Alternative Medicine vs Conventional Medicine - Part 1

The term 'alternative medicine' that is so commonly used today is somewhat unsuitable since that would seem to indicate that it is a form of treatment departing from so-called 'traditional' scientific practices and is just a

possibility for a new treatment of disease. The truth is, so called 'alternative' medicine is the natural treatment of disease that was in effect in ancient times long before conventional medicine was ever introduced. Alternative medicine is traditional, whereas conventional

medicine is relatively new and not traditional. So conventional medicine should rightly be deemed 'alternative.'

Upon the introduction of conventional medicine, what is

now called alternative medicine was suppressed, insomuch

that many sufferers are very distrustful of the use of

ancient treatments because they have been made to believe

that such treatments are ineffectual or even dangerous.

Yet, many ancient practices as Chinese, water treatment,

herbal remedies, massage and Ayurveda (Indian medicine

believed to be the oldest and most complete medical system)

are still being practised with great results; and, in recent

times, other systems also based upon the ancient forms of

natural healing have emerged. These include such therapies

as homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, aromatherapy,

nutritional medicine, naturopathic, and many other natural

therapies that have proved to support the natural healing

function of the body with excellent results.

In spite of this, there are persons who would prefer to suffer

than give such treatments a chance. However, when all else

fail, many of those same persons are now returning to such

therapies with the hope of finding relief.

Although there are different alternative therapies with

varying beliefs and techniques, there are common principles

under which they are all operating:

1. The body can heal itself naturally and remain stable.

2. Health problems can be contributed to factors of mind,

body and emotions.

3. It is more important to get to the root cause of an

illness and treat the whole person than to concentrate upon

symptoms only.

4. A person can contribute to his own healing if he pays more

attention to his health.

5. The same method of treatment cannot be suitable for

everyone since each person is unique in his physical, mental,

and spiritual build. This is why two persons may be diagnosed

with the same disease and the same level of illness, and one

survives and the other succumbs. Your mind can work wonders.

The main difference between so-called alternative medicine

and conventional medicine is that the latter is too concerned

with treating the symptoms of disease by scientific

techniques and technology instead of treating the whole person

and the cause of disease. On the other hand, alternative

medicine puts much emphasis upon the prevention of disease

(as mentioned above), and seeks to treat the whole person so

as to strengthen the immune system to bring about a sustained

healing.

Many diseases that have been deemed "incurable" are being

healed by natural 'alternative' means today but, unfortunately,

they have never been heard of by countless sufferers.

I enjoy making my own natural remedies from nature's herbs,

vitamins and nutrients. I have been doing this for years and

have always been quite healthy. You too can avoid the effects

of costly synthetic prescription drugs used as medicines. It

is up to you to stop poisoning yourself, maintain good health

and save.

This article is written for information only and is not

intended to suggest treatment of any disease. Information

contained herein is based on research I have done and just

want to share with interested persons. Anyone suffering from

a disease is advised to consult a recognized practitioner for

advice.

Part 2 to follow ...

Jem is a certified Natural Health Consultant and takes pleasure in sharing what she has learned with others.

If you would like to read more you may do so at: http://1-personal-improvement.com [http://1-personal-improvement.com/alternative-medicine.html]

A Quick Comparison of Conventional Medicines and Alternative Medicines

The term "conventional medicine" refers to medicine practiced by medical doctors and doctors of osteopath. Alternative medicine is a system of theory and practice used by many individual cultures around the world. There are several differences in conventional and alternative medicines, but there are some practitioners that use them together.

Promoting Good Health

The emphasis in alternative medicine is good health and prevention of disease. With alternative medicine, an individual is using natural remedies to build up the immune system to fight off infection and diseases. Each person is treated as an individual. Then, a specialized treatment is used for their needs. Through extensive questioning and diagnostic tools, the practitioner works to determine the cause of health problems. If there are underlying factors influencing your health, they will work to find the problem. Instead of using the same treatment on everyone with a common symptom, they try to find the hidden cause and treat it.

Different Methods

There are several different kinds of alternative medicines: homeopath, osteopath, chiropractic, herbal medicine, massage and acupuncture. Alternative medicine practitioners usually have a quality education with degree-level exams and monitored evaluation. Other therapies not as common are reflexology and aromatherapy, which use less invasive methods. These are more independent practitioners sometimes using methods developed on their own.

