There is a simple reason why alternative medicine and healing is preferred by people in countries where alternative medicine is allowed to be practiced.

1. Time to listen
Living in a small village where everyone knows each other can be very convenient, as if there is a problem most people will be aware of it as it can not be easily hidden.

Village people trust each other and if you get sick one day you go to a person that you already know and trust.

The alternative healer in a village is not a foreigner and it feels easier to talk and explain what is wrong with yourself. In a traditional village most people are related to each other anyway and you do not have to look for a far away person treating you.

There is not only one person acting as a healer in a village, usually you have a certain person who is specialized in a certain illness or disease.

The traditional healer will spend time listening to their patients, as time is not an issue, the healer will be able to diagnose the patient more accurately. There is a great advantage that the healer knows both you and your family with all good and bad sides that could influence your disease. The doctor does not need to get to know you and your background.

Much time is spent on dealing with the social reasons for the illness.

2. No Separation
If you live in a village all your life, the last thing you want to do is to be separated from the people you know, love and trust.
Taking you to a hospital would mean talking to doctors and people you never met before and who has no idea about your background and problems.

How on earth can you explain to them what is going on with yourself in just a few minutes. It would also be a disaster to stay in a hospital bed without the comfort of your family and friends.

3. The Belief in Success.
The traditional healer believe that his/her healing power is a gift of God and therefore takes their gift very seriously. They believe strongly that their treatments and remedies will bring the desired effects.

This confidence by the healer will also make the patient confident in being healed which is an important factor in any healing process.

The traditional healer is never doing the healing for money. The person being healed will bring the healer gifts in other forms during and after a successful healing has been done.

The question is, what is alternative complementary medicine. Is the western medicine complementary to the traditional medicine of the other way around.

With this said, there are many times that the western medicine works fantastic in combination with alternative complementary medicine and an open mind for both are greatly needed by any healer or doctor.



By: Mats Loefkvist

Some recent healthcare studies* suggest that alternative medicine is growing in popularity. One of the many reasons for this increase is due in part to the fact that most alternative healthcare therapies are often non-invasive, with little or no side effects.

For example, herbal medicine like St. John’s wort was scientifically studied* in Europe, presenting positive findings for its effectiveness on the treatment of certain cases of depression. However, large pharmaceutical company, Pfizer Inc., refuted these studies by carrying out an independent study on the herb. The difference, though, between this alternative medicine in comparison to drugs like Prozac, is the potentially lethal side effects; which have made recent headlines in anti-depressant/anti-anxiety drug lawsuits.

Complementary and alternative medicine like acupuncture is also making leeway in the field of mental healthcare. In a small pilot study* carried out by researchers, acupuncture was used as a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy on patients suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Interestingly enough, research found that acupuncture may be effective in helping people, who have PTSD.

Another form of alternative medicine, believe it or not, is meditation. Studies* found that individuals who practice meditation are more proficient at recognizing and processing information. Does this mean that meditation gurus are more intellectual? No, it simply means that most individuals who practice meditation have an improved sensory-cognitive perception, or heightened sense of awareness. Perhaps alternative therapy like meditation may one day find its way into educational facilities across the country; which could potentially lead to more positive learning environments, as well as a reduction in attention deficit disorders?

Persons suffering from psychiatric problems like bipolar disorder may also find relief from complementary and alternative medicine like Omega-3 fatty acids. Because Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients, researchers studied this supplement to determine its effectiveness on certain mental health conditions. With promising results of the (researcher’s) meta-analysis, the future is looking brighter for those plagued with depression or bipolar disorder; and alternative health treatment like Omega-3 fatty acids has the potential to play an important, complementary role in helping to treat these disorders.

Intrigued by alternative medicine? You’re not alone. Over 74 percent of US adults have used complementary and/or alternative medicine* at some time in their lives. This is also one of the many reasons why natural health and alternative healing schools have begun popping up all across the country.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding schools in alternative medicine, let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore alternative medicine [http://school.holisticjunction.com/clickcount.php?id=6634739&goto=http://www.holisticjunction.com/search.cfm] programs near you.

*Source: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Alternative Medicine for Mental Wellbeing
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By: CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd

Has anyone heard of the product angiprim.Has anyone tried it? It is suppose to dissolve plaque in the arteries. It is an {oral} approach to the chelation theory as best i understand. It isn’t FDA approved so does anyone have real experience regards to it?…

Can any thing be done about rosacea? (Facial reddness)

Have you ever wondered how you could improve your health without really depending on drugs? If your answer is yes, then you should learn more about alternative medicine. This is also called unconventional medicine and makes use of different techniques and approaches to improve the quality of life and promote general well being.

For centuries, many cultures have used alternative medicine to deal with their body complaints such as common ailments, diseases, or sicknesses. Although conventional medicine is now the primary form of treatment, this form of medicinal practice is gaining back its popularity and has been shown to be an effective treatment.

