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Alternative medicine is becoming ever increasingly popular in this day and age, but what exactly is alternative medicine? It takes on many forms in a wide variety of guises from remedies such as Herbs, Oils, Massage and Chinese Acupuncture, which most of us will have heard of and maybe even tried to Ayurvedic medicine which has widely been used in India for over five thousand years.Alternative medicine was once perhaps given a wide berth by the sceptics but today over 600 million people pay visits to those offering alternative treatments and remedies. What Benefit does Alternative Medicine Have?

Most alternative treatments are based on the use of herbs, oils and massage so its perfectly safe and for thousands of people it has been proven to work time and time again. There are a vast array of different types and treatments available from minor illnesses through to those more severe, some people even suffering life threatening illnesses have benefited from some types of alternative medicine where conventional treatments have failed.

Listed below are some of the types of alternative treatments and therapies available:

Acupuncture treatment is not only the insertion of fine needles into the points on the body but also the detection of disharmony within the body. This is assessed by a series of questions on the persons lifestyle and emotions.

Originating from the Chinese Taoist monks acupressure is similar to acupuncture but without the use of needles, instead finger pressure is applied to the points.

Essential oils taken from plants are used in this treatment which can take the form of massage or inhalation. It is thought to be especially beneficial for those suffering from stress related illnesses.

This type of treatment stems back from India and is a complete system of exercise, diet and detoxification of the entire body.

Chiropractic treatment works mainly for those suffering from joint problems and is performed along the spine by adjusting joints.

There is a vast range of herbs used in treatment which the Chinese have used for thousands of years and are capable of treating a wide variety of illnesses.

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Alternative Medicine | What Is Alternative Medicine?

As opposed to conventional medicine, a career in alternative medicine has its advantages such as better hours and more flexibility, as well as spending more quality time with your patients, many of whom swear that it is beneficial.

"Let's say you've always wanted to help people feel better, but a career in health care has eluded you till now. You're lured by the nursing profession's booming job market and you've thought about medical school, yet traditional Western allopathic medicine doesn't feel quite right.

The good news is that complementary and alternative medicine is on the rise and, with the right course of study, you may practice it in locations ranging from hospitals and integrative medicine clinics to healing centers and nutrition offices.

And you can kick the image of beads and incense; CAM has a home in hospitals, too. According to a recent survey by the American Hospital Association, 42 percent of 714 surveyed hospitals offered at least one complementary or alternative therapy in 2010, as compared with 27 percent just five years earlier. What's more, 42 percent of 714 surveyed hospitals offered at least one complementary or alternative therapy in 2010, as compared with 27 percent just five years earlier. In other words, alternative healing is becoming less alternative." Source: Alternative healing complements health career options, Tribune Media Services, June 7, 2012.

So, why does alternative medicine remain controversial?

"Debate about complementary and alternative therapies has often been polarized, with advocates squaring off against critics and no common ground emerging. There are, in fact, some causes for concern. Many excessive claims are being made for alternative health practices, many therapies are lacking in plausibility, and some are being found to be potentially dangerous. But the field of complementary and alternative medicine is not monolithic. Some therapiesindeed some of those most widely usedare sensible and deserve our attention as we look for methods to help with problems not well managed by conventional medicine.

The most common health problem for which people turn to complementary and alternative approaches is chronic pain. Pharmacological management of chronic pain, while important, has hazards. Evidence is showing, based on carefully controlled studies, that there is promise in certain complementary treatments as adjuncts to conventional pain management. For example, the pain of osteoarthritis may be relieved by acupuncture; tai chi has been found to be helpful in reducing the pain of fibromyalgia; and massage and manipulative therapies can contribute to the relief of chronic back pain...

With acupuncture, for example, a number of studies have shown clear benefit for pain management when compared to conventional care, but only marginal benefit when the control group receives equal attention from a health care provider and a sham intervention that looks and feels like acupuncture. Should we dismiss this as a placebo or acknowledge this source of benefit for patients? A difficult question for which there will not be a single answer."

Source: The Continuing Debate, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, June 24, 2011.

But, thanks to organizations like the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the American Medical Student Association as well as dedicated alternative medicine practitioners, the 'medical establishment' is starting to accept alternative medicine as a viable and integral part of health care system.

"Medicine has long decried acupuncture, homeopathy, and the like as dangerous nonsense that preys on the gullible. Again and again, carefully controlled studies have shown alternative medicine to work no better than a placebo. But now many doctors admit that alternative medicine often seems to do a better job of making patients well, and at a much lower cost, than mainstream careand theyre trying to learn from it.

Rather than going ballistic when they hear that patients believe themselves to benefit under the care of alternative practitioners, argues the Mayo Clinics Victor Montori, doctors ought to be praising, or at the very least tolerating, alternative medicine for the way it plugs gaping holes in modern medicine. Who cares what the mechanism is? he says. The patient will be healthier.

In fact, a more open-minded consideration of alternative-medicine practices has become par for the course at medical schools. In recent years, the American Medical Student Association has co-sponsored an annual International Integrative Medicine Day..."

