There are some basic differences between conventional or orthodox medicine and alternative remedies. Some interesting points of contrast between the two are:

• Conventional medicine is based on scientific study; alternative medicinecould be based on that as well as spiritual, mystical and even intuitive insights.
• The main difference is that of orientation, while conventional medicine is curative, alternative medicine is preventive. The former tries to reduce the symptom or lessen a disease, while alternative medicine tries to heal the entire organism and to keep it healthy in a way that it can resist and repel disease.
• Orthodox medicine is geared to treat part of the organism; alternative treatment is holistic in nature. The former seeks to fix, the latter to support.
• Conventional medicine is provider dominated and the range of choices available is limited. Alternative medicine is a wider field and provides many different options.
• Alternative medicine puts great emphasis on nutrition that looks to strengthen immunity and naturally build up resistance as well as prevent lifestyle related disease. Conventional medicine does not put the same emphasis on proper nutrition and maintaining the body’s natural balance.
• Conventional therapies often rely on chemicals to produce short term solutions, which may be necessary in case of trauma or some diseases. Alternative remedies which rely more on nature, may not be able to produce this instant impact.

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Basic Differences Between Orthodox And Alternative Medicine

There are certain basic tenets and principles of alternative and complementary treatments that have a healing impact on the entire organism and offer a holistic cure which is making more and more people turn to it:

• The Healing Power of Nature versus Medical intervention. Alternative therapies concentrate on equipping the body with the right tools to fight disease and in permitting nature to heal.
• Treating the whole person rather than the symptoms. As against a plethora of medications that may be prescribed by main stream medicine to treat the symptoms of a disease, the aim of alternative therapies is to treat the entire person and to rid him or her of their disease. Physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social factors may all be taken into account.
• Do not harm is the underlying aim of all treatments. So there should be no side effects and if some symptoms may help get rid of a disease, they shouldn’t be suppressed.
• Identifying and treating the cause. Symptoms are just a sign that a body is fighting against its disease; suppressing those may be meaningless without reaching the root of the problem and treating that rather than individual symptoms.
• Increasing immunity and strengthening the body as a whole helps prevent disease in the first place. When it comes to illness and disease, prevention is always better than cure.
• The physician should ideally be a teacher that guides his charges and motivates and empowers them to make wise lifestyle choices in terms of nutrition and ultimate good health.

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The Salutary Basic Principles Of Alternative Therapies

Complementary and alternative medicine is also referred to as CAM.

CAM is a term used by the conventional medical practitioners to designate treatments that are not considered as conventional or mainstream.

The system of complementary and alternative medicine includes any treatment or system of medicine that is not proven by rigorous scientific tests.

Actually CAM consists of both complementary and alternative medicine systems and treatments. Complementary and alternative medicine treatments are also be used in conjunction with conventional medical treatment to extend and complement those therapies.

For instance, hypnosis helps you in controlling pain after surgery is a complementary treatment.

Sometimes alternative therapy uses alternate therapy instead of a conventional medical treatment for illness. For instance, gluten and casein free diet helps to control the symptoms of autism or ADHD rather than using medication.

Integrative medicine is also a part of complementary and alternative medicine. Most of the doctors are integrating some specific CAM therapies into their conventional practices.

It can only be done if there is any scientific evidence that proves the treatment is safe and effective. For instance, integrative medicine that has become conventional practice can be used as a treatment for asthma.

As the time goes on, most of the complementary and alternative medicine therapies will find their way into integrative medicine. From there it moves into the conventional practice as clinical evidence mounts and shows their effectiveness.

Some of the complementary and alternative medicine therapies that can be accepted by conventional medicine include:

Acupuncture – Used for the pain relief and nausea after surgery or chemotherapy

Aromatherapy – Can be used for promoting healing and relaxation in postoperative patients

Chiropractic – To treat a number of muscular-skeletal disorders

Energy Healing – Methods such as tai chi can be prescribed for you to treat arthritis, joint problems and multiple sclerosis. It helps with balance, strength and fitness.

