable (More info from www.himalayahealthcare.com ).
In a similar fashion, naturopath and author Dr Jennifer Harper espouses a holistic approach to wellness, “blending natural therapies to nourish body, emotions and the soul” as her inspirational book Nine Ways to Body Wisdom explains. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for an alternative/complementary way to health based on TCM, nutrition and herbal supplements among others (www.thorsons.com).
Another hero of mine, a doctor who’s done more groundbreaking work on viral, bacterial and parasitic infection than almost anyone published, is Dr Cass Ingram. His Natural Cures for Killer Germs deals with alternative protocols for conditions as diverse as simple colds/flu/gastritis through to SARS, systemic fungus and Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD), the human version of Mad Cow Disease (BSE) that itself is said to derive from Scrapie in sheep. How topical is that on the island right now! All Dr Cass’ books and power-packed oregano supplements are available from Tigon UK on 00 44 1664 485001 or www.oliveleaf.co.uk.
Alternative or complementary was the question I asked visiting EFT trainer Irene Lambert last month as I caught up with her course on Emotional Freedom Techniques at therapist Lorna Firth’s practice near Paphos. Lorna is undoubtedly one of the best qualified and most able of therapists, one who uses several techniques including clinical hypnotherapy to address phobias, obsessions and addictions with great success.
“EFT will give Lorna a new dimension in her work,” Irene explained. “I like to call it emotional acupuncture without the needles! EFT will help with allergies, intolerances, deep-seated emotional problems … and possibly in half the time, at half the cost. Some problems can be sorted with EFT in half an hour! And yes, by your definition, I see EFT as complementary.” (Lorna Firth tel: 994 79426)
Finally, because it is probably one of the best books on dealing with cancer from an alternative standpoint, I recommend How to Fight Cancer and Win (Agora Books). Described as “a book of scientific guidelines and documented facts for the successful treatment and prevention of cancer and other problems”, I found it a fascinating publication that lays out both orthodox medical treatment and the complementary nutritional route to fighting the Big C.
YOURQUESTIONSANSWERED
How safe is my medication for osteopenia?
You recommend supplements for their quality, ingredients and manufacturing methods. What about this ‘Osteo’ formula prescribed after a bone density scan showed I have osteopenia?
Mrs VW Pissouri.
The bottle accompanied the request and a quick review of the ingredients brought several things to light. First and foremost, the calcium source is calcium carbonate which most researchers now know cannot be absorbed by the body as it is not recognised as a foodstuff. Secondly there were two little ‘nasties’ on the label which did not appear on the list of ingredients I downloaded from the website: mineral oil and sodium lauryl sulphate. The former is a by-product of the petrochemical industry, the latter a foaming agent used in cheap shampoos and garage floor cleaner! Not quite sure what those are doing in there.
I e-mailed the manufacturer and, no surprise, have not received a reply. My advice to this lady is, although the rest of the formula contains an excellent array of vitamins and minerals, it isn’t actually particularly useful for osteopenia which – as I’ve written before – is the precursor to osteoporosis. I take BioCalth Calcium L Threonate bound to Vitamin C, available on line (www.biocalth.co.uk) or by phone on 00 44 1756 790 009. They will mail order to Cyprus. Mrs VW needs to watch her caffeine and alcohol intake, keep gastric acidity low by eating loads of raw vegetables, and exercise regularly.
A further suggestion would be to try PowerPlate vibrational therapy, available in Paphos at George Nicolaou Physiotherapy centre (Tel: 99 555 899). All this works for me … without conventional medication!
Nikki’s column appears every four weeks. Please address your questions to [email protected] PO Box 21144, Nicosia. Tel: 22818585
