Posts Tagged herbal supplements
What is Alternative Medicine ?
Alternative and complementary medicine has swept through the world as people seek greater control of their health. It is now a popular belief that whatever ails man, the underlying cause is within himself, thus the word dis-ease.
Alternative medicine refers to practices not used by conventional medicine. Seeking alternative medicine means a referral to a homeopath or a naturopath instead of your regular doctor. The alternative practitioner do not intend for their clients stop receiving conventional care. They strive to develop a way to work alongside the family doctor with the best interest of the client in mind.
Alternative medicine is a part of complementary medicine, which means alternative practice is used with conventional medicine in treatment of a disease or illness.
Practitioners of alternative medicine use some basic and common principles, which may be similar to what conventional medicine offers.
Basic principles or alternative medicine:
LEARNING AND HEALING
Alternative practitioners believe that they can guide a patient to find ways to heal themselves. They act as mentors.
HOLISTIC CARE
Holistic care involves treating the whole person, not just the present ailment. Alternative medicine focus on treating the whole person, it recognizes that the physical, mental, spiritual and relationships are interconnected and these play a major role in staying healthy or cause of being sick. You cannot take these factors singly and treat these separately.
PREVENTION
This is an important factor in staying healthy, also prescribed by conventional medicine. Stay healthy, eat healthy, take good care of your health.
BODY ‘S ABILITY TO HEAL ITSELF
Alternative practitioners consider themselves as facilitators. It is within us to heal ourselves. Alternative therapy encourages the natural healing process.
LIFESTYLE
Our world today is too hurried, we seek too much instant gratification. A 24-hour day sometimes is not enough. This fast-paced lifestyle puts too much emphasis on the material world. It does not leave much time to look after the whole person, that is mind, body and spirit.
THERAPIES IN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
It is not a very clear system, some therapies may interlap with another. Some techniques may apply to other therapies.
HEALING SYSTEMS
These are sets of theories or practices or remedies. The focus of these therapies is on the power of nature or the energy field of the human body. Take massage- it is not a single practice or remedy. Many of these healing systems have been used before conventional medicine came to existence. Think of the medicine man of the North American Indians and other cultures. The Chinese have practised acupuncture, there is the Ayurvedic from India, and others.
CATEGORIES OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Ayurveda
This has been practised in India for thousands of years. The emphasis is a unique cure based on individual circumstances. Treatment may include yoga, meditation, diet, massage and herbs.
Homeopathy.
Minute doses of a substance is administered to stimulate the self-healing process of the body.
Naturopathy.
This is a non-invasive treatment to encourage the body to do its own healing. Naturopaths combine different forms of alternative and complementary medicine to stimulate healing. It may include massage, acupuncture, life-style counseling, exercise, diet and use of herbs and its derivatives.
Ancient medicines.
There is wisdom to be learned from the past practitioners of alternative and complementary medicine- although these were not labelled as such then. These include American Indians, Chinese, Pacific Islanders, Mayan Indians, Tibetan practitioners and others.
Mind-body connections
Mind-body techniques strengthen the communication between your mind and your body. Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners say these two systems must be in harmony for you to stay healthy. Examples of mind-body connection techniques include:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Biofeedback
- Prayer
- Hypnosis
- Relaxation and art therapies, such as poetry, music and dance
Dietary supplements and herbal remedies
Herbs are so popular these days. Almost every household have a bottle or two.These medicines use ingredients found in Nature, they have been used long before conventional medicine was implemented and subscribed to. Examples are echinecea, ginseng, gingko, supplements like glucosamine, essiac, selenium Omega-3 are just a few on the long list. Herbs and supplements can be taken as tea, oils, syrups, powders, tablets or capsules.
CAUTION
It is advisable to consult with your family doctor, advise him of the natural supplements you are taking. Be aware of drug interaction especially if you are pregnant, nursing a baby, have chronic illness, elderly or having surgery or possible adverse interaction with regular prescribed medications.
Always, always, let your doctor know what herbal supplements you are taking. Remember that these supplements give no guarantee that they are always safe.
Manipulation and touch
These methods use human touch to move or manipulate a specific part of your body. They include:
- Chiropractic and spinal manipulation
- Massage
- Other types of manipulation and touch therapies, such as osteopathy, craniosacral therapy and accupressure
Energy therapies
Many believe that there is an invisible energy force that flows through the body. You’ve heard the words: I have no energy to do this, or I am energized today.