Source: The Triumph of New-Age Medicine, Atlantic Magazine, July/August 2011

Debate about complementary and alternative therapies has often been polarized, with advocates squaring off against critics and no common ground emerging. There are, in fact, some causes for concern. Many excessive claims are being made for alternative health practices, many therapies are lacking in plausibility, and some are being found to be potentially dangerous. But the field of complementary and alternative medicine is not monolithic.

Medicine has long decried acupuncture, homeopathy, and the like as dangerous nonsense that preys on the gullible. Again and again, carefully controlled studies have shown alternative medicine to work no better than a placebo. But now many doctors admit that alternative medicine often seems to do a better job of making patients well, and at a much lower cost, than mainstream careand theyre trying to learn from it.

The leading online directory for schools of Alternative Medicine.

The good news is that complementary and alternative medicine is on the rise and, with the right course of study, you may practice it in locations ranging from hospitals and integrative medicine clinics to healing centers and nutrition offices.

The Alternative Medicine College of Canada (AMCC) is an educational institution that offers accredited distance learning training in Naturopathy, Homeopathy, and Bioenergetics, providing students world-wide with the training and expertise necessary to become qualified specialists in their desired field.

Noninvasive in nature, focused on prevention and gaining ground among traditional health care providers, alternative medicine has found significant popularity among the masses.

The Program in Integrative Medicine's mission is to lead the transformation of healthcare by creating, educating, and actively supporting a community of professionals who embody the philosophy and practice of Integrative Medicine.

ACHS is recognized as an industry leader in holistic health education worldwide. Our flexible, online programs, highly qualified faculty, diverse student body, and commitment to exceptional online education make ACHS the perfect choice. Your education is legitimately accredited and recognized throughout the holistic medicine community.

The Barbara Brennan School of Healing is a specialized college for the study of hands-on energy healing and personal transformation. Students may choose to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree or a Diploma in Brennan Healing Science.

The Acupuncture diploma Program is a three-year program with 2900 hours of training including traditional Chinese medicine foundation, diagnostic methods, Tui Na massage, acupuncture, western biomedical science, Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese and western medicine clinical courses such as internal, pediatric, gynecological, dermatological illnesses, sports injury, muscularskeleton illnesses, and clinical observation and internship.

Complementary therapies such as acupuncture, Shiatsu and homeopathy were once viewed by the medical establishment as at best ineffective or, at worst, potentially harmful to public health. But seven years since the House of Lords produced its own authoritative analysis of complementary or alternative therapy - concluding that there needed to be clearer regulation arrangements by the various professional bodies - the incorporation of alternative medicine into mainstream healthcare has moved on apace.

Those who have an interest in medical and health professions may want to pursue a career in alternative medicine. Alternative medicine includes naturopathic medicine, complementary medicine, acupuncture, herbal therapy, aromatherapy, holistic medicine, and many more.

In general, health careers in the CAM field take a wholistic approach to patient care; that is, the patient is seen and treated as a whole person, not just a set of symptoms. They also tend to be strongly prevention-oriented and place a high value on the body's natural ability to heal itself.

In general, health careers in the CAM field take a wholistic approach to patient care; that is, the patient is seen and treated as a whole person, not just a set of symptoms. They also tend to be strongly prevention-oriented and place a high value on the body's natural ability to heal itself.

We are an education directory focusing on alternative and natural healing education, such as holistic medicine, Chinese medicine, massage, chiropratic, spiritual healing and related studies. Learn more about these professions at our career center.

Join the alternative medicine revolution. Earn your holistic certification from one of the many accredited alternative medicine/holistic health schools or legally accredited colleges and universities of naturopathy.

In early 2011, a fellow tennis player in Barrie, Caitlyn Lawrence, now a university student in South Carolina, asked me to participate in a career-related Q&A for a class project. I thought that some of the following would be useful to others considering a career in health care. - Ben Kim

Browse our comprehensive list of top alternative medicine and holistic health schools and find the right one for you. Find and compare massage schools, acupuncture schools, chiropractic schools, Chinese medicine schools and more. Our directory makes it easy to research schools and request information from admissions officers.

The evolutionary shift from conventional medicine oriented treatments to alternative medicine has changed the focus of health care as it provides natural and holistic healing methods. As the focus among general population is profoundly escalating towards alternative source of medicine, people are shifting from conventional surgery and medicine, which have already taken backstage in the world of medicines.

Pacific Rim College is a complementary and integrative medical college located on Vancouver Island in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. The college was founded to provide world-class education, modern research opportunities and premiere clinical services in a variety of medical modalities.

Meet the man your doctor doesnt want you talking to - Dr. Joe Mercola. Hear about his alternative health practices and find out why hes such a controversial figure.

Alternative medicine and wellness is not accepted by everyone. There is, in fact, a great deal of skepticism and even charges of quackery about many of these fields. What needs to be remembered is that alternative medicine and wellness do not offer cures in the same way that traditional allopathic medicine does.

