Alternative Healing
It is increasingly clear that alternative therapies are
becoming popular among many different groups of people. This is
so not just in India and the East where many branches of
alternative healing have existed for centuries, but also in the
West, where many medical schools now teach alternative therapies,
including herbal remedies and mind-body medicine.
However, alternative
therapies are often poorly understood. Also, conventional
doctors worry about the safety and efficacy of many such
therapies since there is often a paucity or total lack of modern
scientific material on them.
So, if you're considering an alternative treatment, it is
essential to educate yourself about it as well as you can.
Some
guidelines:
If you're
considering some form of alternative treatment, please make sure
you understand its rationale and limitations.
Do note that
'natural' does not necessarily mean 'healthy' or 'safe'.
Try to look for
studies or tests that have proven the efficacy of the
alternative system. Personal anecdotes regarding benefits are
not always useful, since different people have different
constitutions and what works for one may not always work for
another.
Do try to
consider how an alternative remedy may interact with
prescription or over-the-counter drugs you are already taking.
Some combinations may be dangerous.
Be wary of
practitioners who tout their work as miracle cures and remember
that a therapy that works for someone else may not necessarily
work for you..
Do consult your family doctor.
Disclaimer
The information provided here is offered as a service and is not
meant to replace any medical treatment. No guarantee is made
towards validity. Use this information at your own risk. We
caution users not to seek the therapies described on these pages
without consulting a registered medical practitioner
