Methods & Capabilities

Disease and Health
The pendulum of our life swings between illness and health and that is why doctors of anthroposophical medicine always consider both sides together.
Health is produced when the two polar extremes of life are in dynamic balance: wakefulness and sleep, stillness and movement, joy and sorrow. It arises from seeking and choosing the path we take as individuals in the world and back to ourselves. There are, therefore, as many health states as there are people in the world. Health is not an end in itself, it just helps us get through most of our personal and social lives. Anthroposophic doctors not only treat disease, but also try to promote the health of the individual and strengthen the individual's own resolve to stay healthy.

Will Anthroposophic doctors recommend all available methods of diagnosis and treatment?
Anthroposophic physicians are familiar with the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities. However, they do not necessarily use all of these tools. They are particularly critical of the tendency to use certain conventional procedures or drugs as a matter of course. They question whether these known methods are really appropriate for solving the patient's particular problem. Treatment should only be done when the diagnostic or therapeutic course of action will benefit the patient's individual profile - nothing should be done simply because "that's the way it always is". The benefits must always significantly outweigh any potential risks associated with the diagnostic or therapeutic process.

Medical technology is also used
In diagnosing a disease, doctors of Anthroposophic medicine use all the procedures offered by conventional medicine. However, when it comes to medical aids, they initially prefer to rely on their own senses.
They examine the person from head to toe, observing body language, expressions and gestures, the patient's handshake, gait, posture - in fact, their entire appearance. They feel how warm or cold the skin and limbs are, whether they are wet or dry to the touch, and they also feel and hear the body. They listen to the patient's own assessment of their physical and mental health, and assess how strong the patient's will to live is - now and in relation to their personal history in the past.
Only then does the question arise as to whether or not a technical procedure could help the diagnosis. The key question is always: what new information is such a study likely to reveal and what will be the therapeutic outcome? Is such a step still relevant to this particular patient? Medical technology is only used when it could bring identifiable benefits to the patient. Unnecessary research is therefore avoided, which means that anthroposophic doctors work in a highly affordable way. Nevertheless, whenever a technical method is deemed appropriate, anthroposophic doctors are very willing to apply modern technology for the benefit of the patient.

What therapeutic procedure is used?
On the one hand, anthroposophical medicine uses procedures that require passive acceptance on the part of the patient. These are complemented, however, by procedures that require the active participation of the patient.
Medical procedures, such as surgery, the full range of physiotherapy, and the allopathic drugs of conventional medicine, do not require the active participation of the patient. Artistic therapies such as ortho, music, painting, sculpture, therapeutic rhythm, talk therapy (psychotherapy, counselling), nutrition, movement, and relaxation techniques, on the other hand, depend entirely on the patient's participation.
Drug therapy is based in part on the dosage of anthroposophic drugs of natural origin, the composition of which is determined by the typical characteristics of a disease. In addition, other substances tailored to the unique characteristics of the patient are administered. These are often homeopathic substances aimed at stimulating the body and the powers of self-healing.

How is Anthroposophic medicine defined?
Anthroposophic medicine drug therapy is based on the ancient principle: as little as possible, as much as needed.
In cases of severe and chronic diseases, or if the patient's reserves have been exhausted, the use of allopathic medicines may be preferred. However, as far as possible, symptoms are not suppressed. Instead, it is important to activate the powers of self-healing with the help of homeopathically produced anthroposophic medicines and to stimulate the body to find its own natural rhythm once again.
During treatment, anthroposophic doctors try to observe what specific stimuli the body requires to have a full recovery. For example, bitter substances from the root of yellow gentian or chicory stimulate the production of digestive fluids and promote bowel movement. Essential oils with warming properties from the genus chelantha or from native Mediterranean plants can help reduce muscle tension and promote blood circulation.
Additional substances tailored to the disease in question are also used: their composition is based on the general characteristics of the disease picture. These include preparations of plant extracts, minerals or animal origin.
Which substance a doctor chooses, either as a pure extract or in a homeopathic concentration, depends on the type and course of the disease, the symptoms, the pains, the duration of the disease, the strength of the patient, the age, but above all the internal and external activity levels of the patient.
Anthroposophic medicines are produced to the quality standards of the pharmacopoeia and where available in specific national, European and international pharmacopoeias.
The goal of anthroposophic medicine to understand both patients and disease also requires a pluralistic, holistic approach to drug therapy.