There are different forms of alternative medicine and some are most appropriate for specific problems. The different forms of alternative medicine are as follows:
Homeopathy. This form of treatment has diluted herbs for its primary ingredients. Diluting and mixing the herbs and other plant and botanical extracts maximizes the effect of substances that help fight against your sickness. For example, people with depression who takes in homeopathic remedies that contain St. John’s wort and Passion flower feel better because substances in the two herbs nourish the nervous system and promote a more motivated and positive attitude. There are a lot of homeopathic practitioners to whom you can consult with if you are interested with using homeopathy to improve your health. Usually, these doctors will advise you to get homeopathic remedies based on your specific symptoms. These remedies are available over the counter so you can easily get one for yourself. However, it is still best if you consult a professional before buying one so that you’ll be able to get the most appropriate for you. Acupuncture. In this form of alternative medicine, several points in the body are stimulated with the use of needles or being subjected to heat, pressure, or suction. The idea is that proper stimulation of these points will alter the production and circulation of neurotransmitters in the brain, therefore promoting chemical balance inside the body, causing improvement in health. Acupuncture is used for has been proven effective for ailments such as chronic pain, arthritis, and mental illness. Chiropractic. The idea of this treatment is that manipulating and adjusting bones and tissues will address certain problems. They use manual, mechanical or electrical treatments to do so. Usually, chiropractic focuses on the spinal column to address common ailments such as back and neck pain, headache, bladder problems and arthritis. Massage therapy. Similar with acupuncture and chiropractic treatment, massage therapy makes use of vital points in the body by applying pressure. Aside from soothing the muscles and the body, massage therapy will stimulate the parasympathetic nerve to produce certain chemicals in the body to promote better body functions. This has been proven to be effective in treating ailments that have been caused by stress, such as body pains. You see, there are a variety of alternative medicine forms that would help you gain health so that you can enjoy your life more. Just remember, be sure to get the most appropriate treatment for you.



By: Puneet Aggarwal

I usually have no luck with herbal remedies, aroma therapy oils, chinese medicines etc. perhaps because they are so complicated to use and I mess things up or am not using them properly. Have any of these things really worked with anyone and what was particularly effective?

Complementary and Alternative Medicine or CAM are diagnostic or therapeutic techniques that are outside the mainstream of Western medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine while complementary medicine is used along with conventional medicine though some of the treatments methods are the same. Although most people utilize mainstream medicine for diagnosis and basic information, many are now turning to alternatives for what they believe to be total body health-enhancing measures.

CAM is very popular with people who are terminally ill and has also been used on animals. There have also been sufficient instances of “inexplicable” extension of life and other significant health benefits for people who have pursued these options that the Western health systems are now seriously starting to further assess these systems. Alternative medicine is a fairly broad term which covers many different methods of treatment such as acupuncture, homeopathy, Chinese herbal medicine, Ayurvedic and more.

Therapies such as biofeedback, massage, and exercise are also considered alternative medicine. Alternative medicine includes various systems of healing or treating disease such as chiropractic, homeopathy, and faith healing. Alternative medicine is a comprehensive approach to healing that uses natural methods to bring physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harmony. Alternative medicine systems believe body has a network of channels (meridians) that carry a subtle form of life energy. Since it uses a holistic approach and time-tested, natural remedies, hands-on treatments to help enable the body’s own innate powers to do the healing, alternative medicine requires the patient to take a highly active part in healing their own body including prevention and treatment.

Complementary Medicine is sometimes used by “conventional” medical practitioners as an add on to “conventional” medical treatments such as drugs and surgery. Complementary therapies are used to improve wellness, prevent disease or treat health problems but the most popular and prevalent use remains pain control. Included in complementary medicine are a large number of practices and systems of health care like acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, osteopathy, reflexology and chiropractic that for many reasons have not been fully adopted by mainstream medicine. Complementary medicine also includes dietary and nutritional therapies such as macrobiotics, vegetarianism, and orthomolecular medicine.

Although CAM is starting to gain popularity in the West, most clinical research by the health care industry continues to focus on the success of each single modality or therapy within these systems. This is unfortunate as CAM is generally based on the belief that you need to, simultaneously, treat the whole person – body, mind, and spirit – which can include the use of many therapies at the same time.



By: Ann McKee

Is acid reflux keeping you awake at nights? Is the discomfort and pain of acid reflux and heartburn causing you to feel depressed and anxious because you cannot sleep properly?
Have you sought alternative medicine for acid reflux in Texas or any other state for that matter? Well, there was a time when alternative medicine was considered nothing more than quackery or just completely foolish.

