COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE: TUNING IN TO THE BODY

There has been a huge increase in interest in complementary therapies, as people search for more complete ways of healing and healthcare.

No longer satisfied with pharmaceutical drugs to suppress the symptoms of ill-health, they are turning to a range of alternatives that offer support to the body’s own healing mechanisms. This is where the term “complementary medicine” is useful, as these therapies work with the body, completing and aiding the systems that are already there.

After all, nature’s design has produced a wonderful self repairing system that sometimes just needs a bit of help to put itself right.

FALLING ILL, OR KEEPING HEALTHY

It is the stresses and strains of life, and how we learn to deal with these, that weaken our systems and allow illness to develop.

A healthy diet and balanced lifestyle relieve the pressure on our immune system, which constantly adjusts to keep us on track, able to take everything the world throws at us.

It’s actually amazing how well most people are most of the time, considering the poor quality of most modern foods and the pressures we put our minds, bodies and emotions under. This is a testament to the incredible self repair and balancing mechanisms that we all possess: it’s when we get ill that we notice where the weaknesses are in the system.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Having respect for the complexity and efficiency of our own repair mechanisms is the starting point for complementary therapists. Each therapy has its own way of tapping into and stimulating this, so there is likely to be a therapy to suit everyone.

At Charlestown Natural Health Centre, there is a range of practitioners specialising in such diverse therapies as acupuncture, aromatherapy and massage, Bowen technique, homoeopathy, hypnotherapy, nutritional therapy and reflexology. Each of these offers a complete, or holistic, approach to the patient’s well being, rather than taking a symptom as an illness that “just happens” and being beyond our control.

The therapies on offer at Charlestown help the patient to take control and understand their illness, stress or discomfort, as well as supporting the body’s natural defences to rid itself of the illness and the symptoms.

The range of therapies allows for the fact that as individuals, each of us may respond better to one approach than another. Call the Centre for a friendly, no-commitment chat to find which therapy best suits your needs.

Whether you feel stressed and want help relaxing, or you have a longterm illness, or if you just want yourself or your children to be well balanced and able to throw off the stresses of everyday living, Charlestown Natural Health Centre have a therapy to suit your needs.

David Readman RSHom, Homoeopath at Charlestown Natural Health Centre. November 2002.