A CONCEPT OF HEALING as old as life itself, truly natural healing is simply an extension (and support) of the continual repair and maintenance that goes on inside all living things.

Imitated, corrupted, misunderstood, maligned, it is neither "psychic healing" nor "spiritual guidance", but true physical, biological healing - "holistic therapy" (healing the whole living organism not just a "disease" or it's symptoms) - learned from observing life in the NATURAL world, NOT the LABORATORY - OR the PARANORMAL. Is it "COMPLEMENTARY? alternative MEDICINE?" Depends on your definitions and objectives. It IS undeniably an emotional and controversial topic! Almost like religion. Maybe it IS some people's "religion". A number of discerning researchers and writers have indeed described this whole "obsession" with illness, disease, health and especially doctors as much more "religious" than scientific.

But let's limit this discussion to PHYSICAL life in the NATURAL world --- and FACTS. No hype! Neither "blind credulity" nor the "eternal skeptic". No "witch doctors" or "medicine men". Nor much of anything else you've ever heard, thought, or believed, probably. Not even "traditional meditation". Granted, SOME "psychological" therapies CAN be helpful, but when your home needs repairing, you need more than inner calm and a positive attitude. You need quality building materials and competent construction. It's the same with your body. And since "psychosomatic healing" (so-called "placebo effect") is the only concept many people have of "alternative medicine" / "natural" healing / "holistic therapy", no healing profession or "school of thought" that has strong ties to any religious or spiritistic origins will be considered here ---- even though some of them also have non-religious, non-spiritual, entirely physical aspects. This way we can concentrate solely on physical and biological healing of the human anatomy and physiology and not be "comparing apples with oranges".

The real focus, in fact, is not on ANY SPECIFIC illness OR therapy. Rather, since half the advertising and MOST of the objections regarding these diverse but interrelated healing efforts are so much hype, the main objective here is to draw attention to some BASIC CONCEPTS nearly all non medical and other alternative physicians --- such as Chiropractors, Homeopaths, Naturopaths, Acupuncturists, and Herbalists --- share in common. Explain the FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE between most of the "natural" or "holistic" healing therapies and allopathic medicine or "regular medicine" (also called conventional medicine, Western medicine, clinical medicine, mainstream medicine, standard medicine, and orthodox medicine). Clarify the issues. Separate myth from reality. And correct widespread claims & common objections.

To those who insist there's a lot of quackery or "snake oil" in all of this, it's freely acknowledged that many fads, unsubstantiated claims and other sensationalism are out there. ANOTHER NEED FOR SEPARATING MYTH FROM REALITY! But remember that some medical professionals who sharply disagree with one another call each other "quacks" also; while many people who have a negative MISconception that all NON MEDICAL therapies are merely "spiritistic" or "psychic" forget that some medical doctors employ hypnosis.