Transcript
Tara Coppola: Hi, and welcome to episode four of Healing Insights by Rising Phoenix Natureopathy. I am Dr. Tara Kapola, and today we're gonna dive into a topic that sparks a lot of lively conversations. The differences between naturopathic medicine and conventional medicine, also known as allopathy.
Tara Coppola: Before we dive into this episode, please note that the information in this podcast and in any other podcast I'm creating is not intended to diagnose or treat illness. It is for educational purposes only. The information is very general. We're only having conversations for about 16 to 20 minutes. So I can't cover every single nuance that it will inherently affect every individual out there. The content is very general in nature.
Tara Coppola: just like most of the content out on the internet. It should not be considered medical advice. Its purpose is to educate and empower you to dive deeper into your health journey. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before you get your personalized guidance regarding your health and medical conditions. So we're about to embark on a very loaded subject.
Tara Coppola: Please grab your coffee, grab your tea, let's sit back and unravel the dynamics between naturopathy and allopathy.
Tara Coppola: First off, we're gonna clarify, I'm gonna clarify what it's meant by naturopathic medicine and conventional medicine. Naturopathic medicine at its core is a holistic approach that emphasizes treating the whole person. Physical, emotional, and spiritual, utilizing the least invasive means possible on the therapeutic order. Its focus is to support the body's innate ability to heal. That's right.
Tara Coppola: your body has an innate ability to heal. The signs and symptoms that you experience are actually your body doing its dangest to try to get you to heal. Conventional medicine is also known as allopathy. It focuses primarily on diagnosing and treating diseases, utilizing evidence -based methods, often involving pharmaceuticals or surgical interventions.
Tara Coppola: Now we can have a discussion on the research environment in our world another day because that is a very, very heated topic as well. So let's get into our fundamentals of the differences between naturopathy and allopathy. With regards to treatment philosophy, naturopathy aims to uncover and treat the root cause of illness.
Tara Coppola: It's promoting long -term healing. Allopathy, on the other hand, targets symptoms, sometimes neglecting underlying factors. There's another difference in the approach to healing. Natureopathy emphasizes prevention, lifestyle, and natural therapies, while allopathy, or conventional medicine, frequently relies on medications and surgery as primary treatments.
Tara Coppola: Now, as I've said before, pharmaceuticals and surgery have a place in the therapeutic order. It just depends where you are as an individual and what is most efficacious for you to build your vital force and help your body heal itself. Let's explore how conventional medicine became the dominant force in our healthcare. care This did not happen by accident.
Tara Coppola: This historical content is critical to understanding the landscape of medicine that we have today. So, one thing we're going to talk about is something called the Flexner Report. This report was created in about 1910. It was commissioned by the American Medical Association. This report critiqued medical education in the United States and created profound changes in medical training.
Tara Coppola: There's a key finding to this. The report emphasized the need for rigorous science -based training for medical professionals. Now, this sounds amazing. Who doesn't want their medical treatment backed by science? However, what happened was it effectively sidelined all alternative therapies, including naturopathy, and then There's the whole dynamic of what's going on in our research environment today, which is a completely different topic for a podcast another day. Interesting, the shift in the medical industry was influenced by industrial interests, particularly the oil tycoons.
Tara Coppola: Many major pharmaceutical companies invested in medical schools shaping the future of medicine aligned with their economic interests.
Tara Coppola: ah Now, with this financial backing, conventional medicine was able to become enriched in the nation's psyche of medical uses, often at the expense of holistic approaches.
Tara Coppola: Then we could also jump into the dynamic of funding in the medical industry. We know it has historical in oil tycoons, funding conventional medicine, funding pharmaceuticals. However, there's a whole new dynamic today, which I'm not going to touch on in this podcast right now. We will touch on it another day. So let's talk about healing strategies.
Tara Coppola: How do these two approaches, allopathy or naturopathy, help the body heal? Naturopathic healing focuses on supporting the body's natural healing processes. Practitioners use botanical medicine utilizing the curative properties of plants to help the body heal itself. We also utilize nutrition, emphasizing whole food nutrient dense diets specific to that individual's need to nourish the body.
Tara Coppola: Your body is built of the food you put in it. Your body cannot create any cell from things that are not put in it. So if you are eating a standard American diet, a diet full of fast food, trans fats, loaded with carbohydrates, that's the junk that your body is trying to build from.
