Overview
“Alternative medicine” refers to scientifically unproven therapies that are used instead of standard medical treatments to deal with health problems. Scientifically tested or not, alternative treatments are beneficial to many people, but may have dangerous or even life-threatening side effects and should be used with caution. Adopting alternative treatments in the place of medical care may also cause some individuals to lose the chance of benefiting from standard medical therapies. Before any decision to use an alternative or complementary therapy to treat medical conditions or even to promote general health and wellness, always discuss them with your health care professional first.
“Complementary therapy” refers to methods of treatment that are used in addition to standard treatments for various medical conditions. Complementary medicine is often used to improve general health and a sense of well-being. “Integrative therapy”, which is becoming more and more common today, refers to the use of complementary and alternative methods along with mainstream, standard medical practices. Any use of complementary or alternative therapies should be discussed with your health care professional to avoid drug interactions and other possible side effects of combining non-traditional treatments with standard medical care.
Signs of Alternative of Complementary Treatments to Avoid
Use the following checklist to spot treatments or practitioners that might be questionable and could signal the need for detailed discussions with your medical professional before proceeding:
- Is the treatment based on an unproven theory?
- Does the treatment promise a cure for everything?
- Are you told not to use a standard, recommended medical treatment?
- Is the treatment or drug a “secret formula” that only certain providers can give?
- Do the promoters of the treatment attack the medical or scientific community?
- Is the product or service only promoted in the mass media, magazines or on the internet rather than in reputable sources or by licensed practitioners?
- Are the costs of the therapy exorbitant or unreasonably expensive?
- Will it delay chances for a cure with standard therapies?
For a more complete discussion of a wide variety of alternative and complementary treatment options with additional resources and relevant web sites, go to the American Cancer Society web site.
This site specifically deals with alternative and complementary cancer treatments but much, if not all, of the information on alternative medicine in this site is also applicable to other medical conditions and to general health and wellness.
 Acupuncture/Acupressure
The technique of inserting very fine needles or applying pressure or heat to specific points on the body is thought to have originated in China and is considered to be one of the most basic elements of traditional Chinese medicine. The basic idea about how acupuncture--or its closely related sister-treatment of acupressure, which uses fingers or hands to apply pressure rather than needles, actually works is different than scientific biomedicine which has to do with tissues, veins, nerves, etc. The most fundamental assumption of all acupuncture treatment is that the body has numerous unseen channels through which “life energy” called qi or chi flows. This vital energy is of two general types: yin and yang, and the goal of acupuncture is to balance these two kinds of vital energy to heal the body. Life energy that is out of balance or blocked is thought to create all kinds of ill health, disease and pain.
Does it really work?
Some attempts to scientifically study the efficacy of acupuncture have been carried out and there is now clear evidence that acupuncture works for a number of different conditions. In 1997, the National Institutes of Health issued a consensus statement that concluded that “the data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies”. It is clearly efficacious for a wide range of ailments, especially nausea, vomiting, acute and chronic pain control, osteoarthritis, low back pain, asthma, stroke rehabilitation, drug and alcohol detox, eating disorders, allergic sinusitis, insomnia, headache, tinnitus, and a long list of other ailments. It is even used as anesthesia. How much of the effect of acupuncture is due to the “placebo effect” is still uncertain, but it is clear that the mind-body connection is a powerful force for healing when it can be positively activated. Acupuncture activates the mind’s ability to heal the body for many people. It is well known that what we believe is real is real in its effects, so whether the benefit of acupuncture in many people is due to the belief that it will work is pretty much irrelevant as long as it does work. Because the benefits of acupuncture are well-established, the treatment is now considered a complementary rather than alternative therapy by most medical professionals and many health insurance plans will pay for treatments so long as some pain is involved and is the primary reason for seeing an acupuncturist.
How do I know if an acupuncturist is any good?
- In the United States, acupuncturists are licensed and should have proof of their education and professional certifications and degrees in acupuncture. Treatment should always be carried out by a trained, licensed practitioner.
- Acupuncture is becoming accepted by the general public and by medical doctors and is increasingly covered by insurance. Choose a practitioner who is well-known in the medical community or who is listed by your health insurance company.
- Personal references from friends who have seen the acupuncturist is also a good way to find an acupuncturis
- The use of sterile, single-use-only needles is mandated by law in the U.S. as reused needles can transfer blood-borne infections like HIV and Hepatitis C. Make sure your acupuncturist uses only single-use needles
Meditation
Meditation is a mind-body process that involves intentional concentration or reflection to calm the mind and relax the body. There are many forms of meditation that have been well-known and used for thousands of years as a spiritual practice in much of Asia, especially India, China and Japan, including prayer and chanting. One commonly practiced type is Transcendental Meditation, a formal method of meditation introduced to the U.S. by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960s. Other types of meditation include mindfulness meditation, guided imagery as well as “moving” forms of meditation such as tai chi, walking, yoga and various martial arts. These can be performed by oneself in a quiet place free from distraction as self-guided meditation or guided by others including friends, family, teachers, spiritual leaders, doctors or other mental health professionals.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation has long been used as a form of behavioral medicine and is now widely used as a complementary therapy. Meditation has been studied in clinical trials for over 20 years and has been found to reduce anxiety, stress, blood pressure, chronic pain and insomnia. Regular meditation reduces cholesterol levels, symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome and substance abuse and to increase longevity and quality of life in general. Meditation has been shown to enhance the immune system and even in some studies has reduced the size of cancer tumors. Most experts agree that the positive effects of meditation are overwhelmingly beneficial to mental, physical and spiritual health. It is the best thing anyone to foster general well-being and is never harmful.
