Alter Your Perceptions


This article first appeared in The Sept. 2004 issue of The ZoneNet newsletter

No matter how fast we run, many of us are haunted by the urge to look back. Perhaps it is to see if anybody is following or to congratulate ourselves on how far we have come. Or maybe it is to see what we have left behind. As fast as Western medicine is moving, many people are looking to the Far East for answers. We just jump into the old medicinal time machine and travel back in time as far as ten thousand years to rediscover holistic alternatives to our modern health problems From the herbal remedies of ancient India to Chinese medicine,

this rejuvenation is turning us back into students of our bodies. This is called complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM for short.

It has been estimated that about 50% of the people in the United States have tried some sort of alternative medicine. The list of what is considered CAM is constantly in flux, as some therapies prove themselves safe and effective and become adopted into the family of conventional medical practices.

People sometimes use the terms complementary medicine and alternative medicines interchangeably, which is not correct. Modern medicine is usually used in conjunction with conventional medicine, although it could also be used by itself. It is primarily about helping the body heal itself using natural means such as magnets, herbs, acupuncture, essential oils, nutrition and so forth. Alternative medicine goes against the usual format of modern medicine and is used in place of more conventional practices.

There is a specific duality in the field of medicine between "normal medicine" and "irregular medicine." Many of us might agree that this duality does not have to exist, and yet it does. As much as the exploration of Western medicine continues to thrive, CAM is also blooming out into our mass consciousness. The American people spent about forty-five billion on CAM in 1997 alone. Obviously, people are finally beginning to seek out alternative ways of maintaining a state of wellness. According to a survey

conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, thirty-six percent of adults are using some type of CAM.

When antioxidant megavitamin therapy and prayer specifically for health reasons are featured in the definition of CAM, that number rises to sixty-two percent. CAM use has spread throughout all demographics but certain people are more likely to use CAM than others. Females, for instance, use CAM to a much larger degree than males. In addition, persons with higher levels of education, people who have been hospitalized in the past year and former smokers are more likely to use CAM. People use CAM for a broad range of health conditions. According to research studies, Americans are most likely to use CAM for neck, head, back or joint pains.

They often use them for colds, anxiety, depression or sleeping problems.

There are several reasons why people decide to turn to CAM.

The majority of Americans use CAM with the belief that it will improve their health when used in tandem with modern medical treatments. Some individuals try CAM after modern medical treatments have failed them. And of course some people simply cannot afford modern medical treatments and turn to CAM as a more realistic solution.

Ryan Joseph is a writer/researcher. For additional information visit http://www.anti-aging-vitamins.com/


MORE RESOURCES:

Alternative-school links grow on Camden board
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Claudia Vargas Milagros Torres, whose daughter Felicia was bullied at school, now backs alternative schools. RICHARD KAUFFMAN / Staff Milagros Torres joined a chorus of parents advocating for alternatives to public schools in Camden after her ...



Kirkland Views

LETTER | Alternatives are higher Density for Potala than Federally Subsidized ...
Kirkland Views
By Karen Levenson on May 20, 2012 in Development, Opinion I would like to draw citizen of Kirkland attention to the greater intensity of Alternative(s) proposed in Potala EIS (Lake Washington Blvd) vs. Federally Subsidized, Seattle Housing Authority's ...



USA TODAY

Galaxy Tab an affordable iPad alternative
USA TODAY
Instead, it offers a more portable, more affordable alternative to the Apple juggernaut. If you're looking for a smaller tablet that won't break the bank, this latest 7-inch tablet from Samsung is certainly worth a look. The device is the successor to ...

and more »


gulfnews.com

Two alternative hearing centres planned for Asia
gulfnews.com
Abu Dhabi: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which opened an alternative hearing centre in Abu Dhabi recently, plans to open a centre in Shanghai and another in Kuala Lumpur, the General Secretary of CAS has told Gulf News.

and more »


Friends Life Care, a long-term alternative
Philadelphia Inquirer
Because they provide both care and financial protection, programs like Friends Life Care offer an alternative to traditional continuing-care facilities and to conventional long-term-care insurance. They've been growing in popularity recently, ...

and more »


Alternative strip woos Taranaki fans
Taranaki Daily News
What do you think of the proposed design for the Taranaki rugby team's alternative strip? Like it. A great shirt to represent the region. Don't like it. It doesn't work for me Rugby fans have given the proposed Taranaki alternative strip an ...



