Maintaining good health can mean different things to each of us. For some it means symptom management i.e., suppressing the symptom or forcing a change. For others it means identifying the underlying cause and giving the body what it needs to heal itself. The first approach is usually what traditional medicine does. The second approach is more typical of alternative health approaches including, but not limited to nutritional assessment, accupuncture, accupressure, reflexology, chiropractic, meditation, yoga, qi gong, etc..
Both approaches require the individual who is seeking assistance to follow recommendations. The difference between the two approaches is the first seeks compliance until the symptom is managed and the second seeks ongoing lifestyle changes. An example of the first approach is to take an antibiotic for a prescribed length of time. An example of the second approach is to make some lifestyle changes. Each approach makes a valuable contribution to our ongoing health status.
It is important to recognize that following the alternative approach requires a lengthier time commitment than the traditional approach. This is because the traditional approach generally focuses on affecting symptoms and the alternative approach seeks to affect the underlying cause of the symptom. To illustrate, you can take a muscle relaxant to relieve a muscle cramp or you can exercise and/or take a nutritional supplement. The important thing to remember is each choice has its limitations (e.g., amount of time to see/feel a difference) and a time frame for maintaining positive change.
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