Alternative medicine for acid reflux in Texas was frequently dismissed as nothing more than simply a joke. It was just unheard of that someone would seek an alternative to modern medicine. Well, it is important to note that things have changed drastically. Alternative medicine is now extremely popular, especially in the last ten to fifteen years.

People are embracing many different alternative medicines and it is starting to become more common for regular doctors to refer patients to alternative practitioners such as acupuncturists and aroma therapists along with their own particular treatments. Many people suffering from acid reflux are very serious about finding a cure for their condition. Alternative medicine for acid reflux in Texas and other states is a way sufferers look to solve their problem.

Some antacids interfere with the digestive system of some acid reflux sufferers. These antacids interfere with vitamin and calcium absorption in the body and may lead to potential future problems with conditions such as osteoporosis. Some antacids reduce the symptoms of heartburn by shutting down the stomachs’ acidic secretions. This does not cure acid reflux; it only stops the symptoms for a short period. Some antacids will not even work for some sufferers, causing them to try various different types of medications. This is when some people will try alternative medicine for acid reflux.

On many occasions, one type of alternative medicine for acid reflux will help clear the symptoms the acid reflux sufferer is experiencing. For example, a tea concoction or a capsule of herbs may be all the person needs to correct the problem. The logic behind this is that too many different treatments can add many toxins to the body at any one particular time. The fewer medicines or treatments used to cure acid reflux disease the better.

People turn to alternative medicine for acid reflux in Texas because of all the chemicals used in the making of antacids. People today are more concerned with what they put into their bodies. Here are a few of the chemicals found in antacids:

o Sodium Bicarbonate

o Magnesium Hydroxide

o Aluminum Phosphate

o Calcium Carbonate

All these chemicals help to neutralize the hydrochloric acid in your stomach. Hydrochloric acid helps with the proper digestion of food in your stomach. Reducing the acid in your stomach will cause your body to try to produce more acid to replace the acid removed by the antacids. This could cause a condition known as acid rebound. This is where the body will end up with more stomach acid than it needs. Alternative medicine for acid reflux in Texas requires the sufferer to do their homework and find out as much information as possible on a potential alternative treatment for their acid reflux problem.



By: Tom Houser

Alternative forms of medicine are growing in popularity as people try to find a more holistic approach to their health. Conventional medicine is still very helpful but the underlying effects have sometimes caused people to become more aware of natural approaches to healing and preventative medicine.

1. One of the reasons alternative medicine has been booming recently is because people are tired of taking a pill or other medication for every bump, bruise and cough. For many people, alternative medicine seems more reliable than so-called modern medicine. After all, modern drugs are recalled on a regular basis while acupuncture has been practiced continuously for more than 5,000 years. In many countries, the rush to make a profit on a new drug often leads to the product being placed on the market before its long-term effects are known. The recent prevalence of this problem has caused many people to seek treatment that is tried and true.

2. Many people who seek out alternative medicine also do so because they do not want to fill their bodies with the chemicals that are inherent in more traditional medicine. Often the chemicals involved in prescription medication throw the body into a state of imbalance. For example, many antibiotics prescribed to treat infections cannot differentiate between infection and symbiotic organisms that are required for the human body to work as it should. The antibiotic kills off bacteria in the digestive tract and prevents the body from recovering as it should, perhaps prolong the illness.

Because of this overkill mentality in much of modern medicine, people seek out the kinder, gentler care of alternative medicine. And, in some cases wind up being treated with the herbs from which the modern medicine was derived. A foxglove tea is an herbal treatment for heart trouble, an alternative medicine approach. Digitalis, the medication prescribed for many with heart trouble, is a derivative and concentrated form of the plant.

3. People have begun to place more faith in alternative medicine as most treat the problem rather than the symptoms. Many modern medicines cause additional side effects and the solution of many doctors is to prescribe yet another medication to treat the symptoms. For example, Practitioners of many forms of alternative medicine, including massage therapy and chiropractic, realize that pain is usually a symptom of an underlying problem. In fact, pain is often the last symptom to appear and treating the pain itself is not going to correct the problem. Most people who use modern medicine would rather correct the source of the pain than simply pop a pain pill.

4. Many people seek out forms of alternative medicine because of its emphasis on preventing injury, illness and disease rather than curing it. Alternative medicine providers will still treat acute illness when it occurs, but they are often more focused on making the lifestyle choices to prevent such things from happening.

With the skyrocketing cost of health care, many people are operating under the theory that they will spend less and live happier, more fruitful lives if they can prevent illness. Most forms of alternative medicine place at least some credence in this theory. Many, like massage therapy and chiropractic, attempt to train patients to correct problems before they develop into life altering problems. This approach appeals to many as they seek out total wellness.



By: Eric Cho

why is it that if I tell people that my electro shock therapy is making me feel better they assume that I’m lying and tell me that I should be on medicine? Is it just society being resistant to change?