Top 10 Alternative Health Trends of the Decade

Meditation. There are various types of meditation that are practiced form transcendental meditation, guided imagery meditation, to walking meditation. Meditation is thought to calm and quiet the mind and provide a deeper connection with the self. Not only was meditation recognized as a personal benefit by hippies and Buddhist, but in the past generation western medicine even began to take notice of the enormous benefit practicing meditation had on both ill and healthy individuals. In a UCLA placebo controlled study of transcendental meditation, TM was shown to improve the blood pressure and insulin resistance in heart patients.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/13/health/13regi.html Those who perform meditation are able to perform mental tasks better after doing so. Meditation led to superior performance compared to sleep, reading, or light conversation, even when the subjects had no prior meditation experience. This point was medically proven when it was discovered that it actually altered the structure of mediators' brains. According to MRI's taken of these individuals, meditating increases the thickness of the cortex in areas of the brain that are involved with attention and sensory processing. It is thought to be almost akin to exercising the brain. Additionally, the brainwave patterns changed and the neural firing patterns were synchronized during meditation.http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8317-meditation-builds-up-the-brain.html

Colonics or Colon Hydrotherapy. Of all the alternative health procedures, this is one that is not for the squeamish. Colon hydrotherapy basically consists of inserting a tube into your rectum and fillings your colon and large intestine with warm or cool water, which may have minerals added. Dating back to biblical times, there is little evidence that colonics actually produce any health benefits, but there are many reports of injuries due to colonics. The theory behind the procedure is that by filling the colon for several seconds to a few minutes and then draining the water and any fecal matter, that this helps aid the body in eliminating waste and promotes energy and wellness. Dangers of colon therapy include infection from contaminated equipment, removing micro-flora or "good" bacteria from the colon and disrupting the natural balance of minerals and electrolytes in the body.http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/alternative/02/08/colonics.wmd/index.html Singer and actress Courtney Love credited her 40 pound weight loss to colonics and fasting in Harper's Bazaar magazine in 2007.http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/08/16/courtney_loves_colonic_weight_loss/

Reflexology. This ancient practice of stimulating points located on the feet to benefit other parts of the body has become increasingly popular in the past decade. Reflexology is based on the theory that all of the body's organs, glands, and main joints are reflected in one's feet and to some degree your hands, and by applying pressure to specific points the reflexologist can stimulate the bodies natural healing process through increased blood flow. It may sound nutty, but the procedure is now even being offered in cancer centers for pain an to relieve stress, improve circulation, and "bring balance". http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/your-money/02iht-mplay03.4773431.html

Herbs and herbal supplements. After a 1994 law that stated seller's of herbs, vitamins, and supplements are not required to prove their product as safe or effective to the FDA ( but the FDA reserves the right to go after a product when it is proven to be harmful) herbs and supplements hit pharmacies and natural foods stores in droves. In the past decade people started to distrust drug companies and the governing bodies and sought out what they considered to be natural, safer remedies for all types of ailments. While certain pills have become large sellers and many people swear by their effectiveness, there are still certain concerns and constraints. For instance, many herbs can interfere with the effectiveness of birth control. In 2007 a study on "alternative supplements" showed that 4 out of 10 adults had used some type of dietary supplement, women more so than men (43% vs 34% men) and they were more likely to be white and hold a college degree.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31083316/ns/health-alternative_medicine/wid/17621070/ The most common supplements are: fish oil, glucosamine, echinacea, flaxseed oil, ginseng, ginko biloba, and garlic. The growth in sales have soared since the 1994 law. In 2008 the Long Island, NY based company NBTY, Inc., which makes the vitamins Nature's Bounty and Sundown, sold $2 Billion vitamins and herbs. In 2007, $23 Billion in sales on vitamins, herbs, and supplements was reported from various companies in the United States.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31188920/ns/health-alternative_medicine/

Yoga. In 2004, the U.S. spent $2.95 billion on yoga classes, related products, and retreats with the 18-24 year old female demographic spending the most money and time on yoga. Not only is it bis business, but there are medical studies proving it's effectiveness at stress and pain reduction. In a research of 15,000 men and women aged 53-57,who reported their weight at 45 and later at their present age, those who identified themselves as practitioners of yoga for four years or more for at least 30 minutes once per week, were associated with an average of 3.1 pound less weight gain among people who were normal weight at 45. Those who were overweight at 45, lost an average of 5 pounds versus the average of 13 pounds of nonpracticioners.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03E7DB1E3FF931A3575BC0A9639C8B63 The number of Americans practicing yoga at least two times per week jumped 133 percent to 3 million in 2006 from 1.3 million in 2001, according to a study conducted by mediamark research.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/28/business/28sbiz.html?pagewanted=print

Acupuncture. The ancient Chinese procedure is used to treat a list of ailments including headaches and migraines, as fertility treatment, and even for acne and depression. Humans have about 300 acupuncture points and it is thought that the needle used during acupuncture stimulates nerves when the needles are placed at specific points. These points are considered meridians and energy or "qi" flows through these points, according to history. By stimulating these meridians the theory is that the flow of qi is restored and the body heals itself. The procedure is so popular that a federal research grant was given to see is and acupuncture can relieve headaches created by mild brain damage from blasts sustained by young men returning from the middle east. Initial research with combat veterans showed that acupuncture relieved PSTD symptoms, depression, and pain. The improvements among these young men was noted to be relatively rapid and clinically significant. The actual procedure consist of insertion of slender, sterile stainless steel needles the width of a piece of hair into the skin. It is thought by western doctors that the needles hit nerves that release endorphins and ACTH, a chemical that fights inflammation, in the brain.Westrup, Hugh. "Acupuncture". Current Science. 04/25/97 Vol. 82, Issue 15, p. 10. Of course, there are the critics that says any positive improvement can be credited to the placebo effect and that there is no scientifically proven reason why this would work.Zoroyga, Gregg. "Pentagon researches alternative treatments". USA Today. 10/08/2009

Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is really just plant oils used to bring psychological and physical benefits through scent. The oils are applied to the skin or inhaled. Created by french chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, he coined the term in 1928 after he accidentally plunged a skin burn into lavender oil and realized that the wound healed more quickly than usual. True aromatherapy is without synthetic additives, which isn't true of most aromatherapy candles and oils sold commercially.Mackay, Janetta. Beauty: Scentsationally Soothing. 12/09/09. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/fashion-beauty/news/article.cfm?c_id=42&objectid=10614028Ayurvedic Medicine. The building block of what all these items are based on, it means "the science of life" in Sanskrit. This Indian health practice is more than 5,000 years old and is based more on preventative care than curing illnesses once they manifest. Aromatherapy, herbal medicine, acupuncture yoga, massage, meditation, and balancing of the energies are all examples of ayuruedic medicine. A study conducted in the U.S. by the National Center for Complementary Medicine found that 21% of ayurvedic medicines sold over the Internet contained dangerous levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic.Carlton, Alexandra. "Ayurvedic Medicine-Health focus". The Sydney Sunday Telegraph; 10/25/09, p19.

Ear Candling. The procedure is said to help people who suffer from recurring sinuses infections and allergies, it consists of pouring candle wax into the ear to remove ear wax and toxins. An ear candling session can last from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.

Cupping. It became famous when actress Gwyneth Paltrow showed up on a red carpet sporting the telltale signs that she had recently undergone the procedure. It consists of placing cups containing reduced air pressure (suction) on the skin. Much like these other procedures it is said to remove toxins as well as ease pain in the shoulders, neck, and back. People have undergone the procedure say that it produces a relaxing feeling afterward with little to no discomfort.