WHAT ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IS - AND WHAT IT ISN'T

DEFINING ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

When something new enters into the medical field, it can be a difficult to find a reasonable definition that everyone can agree to.

Such is the case with alternative medicine.

At its simplest, alternative medicine is a therapy of medicine which is considered to be an alternative to the regularly prescribed treatment therapies.  This can range from therapies that aren't prescribed often or simply therapies that haven't been studied intensively and gotten approval for use.

Also called complementary medicine, alternative medicine practices allow patients to have addition treatment options when they are faced with a disease.

But working not only with the body, but also with the mind and spirit, alternative medicine approaches more of a 'healing' methodology rather than a 'fixing' approach, as conventional medicine tends to favor.

Within alternative medicine are many different systems:

• Ayurveda  An ancient Indian practice of learning your specific body dosha in order to make the best choices for your health.  Your food choices and even your recommended exercises can be based on the knowledge of what dosha you are.

• Traditional Chinese Medicine  Combining everything from acupuncture to herbal supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine can help treat number conditions by looking at the meridians of the body and whether they are blocked or free flowing.

• Chiropractic work  By manipulating the spine and the way the body is aligned, you can help to help release muscular tension that might be building up and causing the body to release feel good chemicals.

• Osteopathy  Like a chiropractor, this specialty works to realign the body through spinal adjustments, but also has a medical background to work to diagnose the patient's condition.

• Homeopathy  The use of minute amounts of symptom causing ingredients in order to stimulate the healing response of the body.

And if you were to break down each of these systems, you would find more and more approaches to healing with can allow a patient to be more comfortable in their lives.

It's interesting too to note that when alternative medicine practices are seen to be effective that they move into the practices of conventional medicine practitioners.  Such has been the case with acupuncture.  With more and more studies supporting its use, it's hard for doctors to deny that it's not an effective form of treatment.

But while some therapies are given the name of 'alternative' and others are not, it's still a fuzzy distinction between what is considered legitimate by your general practitioner and what is not.

The good news is that if you are interested in alternative medicine therapies, you will be able to find a doctor who can help you get the treatment you need – even if you need to go to another doctor.

NATURAL HEALING MYTHS EXPOSED

Along with alternative medicine come many myths and stereotypes of it. 

Because many people are not familiar with the way natural healing works, so they instantly believe what others tell them.

Here are some of the common myths related to natural healing:

• Natural healing is harmful  More often than not, alternative medicine therapies are actually safer than traditional therapies and medications as they do not incorporate harmful chemicals.

• Natural healing will interact with your current therapy  While this is certainly the case in some herbal supplement regimes, most alternative therapies will not interact with anything that you are currently doing for your health.

• Natural healing is ineffective  Though the natural healing methods may not have been studied as closely as traditional therapies, they may have been used for longer periods of time in native cultures.  Using Echinacea, for example, is something that Native Americans did for years before it was recognized as a potential immune system booster.  Natural healing does work for many people and there are many people who cite natural healing as the way they coped with even deadly disease like cancer.

• Natural healing is a cult  Many alternative medicine therapies are not spiritual, nor do any of them insist that you believe in some sort of deity or spiritual practice in order for them to work.

• Natural healing is a rip off  While there will always be a snake oil salesman waiting to take your money, alternative medicine practices need to be regulated in order to be something that your health insurance plan will pay for.

• Only hippies and vegans use alternative medicine  While those who practice a healthier and more natural lifestyle do tend to favor alternative medicine practices, more lawyers and business women are looking into complementary medicine as well.

• Natural healing can hurt traditional medicine  Though there are some drug interactions with herbal preparations, overall, most alternative medicine practices can be used in conjunction with traditional therapies without any harmful effects.

As with anything new, there is a lot of false speculation and advertising in relation to its effectiveness and validity.

Alternative medicine is no different.

But it will help if you spend some time researching the information you read to make sure it is valid in what it is disproving.  Both sides of the argument should be considered before you make any health decisions for yourself or for a family member.

WHY MORE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES

Alternative medicine is becoming more widely accepted by traditional doctors – why is this?

Aside from the fact that alternative medicine can help someone feel better, people are also realizing that alternative medicine has other things to offer as well.

• A focus on preventative care  Instead of simply curing a disease when it strikes, complementary medicine tends to focus on preventing disease from happening in the first place.  This will save you a lot of sick time as well as therapy in the process.  It's always easier to prevent a cold than it is to suffer through one.

• Less expensive  With the rising costs of health insurance and prescriptions, it's no wonder that people are looking for a cheaper way to feel better.  Alternative medicines are often cheaper than traditional therapies or they can be partially covered by your insurance company, helping to defer the cost.

• A more natural way  The news and science studies are beginning to question the role of chemicals in our lives.  By turning back to a more natural approach to healing, you are reducing the amount of chemicals and potential toxins in the body, which can only keep you healthier for longer.

• People are getting older for longer  The growing population and life span of that population is making it necessary to explore as many different kinds of healthcare options as possible. Since people are living longer, more diseases are emerging with the aging process.  In order to address these number concerns, alternative medicine can help.

• Current treatments aren't working  If you're facing cancer and your current chemotherapy treatment just doesn't seem to be working, you might want to see if another therapy can at least help you work through the pain of the treatment or the disease.  For example, getting a massage from time to time can help you reduce muscle aches while learning about acupressure can help you reduce nausea.

• You can try these treatments at home  In many cases, you can try alternative medicine therapies on your own instead of having to head to the doctor every time something is wrong.  While emergencies still require emergency assistance, a simple tension headache can be relieved with certain alternative therapies.

• Alternative medicine works for all ages  Everyone can get sick, but not all conventional medicines will work for all ages, genders, or races.  On the other hand, alternative medicine can help anyone who needs the help.

• More choices and practitioners With the growing boom in the health care industry, it's no wonder that more doctors are specializing in alternative treatments while also private practitioners are easier to find in nearly any city.

Alternative medicine is becoming the first choice of many patients who are sick or who simply want to remain healthy.

And if it works for so many others, it may also work for you.