Herbal treatments – Herbal medications like black cohosh can be used for the treatment of hormone depletion in menopause.

Holistic health techniques – These can be used in regular practice as doctors become more aware of the interconnectedness of the body’s systems

Hypnosis- Used for pain reduction (Hypnosis Information)

Massage techniques – Used to treat arthritis

Traditional Chinese medicine – Can be used in conjunction with conventional therapy for chronic illness

Vitamins – Used in the treatment of depression

There are hundreds of complementary and alternative medicine systems that you can find. Some of them are for the use of a single herb in treating a single condition, while some others comprise an entire new lifestyle.

Some methods are proven to work to a limited extent; some have been shown promising results in preliminary research. Some therapies are useless but harmless also. Some can do a great deal of damage to your health condition.

If you are decided to take complementary and alternative medicine treatment, the very first thing you have to do is take enough time to research about the method.

Do as much research as possible on that particular complementary and alternative medicine therapy and look for safety and effectiveness before starting any new health regimen. Be sure to inform your health care provider.

Complementary And Alternative Medicine: What Is It And How It Is Useful?

New research shows that flaxseed and ginseng have something to offer to cancer patients.

At the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting this weekend, researchers presented dozens of studies of high-tech approaches for fighting cancer.

Three popular complementary and alternative therapies for cancer and cancer-related conditions— flaxseed, ginseng and shark cartilage—came up for review in rigorous trials.

The first two showed surprisingly promising results. The third, shark cartilage, failed, but that in itself will have major implications, since cartilage is sold widely in health-food stores across the country.

Here’s the lowdown on all three studies, and what they mean for the future of cancer treatment.

Flaxseed
Nutritionists and alternative-medicine practitioners alike are enamored of flaxseed.

High in omega-3 fatty acids, it also has “800 times more lignan than anything else you could stick in your mouth,” says Duke University cancer researcher Wendy Demark-Wahnefried.

Lignan, a chemical found in the cell walls of plants, binds to testosterone in the body—and in manyprostate-cancer patients, testosterone is what fuels tumor growth.

Read the rest of the information at Newsweek.

Three Popular Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cancer Treatments

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies are gaining more currency the world over and in particular CAM therapies are a popular option when treating children with cancer.

A study conducted on 3,500 children found that up to 91 percent of the participating children had, at some point or other during their treatment of cancer used some form of CAM therapy.

It is not clear whether the CAM therapies formed part of the treatment; as in whether they were using them as an adjunct to mainstream therapy, or as the principle/only form of cancer treatment. But it was clear from the study that a substantial proportion of the pediatric cancer patients were using some form of cancer therapy.

The reason people opt for CAM options is that they are perceived as safe and natural, causing no harmful side effects. While some CAM therapies are excellent for combating cancer and form a valuable form of combat against the cancer, others have to be used with caution particularly when used in combination with mainstream cancer medications.

The efficacy of some cancer medications can be lessened by excessive vitamin C, Green tea compounds and St John’s wort.

Whether CAM therapies can be used for cancer or not is certainly a subject that should be discussed with one’s doctor.

Source: Cancer Health

CAM Therapies Popular Choice For Treating Childhood Cancers

Alternative therapies have been somewhat a demand especially in today’s modern world. Millions of people around the world accept the different alternative therapies available for them as another means to cure their illnesses without the use of conventional medicines and machineries.

Throughout the years, alternative therapies have been proven to be very affective, and at some point, cost effective as well. Its concept revolves around the usage of natural elements depending on the alternative therapies in process.

Alternative therapies can be classified in a lot of different processes. It is a general term used for anything other than the use of anything conventional in the world of medicine.

To be more specific, here are some of the examples of alternative therapies that are popular today:

1. Homeopathy

The concept of this therapy states that when an individual is sick from a certain illness, miniscule doses of drugs that trigger the same effect of the sickness itself can, in fact, promote the body to build an immune system to combat the said sickness itself.

Take note that the doses administered to trigger the immune system is natural based extracts from plants or animals alike.

