However, when these interactions become imbalanced, our quality of life suffers and we manifest phenomena such as pollution, conflict, and of course dis-ease or illness. The most pertinent and pressing changes need to occur on both individual and collective levels of being in order to remedy and prevent escalation of imbalances that lead to degenerative human illness as a fractal reflection of local and global ecosystem degradation.
To heal human illnesses – social, physical, and metaphysical approaches to science must better inform each other. The status quo of healthcare – heavily reliant on a conventional (allopathic) medicine paradigm – does not fully acknowledge the reciprocal relationship of these problem-solving approaches, as treatments are symptom-based and do not treat root causes of illness. Conversely, the widespread application of traditional (natural) medicine is, from the perspective of many patients and medical professionals, undermined by methodological inconsistency – when methods are not recorded and outcomes are not recorded as a ‘result’ it is difficult to keep track of what is working and why.
Complimentary Medicine broadens our understanding of the complex relationships between the physical and metaphysical; it addresses our relationships to ourselves and to our environments. Combining the strengths of allopathic and natural medicine approaches promotes individual and collective empowerment – its focus is on healing illness and making treatments adaptable, affordable, repeatable and ecologically sound. A complimentary approach addresses, critically questions and often dissolves the arbitrarily assigned boundaries within our bodies, consciousness, communities, and environments; all of which are at constant, dynamic and intricate interplay. In other words, healing physical illness is not simply an either-or scenario. We cannot afford to ignore either allopathic or natural medical approaches.
Many cultures around the world have natural/traditional healing systems that are ancient, proven 
effective over thousands of years of practice (the earliest sciences), and advanced in understanding that healing disease employs a multi-fork path that when used effectively will lead to the attempted wellness goal. One must treat the whole individual by attempting to maintain, shape and cultivate relationships within the mind/body system, the outer community and the environments in which life is situated.
Combining conventional medicine with traditional approaches in a complimentary therapeutic framework involves both root-cause somatic diagnoses and spiritual wellness considerations often called the mind-body connection.
Therefore, employing therapies such as yoga, art, Ayurveda, Reiki, acupuncture, tai chi, detoxification, herbs, vitamins, aromatherapy, homeopathy, dance, ritual, nature retreats, counseling, audio/visual art and meditation – alongside – conventional medical practices such as diagnostic medicine, surgical intervention, and a new-generation medications based on a holistic science of the body and ecosystem, can far better address the complexity of needs in individuals and systems suffering illness or imbalance.
In reality, many allopathic medicines are based in indigenous knowledge of plant medicines – which are then over-harvested, marked up in price and excessively processed for their active components – while leaving environments destroyed and indigenous researchers uncompensated. This does not take into account the synergistic power of the whole-plant medicine either – instead, isolating active components destroys this synergy and invites imbalances in the body called ‘side-effects’ from the application of over-refined substances.
The complimentary approach combines the extraordinary precision of modern instrumentation with the wisdom of natural/holistic medicine proven effective by thousands of years of indigenous research.
Our goal, in advocating a balanced complimentary philosophy, is to enable qualified practitioners and researchers to observe, record, replicate and customize their approaches to foster positive changes in human health markets. We are then able to treat individual cases while contributing valuable data to scientific studies both qualitative and quantitative in nature.
Complimentary medicine systems are based on existing ratings systems for effective treatments to minimize ‘side-effects including death’ – a phrase often heard as a tagline disclaimer of risks and complications on televised pharmaceutical commercials.
As well, this approach releases the medical profession from the moral implications of administering placebos – which are simply unfounded when there are ancient medical sciences that can and do heal illness successfully without unduly jeopardizing the health and well-being of an unwitting participant in double-blind clinical trials.
Please stay tuned and become involved with the Treatment Evaluation Network & Independent Healers Network as we revolutionize healthcare with the best of the best in holistic science. This is our present challenge – likewise, this is our present opportunity.
