Understanding Alternative Medicine
To be a quality consumer, you should understand the various approaches and perspectives used in the field of natural healing.
Complementary and alternative medicine refers to any healing approach that falls outside the realm of current mainstream medical practice.
Complementary medicine is typically used in conjunction with conventional medical therapies, whereas alternative medicine is used in place of these treatments.
In 1992, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) outlined seven areas of complementary and alternative medicine.
They were: (1) homeopathy and acupuncture; (2) magnetic field therapies; (3) nutritional and dietary support approaches; (4) herbal remedies; (5) chiropractic, massage and other touch-based therapies; (6) mind/body interventions; and (7) unconventional biologic or pharmacologic applications.
Naturopathic medicine is based on beliefs that the body can be healed primarily from within, without use of external measures like drugs.
Approaches used include herbal and other dietary measures, breathing techniques, and acupuncture.
Homeopathy proposes that small doses of compounds that could produce disease in larger amounts can serve to protect an individual from disease.
Manual healing methods include massage and chiropractic therapies.
Massage therapy is certified in at least 20 states, and chiropractic therapy is licensed in all states.
Mind/body intervention techniques utilize connections between the mind and the body to improve health, through practices such as biofeedback and guided imagery.
Vitamin and mineral supplementation seek optimum nutritional balance for health, while herbal remedies use enhanced concentrations of these and other naturally occurring substances to enhance healing.
However, in the United States, vitamins, minerals and herbal preparations are only governed by the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA).
Many herbal remedies have undergone clinical trials to substantiate their health-enhancing or traditional/historical claims.
Others have not.
Some herbal medicines will interact with conventional drugs, altering their pharmacodynamics.
For example, St.
John's wort can suppress the levels of numerous medications in the bloodstream, and Ginseng can react with steroidal drugs to induce shaking and manic episodes.
Further, where quality control measures are lax, unforeseen contamination from infectious agents and toxic metals can potentially cause other side effects.
Thus, purchase supplements and herbal remedies only from reputable distributors that guarantee dose and purity, and always make sure your physician knows what you are taking.
In this way, you can receive optimum benefits from any alternative healing approach you may choose.
Complementary and alternative medicine refers to any healing approach that falls outside the realm of current mainstream medical practice.
Complementary medicine is typically used in conjunction with conventional medical therapies, whereas alternative medicine is used in place of these treatments.
In 1992, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) outlined seven areas of complementary and alternative medicine.
They were: (1) homeopathy and acupuncture; (2) magnetic field therapies; (3) nutritional and dietary support approaches; (4) herbal remedies; (5) chiropractic, massage and other touch-based therapies; (6) mind/body interventions; and (7) unconventional biologic or pharmacologic applications.
Naturopathic medicine is based on beliefs that the body can be healed primarily from within, without use of external measures like drugs.
Approaches used include herbal and other dietary measures, breathing techniques, and acupuncture.
Homeopathy proposes that small doses of compounds that could produce disease in larger amounts can serve to protect an individual from disease.
Manual healing methods include massage and chiropractic therapies.
Massage therapy is certified in at least 20 states, and chiropractic therapy is licensed in all states.
Mind/body intervention techniques utilize connections between the mind and the body to improve health, through practices such as biofeedback and guided imagery.
Vitamin and mineral supplementation seek optimum nutritional balance for health, while herbal remedies use enhanced concentrations of these and other naturally occurring substances to enhance healing.
However, in the United States, vitamins, minerals and herbal preparations are only governed by the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA).
Many herbal remedies have undergone clinical trials to substantiate their health-enhancing or traditional/historical claims.
Others have not.
Some herbal medicines will interact with conventional drugs, altering their pharmacodynamics.
For example, St.
John's wort can suppress the levels of numerous medications in the bloodstream, and Ginseng can react with steroidal drugs to induce shaking and manic episodes.
Further, where quality control measures are lax, unforeseen contamination from infectious agents and toxic metals can potentially cause other side effects.
Thus, purchase supplements and herbal remedies only from reputable distributors that guarantee dose and purity, and always make sure your physician knows what you are taking.
In this way, you can receive optimum benefits from any alternative healing approach you may choose.
