Alternative Medicine

What is Alternative Medicine? Alternative Medicine is defined as treatment for illness which is different from traditional Western practices. Alternative Medicine is based on historical practice rather than current scientific theories. Traditional medicine is described as;"evidence based".

One of the more common alternative medicine treatments is Yoga. Other Alternative Medicine practices include: Acupuncture, Hypnosis, Herbalism, Homeopathy, Chiropractic, and traditional Chinese Medicinal practices.

Alternative medicine is often the medicine used by our ancestors before the emergence of Modern Western medicine.

Many people swear by these treatments and find them more desirable than the pill popping and slicing that takes place with traditional medicinal practices. It seems all of the doctors are working closely with the pharmaceutical companies because you almost never leave their office without some kind of prescription even if it is just vitamins.

Additionally the side effects of many of these medicines are worst than the disease they are used to cure. On the other hand, many alternative treatments have been around for centuries, have no side effects, and are efficient at curing diseases.

They are not generally encouraged or taught to medical students because it is not profitable for big business to have people cured in these natural ways. Medicine is an enormously profitable business in the United States. You only have to witness the fury and the fervor over Health Care Reform to be assured of that fact.

My personal experience has been with Yoga and Herbalism. I find the practice of Yoga to be extremely helpful for easing the pains of arthritis as well as improving mental attitude and your overall shape. The deep breathing exercises are calming and allow you to oxygenate all of your muscles. The result is an overall better feeling. There are exercises to wake you and exercises to calm you for a good night's sleep.

I found Herbalism helpful to alleviate hot flash and other menopause symptoms. Herbalism is the use of plants and plant extracts to cure ailments. Herbs such as Red Clover, Black Cohosh, and Yam root, Soy Products, Evening Primrose and Dong Quai help alleviate menopausal symptoms, however, they must be rotated every thirty days because the body builds up a tolerance for them. So you could take Red Clover one month and switch to Black Cohosh the next.

There are some pills such as Estroven which contains a combination of these herbs. Each individual should experiment to determine which herbs work for them.

Alternative medicine is certainly worth a try.