Anthroposophic medicine sees itself as an extension of conventional medicine and looks at people as a whole. In science it still has the reputation of esotericism, but it is becoming increasingly popular.
What is anthroposophic medicine?
Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophic medicine, wanted to develop a holistic form of treatment with his medical concept. Its meaning is derived from the Greek – “anthropos” means man and “sophia” means wisdom.
According to Steiner, four pillars belong to the “whole” person:
- The body
- The soul or the astral body
- The mind or the ego
- The living
In addition to the material system of humans, i.e. the system of molecular-biological connections, anthroposophic medicine also sees intangible existence, She says that there are also immaterial forces, such as consciousness, which the brain does not create but enables. That describes an article on anthroposophic medicine in oncology,
Anthroposophic medicine therefore does not see itself as an alternative to conventional medicine, but as extension, she expanded the scientific consideration of conventional medicine namely the focus on the living, the spiritual and the spiritual being of man, or in other words: anthroposophic medicine strives to expand the scientific focus by a humanities focus.
To the treatment methods In addition to consultations and special medicines, artistic therapies, exercise therapies and massage therapies are also included.
Individual applications of anthroposophic medicine
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / stux)
Anthroposophic medicine considers the interactions between soul or mind and body from the very beginning. Diseases are understood as crises that can also have their origin in the soul or spirit and that can contribute to individual development, according to an essay on anthroposophic medicine in one Alnatura series (part 5),
Therefore are artistic therapies a central component of anthroposophical treatments. This includes sculpting, painting, drawing, making music or therapeutic speech. The latter assumes that language is a very original art form and an expression of our individuality, rather than just a communication and information tool. According to anthroposophic medicine, language consists of three components: articulation, voice and speaking breath. These three elements provide information about a person’s physical and psychological well-being. Roughly speaking: If you articulate too strongly, for example, this could be a sign of asthma or heart disease on a physical level, or psychological evidence of cramping or anxiety. The voice gives an impression of the psychosomatic state of mind. With the help of language breathing exercises, you can influence various body functions in a therapeutic speech design. Are you more interested in the topic? Here you will find one detailed article to.
The Waldorf pedagogy has become particularly well known Heileurythmie. It is a movement therapy, which should bring the different levels of a person – body, soul and spirit – back into balance and connection with each other. Eurythmy therapy is used for acute, chronic or degenerative diseases of the nervous system, for diseases of the cardiovascular system, the metabolic system or the musculoskeletal system Professional Association Eurythmy Therapy,
Considered an insider tip of anthroposophic medicine Oil dispersion baths: This requires special equipment that mixes the water with the oil. Olive oil as a base is very popular for these baths. This is then enriched with essential oils. On Oil dispersion is intended to stimulate the natural heat of humans and can be used for skin diseases, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, pain and exhaustion, nervousness and sleep problems, psychosomatic diseases, developmental disorders, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders.
Are also popular in anthroposophic medicine rhythmic massages, who go back to the co-founder of anthroposophy Ita Wegmann. The Professional association rhythmic massage describes this type of massage as “help to strengthen self-regulation”. The aim of massage technology is to get compressed or solidified fluid flows in the body moving again. It affects blood, lymph and breathing. The rhythmic massage should also stimulate the circulation of heat. This physical stimulation then also has an effect on the psyche: after the treatment, the patient feels lighter, less passive, gains initiative, and pain and surges dissolve.
Anthroposophic medicine in conventional medicine
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / Bru-nO)
In his book “Anthroposophic medicine and science“The author Peter Heusser explains that anthroposophic medicine integrates conventional and anthroposophical elements like no other medical direction. Even though it is one of the youngest complementary medical systems.
Some health insurance companies cover the costs of anthroposophical applications as a supplement to conventional ones. In science, however, anthroposophic medicine has so far had a dubious status and is considered to be pseudoscience, The main problem behind it is that anthroposophic medicine contains an esotericism that is scientifically incomprehensible.
Nevertheless, complementary medical directions are enjoying increasing popularity – not least because of the increasing demand in the population – and are also receiving increasing attention in science, says Peter Heusser. This also applies to anthroposophic medicine.
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