Choosing Alternative Medicine: Truth or Quack?
by Gary Sandman

Even though 80% of the world's population uses alternative medicine therapies, the United States has been slow in recognizing the benefits of these traditional therapies. Most of these legitimate therapies date back hundreds to thousands of years. According to several prestigious medical surveys and the Journal of the American Medical Association, over 40% of  adult Americans are now using alternative medicine practitioners. Surprisingly, the Journal reported that more people visited alternative medicine practitioners than primary care medical doctors in 1998.

The term alternative medicine has been incorrectly used as a catch all for unorthodox treatments practiced outside the mainstream of medicine. Those lines of definition are blurring as more alternative treatments and practitioners are being used within conventional medicine. The medical community is defining alternative medicine practitioners are those health professionals who are licensed (when appropriate) to practice health care, have received a graduate degree from a recognized, accredited school and provide non drug treatments. Alternative therapist are also known for using an holistic treatment philosophy in the practice of their health care.

Holistic medicine or whole person medicine is a philosophy of health care which honors the individuality of each patient, perceives all parts of the individual as interconnected ( mind - body - spirit ) and treats the underlying cause behind the symptoms.  Holistic practitioners tend to treat the whole person and not the just the symptoms as is the case with most conventional medicine. They usually spend more time with the patient listening to their unique story. For those of you old enough to remember medical family practitioners treated us this way 20 years ago.  Most of these practitioners subscribe to the belief that the body has an innate capability to heal itself and a practitioner can help with a treatment designed to strengthen the body's natural healing systems. Patients and alternative practitioners work together to help the patient regain their health by eliminating toxins, reducing stress and nourishing the weakened systems of the individual. Alternative practitioners are trained to help us discover what we can do to regain our health including changing some of our everyday lifestyle choices.

Alternative medicine is actually a grouping of different and separate health professions that share a similar holistic philosophy. They are not organized as the medical profession in strict primary and specialty care relationships. Some of the modalities ( Oriental Medicine, Ayurvedic, Chiropractic, Naturopathic, Tibetan Medicine ) are complete health systems like our conventional medicine system except they use less invasive procedures and more natural methods of treatment.

The separation and lack of understanding between conventional medicine and alternatives keeps alternative practitioners out of  the medical referral system. Communication between the different modalities of alternative medicine is growing but still limited. This leaves the public on their own in determining the level of skills and education a practitioner should have achieved in their profession. The public is also at a loss when it comes to determining what type of treatment is the best for their particular health issue. Alternative medicine referral services are becoming equipped to connect patients with the most appropriate credentialed practitioner for their specific health concern.

To find the appropriate alternative medicine practitioner, insist on their credentials and required licenses. Be aware of mail order degrees. Some states do not require a license for some forms of alternative health care. Ask if they have treated others with similar symptoms as the ones you express. Stay clear of anyone who claims they can cure you or who claims that you don't need a medical doctor. Good reliable alternative practitioners want to work with your doctor and keep them informed of the treatments they provide you. Most  importantly, trust your own gut feelings when choosing your conventional doctor as well as your alternative provider. You want a practitioner whom you can trust, who is knowledgeable, open and aware of the limits and benefits of both alternative and conventional medicine. You want a practitioner who listens to you and who treats your whole person ( Mind - Body - Spirit ) and not only your disease. This means a practitioner you can relate to and communicate with on a safe level. Working together, you, your doctor and your alternative practitioner have a greater chance of helping you regain your health and maintaining it.

Gary D. Sandman has been involved with alternative medicine practitioners and natural products for over 25 years. He is the President of the Alternative Medicine Referral Service offering free referrals to licensed and credentialed whole person alternative medicine practitioners. His company produces alternative health care educational programs for consumers.