Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
Alternative therapies in health and medicine are becoming increasingly popular as people are becoming more aware that what they put into their bodies and minds have a major effect on their physical, mental and spiritual being. The modern medical solutions just don’t work.
Alternative therapies in health and medicine should start with what we take into our physical bodies.Then after that we should be concerned about what we put in our minds. And lastly, nurturing and developing our spiritual side is essential for a balanced Health.
Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine are becoming more mainstream
One of the most popular and rapidly expanding fields in medicine, alternative health care is starting to become a household word. But what exactly is alternative therapies in health and medicine? Alternative medicine and therapies come in many forms. In many cases, the very foundation of alternative medicine is based on ancient traditional forms of healing. Alternative medicine also stems and sometimes is a brand new field based on the latest scientific finding or theory. Alternative medicine is operating within the modern medical health system in more ways and places than ever before. Let’s take a closer look at some of the alternative health-care options that are currently available.
Types of Alternative Thrapies in Health and Medicine
Alternative health covers just about every form of healing that is not traditionally covered by mainstream medicine. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health, alternative health care includes a wide range of therapeutic options including herbs and supplements, natural nutrition, hypnosis, homeopathy, naturopathy, yoga, tai chi, energy healing, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and hypnosis.
Regulation of Alternative Medicine
Most of the practices that fall under the category of alternative therapies in health and medicine are unregulated and, therefore, not recognized as forms of treatment by the mainstream medical community. Some notable exceptions however, include TCM, traditional Chinese medicine that includes acupuncture that is covered by many insurance companies and licensed by a governing body; massage; and chiropractic care.
The Potential of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
Many mainstream medical providers are starting to integrate alternative or complementary health practices into their practices or are referring their patients to alternative health-care providers. As far back as the July 1997 issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine, An article by Dr. David M. Eisenberg advises physicians to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of alternative health care with their patients. Many hospitals and HMOs now are actively including alternative health care into their medical services as complementary or preventative medicine.
Facts About Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
In a November 1998 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers published a review of the incorporation of complementary and alternative medicine by mainstream physicians. They found that up to 50 percent of patients in industrialized countries use some form of complementary or alternative medicine. The most commonly used forms were acupuncture, chiropractic and massage. In a more recent survey, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that the rate of Americans using alternative health care practices rose by 2 percent between 2002 and 2007.
Considerations for Alternative Health Care
Nations outside of the scope of the above-mentioned studies, particularly third-world countries, may use forms of medicine that would be considered alternative by the mainstream medical community, but are in fact traditional to the local populace. This could mean that the real number and percentage of people worldwide who employ alternative therapies in health and medicine as a form of health care may be much higher.
