Helping to Define Medical Terms
Throughout our experience in raising Theo and witnessing his diagnosis, we have become more familiar with medical terms because of our exposure to them. Believe me when I say that I have to see a term many times before really understanding them.
I would like to start with 4 major medical views or structures.
Allopathic: "relating to or being a system of medicine that aims to combat disease by using remedies (such as drugs or surgery) which produce effects that are different from or incompatible with those of the disease being treated."(Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
-https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allopathic
Also, referred to as the Western-medicine approach. The AMA (The American Medical Association) governs this approach to medicine. This organization was established in 1847 and is run by MDs and DOs. (types of doctors).
Naturopathic: "Naturopathic medicine is a system that uses natural remedies to help the body heal itself. It embraces many therapies, including herbs, massage, acupuncture, exercise, and nutritional counseling.
Naturopathy was brought to the United States from Germany in the 1800s, but some of its treatments are centuries old. Today, it combines traditional treatments with some aspects of modern science."
-https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/what-is-naturopathic-medicine
Homeopathic: "Homeopathy is a medical system based on the belief that the body can cure itself. Those who practice it use tiny amounts of natural substances, like plants and minerals. They believe these stimulate the healing process.
It was developed in the late 1700s in Germany. It’s common in many European countries, but it’s not quite as popular in the United States."
https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-homeopathy
We believe that all methods have their place in total well being. We have had surgeries and taken medicine that has truly helped us throughout our lives. I broke my arm as a 16 year old kid with a compound fracture. My radius and ulna were completely snapped and required plates to be placed to ensure the healing. Theo was born in an emergency cesarean section. Eva was born with a blood infection. Allopathic medicine was needed in these moments.
We have also learned that Naturopathic and Homeopathic medicine and traditions have their place and can also be very helpful. We are seeing a Naturopathic Doctor and doing Homeopathic remedies. We were referred to Resilience Naturopathic. You can check out their website here: https://resiliencenaturopathic.com/.
Finally my current favorite term:
Functional Medicine:
"Functional Medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many contributing to an individual’s illness."
- https://www.ifm.org/functional-medicine/what-is-functional-medicine/
Our experience has been learning the root cause of something can better identify the best route of treatment. We are currently experimenting in all categories. We have learned that diagnosis can't ever truly define a person. They are just hypothesis as to why things are the way they are. If we understand the root cause, we can begin to understand more about that person.
Shawn has received his certification as a Functional Medicine Health Coach. It was a year long program diving into the Functional Medicine Matrix and Healthcare Model. There was a lot of content on Mind/Body Medicine and that is part of the reason that Shawn also received his 200 hour Yoga Teaching Certification through Settled Life. https://settled.life/
We plan to continue to learn and understand all that we can of how Theo experiences the world so that we can better support him and learn from him. We know that Theo is our spiritual teacher and we are blessed to have him in our lives. I can speak from my own personal experience that Theo has unlocked many doors for me to understanding myself and my own thoughts and experiences. In a sense decoding my beliefs and tendencies.
Until next time
Shawn