Alternative Medicine Gains Popularity, Credibility by Judith Hood
Escalating health care costs and mounting concerns about the safety of
prescription medications have prompted millions of Americans to turn to
alternative medicine in recent years. Advocates of alternative medicine
believe that alternative therapies can provide the public with valuable
services that are not available through conventional medicine.
Complementary and alternative medicine generally refer to practices
that aren't integral parts of conventional medicine. What is or isn't
considered complementary and alternative medicine changes constantly as
an increasing number of treatments undergo rigorous study.
Though the two terms are often grouped together, complementary medicine
and alternative medicine aren't necessarily the same thing.
Complementary treatments are often thought of as treatments used along
with the conventional therapies your doctor may prescribe, such as
using Tai Chi or massage in addition to prescription medicine for
anxiety.
Alternative approaches are generally thought of as being used instead
of conventional methods. For example, this might mean seeing a
homeopath or naturopath instead of your regular doctor. Alternative
practitioners believe that our bodies are remarkably resilient
machines, capable, with some occasional prodding or intervention, of
healing themselves.
Some alternative health practices have been incorporated into
conventional health care delivery systems. Hundreds of integrated
medical clinics have opened in recent years, usually under the
direction of a medical doctor.
Although alternative medicine includes many systems of healing and
every system has its own features and merits, there are some common
features which differentiate this therapy from conventional medicine.
Alternative medicine maintains that the health of a person includes the
well-being of his physical, mental, social and spiritual planes whereas
conventional medicine treats the body as a mechanical structure.
Last year the U.S. public spent an estimated $36 billion on alternative
therapies. Of this amount between $12 billion and $20 billion was paid
out of pocket for the services of alternative health care providers and
approximately $5 billion was spent on nutritional and herbal
supplements. Visits to Complementary and Alternative Medicine ( CAM )
practitioners went from 400 million to more than 600 million visits per
year, and the amount spent on these practices rose from $14 billion to
$27 billion. Over seventy-five medical schools have courses on
Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
In response to the growing demand for alternative medicine, The
National Institutes of Health created a special department to provide
information to people who are considering alternative therapies. The
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine conducts
research and offers information to the general public. The formation of
the NCAM is a major step forward because conventional medical providers
once refused to embrace the methods used in alternative medicine,
dismissing it as hocus pocus.
Most complementary and alternative medicine practitioners base their
work around a few common principles. Some of these are similar to what
your conventional doctor might do, while others are quite different.
Basic philosophies of complementary and alternative medicine include:
- Your body heals
itself. Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners see
themselves as facilitators. To them your body does all the healing
work, and you only need treatment to encourage your natural healing
processes. Healing begins from within.
- Prevention
is key. Your complementary and alternative medicine practitioner may
wish to see you before you get sick to make sure you're doing all you
can to keep yourself healthy. Just as in conventional medicine, chronic
conditions are easier to diagnose and treat when caught in the very
early stages.
- Learning and healing
go hand-in-hand. Your complementary and alternative medicine
practitioner views himself or herself as a teacher and mentor who
offers guidance. To the practitioner, you're the one who does the
healing.
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