Alternative Medicine on the Web

Alternative Medicine, often referred to as holistic or or complementary medicine, is a non-contemporary method of receiving health care. I say non-contemporary because doctors and the medical system as we know it are relatively new inventions compared to the alternative medicine that is practiced today.

The practice of alternative medicine includes such remedies as herbal teas, supplements, acupuncture, accupressure, yoga, diet, aromatherapy, massage therapy, and vitamins. These remedies have been used for millenia, and have proven to be effective, yet the American Medical System is hesitant to embrace them. Perhaps it is because they reduce the necessity for the heart (though cold and black) of the medical community in America, the Pharmaceutical companies.

So what are the best resources online for Alternative Medicine? Where can I find out what supplement will help with what issue? This Article will show you some of the best online resources for Alternative Medicine.

http://altmedicine.about.com/

About.com does it again! Their community Guide for Alternative Medicine, Cathy Wong, has crafted a great resource for those interested in Alternative Medicine. From reviews on popular products like Resveratrol, to headache relief, to information on any number of Alternative Medicines "from Acupuncture to Yoga", this is sure to be your first stop for learning the basics on any Alternative Medicine or illness you may want to treat in the 'traditional' way. I personally suggest the Q&A section, "The Basics", and of course Cathy's Blog on Alternative Medicine. As a bonus, Cathy actually regularly updates her blog, so this is the site that keeps on giving! You can search her site by specific supplements, specific treatments, or even (the most useful) by condition!

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/complementaryandalternativemedicine.html

The National Institute of Health has produced a website in conjunction with the U.S. National Library of Medicine to produce an actually decent repository of information about Alternative and Complementary Medicine (and they define them by their differences). I suppose I like the fact that they are saying, and I prefer a Complementary approach myself. In some respects, there is a lot more information drawn from a lot more 'reputable' sources than the About.com article, but some of the information seems slightly too clinical to be useful to the average reader. They have written a useful article on how to pay for Alternative medicine, and what is typically (more more accurately NOT typically) covered by insurance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_medicine

Yes, Wikipedia an Encyclopedia for the most part, but its information on Alternative medicine is... well.. encompasing. The first quote from their site, "In Western culture, the term alternative medicine refers to any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine". The Alternative Medicine Sourcebook. It is ironic that age old wisdom no longer is the norm, but is now alternative, and non-conventional. Besides that rant, Wikipedia's site not only has some great statistics and general information, but it also (and here's the best part) has some great information 108 reference sources that they used for the article (most with links), a list for further reading (with ISBNs), a list of journals that deal with Alternative Medicine, and even some links to criticism of Alternative Medicine. If you are curious and want a brief overview with a TON of great reference points, and further reading, Wikipedia is your next step.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/consumer-health/MY00434/DSECTION=alternative%2Dmedicine

The the Mayo Clinic's information base on Alternative Medicine is brief, the links here (like in some of the other sites) are very useful. There are several topics touched on including Hypnosis - in a positive light, Diabetes and Cinnamin, a Blog about Massage as a cure for Depression (I know when my wife gives me a massage, I can't be depressed) ;)

http://www.herbmed.org/

Though this site offers a 'pro' version for pay, their standard (free) version is actually very useful. This is a site sponsored by the non-profit, Alternative Medicine Foundation. At first I was wary to even attempt to use their site because of their 'pro' offerings, but it became evident that it was useful if you wanted to look up a specific herb - not so useful if you want to look up a condition. Worth a try, if you want comprehensive on a specific herb.