Synergy: The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
Natural medicine is unique in that it aims to treat health using the concept of synergy, rather than simply treating a specific symptom. It is aimed at using natural remedies that work with the body, helping the various systems in the human body get healthy by working with each other, not in isolation.
In addition, it takes into account the great effect that the mind/emotions have on the body, and vice-versa. This is a fascinating topic that is becoming a bigger part of human consciousness. We are all looking for ways to live a healthier life, whether physically, mentally/emotionally, or spiritually, and beginning to realize that conventional medicine with its cause-and-effect prescriptive approach, while powerful in many ways, is nevertheless limited in its ability to heal.
In taking into account the concept of synergy, it is possible to see that health is both more complex, yet somehow simpler than we imagined. In isolation, there could be a hundred things we would like to change about our health, whether they are getting rid of unwanted heath symptoms, changing certain attitudes or mindsets, improving certain areas of our well-being, or preventing future unwanted health complications. This can be overwhelming and scary for obvious reasons.
But when viewing the body as a complex organism with many synergistic components, we can start to see that improving health is a more holistic venture, and this makes it a simpler thing to deal with.
A common example: someone has poor digestion, maybe acid reflux, constipation and/or diarrhea. So they take some antacids on a regular basis, try to avoid certain foods, etc. What they don't realize is their adrenal glands, which are in charge of providing energy to the body, are fatigued and this is making it difficult for their digestive system to get the energy it needs to function. So they start treating their adrenals which involves getting better sleep, reducing stress, maybe taking a natural supplement to improve adrenal function, etc, and guess what? Their digestion improves. Most likely, many other areas of their health improve as well.
Or, a more mind-body example of synergy: Stress is a component of everyone's life. Some people manage it okay, but many others, especially in today's hectic age are burdened by excessive amounts of stress. This can affect the entire body, and lead to a huge variety of health issues. Say you have high blood pressure, related to a stressful situation in your life. Conventional medicine will prescribe you a drug, and perhaps a diet or exercise regimen to follow, and of course this can be helpful. But without dealing with the underlying cause of your high blood pressure - your excessive stress - you will be stuck with only being able to hold the problem at bay. By focusing on dealing with the mental and emotional components of your stress, perhaps making some changes to your life to reduce stress, you may be able to avoid taking unwanted medications and improve your overall quality of life as well as your blood pressure levels.
Try to start thinking about health in a more synergistic way, getting more in tune with the ways that your body feels and the interplay between its different systems, as well as the effect of your mind and emotions on your physical health. This alone is a very important ingredient in improving your health naturally.
