Last week I made a comment about an article in my Natural Health Tip that the article's author referred to ginger as a popular “folk remedy for soothing tummyaches.”  She may or may not have realized that these “folk remedies” were the basis and foundation for about 80% of our most common medications available in drug stores and pharmacies.  Whether someone is suffering from menstrual cramps or indigestion I find it demeaning to refer to their condition as a “tummyache.”

That was last week but this week I heard an MD refer to acupuncture as a possible legitimate approach to ridding ailments and conditions or as a “placebo” that releases the endorphins of the brain as a natural pain killer.  Being naturally skeptical of some MD’s, the criteria of a placebo is a substance or procedure that has absolutely no effect.  If this doctor is correct that acupuncture releases endorphins to reduce pain, then I believe he is mistaken that it is a placebo.  It is not a placebo if it has an effect, whether positive or negative.

But maybe I’m becoming paranoid.  Am I seeing and hearing more comments from professionals that are referring to natural therapies as an inferior approach to ailments or is it just the gathering of large corporations to hammer out a new healthcare plan for the country.

Here’s the conflict.  Joe the retiree is caught in a dilemma: he is thrilled to receive his dividend check from the shares he holds in his healthcare portfolio and on the other hand is weeping at the increase of his co-pay for his Medicare Part B.  Into one hand and out of the other.

I have been a therapist for too many years and sat on the other side of the desk to realize that healthcare is a business.  Healthcare does not really give a damn about health and wellness, it gives a damn about the stockholders and its Board of Directors that run the businesses.  Any healthcare company is smart enough to understand the importance of making a profit to keep its doors open.  It is sometimes difficult to grasp that healthcare is not a benevolent organization that wants everyone to be well and happy.  Well, it would as long as the profits were not jeopardized.

All of those sitting at the table at the White House are going to display a posture of cooperation and unity, but the devil is in the details.  Working out the fine lines will be a monumental task if at all possible.  I’m not even paying homage to the hundreds of lobbyists and special interest groups scurrying to round up Congressional men and women and Senators who will support their causes.

To top it off, I have not heard a whisper about natural health practices.  Even though every industrialized nation in the world embraces them as part of their healthcare plan, the U.S. has rejected this concept due to enormous pressure from numerous outside sources. 

I have written several letters to Mr. Obama and Secretary of Health, about incorporating natural health into our healthcare plan but this may be too big a dragon for this administration or any other, for that matter, to tame. 

Politics is about compromises, and any healthcare plan that is approved will contain many compromises.  But I still will continue my mission and message that if our government is unable to provide us with the healthcare quality we deserve and need, then we can take measures to assure that we are in our best of health.  That may also mean pushing aside the numerous pain medications, antacids, and other OTC’s for less expensive and more effective natural remedies.

I’m not advocating anarchy or a treasonous act, I’m just making an effort to empower every person to make better decisions about their personal health, to learn about available self treatments, and to take advantage of these free or inexpensive therapies. 

One word of caution.  If the “tummyache” and “placebo” comments are just the beginning, we could be in for a very nasty, category 5 storm.

Health and happiness.

John Sherman, PhD, OTR/L, CST
**********************************
Take advantage of the FREE Study Guide on Natural Health.
Just click here or go to the link at the top of this page.  Read it online or download it to your computer.

I wrote this 25-page booklet to help  people understand how our bodies are constantly striving to stay in balance and why natural therapies work with this natural process not fight it with chemicals and toxins.

Read it and enjoy. If you have any questions or comments, contact me. ask@diynaturalhealth.net

***************************************************************** 
This website supports
NABE