A blockage or imbalance in this energy flow can cause illness. This energy Is called CHI, PRANA or LIFE FORCE, depends on what tradition you believe in. Energy therapy works on balancing or unblocking the flow of energy to bring about healing. In acupuncture, the insertion of needles into points along the energy pathways in the body restores natural energy.
Other energy therapies include:
- Therapeutic touch
- Reiki
- Magnet therapy
- Polarity therapy
- Light therapy
Do doctors believe in alternative and complementary medicine?
While they may not be opposed, they are not comfortable with alternative medicine. However, as more people seek out CAM ( Complementary, Alternative Medicine), doctors are opening up to some of the therapies offered by CAM. Patients have to be more open and willing to discuss this issue with their doctors. It is a way to encourage them to learn more about CAM.
SKEPTICISM
As with any profession, there are always those who muddy the waters. Some practitioners of CAM, make exaggerated claims about treating disease and even go as far as recommending to forgo conventional treatment as prescribe by the family doctor.
Realistically, some forms of may be hurtful. There is a lack of solid research of the products and practices of CAM. Controlled research and studies are expensive .
Conventional medicine rely on methods and products backed by sound and solid research. These studies, including trials receive funding directly or indirectly by government funds. The dangers and benefits of CAM treatments remain unproved.
Don’t forgo conventional treatment
Tags: acupuncture, alternative medicine, balance, eat healthy, exercise, ginseng, health, healthy, herbal, herbal remedies, herbal supplements, herbs, massage, of the body, polarity therapy, pregnant, remedies, remedy, surgery, treatmentRelated posts
5 Reasons To Make Classical Chinese Medicine Your Medicine Of Choice
1. Clinical effectiveness: Chinese medicine, particularly when it is practiced in a Classically-based manner, works. In my scant year of clinical observation, I have seen miracles transpire. I have seen people shackled by various conditions, sometimes all their lives, be simply TRANSFORMED after only a few treatments. Many of you have probably seen this as well. It works for patients – and that’s what medicine is supposed to do.
Yes, I’ve read THAT study, too. Studies have flaws – THAT study has been roundly denounced by a number of people in a number of different ways. I’d be glad to discuss it in another post. Think also about this – Chinese medicine works in a manner entirely different from Western medicine. It’s so different, in fact, that placebo controlled double blind studies may simply be ineffective for displaying what it is that Chinese medicine can do. Clinical studies are another matter, and many show the great effectiveness of Chinese medicine. Where those studies have been negative or inconclusive, I feel that it probably has something to do with the level of Chinese medicine being practiced in the study. That’s why I’m hoping to do (and encourage others to do) clinical studies through Helfgott Research Institute. I’ll certainly post about any future results.
2. Doctors who take their time: When you see a Chinese physician for the first time, you will probably be amazed by the intake process. The process is extremely detailed, and Chinese physicians take all of your concerns under advisement – not just those that fit neatly into a simple diagnostic category. Chinese medicine physicians will not dismiss your concerns as “irrelevant” or “psychosomatic,” they will integrate each manifestation of disease into a full diagnosis that will guide a treatment to rectify the balance of your ENTIRE system.
3. Fewer environmental impacts than Western medicine: Chinese medicine doesn’t employ pharmaceuticals or other chemicals in carrying out treatment or diagnostics. The pollutants dumped into our waterways by the pharmaceutical industry are a significant problem. That being said, there are real environmental issues that the CM profession must grapple with, including the problems inherent in importing herbal products from China. Although that is most certainly a post in itself – I want to point out that many American companies are working to find pesticide-free and sustainably produced herbal products. More of this is surely to come.
4. Good cost-benefit ratio: As we all know, the escalating costs of healthcare are leaving many Americans uninsured, causing nearly unbearable pressure on the hospital system and social services. That the wealthiest nation in the world leaves so many people without access to basic care is reprehensible. Natural medicine in general represents an answer to this problem. Many treatments by Chinese medicine physicians use food therapy and economically priced herbal supplements. Further, you will find that the average office visit for a Chinese medicine doctor is very reasonable considering the great depth of care you receive. Insurance companies are beginning to pick up the cost of these office visits, which is an encouraging sign.
5. Total integration: This medicine doesn’t “rob Peter to pay Paul,” as the saying goes. When your chief complaint is treated, it is treated in order to integrate your entire self – mind, body and spirit. So, for instance, your ongoing treatment for seasonal allergies isn’t going to create dryness in your mucus membranes, difficulty sleeping and pervasive feeling of anxiety. This will reduce your overall discomfort, as well as keeping costs down – you won’t need to buy medicine to treat the problems that your medicines produced!
