Anthroposophy – an integrative, conventional medicinal concept

 

 

When the strictly conventional medical practice clashes with patients demand for added complementary health care, considerations should be made to form a compliant system that satisfies such a request for a liaison. So one would think. Yet, a system that teams the oppositional medical concepts is, until today, avoided and opposed by both realms on account of, on the one side, so claimed, scientific inadequacy, and on the other, incompatibility.

 

While this is an ongoing situation, one such integrative medical construct exists and has been actively practised to the benefit of patients. Anthroposophic Medicine, is an integrative medical approach that teams conventional medicine with complementary treatments.

 

 

 

What is Anthroposophy?

Anthroposophy is a philosophy of life, a form of spiritual pathway to awareness and understanding, that aims to promote the individual development of freedom of the spiritual self.

It is frequently wrongly interpreted as a religious or political formation. However, according to its founding father Rudolph Steiner (1861 – 1925) it is meant to be a humanist science of individuality. A scientific exploration of the spiritual sphere that complements the natural scientific existence. The freedom of being that is fundamental to the anthroposophic thought, is achieved through the spiritual development of the individual. This according to Steiner can be attained through the understanding of the spiritual spheres of human existence and of the cosmos.

 

 

Anthroposophy is the pathway to spiritual interconnectedness of the human being and universe.

 

 

 

What is Anthroposophic Medicine?

 

 

Anthroposophic Medicine is considered an integrative medicinal treatment model that is firmly rooted in the scientific medical concept of conventional medicine. It employs all conventional diagnostic and therapeutics available, but complements and enhances these with treatments that respect the humanist awareness of Anthroposophy. The humanist awareness refers to the underlying holistic philosophy of Anthroposophy that considers the physical, mental and spiritual sphere of a patients individuality in diagnosis and treatment of the sick.

 

 

Anthroposophic medicine acknowledges that the physical body and the psychological sphere shape a patients individuality, and that an organisms own inherent healing forces need to be supported in order to instigate recovery from illness and disease.

 

 

Consistent with the philosophy, anthroposophic treatments include art, music and song therapy, eurythmy, rhythmic massage and others. Medicinal therapy sees the use of plant, mineral and animal substances that have been pharmaceutically transformed and processed according to prescription demands, and may include the administration of homeopathic potentisations.

 

 

 

Anthroposophic medicine is built on a conventional medical foundation. It is integrative; it seeks to complement treatments using diverse non-conventional therapeutic interventions.

 

 

 

Mistletoe, the cure-all, an anthroposophic medicine

 

 

One of the most renowned treatments coming from Anthroposophic Medicine is the ‘mistletoe therapy’. It is in use for the treatment of cancer patients across the globe, and its efficacy is undoubted.

Mistletoe has numerous medicinally potent ingredients, which have made it a much revered and valued plant medicine since ancient times. Significant roles have been ascribed to its healing potential in the Roman, the Norse and the Celtic mythology. The plant has been honoured and has been held sacred throughout time, probably due to its very unique characteristics. It is a hemi-parasitic plant, it can, by way of photosynthesis produce its own food. On account of this it continues growing throughout the year, even during the winter months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is ISCADOR?

 

 

The famed anthroposophic medicine ISCADOR, is made from mistletoe. This medicine has been found to be effective in improving overall health, and as such the quality of life of cancer patients. It instigates appetite, which subsequently leads to an increase in weight of patients. It ameliorates disrupted sleep, strengthens the immune system and improves the mental state of sufferers. Furthermore, tumour pain is reduced by this medicine, and studies have indicated that life-span may be favourably impacted. Further research proposes that the incidence of recurrence of cancer is potentially reduced by ISCADOR.

 

 

 

 

 

ISCADOR exists in different forms, made from mistletoe that has grown on different types of trees. Taken from apple trees, oak, pine, fir, or elm trees, this preparation exhibits different characteristics that make each formulation specific for the use in different forms of cancers and for different types of patients.

 

 

The individual make-up of the patient and the type of cancer specify the type of mistletoe to be used in the treatment of a particular patient.

 

 

ISCADOR is not a homeopathic preparation, it is a much diluted plant extract. However, it is at times prepared with added homeopathic remedies. Such compositions are prescribed to meet specific requirements of anthroposophic treatment concepts.

 

Anthroposophic Medicine is a truly integrative practice that teams conventional medicine with complementary therapies for the sake of patients and their recovery from sickness and disease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Allgemeine Anthroposophische Gesellschaft (2015) WAS IST ANTHROPOSOPHIE?, Available at: http://www.anthroposophie.or.at/anthroposophie/ (Accessed: June 2019).

Anthroposophical Society (2019) Anthroposophy, Available at: https://www.anthroposophy.org.uk/ (Accessed: June 2019).

Anthroposophie.ch (2019) Anthroposophy, Available at: https://www.anthroposophie.ch/en/anthroposophy/topics/articles/what-is-anthroposophy/anthroposophical-spiritual-science.html(Accessed: June 2019).

Anthroposophie.ch (2019) What is anthroposophic medicine?, Available at: https://www.anthroposophie.ch/en/medicine/topics/articles/research/anthroposophic-medicine/overview.html (Accessed: June 2019).

Freie Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft, Medizinische Sektion, Dornach/Schweiz (n.a.) Informationen zur Misteltherapie bei Krebs, Available at: http://www.mistel-therapie.de/de/start/(Accessed: June 2019).

Iscador AG (2019) Iscador, Available at: https://www.iscador.com/de/ (Accessed: June 2019).

Mistletoe.org.uk (2019) The Mistletoe Pages, Available at: http://mistletoe.org.uk/homewp/ (Accessed: June 2019).

PAAM (n.a.) AnthroMed Library, Available at: https://www.anthromed.org/ (Accessed: June 2019).

The Mistletoe Foundation (2018) The Mistletoe Foundation, Available at: http://www.mistletoefoundation.co.uk/index.html(Accessed: June 2019).

Weleda (2012) Weleda, Available at: http://av.weleda.de/AVFachkreise/FI/Iscador%20M.pdf (Accessed: June 2019).

Weleda UK (2019) Weleda, Available at: https://www.weleda.co.uk/your-wellbeing/holistic-health/anthroposophic-medicine (Accessed: June 2019).

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Uta Mittelstadt: I am a homeopath, an artist, a writer, a traveler, and adventurer. I’m a crab born in June. I am passionate about homeopathy. I have a BSc and MSc in homeopathic medicine. I love to investigate and write about my findings, and I blog at Clever Homeopathy