IT IS, you might suppose, always good to have an alternative. In medicine, though, that is a controversial proposition. Alternative and complementary medicine are mostly quackery. Yet they are very popular. Clearly, they have something that mainstream medicine does not. The question is, what?

According to his Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine, around 95% of the treatments he and his colleagues examinedin fields as diverse as acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy and reflexologyare statistically indistinguishable from placebo treatments.

The biggest difference between Western medicine and alternative medicine is in the way each discipline views the body. While Western doctors and surgeons treat the body as a conglomeration of organs and systems, alternative medicine doctors look at the body, mind and spirit as a whole.

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Alternative Medicine - healthworldnet.com

There are many different types of complementary and alternative treatments believed to be effective for treating high blood pressure (hypertension). Scientific evidence indicates that a diet that is low in saturated fat and salt and rich in complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fruits), increased physical activity, and regular practice of relaxation techniques such as yoga, Tai Chi, or Qigong, can help to lower high blood pressure.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to lower your blood pressure is to eat a healthy diet, such as the DASH diet. Doctors recommend:

A solid body of evidence shows that men and women of all age groups who are physically active have a decreased risk of developing high blood pressure. Findings from multiple studies indicate that exercise can lower blood pressure as much as some drugs can. People with mild and moderately elevated blood pressure who exercise 30 to 60 minutes three to four days per week (walking, jogging, cycling, or a combination) may be able to significantly decrease their blood pressure readings.

Blood pressure increases when a person is under emotional stress and tension, but whether or not psychological interventions aimed at stress reduction can decrease blood pressure in patients with hypertension is not clear.

Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that ancient relaxation methods that include controlled breathing and gentle physical activity, such as yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi, are beneficial. People with mild hypertension who practiced these healing techniques daily for two to three months experienced significant decreases in their blood pressure, had lower levels of stress hormones, and were less anxious.

The results of a recent small study suggest that a daily practice of slow breathing (15 minutes a day for 8 weeks) brought about a substantial reduction in blood pressure. However, these findings need to be confirmed in larger and better-designed studies before these ancient healing techniques are recommended as effective non-pharmacological approaches to treating hypertension. Still, possible benefits, coupled with minimal risks, make these gentle practices a worthwhile activity to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle.

Note: It is important that inactive older people or those with chronic health problems be evaluated by their doctor before starting a program of any physical activity, including Tai Chi, Qigong, or yoga.

The effectiveness and safety of herbal therapies, such as Rauwolfia serpentina (snakeroot), Stephania tetrandra (tetrandrine), Panax notoginseng (ginseng), and Crataegus species (hawthorn) for treating high blood pressure have not been extensively studied. Because of potential health risks associated with these herbs, it is imperative that you inform your doctor if you plan to use or are already using them. This is even more important if these herbs are used in combination with high blood pressure drugs. Some herbs, such as licorice, ephedra (Ma Huang), and yohimbine (from the bark of a West African tree) should not be used by people with hypertension, because they can increase blood pressure.

Some supplements have been evaluated as blood pressure-lowering options, including:

Talk to your doctor before starting any medication, including these supplements, which may be available without a prescription. The risks and benefits of every medicine (including over-the-counter drugs) must be carefully weighed on an individual basis.

Extensive research on the effectiveness of acupuncture for lowering blood pressure has been reported, but many studies have considerable weaknesses. More rigorously controlled research is needed to determine the value of acupuncture as a treatment for hypertension. At this time, there is no evidence that acupuncture reliably lowers high blood pressure.

SOURCE: University of Maryland Medical Center.

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Alternative Treatments for High Blood Pressure - WebMD

Alternative medicine is any form of practice that is outside the realm of conventional modern medicine. It covers a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies. Most of these treatments and health care practices are not taught widely in medical schools. Examples are naturopathy, chiropractic, ayurveda, homeopathy and acupuncture. (A complete listing of alternative medical practices are given later.)

If alternative medicine or therapy is used alone or instead of conventional medicine, it is called "alternative" medicine. If the treatment or therapy is done along with or in addition to conventional medicine, it is referred to as "Complementary Medicine" as the two practices complements each other. For example, many Chinese hospitals use acupuncture to reduce the pain during the surgery instead of anesthetics. This is complementary medicine. Later, we refer to the use of sesame oil as a complementary treatment for cancer. Dean Ornish uses life style changes to combat heart disease. These are all examples of complementary medicine.

Many of the alternative practices pay attention to the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of health, in addition to the physical body. Therapies like hypnosis and visualization claims to be able to change physical conditions through purely mental interventions. They believe that our bodies are remarkably resilient machines, capable, with some occasional prodding or intervention, of healing themselves. The name "holistic medicine" came from this unification of the mind and the body. Holistic practitioners treat the "whole person" as opposed to the individual organs of the body where symptoms occur. The importance of self care and preventing illness are stressed by holistic practitioners.

Any therapy that relies on the body's own healing powers may be considered natural medicine. These include herbal remedies, diet and water therapies.

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