What is Alternative Medicine?

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, "it is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard care.

Standard care is what medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy and allied health professionals, such as registered nurses and physical therapists, practice.

Alternative medicine means treatments that you use instead of standard ones. Complementary medicine means nonstandard treatments that you use along with standard ones. Examples of CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine) therapies are acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal medicines."

In the United States, 36% of adults are using some form of CAM. When megavitamin therapy and prayer specifically for health reasons are included in the definition of CAM, that number rises to 62%.

Another term for "complementary" is integrative care, which is also the combination of conventional and alternative medicine treatments.

The Basic Principles of Integrative Medicine
As stated by the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine:

A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process.
Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response.
Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as body.
A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative medicine uncritically .
Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, inquiry driven and open to new paradigms
Use of natural, less invasive interventions whenever possible.
The broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease.
Practitioners as models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development.

I personally feel that conventional doctors are primarily diagnosticians who, once having decided what your problem is, promptly writes you out a prescription. I call them "pill pushers".

Don't get me wrong, I do believe there are definitely times when a person needs a prescription drug.

But I also sense that most doctors are the unfortunate pawns of the pharmaceutical companies. Try telling them about a wonderful, safe, natural cure and they patronize you by telling you they'll look into it, but never do. That's what happened to me when I found a natural remedy for Restless Legs Syndrome.

It is much easier to follow a doctor's order and pop a pill. It really is the easy way out because if we want to try an unconventional approach, that puts the burden on us to do the research. Research takes time and effort. In addition, our health insurance doesn't cover the cost of non-conventional doctors or herbs, vitamins and supplements, so it may be a greater expense to us.

Many of the common illnesses people have today can be traced to poor nutrition, lack of exercise or a nutritional deficiency. It takes work on the part of the patient to change bad habits that have created the problem, to new ones that will cure it. That is why I say taking a prescription is often the easy way out.

Disappointingly, most doctors are not trained to treat a patient with anything nonconventional. If they did, then the drug companies would be out of business!

As Kevin Trudeau writes in his book NATURAL CURES "THEY" DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT:

"There is no financial incentive to prevent or cure a disease... Medical science has done a very good job at addressing symptoms. However, the treatment of (just the) symptom has two flaws.

First, the treatment itself usually causes more problems (side effects) that will have to be treated later.

Second, the cause of the symptom is usually never addressed."

That's the problem with prescription drugs in a nut shell. They treat the symptoms, but not the underlying cause, and in the process the side effects from the drug is causing more trouble.

When it comes to researching alternative medicine on the web, it is "buyer be aware". You have to use your judgment in deciding whether the alternative option presented to you is viable and safe. It is best to find a licensed practitioner in the field of integrative medicine, or a very reputable natural foods store.

Disclaimer: Reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document and the information provided herein is believed to be accurate. However, this information is not intended to constitute an "authoritive statement" under Food and Drug Administration rules and regulations.

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05/18/2008

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What Is Alternative Medicine?