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A brief history of alternative medicine

July 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Alternative medicine refers to medicines and medical practices that are not a part of the established medical and scientific community. This doesn’t mean that alternative medicine doesn’t work, or that it is somehow ineffective. It simply means that alternative medicine is an “alternative” to established medical options.

Throughout human history, human beings have sought remedies for their ailments. Whether it is arthritis, the common cold or a kidney infection, people have always tried to alleviate their suffering and improve their health. One could make the case that what are considered alternative medicines today were, in centuries past, the only known medicines at all. Alternative medicine, then, goes back as far as humanity goes back.

In the modern era, medicine has become regulated. There is a process whereby drugs and treatments are vetted through clinical trials monitored by the government. Alternative medicines have not been vetted in this way. Again, that doesn’t mean that they are not effective, just that they haven’t yet been tested in this way. Many alternative medicines, particularly herbal remedies, have actually become regular medicines through this process, as well.

One of the most ancient types of alternative medicine is herbal remedies. People from many cultures, for example, have been able to discover the power of ginger root to soothe a sore stomach. This practice goes back at least to the ancient Greeks, and probably beyond. There are literally hundreds of different herbs that are used in herbal medicine, each with a slightly different purpose. As recently as the late 1800s, herbal remedies were sold, often in liquid format as “ointments” by a variety of traveling vendors. Many of those remedies became today’s medicines.

Acupuncture and acupressure, in the East, have been around for centuries as an alternative medicine. These treatments rely on the use of specific pressure points in the body that are related to specific ailments.

If you have a serious illness, you should speak with your health care provider. While alternative medicines can be useful, you want to know what all of your options are so that you can make an informed decision about treatment options.

Written by mrboffo

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Sould Patients Be Sent Home To Die Without Being Informed About Alternative Medicine?

July 16, 2011 By 2 Comments

Until all traditional avenues of treatment have been explored, attempted and exhausted, there is hope of recovery within conventional medicine. Afterward, too often “terminal” patients are released to fend for themselves, ignorant of other alternative treatments that may not cure the illness, but certainly make comfort attainable. A physician who informs a patient there is absolutely no hope of recovery not only does that patient a great disservice, but may actually contribute to an unnecessary and premature death.

Unfortunately, seriously ill patents do not possess the requisite energy to make an advanced search of alternative medical practices of their own accord. If there is not a family member or close friend present in the patient support system, the chances of finding alternative treatments are slim without professional advisement. This is especially problematic in older patients, who may have outlived loved ones or are warehoused in a nursing facility with little outside interaction.

The challenge in patient treatment from the vantage point of conventional medicine lies in discerning responsibility from good intentions. A Physician who recommends alternative medicine to a patient is often chastised, and that may even escalate to jeopardizing a promising career. Additionally, Physicians are trained in a restrictive environment, excluding most treatments outside the parameters of their education. While alternative medicine may be of value, it is difficult for a Physician to recommend a treatment that is theoretically based in an area foreign to their realm of knowledge.

Given the litigious nature of the society in which we live, well-meaning suggestions in reference to alternative medicine by a health care professional can be misunderstood by a patient, and result in disaster. A patient chasing a medical miracle that is founded in deceptive practices becomes an easy mark for charlatans, who are more than willing to separate a patient from their life savings. In this circumstance, a Physician may be protective of the patient, although their true motivations may never be revealed.

Should patients be sent home to die without being informed about alternative medicine? Absolutely not! However, conventional health care facilities are not adequately prepared to disburse information in the area of alternative medicine. Until health care professionals are educated in alternative treatments, the system will remain broken

Written by twconroy

www.therenegadehealthshow.com – I’ve been wanting to do this show for a while… This list of the Top 10 Strangest Alternative Medicine Practices includes many of the strange and interesting techniques in alternative medicine that I’ve come across in my natural health research. Now keep in mind, some of these may be effective, while others may not at all. I’ll let you take a look and then give your opinions on the ones that work and the ones that don’t! Here ya go…
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Alternative Medicine – Gaining Popularity And Acceptance

July 16, 2011 By 1 Comment

Article by All Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine has been gaining in both popularity and acceptance in recent years. Many cities now have a plethora of shops where a person interested in buying alternative medicines can go to find whatever they are seeking, in addition to being able to take advantage of many alternative medicine services at local practitioners’ offices.

Alternative medicine is simply a way of referencing a type of treatment that is not officially recognized by the medical establishment as a relief or cure. There are literally thousands of practices that fall under this category, and most people would be surprised to find some of the items that either are or were once considered to be against the grain, or categorized as “alternative” medicine.

Not too far back in medical history, doctors did not wash their hands while helping a woman through child labor. The result was thousands of contracted infections and death due to bacterial transfer. Doctors who advocated the practice of hand-washing or warned of unseen microbes were shunned and mocked by their professional peers, and only in the last century has sterilization been a common and then regulated medical practice. It is hard to believe that something we take so much for granted was once considered alternative medicine, but it was so.

In the 21st century, alternative medicine is not as frowned upon by the medical profession as it once was. Treatments such as acupuncture are common, and many other forms of alternative medicine are gaining acceptance. Even watching weekly magazine shows like Dateline on NBC, observers can see radical alternative medicine practitioners curing patients with terminal illnesses to the wonderment of experts. Some are scams to be sure, but some are simply inexplicable, and professionals who witness the events tend not to endorse them, but neither do they dismiss them.

Part of the reason for the increase in acceptance of alternative medicine is the recognition of the powers of the mind over the body. There is increasing evidence that a patient’s attitude can sometimes shape the physical response, and this in part helps to illustrate why alternative medicine is more well received than it used to be. A patient who believes he or she is doing better, often will.

Before going out to walk on coals or ingest an ear tuft of a koala though, it is important to do some research into the practice or practitioner one is considering for advice. Alternative medicine, by its definition, is not regulated and that leaves a lot of room for quacks to take advantage of people’s ills to make a quick buck. Don’t rush into anything, and if it appears shady, do not partake of it.

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