With the price of health care continuing to escalate, amidst the growing dissatisfaction with medicines and medical procedures that just don't produce the result we most want, more and more of us are looking at the alternative options available to us. That's where we are reminded that "cost of medical care" is more than just about money, although it's also true that very few doctors work for decent or affordable prices, each being determined to live the "Mercedes Benz" lifestyle. Why didn't they go into sales or marketing?

Be that as it may, and it's plenty enough subject for other columns and essays, let's talk about some of the other costs.

The hours of sitting in the doctor's waiting room or outside of a surgery; the lines and inconvenience of waiting for prescriptions to be filled; the pain of a physical problem not responding to medical treatment; and, obviously, the loss of "quality of life" when our illness or ailment does not respond to medical treatment… all add up to a cost that is worth even more than the high fees we pay for medical care in America. Conventional health care is all about money, and everyone knows it

This is one of the forces behind the recent upsurge of interest in naturopathic medicine, which is the accredited branch of health care that specifically avoids, any slicing into the human flesh except in life-or-death situations; and specifically avoids the use of prescription drugs. Why? Well, the only reason a drug requires a doctor's prescription is that the drug has dangerous or deadly side effects. No exceptions to this Whenever the drug companies are able to make a drug safe enough not to harm the human body, it is removed from the prescription list and sold "over the counter," which means anyone can buy it

If our heavy prescription drugs were really working, we'd be happier campers, wouldn't we? Seems okay to accept the side effects because it's worth it to get rid of the problem… if the drug was doing its job. That's where the problem lies: the medicines don't always work, do they?

With naturopathic medicine, the objective is NOT to overrule the human system with man-made chemicals. The only purpose of naturopathy is to use natural healing agents and nutrients to return your body back to its natural, healthy balance. You can't get rich as a naturopathic doctor because your patients don't need to come every other week for two years and three years and five years and beyond. That's the bad part of being a naturopath: people get better, and don't need your services anymore.

Studying nine naturopaths who enjoy high reputations for helping people who had not been responding to conventional treatment, it was clear that The most thriving practices are not generating significant financial wealth. It's clear that word-of-mouth recommendations go far, and keep these unusual health practitioners in business. Knowing in advance they'll never get rich, they tend to be as noble as many of our schoolteachers are, because it is the love of helping people, and not driving a Mercedes Benz, that drives and motivates the majority of naturopathic practitioners. As with everything in life, actions are louder than words

Combining ageless wisdom of natural approaches that have proven consistently successful, the naturopathic doctor has a huge array of modern biofeedback technology that is light-years ahead of where we were just a few years ago. A wonderful example of this is Phazx's biofeedback device called Bodyscan2010.

Measuring over 16,000 substances in your body in 59 categories, it provides exquisitely accurate information on each substance, toxin, and imbalance present in the person being examined. No needles, no drugs, no surgeries; in fact, nothing invasive or unfriendly at all. Imagine the healing love of a grandma combined with state-of-art-technology, and you've got a fair picture of naturopathic medicine in America

The very nature of naturopathic medicine is such that there is no way to get wealthy. A conventional medical doctor, known in fancy terms as an "allopathic" practitioner, sends you out for very expensive tests that eat up too many hours, only to find that the doctor is recommending surgery or prescription drugs.

From Wayne Hill, N.D., naturopathic practitioner in Auckland, New Zealand or Dr. Eileen Stretch, a Seattle naturopath, or Boro Park's own Dr. David Cohen, N.D., Ph.D., M.H., C.N.C., those who choose the life of naturopathic doctors clearly do so for reasons more interesting and useful than collecting money. When we consider how the price of health care has escalated in America, it's nice to hear actions speaking louder than words.