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Classifying The Types Of Alternative Medicine

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:47:42 +0000

Alternative medicine can be defined as any form of therapy, practice or treatment which is outside the mainstream or beyond the realm of the conventional.
More generally it can be defined as any approach or medicine which differs from conventional Western forms. Alternative medicine is often talked about in conjunction with Complementary Therapy and the umbrella term Complementary & Alternative Medicine or CAM is used.
As a general guide some of the more mainstream CAMs are acupuncture, acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, homoeopathy, hypnotherapy, massage therapy, naturopathy, reiki, reflexology & Yoga.
Alternative medicine in the UK is growing year on year and in 2006 it generated expenditure of 1.6 billion pounds. Large numbers of people choose to seek out alternative forms of medicine subsequent to a diagnosis from their GP or other traditional route. However in the main, research shows that people tend to use CAMs in parallel with conventional medicine. There is often resistance from GPs to recommend or refer a patient to an alternative therapy where they consider empirical evidence to be limited or non-conclusive and the research methods are not always standardised as with traditional medicine. There are also often funding issues relating to onward referrals within the NHS.
However, the CAM sector is responding to this criticism by adopting the standard research methods & evidence provision in line with the medical establishments traditional methods. This is largely assisting with the rapid growth of this multi-layered industry, alongside the continually growing wealth of positive empirical evidence.
Generally speaking CAM’s can be organised into five key areas, although it should be noted that there are number of areas where these overlap. These areas are -
Whole Medical Systems (WMS)
WHMS have been developed in the West – often with it roots in other medicine systems. Examples of this type of system are Naturopathy – helping or stimulating the body’s own in-built healing system by improving diet & lifestyle in conjunction with other CAMs such as acupuncture and massage. A good non Western parallel to this system is Chinese Medicine as is Ayurveda which hails from India and takes the holistic approach of treating the mind body & spirit via massage, yoga, herbs & meditation.
Another WMS which developed in recent years in the West is Homeopathy the practice of stimulating the healing system of the body by delivering minute amounts of certain elements or substances which in much higher doses would be detrimental or dangerous to a patient’s health.
Mind-Body Medicine (MBM)
MBM can call upon a number of techniques which are aimed at improving the symptoms & functions of the body e.g. meditation, Yoga etc. A number of therapies which historically where thought to be CAMs are now firmly placed in the mainstream such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming).
Biologically Based Practices (BBP)
BBP are derived from elements and materials which are found naturally such as vitamins for supplements, healthy foods for well being & detoxification and herbs helping with everything from pain relief to stress & weight loss. Biologically based practices in CAM use substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins. Some examples include dietary supplements, herbal products, and the use of other so-called natural but as yet scientifically unproven therapies (for example, using shark cartilage to treat cancer).
Manipulative and Body-Based Practices (MBBP)
MBBP work by manipulation, pressure and rubbing of soft tissues and muscles aimed at promoting repair, better health & flexibility. These type of therapy work by removing scar tissue, promoting oxygen flow and helping the removal of toxins and acids.
A number are further examples of therapies which are becoming less and less alternative and more mainstream. These include Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Massage & other body work such as Shiatsu and Sports Massage.
Energy Medicine Therapies (EMT)
EMT are believed to help the patient by tapping into the energy fields which cloak the human body and restoring balance, improving energy flow and clearing blockages. Examples of these type of therapies are Reiki, Chinese Medicine and Energy Healing.
So, why the growth in CAMs? Well, in recent years patients have gradually taken more accountability & responsibility for their health and are not as happy as maybe they once were to be told what to do or how to live. As a result they are becoming more autonomous and seeking out their own alternatives and solutions.
It is important to note they don’t side step mainstream traditional medicine but seek help from CAMs to complement their treatment. Part of the reason for this empowerment is the growth of the internet and the ease of access to swathes of information, research, forums and feedback available at a click on the World Wide Web. Recent research has shown that over 60% of internet users use the web to provide answers on health related issues.
In addition to the ground swell of the general public embracing CAMs, areas of traditional medicine are adopting and recommending alternative therapies. The NHS now has as 5 hospitals offering CAMs for patients and more and more health professionals such as doctors, nurses and mid wives are training in alternative therapies to offer within their mainstream practice.

