The True Meaning of Alternative Medicine


Alternative medicine is a type of therapeutic practice that is not considered to be a part of traditional or conventional medical treatment. People use alternative medicine instead of using traditional medical treatment. This is often because they feel it is a natural way to get better.

There are many types of alternative medicine. Some are covered by medical insurance, but most are not. Some forms of alternative medicine that may be covered are chiropractic and osteopathic therapy. These forms of alternative medicine are widely used.

There are other forms of alternative medicine that are not as widely used, but are becoming more popular by the minute. These are: massage therapy, therapeutic touch, folk medicine, herbal medicine, special diets, homeopathy, music therapy, aromatherapy, naturopathy, faith healing, and new age healing. There are also some non-western forms of alternative medicine such as: Chinese medicine, gi gong, reiki, and ayarveda.

There are some less commonly practiced forms of alternative medicine as well. One is called biofield therapy. This is a form of alternative medicine that works with your so called "energy fields" to heal you. Another is bioelectrical magnetic therapy. This alternative medicine uses pulse and magnetic fields to heal you.

Alternative medicine is quite popular for people who are terminally ill. Many AIDS and cancer patients prefer it. An example of this is a cancer patient who uses alternative medicine instead of receiving traditional chemotherapy or radiation therapy. People also use alternative medicine to heal ailments such as back pain or migraines. Instead of traditional painkillers, the patients would use aromatherapy, sound therapy or herbal therapy. Alternative medicine is even used on animals. Have you ever seen the movie "The Horse Whisperer?" That was about a form of alternative medicine used on an animal. Acupuncture, herbal therapy, and others have also been used on animals.

The last thing you should know is that there is no scientific evidence that alternative medicine is effective. There have been no scientific studies to prove if they are safe or if they work for the diseases or ailments they are used for. Before using an alternative medicine, talk to your doctor, make sure your doctor feels it is safe and will not harm you.

There are many different kinds of alternative medicines to choose from. Now that you understand it a bit better, you can decide if it is right for you. For more information talk to your doctor or research it online. With careful research, you may find one that is right for you.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.info-meds.info a blog focusing on the Medical, resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on medicines. For more info on medicines visit: http://www.info-meds.info

MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
Benign Tumors Of The Cervix
Endocervical polypsEndocervical polyps are the most common benign neoplasms of the cervix. Please note that the word neoplasm refers to a cancerous growth.
Advanced Surface Ablation
In patients with corneal thickness below a certain minimum, performing LASIK would be unwise, because the "foundation" may not go back to its original stability. Our colleagues from around the world, agree on when not to do LASIK, like when the cornea is very steep or very flat.
Pediatric Emergency Contact Notifications Made Easier
For the head of the trauma department at one of America's top pediatric facilities, Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, having to notifying parents that their children have been the victims of trauma or identify pediatric Jane Does, is an every day occurrence. But just because they look like they're handling it well, doesn't mean that it ever becomes routine.
Watch Out for Misleading Pharmaceutical Advertising
In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the rules for drug advertising on television and radio. Since that time, the airwaves have been flooded with commercials for all sorts of drugs.
NIH Official Altered Drug Study
NIH Official Altered Drug StudyDr. Edmund Tramont, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Division of AIDS, altered the conclusions from a safety report on pregnant women taking the drug nevirapine in order to cover up its negative side effects.
Curing Lou Gehrigs Disease
ALS is the disease that took the life of the famed baseball player. The disease benched Lou Gehrig from the game that he loved and later took his life.
Diagnosis and Treatments of Cerebral Palsy
Before a child can be appropriately diagnosed with cerebral palsy, their doctor must first have to look closely at both the child and the mother's medical background to see if there are any known causes of cerebral palsy present in the case. The doctor will very carefully check the baby's motor skills and the reflexes, and then will be tested by a physician, also they will try to determine the Childs hand preference often a child with cerebral palsy will use the hand that is not always the most practical to them due to the fact that depending on the brain damage one side of the body will be much stronger than the other side that is affected.
Vioxx and Bextra Lawsuits Could Tie Up Courts for Years
In September, 2004, pharmaceutical giant Merck voluntarily withdrew its painkilling medication Vioxx from the market. Studies show that Vioxx increases the risk of heart attack and stroke among patients who have used the drug for longer than 18 months.
Pain in the Butt. How to Deal with Hemorrhoids?
This is very sensitive area of your body. Too private.
Hypothermia - The Cold Facts
If you ever go to cold countries, you should undoubtedly have heard of Hypothermia. If you haven't, you should learn something about it.
After Viagra, Its Now a Premature Orgasm Pill for Women
Pfizer's exciting drug history traces back to the most popular Viagra drug, which treats erectile dysfunction in men. Now, they are gearing up to hit the bull's eye with a new premature orgasm pill for women.
Fioricet: Migraine Remedy Medication Or Just Another Headache?
We've all had garden variety headaches from time to time. Getting sleep, drinking water, or taking aspirin or Tylenol lets you squash these "tension headaches" (as doctors call them) quickly and easily.
Chronic Headaches and Pain Often Can Be Eliminated By A Special Dentist
DENVER - Sometimes as Freud once said a good cigar is just a smoke. A headache, on the other hand, occasionally can be a sign of something much more serious than just a headache.
Which Drug Addiction Treatment is the Best?
The answer is simple: there is no such thing as the best drug addiction treatment. Depending on the kind of the addiction, your age and social situation different treatments may be chosen for your benefit.
UltraCET: The Dynamic Duo Of Prescription Pain Control Medications
Remember the last time you stubbed your toe? OUCH! It's painful. But a stubbed toe usually doesn't send us running to the medicine cabinet, since we know that the pain will pass within a few minutes.
Why Drug Companies are Naughty and 5 Remedies to Cure the Symptoms
With the hum of the election campaign and the debate of "big business," versus human interest, I decided to do a bit of muckraking into the art and science of the recent removal of Merck's Vioxx. My motivation of course; to look for clues as to the role drug companies play in our health and wellness (or lack thereof).
Medical Error Crisis
The unfortunate truth about medical errors is that they plague the poor and uninsured, reflecting the great medical inequality in our country. For those who do not consider medical errors to be a problem, consider this: medical errors kill between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans every year.
What Not to Tell Your Doctor?
For many years since medicine has been established as an ethical profession and gained widespread credence people have believed that they could and should tell their doctor everything even remotely pertinent to their health and that it was held in the strictest confidence. Furthermore, how can the physician make accurate judgments when important or significant information is missing? This system worked very well until relatively recently but there now exists a breach of this confidence that people should know about and this breach has developed from the advent of third party investigations into people's backgrounds.
Antibiotics 101- What You Absolutely Need to Know
IntroductionAntibiotics are said to be the greatest contribution of modern day science helping the doctors to think beyond microorganinsms.their importance is felt much more in developing countries where the infections are prevalent.
Risperdal Side Effects: Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome NMS
Risperdal is an atypical anti-psychotic drug that balances the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. It helps to stabilize patients with mental illness including the manic stages of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.