Alternative Medicine

If you were to look up the word alternative in the dictionary, you would find the following definition: different from the usual or conventional; existing or functioning outside the established cultural, social, or economic system. Which is exactly what alternative medicine/therapy is. It is treatment that differs from the more mainstream options in healthcare, and is not commonly used by medical practitioners. But recently, more and more doctors have been prescribing alternative methods to supplement more conventional treatments. The idea is to promote and restore health using whatever means is effective. This paper will explore various treatments of alternative healthcare, why people are more apt to using them now then before, and recent developments in that field.

People choose to use alternative methods for various reasons. They are becoming increasingly aware of medical practices from different cultures. Many are

frustrated with what conventional medicine can do. The side effects of some

medicines make you feel even more sick than you already were. They have the desire to take fewer medications and experience fewer side effects. Alternative therapies also put more emphasis on

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Another treatment of alternative healthcare is the ancient Chinese method of acupuncture. Acupuncture is an effective treatment in providing temporary or permanent relief for a specific condition, but it should be used hand-in-hand with more conventional treatments. There was a global campaign launched in 1997 to provide vitamin A to malnourished children around the world. But again, a high dose of vitamin E may cause upset stomach, dizziness, or increased blood pressure.

Another recent breakthrough in alternative healthcare is the discovery that folic acid supplements help prevent a second heart attack. It effectively treats coronary artery disease, symptoms of angina, and decreased blood flow to the brain. It does this by inserting the amino acid EDTA ( ethylene- diamine-tetra-acetic acid), either intravenously or orally. Studies show that at least some of the recommended dosages may be too low and that higher doses may help prevent diseases.

A recent development in the field of alternative medicine involves the dietary supplement vitamin A. The acupuncturist puts a small heated cup over the pressure point , creating a vacuum to suck out or blow around the qi. Supposedly that needle unblocks a path of vital energy ( known as qi) that acupuncturists believe flows through your whole body.

Vermont: Gower Publishing Company, 1988.

Approximate Word count = 1358
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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