How does natural medicine differ from the standard modern medicine model?

The focus of natural medicine is on health and healing rather then disease and treatment.

It views each person as whole- minds and spirits as well as physical bodies-and considers these other dimensions in the diagnosis and treatment program.

It emphasizes a true partnership between patient and practitioner that addresses healing on all levels- including lifestyle factors such as stress, diet, exercise, quality of sleep, personal relationships, and work, as well as the appropriate use of herbal prescriptions, dietary supplements, and other forms of treatments.

It places the power for health back into each person's hands by offering education and training with simple, inexpensive, low-tech treatment methods that can be carried on outside the treatment setting.

General & Preventive Medicine

Contemporary medical training for the most part focuses on the intricacies of the physical systems of the body in a microscopic fashion addressing parts and pieces to recognize and treat disease as it affects particular aspects of the body (provided there are clear and recognizable symptoms).

In contrast, the natural medicines included here address each person as a unique whole as part of the universal landscape.

In preventive medicine signs and symptoms of imbalance are messengers to prompt us to harmonize and adjust before disease takes hold. Wellness is not the mere absence of disease, it is a sense of vitality, vibrancy and inspiration. Our lives are influenced by many different energies that we cannot see or touch, and yet these energies can profoundly affect our state of mind and our physical wellbeing. The therapies included at Community Acupuncture are time-honored traditional medicines that have all been shown to balance, heal, soothe and energize by addressing the subtle energy systems that exist within us all.

This process in turn enables us to:

achieve optimal health
harness the vital force of nature by listening to our feelings, emotions, and thoughts
nurture our spiritual lives
care for our physical body
identify and reach new goals
nourish creativity

This is the basis for true preventive medicine.