We are firm believers in plant-based medicine here at KindlyMD. Other types of medicine certainly have their place at the table, but we believe plant-based medicine is terribly underutilized. If you are new to the whole concept, you might even be a little bit worried that you don't really know how to approach it.
Plant-based medicine is rooted in the fundamental principle that nature provides most of what we need to maintain good health. Even in the area of pain management, nature provides plants that we can harness to manage pain. It is a matter of discovering what works and then helping patients learn how to utilize it.
It has been our experience that “slow and steady” is a good approach with plant-based medicine. What do we mean by this? It is pretty simple: start slowly with herbal medicines and see how it goes. See what works and what doesn't. As you listen to your body and observe how it responds, you make adjustments.
Listening to your body is arguably the most important aspect of plant-based medicine from the patient's perspective. You start a treatment that you and your doctor agreed on. Then you listen to what your body says in response. In other words, you pay close attention to how you feel after each treatment. Paying attention to the signals your body sends gives you an idea of whether a given therapy is doing anything.
By contrast, the pharmacological approach to medicine assumes that whatever the doctor prescribes will work. So instead of listening to your body, you are listening to what the doctor says. Do not misunderstand. Listening to your doctor is important. But so is listening to what your body is telling you in response.
Plant-based medicine requires proper dosing. It is no different from the pharmacological approach in this regard. Taking a slow and steady approach suggests starting with the lowest possible dosage and then observing how you react. There is no point to plunging in and maximizing dosage when you are not sure how your body will respond.
In a pain management scenario, you're looking to see how your body responds to the smallest dose possible. How does it make you feel? Does it offer any relief at all? If the minimum dose has no effect, you increase your dose the next day. Then you observe.
Once you discover the minimum dose for which you actually feel the effects of the medicine, you stick with that dose for a time. Then you gradually increase until you find that sweet spot of maximum pain relief with minimal side effects.
What we just described is a basic overview of the slow and steady approach to plant-based pain management. It is not intended as medical advice. For that kind of advice, you want to work closely with your medical provider. They can help guide you along your journey to better pain management with plant-based medicines.
Keeping detailed records of the medicines you use, your daily dosage, and how you feel go a long way toward helping your medical provider understand what is going on with you. We recommend tracking your use of plant-based medicine on a daily basis. Write things down and share the information with your medical provider.
With the slow and steady approach, it is possible to develop a treatment plan that works for you. It's possible to find the right medicines at the right doses to provide the pain relief you are looking for.
