The medical world is experiencing a shift in the way it treats health and disease. While alternative therapies were quickly dismissed by physicians as worthless or dangerous just a decade ago, alternative medicines are now beginning to earn mainstream attention. Physicians are beginning to realize that there is a relationship between a person’s emotional, spiritual and mental state of mind and their physical health.
Many conventional doctors are beginning to integrate a holistic approach to their practice by addressing environmental, psychological and spiritual aspects of the patient. Biomedical, or modern-day medicine relies heavily upon curing disease through the use of chemically compounded pharmaceuticals. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) uses a more natural approach that includes herbal supplements, vitamins, acupuncture, chiropractic, nutrition, guided imagery, homeopathic treatment, prayer, chelation therapy, massage, biofeedback, music therapy, exercise and fitness, hypnosis and other mind-body techniques and energy modalities that work with the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Years ago if a person was using CAM therapies, he or she might have been reluctant to tell their medical doctor about it for fear of being shamed or lectured about the dangers.
Additionally, physicians had little knowledge then about the alternative therapies and supplements their patients were using. Fortunately things have changed and a number of doctors are referring patients to some of the more prominent and well-known forms of CAM therapies that they believe are useful or effective. In 1997, Harvard Medical School reported that more than one third of the U.S. population was currently using some type of CAM therapy. But, that was nine years ago. In 2001, The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine reported that almost 70% of the population has at least tried some sort of CAM therapy along with conventional medicine. That trend is on the rise and will continue to affect future healthcare delivery, making an even greater demand for CAM therapies. This means that conventional doctors must be educated in the use of these modalities in order to know what their patient’s are talking about. Why do people seek alternative and complementary medical care? It is believed that CAM would improve health when used in combination with conventional medical treatments. Read the rest of this entry »