Many Who Have Brain Tumors Use Alternative Treatments

Many patients who have incurable brain tumors utilize alternative treatments, including taking vitamins and using homeopathy, on top of their standard treatments, according to a study published in the December 14, 2010 issue of Neurology®.

Nearly forty percent of patients with brain tumors who took part in the study utilized alternative treatments, such as homeopathy, taking vitamin supplements, and psychological therapy.

The study included 621 patients who had incurable grade II to grade IV gliomas who filled-out a questionnaires regarding their use of alternative treatments. Alternative treatments were defined as methods or compounds not generally utilized in routine clinical procedure, and which are not scientifically tested.

Younger patients, women, and those who were more highly educated had a higher likelihood of using alternative therapies than older people, men and those who were less educated.

Answering from a compiled list of reasons why people utilized alternative therapies, the most popular answers were "to support conventional therapy," "to build up body resistance" and "to do something for the treatment by myself." The least popular answers were "because I am afraid of the conventional methods" and "because the physicians don't have enough time."

Of the patients who utilized alternative therapies, nearly forty percent used homeopathy, almost thirty percent took vitamin supplements and about thirty percent utilized various types of psychological therapies.

Alternative Health Industry Thriving in Central New York

In the last decade, the alternative health care industry in Central New York has exploded. A few examples to consider:

Hematology/Oncology Associates, the region's largest cancer treatment facility, has an exam room available for patients who want massages or energy treatments, such as reiki.

Once the doctors realized that traditional medicine wasn't helping everyone at CNY Fertility Center, the area's largest fertility center, they began to offer "integrative fertility care," which includes both massage and acupuncture.

Syracuse's Crouse Hospital offers reiki. Rome Memorial Hospital offers harp-therapy. The syracuse V.A. Medical Center includes a "Center for Integrated Health."

The change is also reflected in various, local small health-related businesses: a pharmacist began Bare Bones Health & Wellness, in Manlius, to give out nutrition and lifestyle advice; a local nurse runs Speedy Greens, an organic restaurant, in Cicero, which also provides reflexology and reiki; a retired investment banker is now a reiki master at The Spring, in Fayetteville, a spiritual/cultural center.

Perhaps doctors, newfound openness to "alternative" medicine and therapies is because of an increase in their patients' interest. About 40% of Americans use some form of alternative medicine, according to a 2007 survey taken by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Source: Syracuse.com

Nearly 40% of Americans Use Alternative Medicine Therapies

In the United States, a growing number of patients are turning to alternative and complementary medicine as part of their health care.  According to the National Institutes of Health, almost 40 percent of American adults have used some type therapy that isn't considered traditional. More than 40 U.S. universities, including Stanford, UCLA, Duke and The George Washington University have integrative medicine centers.

With more Americans turning to alternative medicine, the U.S. government founded The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as part of the National Institutes of Health.  "Our job here at the National Institutes of Health is to bring really good science to these really interesting practices," says Dr. Josephine Briggs, the center's director.

Practices that are considered outside mainstream medicine, include the use of dietary supplements, meditation and yoga, as well as acupuncture, reiki - or therapeutic touch - and massage therapy.  A survey by the NIH in 2007 indicated nearly four in 10 Americans use one of these practices, generally to treat pain.

Source: VOA News