Category Archives: Alternative Medicine

Conventional medicine is necessary to treat disease, but if you really want to prevent health problems and stay well, you might consider integrating practices from the field of holistic medicine as well, a top expert says.

The field of integrative, or complementary, medicine, grew out of what used to be known as alternative health, but the concepts we use today are based on scientific evidence, Dr. Ashwin Mehta tells Newsmax Health.

"Conventional medicine," known also as "Western medicine," is a system in which medical doctors and other health care professionals treat symptoms and diseases using such means as drugs, radiation, and surgery.

The term "alternative medicine" describes a range of medical therapies that are not regarded as orthodox by many in the mainstream medical profession, such as herbalism, homeopathy, and acupuncture.

"In the 1970s, the alternative medicine gained traction in the U.S. as a pushback against the biochemical paradigm that was becoming associated with medicine, says Mehta, medical director of integrative medicine at Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Fla.

'But, on the other hand, the realization was growing that there might be something of value in these ancient healing traditions, and so we should scientifically evaluate them."

When some alternative therapies were held up to this scrutiny, they were found to be baseless, says Mehta. On the other hand, others were proven to work. These have since been known as integrative, or complementary therapies, he adds.

"Doctors who practice integrative medicine uses only the evidence-based therapies that have been found to have scientific validity, says Mehta.

He likes to explain this concept by using an example in cancer treatment.

If the body is a garden and cancer is an unwelcome weed, the job of the oncologists [cancer doctors] is pluck out the weed and our job is to make the soil of the garden inhospitable to the weed ever coming back, he says.

One of the most valuable adjuncts that integrative medicine offers todays patient is the ability of these therapies to reduce inflammation.

Inflammation is the same reddening process you see if you cut your finger. But there also is an invisible type of inflammation, known as chronic bodily inflammation, which occurs inside your body and cannot be seen.

Such inflammation is increasingly viewed as the culprit in the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well.

Today, we use the term metabolic syndrome,' to describe a number of conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood sugars, high blood pressure, and obesity, that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, says Mehta.

What these conditions have in common is that they cause a predominance of inflammation, he adds.

To combat inflammation, follow these five principles of integrative medicine, he says:

2017 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.

The rest is here:

Both Conventional and Integrative Medicine Can Make You Healthier - Newsmax

More than three-quarters of Canadians 79 per cent have used at least one complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or therapy sometime in their lives.

More and more Canadians are using complementary and alternative medicines and therapiessuch as massage, yoga, acupuncture and chiropractic careand theyre using them more frequently, finds a new survey by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Alternative treatments are playing an increasingly important role in Canadians overall health care, and understanding how all the parts of the health-care system fit together is vital if policymakers are going to find ways to improve it, said Nadeem Esmail, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author ofComplementary and Alternative Medicine: Use and Public Attitudes, 1997, 2006 and 2016.

The updated survey of 2,000 Canadians finds more than three-quarters of Canadians 79 per cent have used at least one complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or therapy sometime in their lives. Thats an increase from 74 per cent in 2006 and 73 per cent in 1997, when two previous similar surveys were conducted.

In fact, more than one in two Canadians (56 per cent) used at least one complementary or alternative medicine or therapy in the previous 12 months, an increase from 54 per cent in 2006 and 50 per cent in 1997.

And Canadians are using those services more often, averaging 11.1 visits in 2016, compared to fewer than nine visits a year in both 2006 and 1997.

The most popular complementary and alternative treatments used by Canadians in 2016 were massage (44 per cent), followed by chiropractic care (42 per cent), yoga (27 per cent), relaxation techniques (25 per cent) and acupuncture (22 per cent.)

In total, Canadians spent $8.8 billion on complementary and alternative medicines and therapies last year, up from $8 billion (inflation adjusted) in 2006.

Interestingly, the survey finds a majority of respondents 58 per cent support paying for alternative treatments privately and dont want them included in provincial health plans. Support for private payment is highest (at 69 per cent) among 35- to 44-year-olds.

Complementary and alternative therapies play an increasingly important role in Canadians overall health care, but policy makers should not see this as an invitation to expand government coverage the majority of Canadians believe alternative therapies should be paid for privately, Esmail said.

Read more here:

Nearly eight in ten Canadians have used alternative medicines ... - The Nelson Daily

New Wave Holdings, Inc (OTCMKTS: NWAV) started off 2017 with a strong upward move that took the stock to $.0295. The stock has since retraced roughly 60 percent of the move, and is holding steady at a support level of $.0070 where it is trading now. The last time we analyzed the stock on March 28, 2017, the stock seemed to be recovering from the initial retracement following the high of the upward move at the beginning of the 2017. From a technical analysis point of view, the stocks price action is forming a descending triangle with the support level at $.0070. If the stock does not break-down through the support level, and recovers at least 50 percent of the retracement from the high of the triangle pattern, a favorable buy setup will present itself. The financials and status of the company will need to support the buy signal.

