The Magic of Alternative Medicine

The First Thing You Need To Know

It remains relatively unusual for someone to suffer from an asthma attack and call a reflexologist but alternative medicine has continued to gain popularity in the United States of America and we are learning more and more that there is a lot of education out there waiting for us to devour it.

When you hear the words alternative medicine, you are hearing about a treatment for your health that is not within the practices of Western medicine or practices. Above and beyond that, alternative medicine has been nearly impossible to define due to its diverse field that includes diets to exercise changes as well as acupuncture, chiropractic, and hypnosis. These are all applied to cure all sorts of illnesses and play no role or have any relation to the conventional medicine practices that we all grew up with.

However, in spite of the arguments of alternative medicine being a natural way of healing, its practices are highly contested and researchers are working around the clock to determine just how successful the practice is towards healing patients. Nonetheless, 38% of Americans are already in the practice of alternative medicine of one kind or another and this practice is finding a steady increase of patients that have been growing consistently since 2008.

A Guide To Alternative Medicine And Its Benefits

Considering that there are endless medical conditions, there are also endless alternative medicine practices built around the need to cure a specific illness. Naturally, some have grown in popularity more than others and for good reason. Some of those reasons are as simple as the fact that there are some needs that need to be met more than others.

Below is a list of some of the more popular alternative medicine practices in the United States today.

Acupressure

For sure you have all heard of acupuncture. It is one of the more popular alternative medicine practices and is known for putting needles in all sorts of areas around your body. Acupressure is the same except that it no longer involves any needles. What practitioners do is they use their hands, elbows and feet to apply different forces of pressure onto different parts of your body targeting the body’s meridians. Meridians are basically channels for a person’s life force and these channels travel around a person’s entire body. The reason for acupressure is because it is believed that illnesses occur when one or more of these meridians are blocked. The magic of acupressure is that it unblocks the channels creating smoothness in your body leaving you free from sickness. Acupressure is also known for helping patients of chemotherapy who suffer from nausea and also helps in the reduction of anxiety for people who are about to embark on a frightful journey such as surgery.

Acupuncture

The funny thing about acupuncture is that it is a well known practice but its popularity is a result of the fact that small needles are put into you body. Not too many people are aware that acupuncture actually refers to a series of movements and procedures that stimulate very specific organs and other parts of your body. The needles that are pierced into your skin are controlled by your practitioner or by electrical stimulation. Acupuncture is very popular yet it is another alternative medicine practice that is questioned even though millions of people in America alone continue to use it.

Aromatherapy

This is one of the more popular forms of alternative medicine as it is very inviting and easy for even skeptics to experience. Dealing with essential oils which really are extracts from the roots, leaves and seeds of a plant, these oils when inhaled or massaged onto a human body promote relaxation. However, aromatherapy has garnered even further recognition for also being able to treat inflammation and infections while researchers are also discovering that aromatherapy also treats depression, anxiety, and may also be responsible for the decrease of pain.

Balneotherapy

Can you believe that balneotherapy dates back as far as 1700 BC? Balneotherapy is basically hydrotherapy and runs under the principle that water is a natural cure for a number of skin conditions including acne and rashes. It is also further believed that balneotherapy can also treat pain and anxiety as well as swelling. Practitioners of balneotherapy often use one of three tools when conducting their sessions and these are all pretty much house hold items. Mudpacks, douches, and wraps are all that are needed in order to complete a session in balneotherapy. Believers of this alternative medicine have also claimed that they have been able to boost immune systems but research thus far remains inconclusive. But with the hype continuing to grow, there is no doubt that further studies will be done and more will be known soon.

Chiropractic

Chiropractors are doctors who have become widely accepted in the field of medicine. So much so that they are not exactly considered practiced in the art of alternative medicine but more along the lines of complementary medicine. Chiropractors specialties revolve around curing the nervous system as well as the musculoskeletal system which for the most part consists of back pains as well as pain and discomfort along the neck, arms, legs, head and joints. Spinal manipulation would be the most common procedure that chiropractors do on people and is done by applying pressure to a patient’s joints in order to make them more mobile. The job of a chiropractor is to bring back a person’s flexibility or mobility and loosen up tight muscles in order for the pain to go away and for their tissues to heal. The practice of chiropractics is generally a widely accepted complementary medicine as countless research and studies have proven that patients who see therapists have shown improvements to their functionalities as well as the decrease of pain and discomfort.

Alternative Medicine Is The New Way To Go

Though there is still much skepticism about alternative medicine, it has also proven itself worthy to be an option due to the countless numbers of lives that have improved as a result of their practices. However, it is also important to note that alternative medicine may not be for everyone and that modern Western medicine may be what you need depending on your illness or injury.

However, in cases where alternative medicine offers treatments for conditions that apply to what you are seeking help with, then there is definitely no harm in exploring options and learning what treatments may coincide with your condition. One thing is for sure, alternative medicine offers patients a natural cure which involves less chemicals and for that fact alone, you may want to consider it if a more holistic approach is what you indeed seek.