Yoga
The word yoga derives from an ancient Indian Sanskrit word that means “to yoke”, “to connect” or “unite”. It refers to a whole family of practices intended to connect the individual soul or atma with the divine or Universal Soul. Most yoga practices are designed to put the body, mind and spirit in accord with each other and with the Divine at the same time. In the Hindu or Buddhist traditions, the practice of Yoga was primarily intended as a path to spiritual enlightenment, but in modern Yoga it can also be seen as a set of moral and ethical principles, a spiritual philosophy, postures and movements designed to keep the body fit, chanting of sacred words and breathing exercises to still the mind and as a meditation technique. As a result, modern Yoga practice can mean very different things to different people, but its benefits to the health of the mind, body and soul are now undisputed.
What are the main types of yoga?
Over the long history of yoga, different schools of practice have grown up and different “gurus” or teachers have developed different combinations of techniques that meet the needs of individual practitioners. None of the schools or styles of yoga are mutually exclusive and depending on the teacher will be combines in different ways. The four main types of yoga are usually identified as: Karma Yoga, emphasizing unselfish behaviors; Bhakti Yoga, including components of physical love and loving devotion; Jnana Yoga, involving spiritual knowledge and discernment; and Raja Yoga, emphasizing right living, breathing, and body postures for meditation. Various combinations of the four main types have resulted in many different styles or kinds of yoga and which will be appropriate for you will be a matter of individual preference and need. Depending on what works for you personally, one may choose Mantra Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Purna Yoga or a dozen other styles. One of the best known modern types of yoga is Hatha Yoga which emphasizes postures and breathing for body fitness and health.
Yoga is adaptable to every person and every level of health or fitness so that beginners need not be concerned that they will injure themselves by taking up a course of yoga instruction. Prepare to be surprised how much physical exercise is actually involved.
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 Ayurvedic Medicine
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Ayurveda is a form of traditional medicine practiced in the Indian Subcontinent and has become more popular in the West in recent years. The word ayurveda is a compound of ayus meaning “life” and veda meaning “knowledge” or in other words, the “Science of Life”. Like other traditional or folk medicines, Ayurveda is a holistic approach that aims to maintain the harmony between the mind, body and forces of nature. Ayurvedic treatments combine changes in diet, taking herbal and mineral compounds, massage, exercise, yoga, meditation or guided imagery to balance the natural forces in the body for physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony. Some of the more controversial practices of Ayurveda include bloodletting, bowel purging, vomiting and use of heavy metals in some herbal preparations.
What are the risks of Ayurveda?
So long as Ayurvedic medicine is limited to diet, relaxation-meditation, imagery or massage, there appears to be no harm in using these methods. Many traditional herbs are known to have medicinal properties but if an inexperienced or unlicensed practitioner incorrectly combines herbs with large doses of heavy metals like arsenic, mercury or lead that are routinely used in Ayurvedic herbal treatments serious kidney, heart, brain or liver damage can result. Many of the health benefits from Ayurvedic medicine can be gained without using questionable herbal preparations. If Ayurvedic herbal concoctions are to be taken, your medical professional should always be consulted beforehand. Practices such as induced vomiting can cause imbalances in salts and minerals in the body and bloodletting for those with low red cell counts can be harmful as well.
Are there any proven benefits to Ayurveda?
According to a report of the National Institutes of Health, one clinical study showed that 78% of patients with various chronic diseases improved measurably after Ayurvedic treatment. Ayurvedic herbal preparations may have the potential to prevent or treat certain cancers including breast, lung and colon cancers based on animal studies. One Ayurvedic herbal mixture was as effective in relieving pain medication-caused constipation as a conventional laxative and another was found to be an effective treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Ayurvedic practice that combines methods matched to a patient’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs and medical history definitely benefits many people in fostering well-being and even to prevent and cure disease, but caution and consultation with medical professionals are always a good idea before taking any Ayurvedic medicines.
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Mind, Body and Spirit |
It is well known that good mental attitudes, an active mind and a healthy spirit have positive effects on the health of the body. Hypnotists have long known the power of suggestion alone but many other methods of using the mind to benefit one’s health are available. The specific practices or therapies that will work for you is a matter of individual preference so that one approach will be effective for one person but not for another. There are many, many methods to engender good health of the body by fostering positive thoughts and spiritual practice including, but not limited to: aromatherapy, biofeedback, feng shui, hypnosis, meditation, Native American healing, qigong, Wiccan ritual, spirituality and prayer, taichi or psychotherapy. Most Western-style therapies start with the mind or spirit through meditation, prayer and spiritual practice to benefit the body, but there are also a number of Eastern approaches that do not see the body, sex or sensuality as “evil” and use the senses of the body to move toward spiritual enlightenment. Approaches based on Tibetan Buddhism (Tantra), Hindu/Buddhist “Right Hand Path” Kundalini Yoga (well known in the Kama Sutra), or even some of the Chinese Taoist meditation techniques (Taichi, Taoist Erotic Massage) do not see the sensual urges of the body as unnatural or evil but something that can be used to unify the mind-body-spirit and achieve enlightenment--just from a different direction than we do here in the West. Go to this site’s Physical Touch page for more information on Erotic or Tantra Massage.
Of the numerous practices that foster health of mind, body and spirit, acupuncture, yoga, meditation and ayurveda are a few of the best-known and most widely available. Go to www.en.wikipedia.org and search for more detailed information on these well-known complementary therapies. You can also go to the American Cancer Society web site for detailed information on these and many other options.
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