Newsletters > Summer 1997 > What is Natural Healthcare?, by Jerri Johnson

The Minnesota Natural Health Coalition is dedicated to ensuring access to “natural healthcare.” Does this mean that we support anything that is alternative? The answer is no.

If for example, a new surgical technique were developed as an alternative to the current technique, we would not automatically champion it. If a new pharmaceutical drug were developed as an alternative to antibiotics, we would probably not fight for its use. MNHC supports healthcare modalities or techniques that are non-toxic, gentle and natural.

The primary assumption in natural medicine that is different from allopathic medicine is that the body is always working to heal itself. Natural health techniques help restore the individual’s health, by supporting the body’s self-healing ability.

If, for example, a person develops diarrhea, natural health assumes that the body wants to accomplish something important: perhaps detoxify or expel harmful organisms. Natural health techniques such as herbs, homeopathy or massage would help cleanse the body, thus ending the body’s need for diarrhea.

The allopathic (allo means against, path means symptoms) approach would be to oppose the symptoms as in a drug slowing bowel action.

Those techniques that strengthen the body’s ability to heal itself are by definition safe, as they don’t interfere with the body’s processes, but help promote health. They use non-toxic products, derived from nature, or such methods as massage or acupressure, which have been used safely for centuries.

The goal is not “anything alternative”, but rather ensuring access to any system that is safe, natural and effective.