Alternative school teacher focuses on the positive
Danville Commercial News
After more than 22 years in Danville District 118's alternative education program, Watson is retiring at the end of this school year along with his friend and fellow alternative education teacher Bill Houpt, who has served District 118 for 20 years.

and more »


The Hindu

'Find solutions through alternative sources'
Deccan Herald
The construction industry should find solutions for their problems through alternative sources and hence build affordable houses, said Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assembly N Yogish Bhat after inaugurating 'Mangalore Realty and Buildcon Expo' ...
Call to think of alternative sources for constructionHindu Business Line

all 4 news articles »


Cleaner alternative offered to Tondo charcoal makers
Inquirer.net (blog)
UPA volunteer Jessa Margallo said charcoal-making remains a stable source of income for residents of Ulingan as households seek cheaper alternatives amid the rising cost of cooking fuel, mainly liquefied petroleum gas. About 15 residents started this ...



Hybrid Cars News

New alternative fuels station opens in Fullerton
Los Angeles Times
"People are looking for alternatives. They're looking for transportation options that aren't dependent on petroleum," said Matt Horton, chief executive of Propel Fuels in Redwood City, Calif., which at its new Fullerton station also offers a ...
Propel Launches Clean Mobility CenterHybrid Cars News
First Clean Mobility Center Opens in CaliforniaNACS Online

all 6 news articles »

Google News

Acne - Advertising - Aerobics & Cardio - Affiliate Revenue - Alternative - Attraction - Auction - Audio Streaming - Aviation - Babies & Toddlers - Beauty - Blogging & RSS - Book Marketing - Book Reviews - Branding - Breast Cancer - Broadband Internet - Muscle Building - Careers & Employment - Coaching - Coffee - College & University - Cooking Tips - Copywriting - Crafts & Hobbies - Creativity - Credit - Cruising & Sailing - Currency Trading - Customer Service - Data Recovery - Dating - Debt Consolidation - Debt Relief - Depression - Diabetes - Divorce - Domain Names - E-books - Ecommerce - Elder Care - Email Marketing - Entrepreneurialism - Ethics - Exercise - Ezine Marketing - Ezine Publishing - Fashion & Style - Fishing - Fitness Equipment - Forums - Games - Goal Setting - Golf - Grief Loss - Hair Loss - Happiness - Hardware - Holidays - Home Improvement - Home Security - Humanities - Humor - Innovation - Inspirational - Insurance - Interior Decorating - Internet Marketing - Investing - Landscaping & Gardening - Language - Leadership - Leases & Leasing - Loans - Lung, Mesothelioma & Asbestos - Management - Marketing - Marriage & Wedding - Meditation - Mobile & Cell Phone - Mortgage & Refinancing - Motivation - Motorcycles - Music - Negotiation - Network Marketing - Networking - Nutrition - Organizing - Outdoors - Parenting - Personal Finance - Personal Tech - Pets - Philosophy - Photography - Poetry - Politics - Positive Attitude - PPC Advertising - Press Release - Pregnancy - Presentation - Psychology - Public Speaking - Real Estate - Recipes - Relationships - Sales - Sales Management - Sales & Teleselling - Sales Training - Satellite TV - Science - Security - SEO - Site Promotion - Small Business - Software - Spam Blocker - Spirituality - Stocks & Mutual Funds - Strategic Planning - Stress Management - Structured Settlements - Success - Supplements - Taxes - Team Building - Time Management - Top7-Or-10-Tips - Traffic Building - Vacation Rentals - Video Conferencing - Video Streaming - VOIP - Wealth Building - Web Design - Web Development - Web Hosting - Weight Loss - Wine & Spirits - Writing - Writing Articles - Yoga

Top
Main Home Email Category Home