What Is Alternative Medicine?
Alternative Medicine represents all kinds of methods contributing essentially to good health, but excludes conventional or regular medicine. There are dozens, if not hundreds of different types of alternative medicine and the number continues to grow. Some examples are: chiropraction, reflexology, hypnotherapy, reiki, ayurveda, kinesiology, homoeopathy, osteopathy, cranial therapy, various types of acupuncture, colour-therapy, massage, sound therapy, hypnosis, etc,.
Alternative medicine has been practised since ancient times; many cultures know one form of alternative medicine or another. In many old cultures the traditional medical system is what we call alternative medicine.
Holistic Approach to Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicine is based upon the belief that a human being is a total of interrelated parts: body, soul, emotions and spirit. Alternative medicine attempts to strike a balance between the food one eats, one’s lifestyle and one’s surroundings. It is often used as a preventive method to stimulate the self-curing powers of the body. When practised properly, when administered under the guidance of a skilled specialist in the field, it will likely have little or no side effects. Because of its comprehensive approach, alternative medicine is also referred to as an holistic method.
Growing Interest in the West
The field of alternative medicine in the West is still developing. There is an increasing diversity of therapists. Many have had thorough training and gained years of experience. Professional institutional societies for therapists and specialists are being created in many countries, to ensure the quality of their members. The need for alternative medicine is extensive and is indeed growing fast, because many people cannot find an answer to their health problems and cannot be helped by regular medicine. However, regular medicine is here to stay, especially for more serious problems. We should therefore combine forces and fortunately, there is a growing tendency towards cooperation between the two disciplines.
Cooperation Between Old and New
In Eastern societies this cooperation is a natural thing, due to the fact that alternative medicine is part of the cultural heritage as the oldest medical system. Many of the types, which we generally call alternative medicine methods, originate from Eastern countries where they belong to the traditional forms of medicine, like Ayurveda in India, Tibetan medicine in Tibet and acupuncture in China.
In Western cultures alternative medicine has generally been limited to herbal therapy. Therefore we lack the wealth of knowledge that these age-old eastern methods have. Fortunately we can take advantage of this Eastern knowledge.
Some Hurdles
To protect the status qou, the advocates of conventional medicine lobby strongly to limit the spread of alternate medicine. Some health insurances limit coverage of alternative medicine treatments, on condition that they fall under common denominators like acupuncture or homoeopathy and/or are practised by registered therapists. Some insurance only refund the costs, based on fixed prices, if a regular doctor does the treatment.
Look Before you Leap
Work with your conventional family physician to help you make informed decisions regarding alternative treatments. Even if your doctor can’t recommend a specific complementary and alternative treatment, he or she can help you understand possible risks and benefits before you try a treatment. Though some of these treatments can be helpful, there may be side effects that may cause problems with certain medications or health conditions. Keep in mind that alternative medicine aren’t a substitute or replacement for conventional medical care — but used wisely and in conjunction with conventional medical treatment, they may help you alleviate stress, pain and anxiety, manage your symptoms, maintain strength and flexibility, and promote a sense of well-being.
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Tags: acupuncture, ayurveda, chiropraction, colour-therapy, cranial therapy, herbal therapy, holistic, homoeopathy, hypnosis, hypnotherapy, kinesiology, massage, medications, osteopathy, reflexology, reiki, self-curing, sound therapy, well-being