There are certainly many more reasons you should make Classical Chinese Medicine your medicine of choice – but I hope this list will provide you with some food for thought as you contemplate your health care options. Remember – YOU DO HAVE OPTIONS!
Tags: aging, anxiety, balance, chinese medicine, clinic, health, herbal, herbal products, herbal supplements, hospital, insurance, level, pollutants, sleep, sleeping, social services, treatmentRelated posts
Alternative Medicine What Is It?
What is alternative medicine? It is a phrase that has been tossed around more and more in the media, the bookstores, and increasingly, the doctor’s office, but how often does anyone say what alternative medicine is?
Theoretically, alternative medicine is any form of medicine that does not fit with in the scientific framework of western medicine. Once a form of medicine has been proven scientifically 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 alternative
Unfortunately, after the theory comes the politics. In reality, 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 bodies will determine what is and is not alternative medicine. In the United States, massage is alternative medicine. In Canada massage is conventional medicine, and as such, highly regulated.
Would you believe that according 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 proven to have any greater effect on the human body then a placebo? Personally, I’d like to know if they would like to be treated for scurvy with a placebo. I’ll stick with vitamin C. There are theoretical uses for vitamins that have not yet been fully proven, but that does not make the proven effects any less scientifically valid.
At the same time, just because someone claims what they offer is medicine does not make it true. Herbal supplements are not regulated, and may not fully disclose their ingredients. They certainly will not tell you about any dangerous interaction with your heart medication!
Of course, you can ask an expert, but keep in mind that there are many kinds of alternative medicine, an acupuncturist is not necessarily trained in herbs, and your primary care physician probably won’t be trained in any of them.
If you are interested in using alternative medicine, either for a specific problem, or simply improve your overall health, it’s probably best to first research what kinds of alternative medicine you are interested in, and speak with you 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 area of alternative medicine. 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 any unexpected side effects.
Some forms of alternative medicine that might be worth looking into are:
Oriental medicine: Oriental medicine is the only form of alternative medicine that is truly comparably to western medicine as a complete system of medicine. Oriental medicine is based on several theories developed thousands of years ago and first elaborated on in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic, between three and five thousand years ago. Oriental medicine includes the practices of massage, acupuncture, herbal therapy, qi gong, and several others. Tradition Chinese Medicine is a variant of oriental medicine specific to China. It is the only variant of oriental medicine the can be found with relative ease in the United States. In many parts of Asia, oriental medicine is still considered the standard of medical 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 quite possibly one of the riskiest. While most of the conventional medicines doctors prescribe today were derived from herbs, the herbal supplements commonly on sale have no common dosages, mat contain fillers, and will rarely warn of side effects. While herbs can be used to treat everything that medication can, and possibly quite a bit more, make sure you speak with a trained herbalist before taking any. They can tell you what dosage is safe, what suppliers are worth using, and any potential side effects.
Homeopathy: Homeopathy was developed in the 1800’s by two doctors who noticed that quinine, the only medicine capable of treated malaria, caused symptoms of malaria in healthy people who were given it. They theorized that like would cure like, so caffeine which normally causes wakefulness, would be used to help someone who was not sleeping through the night, sleep better. Homeopathy is probably the only alternative medicine that is safe to try without speaking with an expert, because the active substance is so dilute that it is not possible to over dose, or incur side effects on the amounts in the local health food store, never mind the few bottles you would keep in your home. At the same time, it is still best to consult a homeopath to be sure that what your taking will work for what you need.
Massage: Massage is the use of hands or tools to manipulate the muscles and tendons. The two most common uses of massage are to ease aches and pains, and for stress relief. While there are many conditions that massage will obviously not help with (diabetes, for instance), there are many that it is surprisingly effective on, such as eating disorders, fibromyalgia, and carpal tunnel syndrome. In addition, almost any muscular injury can be treated with massage to prevent scar build up, speed healing, and increase a restricted range of motion. There are many different forms of massage therapy, including Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Pre-Natal Massage, Shiatsu, Thai Massage, Lomi Lomi, Medical Massage, Chair Massage, Aromatherapy Massage and 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 licensing programs for massage therapists now, as do most European countries. If you live in an area that has licensing, make sure the therapist you go to is licensed.
Other forms of alternative medicine include: energetic healing, aromatherapy, Rolfing, cranial-sacral therapy, and most forms of holistic medicine.
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