The purpose is to stimulate the body's healing process. Instead of trying to rid the body of a disease or symptom, the whole body is treated, and the cause is addressed. That is why a whole regimen is sometimes prescribed. This could be dietary changes, exercises, and an herbal remedy. By treating the cause, you have more chance of a complete cure. In most cases, these treatments are not as costly as conventional medicines.

Widely Used

Many companies offer alternative medicine in their healthcare packages. In recent years, Americans have spent billions of dollars on unconventional medicine, doctor's visits, and herbal remedies. As a result, many drug stores and chain stores are stocking natural remedies.

Conventional Treatments

In conventional medicine, the symptoms are attacked aggressively with surgery and drugs. Instead of the whole body being considered at one time, each organ is attended separately. Medical schools are divided into organ specific departments where the organs are learned about separately, and are not taught as being related to each other. This works fine for emergency and trauma treatments, but does not promote better health over all.

The treatments used in conventional medicine are the result of scientific research and successful results. Many doctors are convinced that these are the best for their patients. But in most cases, they will treat everyone with the same treatment when they could have different factors affecting their health. Many doctors specialize in one area and only know that one field well.

Using Both Methods

Some doctors use alternative medicine in a complimentary manner along with their conventional treatments. Several medical schools and renowned hospitals are offering courses and clinics using alternative medicines. This is also common in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Most people assume that only the latest high-tech treatments will be affective, but sometimes these are not as tried and proven as the old time remedies passed down over the years. The best thing to do is gather as much information as you can before you make a judgment. Many times people are skeptical or fearful because they do not know the facts.

Being Prepared

Though our bodies are very resilient and have the amazing ability to heal their selves, there are times that we will need help. It is best to be informed about both conventional and alternative medicines when the time comes to make a choice.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Alternative - Conventional Medicine or Majon's Health and Beauty directory.

Alternative Medicine As An Effective Alternative to Conventional Medicine

As we progress into the twenty-first century, we have made many inroads and advances in medicine due to new discoveries in chemistry, biology, and physics. Conventional medicine, our generally accepted system of medical knowledge, is practiced almost exclusively in the United States and abroad. Using this system, medical doctors and other health professionals treat diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Conventional medicine is also known as allopathic, mainstream, modern or Western medicine.

As a technically advanced society, we have become proud of our achievements in science but modern medicine has yet to solve our health problems. There are several diseases such as cancer, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and a wide variety of serious as well as chronic diseases where a cure has been pending for many, many years. Those who are suffering with incurable illnesses, are questioning the true advancement of modern medicine, and wondering, considering the modern innovations in science, if it has really made so much progress at all. We do have everyday experience of the wonders of medical science in the areas of nuclear and emergency medicine, immunology, surgery and medical testing, and certainly these systems are extremely important, but actual disease prevention and treatment for many chronic diseases is still eluding the modern medical establishment.

There has existed a driving force behind alternative medicine for centuries, and the motivation has been to heal others. Although practitioners of alternative medicine and their patients are reporting effective results, there are some persons who propose that such medicine is fraudulent, and is being practiced by insufficient or under/uneducated persons. This certainly could be true is some cases, but has also been true regarding conventional medical doctors who have had their licenses revoked for negligence or incompetence.

If doctors were not sexists, then there would be no need to offer seminars on how to sensitively handle a woman's pelvic exam in a "non-sexist manner." This type of mentality is one of many reasons women especially, and men also, are turning away from their medical doctors and enlisting the help of alternative practitioners. Michael P. Annavi, Ph.D., in his essay on allopathic authority, entitled Scraps from the Table of Allopathic Power, states that "the allopathic medical industry has created a process of invalidation that promotes the ideology that knowledge is real only if it is established within this tautological framework of European thought".

The difficulty in establishing the practices and rights of non-traditional health professionals has been thwarted for the past two centuries from those who advocate the practice of scientifically validated medicine, from the traditional medical societies, and, of course, from the medical doctors themselves. This is nothing more than systematic prejudice and racism, especially in regard to the Chinese and E. Indian medical practitioners of acupuncture and Ayurvedic medicine.