For this alternative therapy, there are different kinds of homeopathic remedies available for different causes of sicknesses that can be administered to the patient. This, as compared to conventional medicine, is cheaper and more cost effective for those who purchase them.

2. Acupuncture

The alternative therapies of this ancient Chinese procedure have been practiced for centuries. The concept of this therapy is based largely on the electric stimulation by using acupuncture needles administered to different acupuncture points that, in turn, send signals to the organs thus enhancing the healing process from within.

As effectiveness of this therapy is becoming more evident, more people have been availing this procedure.

3. Naturopathy

One of the alternative therapies that is naturopathy is generally based on the use of natural techniques that utilize the elements such as water and heat to promote good health and prevent sicknesses.

It promotes good digestion with the concept of a healthy diet while conducting the process using heat and water to release toxins from the body that can, in effect, trigger long term illness if left unnoticed.

4. Holistic massage

This therapy promotes the body to conduct inner healing with the use of the body using the physical, mental, and spiritual elements.

With the incorporation of positive thinking, holistic massages help in releasing inner stress and discomfort that results in stress; therefore, eliminating the harmful toxins that cause sicknesses with the use of aromatic oils from natural extracts of plants and roots.

5. Yoga therapy

This therapy promotes spiritual wellness to the body, much in par with the concept of holistic therapies in general.

It includes calming the senses and letting the spiritual essence allow a person to de-stress and keep a clear mind by allowing heavy, controlled breathing and stretching of muscles to calm the individual.

Remember that different alternative therapies are suggested for different types of demands. It would be best to consult your physician regarding what is best for you, given your ailment which you want to be addressed.

In most cases, the use of holistic therapies in nature is a personal discretion all on its own. Regardless of what the choice is, alternative therapies pose no threat to humans and promote good health and lifestyle.

5 Basic Alternative Therapies You Should Try

Dr. Richard Palmquist is the Chief of Integrative Health Services at Centinela Animal Hospital, Inglewood California. In this Huffington Post article he speaks movingly of his discovery of and dawning belief inintegrative medicine, which encompasses not only conventional therapies but also alternative and complementary medicine (CAM).

As a veterinary doctor Dr Palmquist would try everything possible to save and treat his non human patients and for a long time believed that he was “doing all that could be done”.

However his encounter with a veterinarian who usedalternative therapies for a golden retriever patient of his with lymphatic cancer; whom he had himself given up on, changed his beliefs and his practices.

Expecting to find a ‘quack’ Dr Palmquist found someone who sought only to support individualimmune systems, to help patients so that “sometimes remarkable things happen”! He found dietary therapy to reduce the size of a cat’s brain tumor to half its size, and found acupressure to cure migraine.

There was an oral tumor that was recovering with the use of cryosurgery, and a paralyzed German Shepherd cured by using acupuncture.

It was then that Dr Palmquist started to view healing in a whole other way; was inspired to write his authoritative 1000 page text book for vets, Integrating Complementary Medicine into Veterinary Practice.

His life and his medicine changed; he now works to help his patients “live their lives at the highest level of survival possible!”

CAM Therapies for Pets?

This article talks about a growing trend among veterinarians: that of using alternative therapies to heal pets.

This is something that reflects a growing desire among the pet owners to seek alternative remedies for their own ills that leads them to seek remedies other than conventional medicine for their beloved pets as well.

One example is that of Maggie the herding dog who received acupuncture for her irritable bowel syndrome. Apart from acupuncture every two weeks (which has ‘done wonders’ for the animal), she also has a restricted diet and herbs to treat her condition.

As many as 38% of Americans have used alternative therapies in some or other form in the year 2007 and it is hardly surprising that remedies such as homeopathy, acupuncture and natural remedies are now being tried out for pets as well.

The accent is on holistic treatment that emphasizes nutrition (raw food diet for the pet for example) supplements and preventive care. Some prefer to use alternative therapies in conjunction with Western medicine.

There is still some way to go however for alternative therapies being used on pets; this is still something that is being viewed as a little unreliable and non scientific

Vets Now Examining Alternative Therapy For Pets