Holistic therapies instead of more traditional medicine? It has been reported by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) that half of women and 43% of men in England are now regularly taking prescription drugs.
On the other hand, holistic therapies have become increasingly popular over the last 20 years. At Salon Gold, we have definitely seen a greater number of therapists coming to us for holistic insurance under our Holistic Gold brand.
With over £15 billion a year being spent on prescription medication, should we be looking into alternative treatments? We speak to Lauren Vaknine who has suffered from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis since the age of two. She has decided to use Holistic Treatments over medication.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) affects over 580,000 children. The condition can last through their adult years or even the rest of their lives. Symptoms include joint inflammation, stiffness, reduced range of motion and warm and swollen joints. You can even suffer from limping, redness of the affected area, swollen lymph nodes and recurrent fevers.
Holistic therapies vs traditional medicine
The most common medication to treat the JRA is steroids. However the side effects can include ‘thinning’ of the bones, weight gain and increased chance of infections. Not to mention high blood pressure, high blood sugar, deficiencies and hormone imbalances. Although times have changed and medicines are still being developed and tested, there still doesn’t seem to be a cure. Should Holistic Therapy be the answer?
“I’ve had Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis since the age of two and I had tried everything from chemo-based drugs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories to herbs and supplements. However it was only when I started teaching myself about the body (after two decades of disability) that I realised that chemicals cannot fully cure anything.”
“If the body contains a disease, it is the body’s way of crying out and telling us that something is out of balance. The disease can present itself in any way. For example, as autoimmune conditions, allergies, stomach problems or skin problems and even cancer. It doesn’t really matter what the title of the illness is, the point is that the body is trying to tell us something. The worst thing we can do at that point is suppress the symptoms, or even treat the symptoms. What we really have to do is tackle the root cause of the problem and I found holistic medicine does that.”
Popular holistic therapies
“Homeopathy, herbs, acupuncture, kinesiology, exercise, meditation and, arguably the most important, diet. We owe it to ourselves to self-learn and to study the body and its mechanisms. We should research everything fully and become knowledgeable before we agree to any medication. Just because someone tells us this should be fixed a certain way doesn’t mean it’s right.”
“Holistic medicine offers us an alternative from the modern day delusion that there is ‘a pill for every ill.’ It offers us a way out of this prison we call dependency. We can take our healthcare into our own hands and there is nothing more liberating than that. There are so many wonderful practitioners out there. Regardless of what you, or anyone else in your family are suffering from. Whether you’re a baby, a young child, an adult or very elderly. I strongly recommend using holistic treatments as a first resort not a last.”
What do you think?
After living with Arthritis for over 20 years, Lauren has found an alternative to medication. Do we need to start looking at alternatives to medication and also bring awareness to Holistic Therapy? What do you think? Is it worth considering? Whatever your view, make sure you choose a therapist who has the right qualifications and insurance for the holistic therapies they offer.
Holistic Gold provides insurance for practitioners of holistic therapy. See information on our holistic & complementary therapy insurance cover.
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