Tara Coppola: and your body is going to do its damnedest to keep you alive because your vital force always wants to push towards healing. However, I'm getting jumping on the nutrition bandwagon a little too early. It's definitely a very, very important topic for me. So I digress. Some of the other healing strategies used by naturopaths are mind body techniques. It's important to incorporate connecting the mind to the body to help facilitate healing within. Nothing in the body or the mind or the spirit happens in i isolation. We then come to our lifestyle modifications. Nature paths encourage exercise, sleep hygiene, and other modalities that help to promote healing within the body. In this way, natureopathy often leads to long lasting health improvements by promoting self resilience and self -reliance.
Tara Coppola: Conventional medicine, otherwise known as allopathy, often treats symptoms and diseases through pharmaceuticals, medications that are designed to relieve so symptoms quickly. They need pain relievers or antibiotics, antidepressants. They also utilize surgical interventions. These surgical interventions can address physical ailments, but sometimes they overlook, they overlook the underlying health factors.
Tara Coppola: They also utilize advanced medical technologies for diagnostics. Conventional practitioners are able can quickly identify ailments, however, they may miss holistic contributions contributions to those ailments. While allopathic medicine can provide swift relief in emergencies and serious illnesses, it often leaves the deeper issues unresolved.
Tara Coppola: This being said, I've talked in the past about the therapeutic order. There is a time and a place for everything. And pharmaceuticals and surgery have their place depending on what that individual needs. Also, elopathy and naturopathy can work together. If you are seeing your primary care medical doctor and you want to see a naturopath, the healing that you get with your naturopath can help you in the long run, even if you are sea still seeing and utilize medications from your regular physician. Now, let's discuss the type of patient that is best suited for each modality. The ideal naturopathic patient has
Tara Coppola: are typically dealing with longstanding issues such as chronic illnesses, allergies, digestive disorders, chronic fatigue. Also, patients that benefit really well from naturopathic medicine are prevention seekers. They are individuals looking to enhance their overall health to prevent disease and harness the power of healing within them. These are patients who desire to engage actively in their healing journey.
Tara Coppola: and thrive under naturopathic guidance. Now, what kind of patients are best suited for conventional or allopathic medicine? Typically, it is best in acute care situations. Emergency situations regarding immediate intervention and conventional practices can be life -saving in those moments. If you need an immediate intervention, call 911, go to the hospital,
Tara Coppola: Sometimes there are conditions that require surgical needs, such as appendicitis or a bone fracture. Those are best handled in the allopathic setting. There is a time and a place for every type of modality. Now, it's important to consider how and when naturopathic doctors actually incorporate allopathic medicine into their practices.
Tara Coppola: Many trained naturopaths recognize that there are times and places when conventional medicine complements naturopathic therapies. As I've been saying this whole time, for example, in instances of severe pain or infection,
Tara Coppola: Some nature paths can resort to utilizing pharmaceuticals to come in and help depending on the state if they are licensed to prescribe. Sometimes we will refer out if a pharmaceutical is needed. Nature paths often work alongside conventional medical practitioners to create integrated plans of care, combining strengths of both fields for optimum patient outcomes. We do this often in the office when we have our oncology patients come in.
Tara Coppola: We coordinate care with the oncology care team and work together for our patient for the best patient outcomes. Then there's the detoxification and recovery. After undergoing some allopathic treatments, the body needs to detox from the toxins that have been put in. Naturopaths can assist in this pathway for the patients to recover through nutritional guidance and lifestyle report ah support.
Tara Coppola: These approaches foster a comprehensive healing environment, one that respects and utilizes the best of both worlds. Now, each patient is individual. Each patient will be best treated by a different level in the therapeutic order. Ultimately, nature paths want to come in and facilitate the body to heal itself.
Tara Coppola: So as we wrap up our exploration of naturopathic medicine versus conventional medicine, again, it's been very, very quick. This could be an hours long discussion. It is most important to note that both approaches have unique strengths and serve different patient needs. Understanding these differences can help you make informed decision about your healthcare.
Tara Coppola: If you are intrigued about how naturopathic medicine can help support your health journey, consider reaching out to me for a consultation. You can visit my website at www .risingphoenixnaturopathy .com for more information and to learn how I can help you on your healing journey. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me today in this quick episode about naturopathic medicine versus conventional medicine. If you enjoyed today's episode, please like, subscribe, and share with anyone who might benefit. Remember, the content provided is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. For any health concerns or questions, please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner. Take care and stay well.