Larry Altshuler, M.D., in his book Balanced Healing, states that many alternative healing methods are simply more effective than conventional treatments are for certain conditions, and many treatments have fewer side effects and potential dangerss. Throughout his book, Dr. Altshuler discusses natural treatments he has used effectively on patients for many years. A proponent of preventative and natural medicine, Dr. Altshuler explains, for example, that there is a strong correlation between diabetes and obesity. As a truly alternative medical treatment, firstly he mentions that patients should completely avoid alcohol, which is very high in sugar content. Secondly he says to eat a balanced diet, low in refined sugars, fat, and animal products, and high in plant fiber. Thirdly he recommends the vitamins, nutrients and herbs necessary for supplementation. Lastly he recommends getting acupuncture treatments.

In the documentary film, The True Story of The Bridge on the River Kwai, Otto C. Schwarth, an American P.O.W., forced to work on the railway between Burma and Thailand during World War II, described how hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war, British and American, sick and dying of various diseases, were treated by a handful of physicians. In his interview, Mr. Schwarth, then in his eighties, recalled: "The Americans were forever grateful to Dutch medical doctor Henry Hecking. Dr. Hecking was born and raised in Indonesia by his grandmother who was an herbalist. He was our savior, actually, because he knew all the local herbs. Our group ended up having the lowest death rate on the line.

Michael Wayne, Ph.D., author of Quantum Integral Medicine, explains in his interview with Acupuncture Today: This biomedicine (conventional medicine) has been based on a model on linear determination and reductionism - approaches that see the world in very black and white terms. This approach has gotten our selves into a lot of trouble, not only with its approach to the human body, but also with its approach to solving world problems. It is very cause-and-effect oriented and is always looking to find the one ultimate cause that created the dilemma (par. 3). Modern medical science has denied the larger picture of health and healing, being induced by corporate influence and profiteering. We are presently seeing the outcomes of such corruption and greed - like war in the Mid East in an attempt to monopolize oil reserves, global warming along with the melting of the polar ice caps, and worldwide economic collapse.

It has also become an amusement of some medical doctors to criticize natural medicine and its practitioners. In an interview with an Orthopedic Surgeon in Fresno, CA (who preferred to keep his name anonymous), revealed that chiropractors are referred to, in the conservative medical world, as "psuedo-doctors." In the early twentieth century the medical establishment fought against the profession of Chiropractic, saying that due to public welfare and protection, these types of alternative medical practitioners should not be licensed. We find that it was actually due to economic self-interest and not public welfare, or as Chiropractors state "the ermine gloves of altruism frequently conceal the brass knuckles of greed" (Whorton 138). Plainly speaking, the medical profession does not want to share its economic benefits with other medicine men. Hippocrates was also considered a heretic or "quack" of his time because the medical thinking of his day was that disease and recovery were caused or influenced by gods and demons.. Hippocrates (born 460 BC) is considered the father of Western allopathic medicine. He is credited with greatly advancing the systematic study of clinical medicine, summing up the medical knowledge of previous schools, and prescribing practices for physicians.

Twentieth-century medicine has made incredible inroads of discovery including nuclear technology for diagnosis and treatment. Although conventional medicine has made a great deal of scientific advancement, many people are still suffering from chronic debilitating diseases and incurable diseases. Allopathic medicine has hundred years of research and discovery, but does not seem to be making valuable and affordable solutions as we progress into the twenty-first century. The cost of medical treatment is staggeringly high, especially for diagnostic testing and hospitals visits. Medical practitioners are concerned not only with there own economic progress, but keeping at bay those who are not deemed worthy of the title Medical Doctor or M.D. In ancient China, the doctor was not paid for their services if a person became ill. They were only compensated for keeping patrons healthy via advice on diet, nutrition and exercise. They prescribed herbal medicines, not only for illness but for preventative health as well, so it was the healthy that supported the Chinese practitioner and not the sick. Unfortunately, in our modern society, it is the sick that provide the practitioner with a healthy income.

A new model of understanding in medicine needs to be incorporated into the existing allopathic model. Because of the growing popularity and effectiveness of Alternative Medicine, practitioners may eventually be given their deserved place in medical society. The incorporation of alternative medical practices into the existing model of conventional Western medicine, including the training of new medical doctors, is now called Complimentary Medicine. In order to solve our health problems, this modern paradigm for treatment in medicine must be promoted. This can only truly emerge when bias, self-interest, greed and discrimination is discarded and diverse medical knowledge is promoted and shared, not only between university trained scientists and medical doctors, but amongst alternative practitioners, philosophers, metaphysicians, and other intelligentsia of society as well. With the integration of alternative medicine with conventional medicine, we hope to see a model that focuses on health and healing, instead of illness and economic benefit. As more states license N.D.'s (naturopathic physicians), seeing them should be as commonplace as visiting your allopathic medical doctor. This could become the new ideal for medicine and health in the twenty-first century and beyond. We also look forward to the day when labels such as quack or pseudo-doctor will disappear along with other biased subjective judgments.

