• May 29, 2023

Alternative Medicine: What is it?

What is alternative medicine? It’s a phrase that’s been getting around more and more in the media, in bookstores, and increasingly in the doctor’s office, but how often does someone say what alternative medicine is?

In theory, alternative medicine is any form of medicine that does not fit into the scientific framework of Western medicine. Once a form of medicine has been scientifically proven to be effective and a theory has been determined to explain in the language of Western medicine why it is effective, it should no longer be considered an alternative.

Unfortunately, after theory comes politics. Actually, in the United States, alternative medicine is any form of medicine that has not been accepted as scientifically valid by the American Medical Association and the United States Government. In other countries, different official organizations will determine what is and what is not alternative medicine. In the United States, massage is alternative medicine. In Canada, massage is conventional medicine and as such is highly regulated.

Would you believe that according to the US government’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vitamins are a complementary or alternative medicine (depending on how they are used) that have not yet been shown to have a major effect on the human body than a placebo? ? Personally, I would like to know if you would like to be treated for scurvy with a placebo. I’ll stick with vitamin c. There are theoretical uses for vitamins that have yet to be fully proven, but that doesn’t make the proven effects any less scientifically valid.

At the same time, the fact that someone claims that what they offer is medicine does not mean that it is true. Herbal supplements are not regulated and may not fully disclose their ingredients. They certainly won’t tell you about any dangerous interactions with your heart medication!

Of course, you can ask an expert, but keep in mind that there are many types of alternative medicine, an acupuncturist isn’t necessarily trained in herbs, and your primary care doctor probably isn’t trained in any of them.

If you are interested in using alternative medicine, either for a specific problem or just to improve your overall health, it is probably best to first research what type of alternative medicine interests you and talk to your doctor about whether or not she will be willing. to work with an alternative medicine practitioner. Then find a practitioner who has had training in that specific alternative medicine field. Most forms of alternative medicine are not licensed in the United States, so ask where they went to school and how long they have been practicing. Then they can work with your doctor to make sure you get the care you need, without unexpected side effects.

Some forms of alternative medicine that might be worth investigating are:

Eastern medicine: Eastern medicine is the only form of alternative medicine that is truly comparable to Western medicine as a complete system of medicine. Oriental medicine is based on various theories developed thousands of years ago and first elaborated in the Yellow Emperor Classic, between three and five thousand years ago. Oriental medicine includes the practices of massage, acupuncture, herbal therapy, qi gong, and various others. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a variant of Chinese oriental medicine. It is the only variant of oriental medicine that can be found relatively easily in the United States. In many parts of Asia, Eastern medicine is still considered the standard of care and Western medicine is ‘alternative’.

Herbal Therapy: Herbal therapy is probably the most common form of alternative medicine found in the United States, and possibly one of the riskiest. While most of the conventional medicines doctors prescribe today are derived from herbs, commonly sold herbal supplements have no common dosages, may contain fillers, and rarely warn about side effects. While herbs can be used to treat everything that medications can, and possibly a bit more, be sure to speak to a trained herbalist before taking any. They can tell you what dosage is safe, which providers are worth using, and any potential side effects.

Homeopathy: Homeopathy was developed in the 1800s by two physicians who noticed that quinine, the only drug capable of treating malaria, caused malaria symptoms in healthy people to whom it was administered. They theorized that like would cure like, so caffeine, which normally causes wakefulness, would be used to help someone who didn’t sleep through the night sleep better. Homeopathy is probably the only alternative medicine that is safe to try without speaking to an expert, because the active substance is so dilute that it is not possible to overdose or incur side effects in the amounts at the local health food store, it doesn’t matter. the few bottles that you would keep in your house. At the same time, it is best to consult a homeopath to make sure that what he is taking will work for what he needs.

Massage: Massage is the use of hands or tools to manipulate muscles and tendons. The two most common uses for massage are to relieve aches and pains and to relieve stress. While there are many conditions where massage obviously won’t help (diabetes, for example), there are many where it’s surprisingly effective, including eating disorders, fibromyalgia, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Also, almost all muscle injuries can be treated with massage to prevent scarring, speed healing, and increase a restricted range of motion. There are many different forms of massage therapy, including Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, prenatal massage, shiatsu, Thai massage, lomi lomi, medical massage, chair massage, aromatherapy massage, and massage. hot stone massage. If you go to a massage therapist for a medical condition, make sure they are trained in medical massage. Some states have massage therapist licensing programs now, as do most European countries. If you live in an area that is licensed, make sure the therapist you go to is licensed.

Other forms of alternative medicine include: energy healing, aromatherapy, Rolfing, cranio-sacral therapy, and most forms of holistic medicine.

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