the pros and cons about alternative medicine?
87516
Speaking about acupuncture, it is an extremely effective medicine in terms of acute and chronic conditions.  It is also the best form of preventative medicine.  Acupuncture has thousands of years of history and refinement...western medicine has a few hundred.
146529
You don't need a doctor for this.  There are no bad side effects.  Only good ones like an increase in endorphines, decrease in depression, etc.  Unless you do it on your roommates bed or while watching the neighbor with the curtains open, then you may get your butt kicked.
171746
There's nothing wrong with implementing parts from both.  But please do follow the advice of your doctor regarding herbal supplements and such.  Some of them are dangerous when combined with certain medicines.  And I must be honest, if you have serious health problems, "mainstream" medicine will do more to add quality and quantity to your life.  Just make sure you have a good doctor.  It makes all the difference.
94097
That's quite a bit to sort through. I'll do my best.\n\nI believe that individual doctors almost always have the best interests of their patients in mind. Medicine as a whole, however, is far more interested in the bottom line. This applies especially to the drug companies. From what I understand certain diseases don't have enough people suffering from them to make it profitable to research treatments for them. Or, if the research has been done, there is not enough profit in manufacturing drugs to treat these people. I've even read that there are boutique chemists who make, by hand, very small runs of certain drugs at no profit to themselves, simply to help out.\n\nAs far as I'm concerned, this is inexcusable. Do I have a solution? No. Are alternative treatments viable? I'm sure that sometimes they are and sometimes they are not. Again, the problem comes down to making a buck. People who are suffering are, unfortunately, easy marks and snake-oil-salesmen have known this since the dawn of civilization.\n\nThe problem becomes sorting the con-men from the well-meaning, but dangerously untrained, from the people with actual remedies. This is very difficult and requires a tremendous amount of work on the part of people who often lack the time and energy to do the necessary legwork because they are sick.\n\nCoretta Scott King died seeking medical help from a quack. It is awful that she suffered such an undignified end, but as long as there are people to be taken advantage of, others will do their best to part them from their money. \n\nObviously not all alternative treatments are quackery, but they often get lumped together because of the actions of a few (many, actually) bad apples. I would suggest that the alternative-therapy industry engage in harsher self-policing as a way to remove the undeserved black-mark.\n\nAs for you responding to questions which are specifically targeted at individuals, I welcome this. The thing that I like most about Yahoo Answers is that it is a place that encourages the free exchange of ideas between anybody. I don't think that anyone can, or should, get upset when a targeted question receives several answers. That's the best thing about this place. So, feel free to throw your two cents in anytime. I really appreciate your response about Bush and Christians. I'd be very curious to hear what this man, who presumes to speak for all Christian Americans would have to say about that. Thanks for your input.
733130
Didn't work well for me. Side effects - didn't really notice any. I was nauseated quite a bit though. Pro's vs Con's - most diet pills can work but only temporarily and they are not healthy for long term use. I had to make a change as I had to loose weight. I discovered that a natural and healthy approach is much better as I have tried all kinds of plans, diets, pills, etc (I'm 45). I just started a natural and healthy "No Diet Weight Loss" plan along with a healthy and natural high energy drink and I have lost 24 pounds and 2 3/4" in my waist in 31 days (Today being my 31st day on the plan) with 0 side effects - However, the choice is totally up to you and no one else
1137381
Homeopathy is safe. Unlike other medicines, homeopathic medicines usually do not have any side effects. Their ability to cause structural damage is Nil. The reason for this is that homeopathic medicines act by stimulating the body's own defense mechanism and healing powers. They do not have any chemical action, so they do not have the potential to cause any sustained damage. The doses are given in sub-physiological quantities. So they can be given to children and adults alike without worrying about the dosage. Safe for every one.\n\nHomeopathic medicines are very effective - in both acute and chronic conditions. Homeopathy in fact, is the only system of medicine which offers curative treatment (not palliative) to a large number of chronic ailments which have been labeled as 'incurable' by other schools of medicine. In acute ailments also, homeopathic medicines, if selected properly, give results faster then any other systems of medicine.\n\nHomeopathic medicines are easy to administer. Homeopathic medicines are usually dispensed as sweet sugar pills, which are very easy to take. Due to this reason, children readily agree to take homeopathic medicines.\n\nHomeopathic treatment is cheap. Homeopathic medicines are usually much cheaper than comparable allopathic and ayurvedic drugs. And also there is little stress on costly diagnostic procedures as homeopaths rely on the symptoms to find the right medicine for a person. So the overall cost of treatment is very little. Still this may not appear so to many people in western countries as homeopathic treatment is usually not covered by insurance companies. But that's myopic vision. One has to think of long-term gains. Under proper homeopathic treatment not only the person's immediate complaints improve, but also his/her susceptibility to disease decreases as there is a general improvement in health. So in the long run, there is better health,less medical consultations and the cumulative cost is very low. Even otherwise, hasn't some wise man said .."Health is the real Wealth"?\n\nHomeopathy considers the complaints of a patient in totality. It views a person as a whole, as an integrated entity, and not as a mere collection of body parts. So it treats the person as a whole too. Thus one does not have to visit ten different 'specialists' for his/her ten different body parts. After all our body is more than a collection of parts! So homeopathy saves your time, money and health at the same time.
