Times Change! Hospitals And Natural Therapies Go Hand In Hand

Natural therapies are often considered as “complementary”, since, when health suffers, it is not necessary to choose drastically between one type of medicine and another. The most appropriate – and less distressing for the patient – is to take the best of each and opt for an integrative, more holistic and personalized medicine.

Given this unquestionable evidence, more and more public and private hospitals offer their patients the possibility of receiving – in parallel with their conventional treatments – less aggressive therapies, especially requested in chronic diseases, in cancer patients and in the treatment of pain.

The trend is so overwhelming that even primary care centers such as CAP Can Bou in Castelldefels have not hesitated to add acupuncture, osteopathy and yoga services.

Hospitals open up to natural therapies and involve patients

Aware that natural therapies give people more autonomy because they teach resources to prevent and to live healthier, the Sant Rafael Hospital (Barcelona) has recently created a Natural Therapies Unit, led by doctors Ana Aleson and Montserrat González.

Its objective is to expand the range of therapies within the framework of medicine with less iatrogenesis, that is, with fewer side effects. And with tools accessible to patients so that they can apply them in their day to day, even at home (wraps, foot baths, clay …).

Within the dynamics of a large hospital, this unit “offers a quality service focused on the application of natural stimuli that activate the body’s healing capacity,” according to doctors Aleson and González.

“Among these stimuli we have healthy food, medicinal plants, water, etc., with which we seek to promote a comprehensive improvement of the person. It is a prevention and healing service that is based on the principles of natural medicine”, they continue .

Improving nutrition is improving health

There are more and more diseases related to a poor diet, very poor in the nutrients necessary to face the day to day.

In the Sant Rafael Natural Food consultation, the patient is redirected towards healthy habits, with consumption of fresh, local, seasonal products and without toxic chemical substances.

Sometimes they indicate cleansing or adapted diets to the age, intolerances or illness of the patient.

With the help of herbal medicine

The long experience of the doctors allows them to use medicinal plants effectively. They are powerful tools and therefore must be prescribed by professionals who are well aware of their properties and interactions with medications.

Water also heals

They have also recovered simple hydrotherapy techniques that allow patients to take full advantage of the properties of water.

There are still more valuable therapies in the hospital

With order therapy, the biological clock that keeps us in balance and that stress easily gets out of control is recovered. The “cupping” activates energy points by suction cups.

Reflex therapy stimulates local points that impact on a more distant organ or tissue. And neural therapy is used in pain treatments.

“We also offer resources to chronic polymedicated patients, to people with drug intolerances (liver disease, allergies …) or with pain, in order to improve their quality of life as much as possible”, explain the medical managers of this new therapeutic unit.

Other hospitals that are committed to natural therapies

Hospitals San Roque (Gran Canaria) In its Integrative Medicine Unit they prescribe yoga, nutrition, acupuncture or massage.

Puerta de Hierro Hospital (Madrid)
In the Oncology Unit it is facilitated for patients who wish to receive reiki (energetic laying on of hands).

Terrassa Health Consortium
It has an Integrative Unit for oncology where acupuncture and bioenergetic therapies are offered.

Virgen de las Nieves Hospital in Granada
This public hospital has three acupuncture treatment rooms for patients who do not respond to drugs.