- A homeopath shared his account of a patient who suffered from severe back pain and relied on pain killers daily. He was showing signs of kidney failure and digestive issues due to the pain killers and wanted to know if the homeopath could help him treat his pain in a natural way. THRESHHold tablets and gel were recommended for the pain, along with A.Vogel’s Nephrosolid and Boldocynara drops to support the liver and kidneys. On his follow up visit to the homeopath, the patient reported his pain had reduced drastically, and blood tests showed improvements in his liver and kidney function.
- During a meeting between ourselves and a Pretoria-based GP, the GP asked what natural options were available for patients suffering from liver disease, kidney problems, eczema or sleeplessness in children, etc. He said more and more often, the first question from patients receiving a diagnosis is are there alternative or natural ways to treat the problem rather than using long term chronic chemical medicine. He also said there are numerous ailments and conditions which conventional medicine simply doesn’t have answers or solutions to. He took copious notes and at the end said he’d apply the information and product suggestions we’d given to some of his patients to see what effect they might have. It wasn’t long before we started receiving many positive reports from him, ranging from how a renal failure patient with just 20% kidney function had improved to 40% kidney function on A.Vogel Nephrosolid to how the practice’s receptionist who struggled with severe IBS had used A.Vogel Molkosan and now the term IBS no longer even featured in her vocabulary.
Yes, there is another way.
Health is a gift and one we all need to cherish. It’s important we understand the body we live in. To know what makes it strong and healthy and what weakens it. To obey the commonsense rules of drinking enough water daily, eating a balanced and healthy diet, exercising often and enough, sleeping well and filling your daily cup of energy with positive thoughts, words, music …whatever gives you great joy! This is the beginning of health. Then comes understanding the different medical modalities available to help you achieve good health and treat illness should it arise. Visit an integrative doctor and know a homeopath. Primary health care starts with them. Should you require specialized help, they will refer you to someone else. Learn how to discern which companies to support when purchasing products. Quality is not everyone’s priority. Research, ask, become familiar with health products.
There is certainly a time and place for an antibiotic or a painkiller. Or for surgery, or for using an allopathic drug. There is also a time and place for natural medicine, from homeopathy to herbal medicine and supplementing, aromatherapy, massage, physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment…. there is never just one answer, or a case of ‘either this, or that’ when treating an illness or preventing illnesses from happening. Sometimes a combined approach delivers the best results for certain illnesses with an allopathic drug treating the illness or disease and natural medicines supporting the other organs or body systems that may also be impacted by the illness or the drug. Here at Living Naturally, we advocate for the Integrative Medicine model where all forms of medical treatment are regarded, respected and made available to support good health and treat an illness. They all have their place. The question to always ask is what is best for you, at this moment?
In our own story, the origins of SA Natural Products and Living Naturally came about through desperation and the search for ‘another way’ to treat ongoing health problems. Through that we learned first-hand how natural medicines can profoundly support health and alleviate many discomforts.
Alfred Vogel always said ‘a doctor is like a mountain guide. They can show the way, but the patient still needs to do the walking.’
Who are your guides? And are you willing to walk the road you need to in order to have better health?
References
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- Bushinsky DA: Acid base imbalance and the skeleton. Eur J Nutr 2001,40:238-44.
- Manz F: History of nutrition and acid-base physiology. Eur J Nutr 2001, 40:189-199.
- Frassetto L, Morris RC Jr, Sellmeyer DE, Sebastian A. Adverse effects of sodium chloride on bone in the aging human population resulting from habitual consumption of typical American diets. J Nutr 2008, 138:419S-22S.
- Marangella M, Di StefaanoM, Casalis S, Berutti S,D’Amello P,Issai GC: Effects of potassium citrate supplementation on bone metabolism. Calcif Tissue Int 2004, 74:330-5.
- Frassetto L, Morris RC Jr , Sellmeyer DE, Sebastian A: Diet evolution and aging – the pathophysiologic effects of the post-agricultural inversion of the potassium-t-sodium and base-to-chloride ratios in the human diet. Eur J Nutr 2001, 40:200-13.
- Ails A, Welch, Angela M, Sheila A, Bingham and Kay-tee Khaw. Urine pH is an indicator of dietary acid-base load, fruit and vegetables and meat intakes: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Norfolk population study. Br J Nutr 2008, 99, 1335-1343.
- König D, Muser K, Dickhuth H, Berg A, Deibert P: Effect of a supplement rich in alkaline minerals on acid-base balance in humans. Nutrition Journal 2009,8: 23.
- Robey IF et al. Bicarbonate increases tumour pH and inhibits spontaneous metasteses. Cancer Res 2009; 69:2260-68.