What is Anthroposophic Medicine?

Anthroposophic Medicine is a holistic and human-centered approach to medicine that is based upon the philosophy of Anthroposophy founded by Dr. Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). This integrated form of medicine views healing as a multi-faceted process that brings the human being’s body, soul and spirit in balance with itself and in harmony with its environment—leading to greater health.

This pioneering form of integrative medicine is as modern as it is age old. It draws upon the ancient knowledge that balance brings health and imbalance leads to illness.  Anthroposophic Medicine also represents the new medical thinking of the 21st century which is shifting from the pathogenetic towards the salutogenetic concept—inspired by representatives of modern medical health research.

Over the past 200 years, the pathogenic concept has become the mainstream medical approach. It addresses questions such as: what makes people ill; where do metabolic disorders originate and why does an illness arise? Salutogenesis takes this approach a step further and looks at what maintains health even in times of stress and outer or inner problems, exploring answers to questions such as: what allows people to remain healthy despite disasters, starvation or exposure to pathogenic factors; what gives humans resilience and strength; where are the sources of self-regeneration and self-healing?

Based upon this holistic approach, medicines are formulated to stimulate a patient’s innate self-healing powers and to restore and maintain the health of the individual. Anthroposophic Medicine is widely practiced in medical offices and hospitals throughout Europe and elsewhere in the world.