I ISRAEL

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Alternative Medicine
Soars In Israel

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With

HELGA ABRAHAM

Special to The Jewish News

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T

he word 'shalom,' " re-
marked Israeli psycho-
therapist Omri Citron,
"means 'peace.' But its
holistic meaning is the word
`shalem', which means `com-
plete'; before we can be com-
plete, we have to be at peace
with ourselves." This holistic
approach to medical treat-
ment also brought together
300 health practitioners to
the First International Con-
ference on the Interaction
Between Western and Euro-
pean Medicines held at the
Dead Sea.
The high rate of participa-
tion from Israel, the U.S.,
Europe, Italy, India and
Romania and the wide varie-
ty of topics discussed — from
the better known disciplines
of homeopathy, acupuncture,
shiatsu and yoga to the lesser
known ones of
psychoneuroimmunology,
Feldenkreis, Qi Gong and
laughing meditation,
"reflects the growing
worldwide interest in alter-
native health therapies that
has mushroomed in recent
years," said organizer Av-
shalom Mizrahi.
"Israelis, like everyone else,
resist change," admitted Mr.
Mizrahi, who promotes the in-
tegration of Eastern and
Western medicines through
international conferences and
local lobbying. "If they were
asked to choose between
painkillers and homeopathy,
they would most likely choose
painkillers." At the same
time, the Israeli medical
system has witnessed enor-
mous change in the last 10
years and can now offer prac-
tically every form of alter-
native health treatment.
A biotechnologist by profes-
sion, Mr. Mizrahi — like many
of his colleagues — came to
appreciate the power of tradi-
tional Eastern therapies by
visiting the Far East:
"Tibetan doctors can
diagnose a patient in less
than 10 minutes," he said.
"And the Chinese," added Mr.
Citron, "have taught us that
people need to be in touch
with themselves before they
can be healed, just as a kite
needs a strong string at-
taching it to the ground
before it can take off into the
sky."
But why choose Israel for
this meeting of East and
West? "The great Jewish sage
Maimonides was among the
first to adapt a holistic ap-

proach to health," said Mr.
Mizrachi. "The soul makes
the body," Maimonides wrote.
Major progress was made
when the Assaf Harofeh
Medical Center in Tzrifin
opened a Department of In-
tegrated Medicine offering
conventional medical treat-
ment in conjunction with
Chinese
medicine,
homeopathy, manipulation,
herbology and postural
therapy. "People feel more
secure when alternative
medicine is practiced under a
responsible roof," explained
co-founder Dr. Shai Pintov.
For many of its patients,
Assaf Harofeh's new clinic is
a last resort; a place to turn
when conventional methods
have failed. Such was the case
with longtime migraine suf-
ferer Mimi Truman. "My
migraines were so bad that I
couldn't concentrate when
talking to people or tolerate
bright light," she recalls. "No
medication could bring

The Israeli medical
system has
witnessed
enormous change
in the last 10
years.

relief." Ms. Truman was given
natural vitamins, a drastical-
ly altered diet and recom-
mended shiatsu (massage).
Her headaches disappeared.
Another patient, unable to
straighten her back after
surgery, was cured through
Chinese medicine. "It was
amazing," remarks Itzhak
Vinograd, the resident physi-
cian. "After one treatment
she was fine."
In addition to those pa-
tients being referred to the
clinic from outside, referrals
are now beginning to come
from within the hospital
itself. I don't believe in
separating conventional and
alternative medicine," says
Dr. Pintov. "It doesn't matter
which methods are used .. .
as long as they help."
Many doctors object to alter-
native medicine because they
fear that a delay in conven-
tional treatment for serious
illnesses may result in severe
complications and even
death. Others, according to
Dr. Micha Altman, an M.D.
and homeopath practicing in
Jerusalem, because they
"don't know anything about
it."
Researchers at Bar-Ilan
University,
who have