Up to a century ago, the common person thought it was impossible to fly, but after discovering the natural laws of aerodynamics, we can routinely fly into outer space. In his film, Galileo, Bertolt Brecht's historically depicts the life of Galileo Galilei. In the seventeenth century, Galileo, at the risk of persecution and death, proved through the study of cosmology and by using the foundation of mathematics, that the sun was the center of the heavens, and not the earth. In the same way, by using the natural ideals and foundations of medical knowledge, we will begin to make new and future discoveries in health and healing.

-- Deva Roberts has been researching and writing on the topics of Alternative Medicine, health and spirituality since 2006. He is an also an Alternative Medicine healing writer for the Examiner.com and is the editor for the classical Indian spiritual text known as the The Ganesha Purana. For further info and and access to a FREE Energy Healing Course and other Energy Healing Products please visit: The Way of Health.net website.

?2010 The Way of Health.net

Publishing Rights: You may republish this info (or portions) in your web site, blog, newsletter, or ebook, on the condition that you agree to leave the author's signature, and all links completely intact.

A Look at Alternative Medicine and Conventional Medicine

Alternative medicine and alternative therapies are therapeutic practices, which are currently not considered as an integral part of conventional medicine. Conventional medicine is the current mainstream medical system of diagnosis and treatment of disease. However, an increasing desire for wellness, in response to today's stressful lifestyle and rising incidences of cancer, disease and illness, has led to the rising demand for alternative medicine and therapies. It is true that many people are becoming disenchanted with conventional medicine's drugs and the approach to healing.

What is the difference between conventional medicine and alternative medicine? In general, conventional medicine tends to focus on the disease and employs techniques to treat it. It views the body as a war zone where battles against invading organisms are fought, and won or lost. It focuses more on techniques, technology, chemical reactions that can be measured, statistically proven and documented. Treatment is on the part of the body that is displaying the symptoms of the illness or disease.

On the other hand, alternative medicine tends to be "holistic", where an individual's health is considered as a whole and treatment not just focused on the symptoms. Alternative medicine employ "natural" methods to aid the healing powers of the body to return to a state of health. Treatment is holistic; that is it takes into account every aspect of a patient and not just on the health symptoms that he or she is experiencing.

Contrary to popular belief, alternative medicine has a history longer than conventional medicine. Much of alternative medicine is derived from ancient healing techniques. For instance, the use of herbs is practiced all over the world since a long time ago; whether in India as ayurvedic medicine, in China as traditional Chinese medicine or used as aromatherapy which can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times.

There are a full range of alternative medicine and complementary therapies. They include acupuncture, energy healing, hypnosis, flower essences therapy, EFT, homeopathy, etc - all aimed at restoring the body back to balance and thus helping an individual achieve total wellness.

It would seem that after the above explanations, alternative medicine is superior to conventional medicine. This will not be an accurate view for all health situations. Conventional medicine, does in fact, have a place in health treatment. Conventional medical interventions such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and antibiotics do bring benefits. They can prevent death, pain and give hope to people to walk again, provide instant relief, and also, provide a new functioning organ in place of a diseased and ailing one.

Also, alternative practitioners do not condemn conventional medical practices altogether. Their belief is somewhat different, however. That these conventional medical interventions should not be the first choice of treatment, as it often is. The point is that most tend to seek natural or alternative medicine as the last resort. Seeking holistic treatment as a last ditch for health and life is not a very good idea as alternative medicine takes a long time to show positive healing benefits.

For the general public, I guess it is important to realize that there are more ways than one in the aspect of health. Fortunately, with the advent of the holistic health movement over the last two decades, a growing number of conventional doctors are now recognizing that health is more than the absence of disease. Many more medical doctors practice "integrative" medicine, where they combine research-backed alternative medical treatments with the best of conventional allopathic medicine. This may just be the best way to go. The overall objective to aim in the environment of today and tomorrow is for a higher standard of health; in short, total wellness.

