Manage your menopause naturally

3 MISCONCEPTIONS About Natural Medicine That Stop You Getting Results

By Sarah Davison, Natural Menopause Expert & Homeopath

Are you one of the 75% of women who wants to treat their menopause naturally? Perhaps you have always avoided pharmaceutical medications. Or maybe your medical history prevents you from taking synthetic hormones. If you want to get results with natural medicine, then there are certain common misconceptions about it that you need to be aware of.

Misconception 1

You Can Get Results by Self-Prescribing Herbs & Supplements Often the first thing a woman looking for a natural solution will do is go to Google. What comes up are herbs like Red Clover and Black Cohosh. These herbs are promoted heavily on the internet because they are backed by clinical studies. So why, I hear you asking, is this a misconception, if studies say they work? It’s a misconception because they work for some women, but not all. Unlike conventional medicine, where it’s a one-size-fitsall approach, natural medicine has many possible remedies. In homeopathy, for instance, there are 551 possible medicines for hot flushes. To find the one/s that will get the best results for you, the homeopath cross-references the 551 with those that are indicated for your other symptoms (physical and emotional), as well as the underlying cause, and your personality. The result will be a handful to choose from.

The consequence of this misconception about selfprescribing is that you may try various herbs and supplements, get no results, and then conclude that natural doesn’t work. Many women then reluctantly take HRT out of desperation. The trouble is, HRT is not a magic bullet. It doesn’t work for everyone. Many of my clients end up on my doorstep because either it did nothing, or it had unpleasant or dangerous side effects.

Misconception 2

Natural Medicine is Harmless

Another reason you may self-prescribe overthe-counter herbs is because of the widespread misconception that if it’s natural, then it must be harmless. But this is not true. Herbs too have side effects. Even supplements, if not taken in the right combination with other vitamins or minerals, or if taken for too long, can cause problems. So selfprescribing is at best hit-and-miss, and at worst risky.

Misconception 3

Natural Medicine is one system Because we divide medicine into two camps - natural and conventional - people often mistakenly believe that natural medicine is one cohesive system. But it’s not. There are five major modalities, each with a completely different philosophy of health and disease, approach to healing, medicines and interventions. They are Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Western Herbalism. Add to these Nutrition, which is the foundation stone of good health, especially in menopause, and you have a lot of options to choose from. If you want to deal with your menopause naturally and get results, it’s essential you see a natural health professional. Most practitioners will offer a free, nostrings Curiosity Call to help you decide whether you want to work with them.