Anthroposophical medicine was born in the 1920, when doctors asked Rudolf Steiner for rudiments to broaden the medical art on the foundation of his Science of the Spirit.

Like all the practical applications of Science of the Spirit, the medical art cannot be separated from the understanding that the human is an articulated unity of physical body, a life body, a soul body, and I.

Man is considered the synthesis of all the natural kingdoms, possessing a physical body that renders it analogous to the mineral reign, an etheric or life body typical of the vegetable kindom and a soul, called also psyche, typical of the animal world. The specific member of humans is the bearer of 'I' which characterizes them.

The I is the true spiritual principle of every man and it is immortal and preexists each birth. This human I returns to the physical world manifesting in the several incarnations which are needed to complete its goals. This knowledge is fundamental to the doctor-therapist who is really oriented to help other individualities, one who realises that in the course of their earthly existence people encounter difficult moments such as developing diseases.

From the point of view of anthroposophical medicine the human being is constituted from the system of the head (called also the nerve-sense pole), from a system of the thorax (called also the rhythmic system) and from a system of the abdomen and limbs (called also the metabolic pole).

In the head the forces of moulding and structuring predominate, and when out of balance they encourage problems associated with sclerosis such as tumours . In the abdomen the active forces of reproduction and growth predominate which, in excess, provoke inflammatory diseases.

The dynamic equilibrium between these two poles is mediated by the action of the third constituent system of Man, which are centred in respiratory and circulatory functions of the rhythmic system.

The system is closely connected to the health of Man: it acts continuously balancing the excesses from the two extreme disease-provoking poles in the human organism.

The anthroposophical doctor, aware of the importance of the rhythmical system as the bearer of health for the entire organism, works to strengthen it in every individual by collaboration with art-therapists like eurhythmists, speech therapists, sculptors and painters. Such artistic activity, like perseverance in the study and the practical efforts of a spiritual path, allows us to connect with our higher I and the higher limbs. These endeavours can truly help us towards healing ourselves from all types of disease.