A growing number of Americans are resorting to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), particularly people who have a hard time paying for the costs of conventional care, a new study reports. This study regarding CAM trends is published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.
According to researcher Dejun Su, PhD, a sociologist at the University of Texas - Pan American, “The rising cost of health care is outpacing inflation and salaries, and there’s a good possibility that that is linked to increasing CAM use."
Complementaray and alternative medicine, which often includes practices and techniques including yoga, massage, herbal medicine, and meditation, has been growing in popularity for a number of years. In 1990, nearly one-third of Americans had utilized some type of CAM. By 2002, the percentage of people who had used CAM had almost doubled. This trend, the report finds, remains on the rise.
This study compared data from the 2002 and 2007 National Health Interview Surveys, which are performed every year by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, in order to monitor the health care situation of Americans as well as their access to health care.
Over one-third of people who stated they used CAM in 2007 also reported that they had a medical need they couldn't pay for or had delayed in seeking out medical care. Su suggests that this is can be partly attributed to the greater affordability of CAM, including provider-based CAM practices, as compared to conventional practices.
News, articles, and views on the field of alternative health including naturopathy, herbal supplements, holisitc medicine,
homeopathy, magnetic therapy, energy healing, acupuncture, and others.
News and discussions regarding the use of, history of, and research on alternative medicines and therapies.
Showing posts with label complementary medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label complementary medicine. Show all posts
Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Alternative medicine is any health practice that replaces, or isn't compatible with, "Western" medicine. Complementary medicine may involve alternative health practices, but is taken along side contemporary healing approaches. Alternative medicine implies using only non-traditional therapies and methods.
Alternative medicine includes a wide range of practices and therapies. Some of them are based on Ancient Chinese beliefs, like acupuncture and the use of natural herbal supplements. Others focus on Ayurvedic therapies including changes in diet, practicing yoga, and the emphsis of the connection between body, mind, and spirit. Body, mind and spirit healing is also defined as "holistic health", and it can be either alternative or complementary.
Other examples of alternative medicine and therapies include massage, meditation, energy healing (crystals and gemstones), magnetic (biomagnetic) therapy, naturopathy, exercise practices like Tai Chi, and aromatherapy, among others. Many people employ a form of alternative medicine when they take vitamins or natural herbal supplements without the direction of a physician. For example, many people who contract a cold use Cold-Eeze or Zicam, nutritional supplements, instead of going to see a doctor. With no traditional, or Western, medical advice, users of these supplements practice alternative medicine.
Alternative medicine users can often point to the fact that certain alternative practices have thousands of years of anecdotal evidence, suggesting that they are successful. The Western medical establishment generally opposes such practices, but as complementary medicine has continued to advance, there are now exist medical schools that teach alternative practices. Many physicians are now beginning to embrace complementary medicine and therapies because they provide more options for addressing a number of health conditions.
Many people turn to alternative health practices when the traditional Western medical community can offer them no treatment or cure for a particular condition. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some therapies may help improve quality of life for some of these people. Western doctors acknowledge many of the more established methods and therapies of alternative medicine, and recommend them for patients who they cannot treat with traditional medicine. While many physicians continue to remain skeptical, alternative medicine is often looked upon as a treatment of last resort.
Alternative medicine includes a wide range of practices and therapies. Some of them are based on Ancient Chinese beliefs, like acupuncture and the use of natural herbal supplements. Others focus on Ayurvedic therapies including changes in diet, practicing yoga, and the emphsis of the connection between body, mind, and spirit. Body, mind and spirit healing is also defined as "holistic health", and it can be either alternative or complementary.
Other examples of alternative medicine and therapies include massage, meditation, energy healing (crystals and gemstones), magnetic (biomagnetic) therapy, naturopathy, exercise practices like Tai Chi, and aromatherapy, among others. Many people employ a form of alternative medicine when they take vitamins or natural herbal supplements without the direction of a physician. For example, many people who contract a cold use Cold-Eeze or Zicam, nutritional supplements, instead of going to see a doctor. With no traditional, or Western, medical advice, users of these supplements practice alternative medicine.
Alternative medicine users can often point to the fact that certain alternative practices have thousands of years of anecdotal evidence, suggesting that they are successful. The Western medical establishment generally opposes such practices, but as complementary medicine has continued to advance, there are now exist medical schools that teach alternative practices. Many physicians are now beginning to embrace complementary medicine and therapies because they provide more options for addressing a number of health conditions.
Many people turn to alternative health practices when the traditional Western medical community can offer them no treatment or cure for a particular condition. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some therapies may help improve quality of life for some of these people. Western doctors acknowledge many of the more established methods and therapies of alternative medicine, and recommend them for patients who they cannot treat with traditional medicine. While many physicians continue to remain skeptical, alternative medicine is often looked upon as a treatment of last resort.
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