498106
Oh there are so many books as well as infon on the internet. But do read alot, and ask questions, not just from an MD but go to a good chiropractor. There is a lot of stuff out there claiming to be 'true' alternative medicine, but it's just junk. Be careful. Herbs can be very potent. Many of our medicines are derived from them(aspirin for one) but plant-derived 'drugs' can also be dangerous(think ephedra, cocaine) Chiropractors are a good source. Midwives too. As well as Homeopaths. Homeopathic Medicine is more widely used in Europe than what is referred to as 'western' or 'American' medicine. Each valid branch of medicine has its good uses.
767910
it would be considered as alternate medicine and subsequently western standard of medical research may not have been completed on this plant, sounds interesting though, good luck
621071
Under no circumstances should you be taking 'alternative' medicines alongside convenventional medicines. Your doctor MUST know if you are.\nBe very careful about using 'alternative' potions - so much of it is pure quackery (see second link) including that nonsense with magnets (also in the second link)
116067
My theory is that what we call modern medicine ( pharmaceuticals ) are the REAL "Alternative Medicine" ... Herbs, accupuncture, vitamins, minerals and healthy diet are ORIGINAL medicine .... You might check into the NNFA about the main contraversies regarding what most people call alternative medicine
279642
No, there is nothing bad about going to an "Alternative" School. In fact, it is usually quite good. Alternative schools generally provide alot better life skills training and are generally better in studies as they are more focused.
1086993
st john's is the herbal alternative, however, if you find an other one, it probably wont work either.  Just get the scrip or try therapy for the time being (it works great)
270054
Yes.  I consider my Acupuncturist/Herbologist to be my primary care physician. \n\nChinese medicine has over two thousand years of anecdotal research to support its effectiveness.  Furthermore, western pharmaceuticals are based on synthesized or compounded herbal formulations.  Why not bypass the synthesization and go directly to the natural source. \n\nHere is an analogy; Chinese medicine is based on unimpeded energy flow.  The goal of Eastern practitioners is to remove impediments to the optimal energy flow in the human body.  The use of the Meridian system, and herbs are employed to affect free energy flow.  Think of the wiring in your house.  If you have an electrical short, the electricity cannot reach your computer when you turn it on.  If you want to use your computer (and you don't want to move it), you must find the short and repair it.  If you don't repair it, the short can cause damage to your appliances, and perhaps result in a fire, which could cause the complete destruction of your home. \n\nSince science postulates that all matter is made up of energy, it makes sense to maintain inimpeded energy flow within your own body.  Wholistic practitioners have a better understanding of how to do just that.
796177
Why are you posting this under alternative medicine?  These aren't alternatives, they're just regular medicine.
39240
HOMEOPATHY DOES **NOT** WORK. It's not a scientific practice. \nFurthermore, standard Medicine has nothing to do with "ALLOPATHY". The term allopathy is misused, and has pejorative connotation. The term allopathy is wrongly used by nonmedical practitioners like chiropractors, naturalists, etc., and (sadly) real doctors as well.\nHave a look at http://www.ncahf.org/articles/a-b/allopathy.html
789730
Most of the risk of the conditions you list can be reduced by a healthy life style. However, there is a genetic component to many of the conditions that you mention and there is not a lot you can do about them. If you have some one size fits all cure in mind I would be very careful with it. Many "new age" treatments are very dangerous.
776825
Herbal therapy. Period. \n\nI could talk for days and days about this subject, but due to the fact that I have limited time at the moment and no one really wants to read a year's worth of typing (lol) I'll keep it short.\n\nFirst of all, drugs and surgery cause illness. The FDA, USDA, FTC, etc. all profit from the profits of the pharmaceutical companies. Because natural cures cannot be patented, meaning no profits, drug companies want to scare people from turning to them.\n\nNot only do natural remedies have no side effects, they are 100% natural and healthy. All drugs are chemicals and unnatural, yet millions--billions really--of people believe that these are better to put into your body rather than something that the earth naturally provides. \n\nLook at animals. Do they ever get heart burn? How about diabetes? Cancer? Nope, nope, nope. Now, of course, we are talking about wild animals. Pets that you give drugs and crappy, chemically altered food to are just as unhealthy as the humans who choose deadly chemicals over the natural cures.