Evelyn Lim owns an article directory site on health and wellness. Her site is an online directory archive with more than 100 topic categories; including alternative medicine, wellness, health and medical conditions, natural remedy, fitness, weight loss, nutrition, cancer, health insurance, etc. To submit an article, please visit http://www.HealthandWellnessCentral.com today!

Alternative Medicine vs Conventional Medicine - Pt 2

In Part 1 we discussed the fact that alternative medicine

(so called) was being used in ancient times long before

conventional medicine came on the scene. It is interesting

to note that there were not so many diseases plaguing mortals

in those days. What has caused this never-ending increase of

deadly diseases that wreak such havoc on the body today?

If conventional medicine was the answer to health problems,

why have diseases increased, and why are so many people dying

from these devasting illnesses? Why do so many persons seem

to be convinced that alternative medicine made by God do not

have healing virtues as the conventional medicine made by man?

There is also what is called complementary medicine, that is,

other treatment used along with conventional medicine to effect

a cure. However, not all substances categorised as complementary

medicine must be used with conventional medicine to be effective.

For example, aromatherapy is regarded as complementary since

it is used in many cases with conventional therapy. I have had

great results with the use of essential oils in the case of

swollen joints, arthritic pains, nasal and chest congestion,

'flu and other ailments. No conventional medicine was used

in these cases.

Why is information about cures by alternative medicine often

suppressed even though conventional medicine very often

interferes with the natural process of healing?

People are so coerced to use conventional medicine that they

refuse to even give alternative medicine a chance because

advertisements have such great influence when heard often

enough, that the public is convinced.

Have you ever noticed the way conventional medicine is

advertised? It would seem that every effort is made to down

play the possible negative effects.

The ads begin by distinctly emphasizing the benefits of the

medicines; then with hurried words they are changed to

something like this, "If you have gallbladder problems, or

ulcers, (or other ailment) you shouldn't take this."

Then in closing, someone affirms that the benefits have

been personally experienced!

Beware such deception and trickery; your health may be

seriously compromised. I often say to myself, "If this

conventional medicine is likely to affect my stomach, kidneys,

liver, whatever, why should I take it at all when I can use

some form of alternative medicine that is not toxic?"

Many people, so trained to distrust natural remedies and eager

to get well, jump at the announcement of some apparent new

super healing conventional medicine; and, without any

hesitation, embark upon a regimen with the belief that it is

the answer to their problem; Yet, they continue to be sick or

even get worse. In spite of that they keep on ingesting them.

I am of the opinion that if persons are encouraged to use

alternative medicine to treat disease before it develops into

a serious illness, they might very well have but little need

for the administration of conventional medicine such as

chemotherapy, synthetic drugs, and surgery. If the body is

kept in a healthy state, it is not likely that disease will

develop.

Day by day warning signs of an impending illness are being

ignored, then when that illness becomes overwhelming a quick

fix is sought through conventional medicine which,

unfortunately, seldomly delivers the required result.

I just cannot understand why most people will not try natural

remedies. My son, who was diagnosed with an exceedingly high

count of diabetes, was given the conventional treatment of

insulin and told that he would have to use it for the rest of

his life. He decided to try a herb called Gymnema Sylvestre

that is known in India as 'sugar destroyer' and, instead of

using sugar, he used the extract of another herb called Stevia.

What a surprise when he tested the level of sugar to discover

that it had drastically dropped! After a few weeks, he

stopped using insulin altogether. This was well over a year

ago and to this day he has not resumed the insulin therapy.

His blood sugar is back to normal and he now uses the natural

treatment only for maintenance.

I am not saying this to suggest that you will have the same

results, or to suggest that you rush out and buy these items.

This is only to support my confidence in natural remedies. If

you have diabetes, you are well advised to consult your doctor.

Very often a simple massage is the answer to a problem. I

personally have not had a headache for many years. There

was a time when I was headache-prone, and got into the habit

of using synthetic medicines to ease the pain, but after I

decided to try natural treatments and medicines, I changed

my diet from eating 'junk' foods and tried to stop using those

synthetic headache remedies.

I started to massage my head and shoulders whenever a headache

came on. Then to my delight, I realised that headaches were few

and far apart. Now they are virtually no more a part of my life.

Whenever I sense the feeling that a headache is imminent (which

is exceedingly rare), I just give myself a quick head and

shoulder massage and I am OK again. No more headache remedies

for me, like the 'Oh-so-famous' ones that are so often advertised.