Shaun Parker has tried a wide variety of different alternative medicine therapies and shares his experiences to help those looking for alternative medicines.
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Alternative Medicine for Treating Cancer

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:32:10 +0000

Cancer is the name given to any illness resulting from one of our body’s own cells growing out of control. There are many processes that control a cell’s growth and division, each of which can go wrong. Several of these control mechanisms need to be damaged before a cell becomes cancerous. There are more than 200 different types of cancers, which are categorized in to carcinoma, sarcoma, lymphoma and leukemia based on the cells from which they arise.
The principles involved in treating cancer are either directly destroying the cancer tissues or indirectly destroying them by depriving them of blood supply and/or their nutrition. But the irony is that whatever conventional treatment is used to destroy cancer cells do affect to some extent the normal cells also. They may damage the skin, liver, intestine the bone marrow and other rapidly multiplying cells. Sometimes the effect of the treatment is more devastating than the disease itself.
Role of Alternative Medicine in treating cancer
A larger study of Alternative medicine use in patients with different types of cancer was published in the July 2000 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. It was found that nearly 70% of the patients used at least one form alternative medicine along with the conventional treatment. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) are sponsoring a number of clinical trials at medical centers to evaluate alternative medical therapies for cancer.
Alternative medicine includes therapies like herbal remedies, vitamins, special diets, and acupuncture among others.
Acupuncture: effective in the management of chemotherapy associated nausea and vomiting and in controlling pain associated with surgery. Now used in a trial to reduce the symptoms of colorectal cancer
-Homeopathy
-Ayurveda
-Shark cartilage: Being tried in non-small cell lung cancer. it prevents new blood vessels growth
-Hyperbaric oxygen: In patients who had larynx removed for larynx cancer
-Massage therapy: for cancer related fatigue
-Pancreatic enzyme therapy along with specialized diet for the treatment of pancreatic cancer
-Mistletoe extract: for the treatment of solid tumors
-Wheatgrass therapy
-Macrobiotics: The macrobiotic diet is strictly vegetarian and requires you to consume about half of your daily calories from whole grains, about a quarter of your calories from vegetables, and the rest of your calories from beans, seaweed and soups
-Bioelectric therapies
-Moerman’s Anti-Cancer diet
-Hoxsey herbal therapy
-Essiac herbal therapy: Essiac is a herbal tea mixture that relieves pain and reduces the size of tumors. It contains four herbs- burdock, rhubarb, sheep sorrel and slippery elm
-Pau D’Arco herbal therapy
-Chaparral herbal therapy
-Laetrile (amygdalin): a chemical found in lima beans, raw nuts and the pits of many fruits. Amygdalin produces cyanide, which proponents claim kills cancer
-Alkaline diet: such as fruits and vegetables and restricting acidic foods
-Antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables
-Vitamins A, C and E: These are very good anti oxidants
-Detox therapies including Gonzales nutritional metabolic therapy, colon therapy, and Gerson therapy
The most successful practitioners integrate various components of the alternative cancer treatments for a better outcome.

Markus writes and publishes articles about Alternative treatments for diseases including cancer, and other unbiased topics on Independent-views.com.
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Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer (Alternative Medicine Definitive Guides) (Hardcover)

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:29:23 +0000

From Library Journal
Although there is some worthwhile information here, this new title from the publisher of Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (LJ 6/1/94) would definitely not be a public library’s first choice for a book on alternative cancer therapies. Some of the information could be useful to health practitioners counseling patients using alternative remedies or to patients with cancer who have some knowledge of how to evaluate such remedies. But the book’s clear polit (more…)

Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine: The New Approach to Using the Best of Natural Therapies and Conventional Medicine (Mayo Clinic, Book of Alternative Medicine) (Hardcover)

admin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:54:55 +0000

Review
One of my favorites. If you’re interested in taking a holistic approach to your health… this book is for you. — The Wall Street Journal

The Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine is an illustrated, accessible guide to understanding what works and what doesn?t in the world of complementary and alternative medicine, and how to put this information to use in your everyday life. From acupuncture to yoga, Echinacea to St. John?s wort, and meditation to healin (more…)

Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:50:06 +0000

Amazon.com ReviewThe Definitive Guide is known as the Bible of alternative medicine. You may very well want to use a dictionary stand for this hefty tome; it weighs in at more than 1,000 pages. Nearly 400 doctors (M.D.s, Ph.D.s, naturopaths, Doctors of Oriental Medicine, and osteopaths) contribute their cutting-edge knowledge, and the list of names is impressive. You’ll find words of advice from Joseph Pizzorno, the president of Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington; C. Norma (more…)