About Alternative Health Therapies
Alternate therapies are edging out conventional healing therapies in many areas today. Today, integrated therapies are combining alternative therapies with mainstream medical treatment for achieving better results; sound scientific evidence exists, proving the efficacy of this combination treatment. Alternative therapies have some advantages over conventional medicine as they offer more services which are otherwise not available. Though the following list is not complete here are a few: diet fads, massage, music therapy, herbal medicine, faith healing, folk medicine, naturopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic and ‘new age’ healing. These are used instead of the conventional methods of healing in order to address some underlying disease.
Alternative health therapy gives the patient an overall sense of control as it aids well being, improves quality of life and your overall general health. Reducing and eliminating tension, stress, anxiety, depression and sleeplessness, causes the person to feel a sense of well-being and relaxation. Alternative therapies have been known to aid in reducing cancer symptoms like pain, nausea, breathlessness, diarrhea, constipation, poor appetite and tiredness. In traditional cancer treatment, it has been found to relieve and curb negative side effects.
They alleviate pain which could conceal a grave situation and this is a possibility as today they are frequently used with traditional medicine. For example, there are some support groups for cancer, that offer all of these therapies for free or for a small fee and there are some hospices and hospitals that provide these as a special part of the care for cancer, right alongside of the conventional treatments for cancer like radiotherapy or chemotherapy. These therapies are now used by many cancer patients to support themselves in their fight against cancer. It is important that the patient is aware that these treatments are not alternative medicine to orthodox medicine but are complementary therapies that provide emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing.
For example, Americans are now spending four billion dollars annually on different alternative health products like herbs and vitamins. In a study conducted by Davis, Eisenberg, Phillips and Tindle in 2005 it is specified that complementary and alternative therapies are used approximately by 72 million people in America. Herman, Craig, & Caspi in the year 2005 have shown that more than billion annually is spent on alternative therapies.
However there is no specific alternative health therapy that is more effective than the other, you will only be able to determine which treatment would suit you and which one is effective only by the trial and error method. Individual therapies such as acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy, reiki, reflexology, homeopathy and hypnotherapy have been successful in treating people Motor Neuron Disease and helping them adjust well with their lives. Check with your doctor before you start on any alternative therapy and ensure that whatever treatment you are considering does not adversely affect your ongoing treatment.
If you choose to integrate alternative health therapies into your treatment plan, you must discuss your choices openly, honestly and regularly with your doctor and others on your health care team. Find out from your physician if any of these alternative therapies are available at his clinic or hospital. You could even find out from your physician if he is qualified to practice any of these therapies. Perhaps they may be able to recommend particular therapies or practitioners as more doctors are being convinced that complementary medicine does have a place in today’s society. For some people, these types of therapies are helpful in coping with effects of conventional treatments, reducing anxiety and giving them back some control over their lives.