I have helped many, many persons to be rid of a headache by just

simply giving them a massage as mentioned above. Many had

headaches lingering for days, and after about 20 minutes of

massage, they miraculously stopped.

Every person should find the time to learn about the natural

treatments that could be taken to protect his/her own body

and prevent or cure diseases. I do, do you? I have studied

and read about hundreds of cures by natural means, and have

experienced some myself.

Think of the many thousands of persons who might have been

alive today if only they had known, and had been encouraged,

to use certain natural remedies to be healed.

It is not the intention of this article to condemn the use of

conventional medicine which plays a wonderful role in the case

of surgery and other traumatic conditions. There have been

countless such cases where, without the administration of

conventional medicine, many persons would not have survived.

However, it is my hope that conventional medicine in the field

of drugs will one day give way to alternative medicine, and

conventional medicine retain its place in the field of surgery

and other traumatic conditions where it cannot be ignored.

Many persons have begun to take charge of their health and have

wisely shifted their preference to alternative medicine with satisfactory results. It is likely that this trend will continue

and alternative medicine will one day regain the recognition it

so rightfully deserves, as greater emphasis will be put on the prevention of disease and maintenance of health by natural means.

A word of caution. If you have decided to try alternative

medicine, be sure to get in touch with a qualified practitioner.

This article is written for information only and is not

intended to suggest treatment of any disease. Information

contained herein is based on my own experience and research I

have done and just want to share with interested persons.

Anyone suffering from a disease is advised to consult a

qualified recognized health care professional for advice.

Jem is author and webmaster of 1-personal-improvement website. She is also a certified Natural Health Consultant and takes pleasure in sharing what she has learned with others.

If you would like to read more you may do so at:

http://1-personal-improvement.com [http://1-personal-improvement.com/alternative-medicine.html]

Alternative Medicines Complement Conventional Medicines

There are many choices when looking for alternative medicines. Today, more people are turning to these alternatives for their treatments than ever before. These types of medicines provide a different approach than conventional medicine in health care systems and practices.

What is Alternative Medicine?

Some examples of alternative medicine are chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, and naturopathy. Although you may be unfamiliar with these treatments, there are people all over the world successfully using them.

In several ways, alternative medicine offers a different outlook on healthcare than conventional medicine. The usual treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, antibiotics and other types of drugs; however, there is growing evidence and awareness that alternative treatments can be less costly, less invasive, and sometimes safer than well-known conventional treatments.

A Higher Stand of Health

The goal of alternative medicine is a higher standard of health, not just the absence of disease. For many years, individuals were given a clean bill of health without considering their emotional, spiritual or social needs. Alternative medicine considers the health and well being of the person by evaluating the physical, emotional and psychological makeup and needs. The patient is examined as a person and not just a number or case. Patients are encouraged to participate in decisions instead of being a passive subject.

Healing the Body

Conventional medicine has typically treated and removed symptoms as quickly as possible. Sometimes the results are dramatic and immediate with traditional surgeries and medicines. Sometimes, however, this creates other physical problems. The alternative is to help the body heal itself.

By using less dramatic treatment, the body is given a chance to work through its own healing therapy. Instead of synthetic medicines, the use of whole foods, herbs, homeopathic and nutritional supplements are utilized. The results may take longer but in the end the body will be healthier. True healing can occur in this way, increasing the chances that the symptoms will not return.

Finding an Alternative Professional

If you are planning to consult an alternative professional for a specific need, it is recommended that you consult with a medical doctor or osteopathic physician to get a diagnosis. They go through extensive training in diagnosing illnesses and diseases. This step could lead you to the correct treatment and avoid confusion. After you have had your exam and diagnosis, ask for the recommended treatment. Then look for an alternative treatment that may be easier on your body and possibly more effective.

There are different ways to find a practitioner. One of the most helpful is to get referrals from family and friends, your doctor, or other health care providers. Also use the resources at the library, the Internet, and medical information organizations. When you have a list of referrals, begin to gather information on the professionals. Ask for literature, find out how long they have been practicing, and what practices they use. Check to see if your insurance policy will cover their fees and what will be expected from you.

Having a Consultation

Be prepared when you consult with the professional. Describe your symptoms or condition clearly. Be sure to include a complete medical history. Explain what you have learned about alternative treatments.

Listen carefully to the suggested treatment and ask questions to make sure you understand. Ask what the benefits will be from this therapy. Find out how long the treatment will take and if you should expect side effects.

