When most people get a headache or need to deal with an infection they turn to medications for relief. We take things like aspirin or penicillin. But there were doctors and healers operating in the world long before those options were available to us. And there are still some people who are practising these age-old skills around the globe. This form of treatment is called traditional medicine.

While you might not currently have a lot of traditional medicines in your home, you might be interested to know that about eighty percent of the treatments in primary health care are from traditional medicines. The World Health Organization defines it as health practices and approaches that incorporate animal, mineral, and plant based elements and even those that include spiritual therapies. It is very closely related to naturopathy, which "blends traditional therapies from many cultures with current scientific research" to take advantage of the body's natural ability to heal itself as described by the experts.

There are records of herbs and natural substances being used for health purposes that dates back more than five thousand years to the ancient Sumerians; however, that doesn't mean that these cures and treatments have been medically tested and proven to work the way that modern medicine often has. If you're getting a drug prescribed from your doctor post treatments or for allergies then you know it has gone through years of tests for safety purposes. This is not the case with traditional cures.

Our bodies are made up of natural elements and keeping them in balance is what allows a person to stay healthy. So, it does make sense that using other natural materials opposed to chemical compounds would be able to help us with health issues. This is why you will find that there are many knowledgeable people working as a cardiologist to an orthodontist who might recommend some traditional medical practices to you instead of the type of things that you can pick up at the pharmacist's counter.

There are even those who choose to base their entire practice on traditional medicine. Some focus on treatments from one area of the world, like Oriental medicine or Aboriginal medicine, while others do a comparative study. If you find someone down the street from your place who has a traditional medicine clinic than you should make sure that they are the real deal and have the proper credentials as a physician before signing up for their services. The best will likely already have medical degrees before choosing to specialize in this one area. There are also those who do not advertise as doctors but are experts in one element of traditional healing.

Supported in part by: Jova medi spa in London Ontario as well as Garcia Flat Roof Repair Waterloo