It wasn't too long ago that doctors who used
alternative medicine methods of healing patients were labeled quacks. In
fact, I remember the funny looks from fellow colleagues when I told
them I thought herbal products and supplements had a lot to offer
traditional medicine!
In addition, years ago, people who turned to
vitamin and mineral supplements as prevention against illness were
labeled 'health nuts'. Today, however, these same people are said to
practice proactive wellness as nutritional healing ideas have become
widespread.
In fact, despite all the TV ads for drugs, more and
more of my patients are opening up to the idea that popping a
prescription pill for what ails them might not be the only answer. As I
always tell them, there are many natural remedies that can be tried
before resorting to drugs or surgery.
If you're a newcomer to alternative medicine, I'd
like to share with you a little history of the field. Then, I'd like to
tell you a little about some successful alternative healing remedies as
well as a little about the future of alternative medicine.
Allopathic vs. Naturopathic
What we refer to as alternative medicine practices
today were, and still are, traditional medicine in China, India, the
Middle East, and Europe. Did you know that herbal and homeopathic
medicine were also the cornerstones of the American Popular Health
Movement in the 1830s-50's? That's right! Osteopathic and chiropractic
medicine also developed around the same time.
By 1849, however, the popular uses of herbal and
homeopathic remedies were deemed quackery by the American Medical
Association which had formed two years earlier. Several years later,
chiropractic also fell out of favor. Treating patients with prescription
drugs, or allopathic medicine, set the standard of health care in the
U.S. for decades to follow.
Now, in 2010, the pendulum is swinging back to the
popular health practices of over 150 years ago! With the dangerous,
sometimes life-threatening, side effects of prescription drugs, the cost
of medical care today, and insurance issues, people have begun to
reconsider alternatives.
The renewed interest in herbal, homeopathic,
midwifery, chiropractic, and acupuncture has skyrocketed in the U.S.
today. In addition, cutting-edge research into energy, and mind/body
healing, is also commanding attention around the world.
Even traditional medical doctors (M.D.'s) are
integrating natural-based healing remedies into their practices, and a
whole new field of medicine called Integrative Medicine has formed.
Now, let me explain to you a little more about each
of the more common alternative practices so you can better understand
what they are and how they function:
•Herbal - made from natural, plant-based
substances. These products have been used safely for centuries by the
Chinese, Indians, and Native Americans. They've been a boon to women in
safe hormone replacement therapy and men's prostate health with saw
palmetto and lycopene. However, do consult a naturopathic or integrative
medicine doctor before trying to treat an illness with herbal
preparations.
•Homeopathic - based on the "law of similars", a
minute quantity of medicine is diluted many times and used, much like a
vaccine, to create a reaction that stimulates the body to heal itself.
Success with allergies, pain, mineral imbalance-based illnesses, and
more, has been achieved with homeopathy. Consult a homeopathic for
proper use.
•Chiropractic - based on the principle of proper
alignment of the skeletal structure so that nerves coming off the spinal
cord are not pinched. These nerves are then able to properly feed, or
enervate, different parts of the body to prevent and correct disease
states. Back and neck pain as well as nerve compression issues have had
success with chiropractic.
•Acupuncture, acupressure, and reflexology - based
on the concept of qi energy and the belief that illness occurs when this
energy does not flow correctly. Certain meridians on the body are
manipulated by inserting hair-thin needles into the skin, or using
fingertips to press on these areas. Addiction (smoking, drugs, alcohol,
weight), chronic pain, nervous tics, have all been treated successfully.
Reiki is another similar practice that involves manipulating the
electrical field that surrounds humans with a practitioner's hands.
•Energy Medicine - Mechanical energy, sound, heat,
electricity, magnetism, light (ultraviolet, infrared, laser), plasma
(color) therapies modalities have been used for the past 100 years as a
"fringe" treatment. Today, mainstream medicine uses ultraviolet light
for skin problems; lasers in surgery; infrared (and Far InfraRed) light
to reduce inflammation and pain; sound is also used to break up kidney
stones. The future of energy healing is wide open and mind-boggling.
•Anti-Aging Medicine -based on the principle of
replacing nutrients that deplete with age which start the deterioration
we call aging. Focuses on supplementation with anti-oxidants, etc, to
keep cells regenerating at their youthful levels. New paths involve the
study of telomere lengthening. Telomeres are human DNA structures that
shorten each time a cell replicates until they die. Supplementing with
the building blocks of telomeres, can keep their youthful length and you
healthy, much longer.
•Mind/Body Healing - based on the principle that
the mind can influence healing in the body through specific, directed
thoughts; it is what biofeedback is based on. It has been very
successful with controlling pain and certain psychological disorders.
There you have the basics of what alternative
medicine is. The future is blindingly bright with all the advances it
continues to make on a daily basis. In the near future, I feel that most
of what we refer to as alternative medicine today will be mainstream
medicine tomorrow. In 2010, it's traveled a long road to get where it is
today and its potential for human healing is enormous!
AM