Making a Choice

Did he answer your questions and make you comfortable? Is the treatment acceptable to you? Now you can decide if this practitioner is right for you.

Before you choose alternative medicines, take the steps necessary to ensure you are treating the problem, not just the symptoms. You'll soon discover the long-term benefits of alternative medicines.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Tips for Alternative Medicines or Majon's Health and Beauty directory.

Conventional Medicine Vs Alternative Medicine

These are two very different modus operandi in approaching the goal of physical wellness and it is worth taking a look at the differences between the two.

I would argue that each has a valid role and we only get into trouble with them when one or the other tries to perform a role to which it is not suited.

For example, if you are in an automobile accident and your leg is partially severed and your artery is pumping blood, taking vitamins or drinking green tea are quite frankly not going to help very much. If that ever happens to me my first stop I can tell you is going to be neither a nutritionist nor a chiropractor but the nearest casualty department where (I hope) I will be pumped full of anesthetics and stitched back together again pronto. Having survived the immediate life-threatening situation thanks to the good offices of conventional medicine, which excels at that sort of thing, I will then set about a nutritional handling so as to optimize the efficiency with which the body achieves its long-term repair and recovery - and alternative medicine excels at THAT sort of thing.

So let's have a quick layman's look at the two modus operandi so one can decide which is the most appropriate for whatever it is one seeks to handle.

Conventional medicine excels in emergency/casualty type care and in dealing with life-threatening situations. To those scenarios it brings a fantastic amount of expertise and wisdom: just watching, for example, some paramedic team bring back to life a drowned child whose heart had stopped beating borders on the witnessing of miracles.

There are times when a quick fix is necessary. If your arteries are so clogged with cholesterol, for example, that if you move too suddenly you could drop dead, then it's time to take the statins and get the cholesterol out of one's tubing a.s.a.p. Eating a bowl of salad or a tin of sardines just ain't gonna cut it. It is a life-threatening situation, so you do whatever you can to fix the guy up and keep him breathing.

Then, when the immediate emergency is over, you can look to your long term handling: a Mediterranean diet and so forth to sort out both the cholesterol problem and the damage done elsewhere in the body by the statins.

Where a necessary quick-fix is concerned there is often a trade-off in which death is averted but at the cost of some damage done to the body by the intervention. Most of us would consider this a fair trade.

The Conventional approach to the treatment of most illnesses, mild or serious, is routinely to hit the condition with drugs or surgery. Here again is a quick-fix even though immanent death is not being averted and drugs in particular that are designed to attack one set of symptoms invariably cause problems and malfunctions in other areas of the body.

Conventional medicine's approach is to treat symptoms, not the underlying causes. For example, if one's cholesterol is too high, your doctor will routinely prescribe statin drugs to remove it from the arteries. Very little is done to investigate and discover and understand the reason WHY, for that individual, cholesterol is rising. For example, the reason might be excessive homocysteine levels prompting the body to coat the arteries with a protective layer of cholesterol and homoscysteine - the actual CAUSE of the high cholesterol in this example - could be controlled with B vitamins with no price to pay in terms of side effects. In fact, an overall improvement in health is often achieved because adequate levels of B vitamins will have a whole spectrum of benefits.

Drugs are chemicals that are not part of the body's evolution and operate on the body essentially as foreign matter. Using again the example of statins to treat cholesterol, these drugs work by blocking the production of cholesterol in the liver. This handles the symptom of excessive cholesterol production but at the price of also blocking the production of a vital enzyme - CoQ10 - that is key to energy production in the muscles.

Their financial value to the manufacturers lies in the very fact that drugs are not naturally occurring substances but invented: being invented they can be patented. The owner of the patent can then market the drug at a high price. Substances such as vitamins on the other hand, occurring in nature, cannot be patented and thus anyone can produce and market them, and that means their pricing must be competitive.

Conventional medicine treats the human body in parts, not as a whole: the departments in medical schools and hospitals tend to be organ-specific and produce doctors highly specialized in one organ or bodily function. This compartmentalization does not reflect how the body and its components function because the body is a highly integrated system of complex interrelations.

