Why Alternative Care?

Do you use some type of alternative care or therapy for your health? Many people are moving toward these types of treatments because conventional medicine has failed to offer viable solutions to their health ailments.

Dr. Josephine Briggs, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (a federal agency Congress created a decade ago) states, "Most patients are not treated very satisfactorily. If we had highly effective, satisfactory conventional treatment we probably wouldn't have as much need for these other strategies and as much public interest in them."

Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, a cancer specialist at the Weill-Cornell Medical Center in New York includes nutrition testing and counseling, meditation and relaxation techniques in the facility where he works. It is true that cancer takes many years to develop, and some practitioners believe cancer must be treated with chemotherapy and a protocol of heavy drugs. Conventional medicine supposes that many supplements and treatments are unproven scientifically and even go as far as to say that some of those things are harmful or have side-effects. One of the most important aspects of alternative care and treatment that consumers should consider is that quality, knowledge, and experience count. Consider the following if you choose a complimentary method of treatment:

• Never attempt to self-diagnose or treat yourself. Seek advice of a knowledgeable alternative health care practitioner before embarking on any program or protocol of alternative treatment. This will ensure quality and efficacy of the product and treatment you are seeking.
  
• Avoid going to a health food store and purchasing products without some prior guidance or recommendation from a practitioner. Many products don't deliver what is listed on the label or may contain harmful or toxic ingredients.
  
• You will save yourself time and money with knowledgeable alternative care.
  

Even though Gaynor still uses these drugs, there are many other health care professionals moving toward alternative therapies and still more who exclusively use alternative care for patients and clients. Why? Because they believe pharmaceutical intervention carries risks that far outweigh those in the complimentary camp. Drugs always have side-effects and are often just a band-aid for what is occurring in the body. Medications can also deplete the body of vital nutrients - which can cause further medical issues. Taking preventative care can have tremendous benefits to your health now and in the future. Here are some suggestions for success:

• Educate yourself about the benefits of alternative care. Be willing to consider alternative therapies and treatments to conventional medical treatment.
  
• Avoid processed and packaged foods.
• Eat real, organic, whole, and traditional foods. Proper nutrition can help to avoid health problems that medical doctors treat with surgery and drugs.
• Eliminate chemical substances from your life - tobacco, pharmaceutical drugs, and alcohol.
  
• Educated yourself about the risks and dangers of chemical toxins in your home, work, and other environments. Remove as many of them as you can.
  
• Get adequate rest and stress relief. Remember, stress can actually help cause health issues to start and become worse. Go to bed no later than 10:30 nightly.
• Obtain some regular, moderate exercise. Don't tell yourself that if you can't do something drastic, you won't do anything at all.
  
• Drink plenty of filtered water and avoid sugary, chemically-filled beverages. Consider getting a water filter in your home to help clean out impurities that can make you sick such as lead, copper, and arsenic.

All of these things will help you in your health journey and enable your partnership with an experienced alternative health care practitioner to be a successful one. If you are not treating your body and medical issues holistically, the chances for healing and recovery are greatly diminished.