Alternative Medicine: An Overview
Mainstream, conventional medicine has long promised cure for modern-day plagues, armed as it is with its arsenal of powerful pharmaceuticals and high-tech surgeries. However, the initial hype has subsided as consumers are increasingly frustrated with its inability to manage the discomforts of day-to-day ailments. Help is now sought from an unlikely source as consumers are seeking new solutions to their health problems. Alternative medicines can provide a simple, yet attractive alternative to drugs and surgery.
The core philosophy behind alternative medicines is that the most effective treatment, no matter the illness, is the one that caters for three things: the patient, the whole body and the underlying causes. This approach starts with the notion that the body is intrinsically health. What makes us ill is an obstacle inside our own bodies, and removing this obstacle will restore good health. The treatment should remove this underlying cause of our ailment, not simply the visible symptoms. As such, most alternative treatments are holistic in nature: encompassing diet, exercise and emotional counseling besides the prescription of the alternative medicine.
There is a whole set of alternative treatment disciplines, each with its own modalities and set of healing tools. Acupuncture manipulates needles on specific points in the body, called meridians, to restore the flow of energy and heal the body. It is particularly useful in relieving stress, chronic illnesses and pain. Another favorite in the treatment of pain and back injuries is massage therapy. By means of alternating hands and rhythmic movements, a massage therapist applies pressure on muscles and skin tissue to stimulate blood flow and release body fluids. Other alternative medicines, such as herbal therapy and homeopathy, take a leaf from some characteristics of modern-day pharmaceuticals. Many drug supplements are derived from botanicals, and in similar fashion herbal treatments tap into the therapeutic powers of plants as pain relievers, energizers, stomach soothers and overall body tonics. Homeopathy employs diluted substances that cause symptoms of a certain illness to cure those same symptoms. Other alternative treatments use a broad spectrum of techniques in the healing process. Naturopathy employs nutrition counseling, homeopathy, stress management, exercise and even the occasional drug or surgery treatment to provide medical care. Ayurveda, a popular alternative therapy that originated from India, manages illness through diet changes, seasonal detoxification procedures, herbs and meditation.
This coming together of body and mind that permeates all alternative treatments, might just what is needed to balance the weaknesses of conventional health care we use everyday.