The training of conventional medical doctors is based upon "rescue medicine," thinking. It is perhaps an understandable over-emphasis considering how well conventional medicine has won at that particular game. However, we run into trouble when the quick-fix/rescue type of intervention is extended into long-term treatments. For example, a tranquillizer taken to calm down a person so violently and dangerously agitated they are likely to kill someone in their vicinity, if not themselves, can alleviate the immediate crisis without the side-effects doing too much damage if treatment is of short duration.

But the agitation is a SYMPTOM of some underlying problem. If the tranquilizer is used as a long-term suppressor of symptoms in place of finding and treating the underlying causes, then the damage it does to the body's delicately interrelated systems will start to become evident. That damage can be serious and can become life threatening in itself.

Meanwhile, the cause of the problem remains in place and unaddressed and prevention of disease receives far less than the emphasis it by rights should receive. Alternative medicine on the other hand approaches medical treatment by placing its focus primarily on finding the CAUSE of a condition or symptom and treating that on the one hand and overall wellness that PREVENTS disease on the other.

In that its treatment of a malady targets restoring optimum function to the interrelated system as a whole, alternative medicine can rarely achieve the quick fix but it also rarely causes the complications engendered by the quick-fix approach.

On the contrary, the overall wellness approach tends to produce a spectrum of benefits broader than the resolution of the particular malfunction that first red-flagged the need for a handling. Again, the use of the Mediterranean diet is an example: its benefits extend beyond the reduction of cholesterol in the arteries to overall liver, kidney and heart health, weight loss, restored energy levels and so on.

Conventional medicine, particularly its drugs with their tendency to set in train further complications requiring treatment, tend to be costly both to the individual pocket and government. The health services of many nations are creaking under the financial burden occasioned by declining health and escalating drugs costs. Alternative medicine on the other hand, by reason of its whole approach, tends to be a far less costly option.

Our societies are at this moment undergoing something of a seismic shift at grass roots levels in their approach to healing as the number of people turning to alternative therapies grows year by year. Nutrition as a science has advanced by leaps and bounds, practices such as chiropractics and kinesiology are increasingly recognized as bona fide therapies and confidence in conventional medicine is in decline, while the drugs manufacturers must work ever harder and more ruthlessly to maintain their market share. Even giant food manufacturing corporations, not hitherto particularly noted for their concern for our physical well being, have jumped on the bandwagon with sometimes hilariously overblown claims for the nutritional content of their products.

This grass roots change has not been reflected yet in the orientation of most general practitioners. So many of them are still slow to direct their patients to alternative therapies and optimum nutrition. They still reach for the prescription pad and send the patient quickly on his way with some drug to nullify a symptom.

Alternative medicine is also notably more accessible to the layman, who can relatively easily learn many of its tenets and therapies for himself or become quite adept on the subject of nutrition. Thus in large measure the layman can gain control over his own destiny so far as his health is concerned. Many a layman, becoming interested in the subject of nutrition, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and so on, is soon dismayed by the realization that he apparently knows more about the subject than his GP!

Why is this culture-lag on the part of doctors happening?

The answer may lie at least in part in the fact that the driving force behind conventional medicine has for a long time been the pharmaceutical industry.

Most medical schools receive considerable funding from an industry that has a vested interest in marketing its medicines. Through this financial influence over the medical schools, plus relentless marketing of their products to doctors in general practice, the pharmaceutical industry has achieved overwhelming influence over conventional medicine ( what is called in the trade, "full spectrum dominance"), creating an ethos that is embraced by both modern doctors and pharmacists, many of whom think of their worth in terms knowing which drug to prescribe for a particular set of symptoms.

There are other factors at play too:

Funding of medical research favours conventional medicine over alternative medicine by a huge margin. For example just 0.08 percent (!) of the British National Health Service research budget is allocated to alternative research and out of $12 billion allocated every year by Congress to the National Institute of Health, a mere $5.4 million (an even smaller 0.054% percent by my reckoning) goes to the Office of Alternative Medicine to investigate the claims of approximately 50 therapies.

This neglect by government of alternative medicine research in favor of conventional drug-based medicine naturally constricts the speed at which the safe and cost effective alternatives can advance in research and the accumulation of expertise. How might nutrition and its allied sciences have flourished had it had the psycho-pharmacy's funding? As such it is a grave disservice to the citizenry who have every right to expect that government will protect and serve so far as their health is concerned.

Despite this, the field of nutrition for one has still managed to make considerable advances and evolve a level of understanding in many respects in advance of that of conventional medicine.

Go to http://www.wellhealthy.org now for more information.