For those not familiar with the company, New Wave Holdings, Inc. (NWAV) is a publicly traded holdings company dedicated to the development and launch of PAO Group alternative medicine clinics focused on non-traditional patient care solutions. The realm of treatment solutions include cannabis, acupuncture, chiropractic, biofeedback, and other solutions depending upon patient needs. NWAV has recently merged withPAO Group, Inc., a physicians practice management company actively developing alternative medicine clinics focused on the proper use of cannabis for treatment of chronic and terminal patients.

When we last reviewed New Wave Holdings, Inc, the company was in the process of getting Alternative Medicine Centers of America clinics in Orange Park, Jacksonville Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida up to speed. On April 11, 2017, the company announced the opening a clinic in the state of Ohio where the number of overdose from opioid deaths is alarming. Nearly 2,000 people died from opioid overdoses in Ohio in 2014. According to a University of Michigan study, patients reported a 64% reduction in their use of opioids when using medical marijuana lieu of the opioids to control chronic pain. Another study by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health indicated that in states where medical cannabis has been legalized, opioid overdose deaths have decreased by 25%.

Alternative Medicine Centers of America Sandusky is its first corporate clinic in Sandusky, OH. The clinic will focus on opioid alternatives, including the proper use of cannabis for terminal patients as well as patients who suffer from chronic pain. The company will soon be opening another clinic in Cleveland, OH and expect significant demand there. New Wave Holdings CEO Robert Weber commented.

As more and more physicians and patients look for opiod alternatives in treatments the demand for alternative therapies continues to grow. Findings of many recent medical studies show the dangerous side effects of opiod medications further increasing the demand for this growing market of alternative pain therapies. New Waves PAO group is expertly positioned to meet the demands of this emerging market.

At the Companys first corporate location in Saint Augustine, FL, the corporate team is arranging a build-out of the facility, aiming for an opening June 2017. The second quarter will focus on the opening of new corporate and affiliate locations and overall growth of the company.

Fourth quarter financials for 2016 have been reported, however, revenues expected from the series of Alternative Medicine Centers of America clinic openings that the company has engaged in have yet to come to fruition. Once revenues are realized, growth will follow. Current market capitalization stands at $4.84 million, on 605.18 million shares outstanding as of August 24, 2016. We will be updating our subscribers as soon as we know more. For the latest updates on NWAV, sign up below!

Disclosure: We have no position in NWAV and have not been compensated for this article.

Original post:

New Wave Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: NWAV) In Expansion Mode - Insider Financial

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Use and Public Attitudes, 1997, 2006 and 2016

VANCOUVERMore and more Canadians are using complementary and alternative medicines and therapiessuch as massage, yoga, acupuncture and chiropractic careand theyre using them more frequently, finds a new survey by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Alternative treatments are playing an increasingly important role in Canadians overall health care, and understanding how all the parts of the health-care system fit together is vital if policymakers are going to find ways to improve it, said Nadeem Esmail, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Use and Public Attitudes, 1997, 2006 and 2016.

The updated survey of 2,000 Canadians finds more than three-quarters of Canadians79 per centhave used at least one complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or therapy sometime in their lives. Thats an increase from 74 per cent in 2006 and 73 per cent in 1997, when two previous similar surveys were conducted.

In fact, more than one in two Canadians (56 per cent) used at least one complementary or alternative medicine or therapy in the previous 12 months, an increase from 54 per cent in 2006 and 50 per cent in 1997.

And Canadians are using those services more often, averaging 11.1 visits in 2016, compared to fewer than nine visits a year in both 2006 and 1997.

The most popular complementary and alternative treatments used by Canadians in 2016 were massage (44 per cent), followed by chiropractic care (42 per cent), yoga (27 per cent), relaxation techniques (25 per cent) and acupuncture (22 per cent.)

In total, Canadians spent $8.8 billion on complementary and alternative medicines and therapies last year, up from $8 billion (inflation adjusted) in 2006.

Interestingly, the survey finds a majority of respondents58 per centsupport paying for alternative treatments privately and dont want them included in provincial health plans. Support for private payment is highest (at 69 per cent) among 35- to 44-year-olds.

Complementary and alternative therapies play an increasingly important role in Canadians overall health care, but policy makers should not see this as an invitation to expand government coveragethe majority of Canadians believe alternative therapies should be paid for privately, Esmail said.

MEDIA CONTACT: Bryn Weese, Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institutes independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit fraserinstitute.org.

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us on Facebook

View post:

Nearly eight in ten Canadians have used alternative medicines: survey - Canada Free Press

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - April 25, 2017) - More and more Canadians are using complementary and alternative medicines and therapies -- such as massage, yoga, acupuncture and chiropractic care -- and they're using them more frequently, finds a new survey by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

"Alternative treatments are playing an increasingly important role in Canadians' overall health care, and understanding how all the parts of the health-care system fit together is vital if policymakers are going to find ways to improve it," said Nadeem Esmail, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Use and Public Attitudes, 1997, 2006 and 2016.

The updated survey of 2,000 Canadians finds more than three-quarters of Canadians -- 79 per cent -- have used at least one complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or therapy sometime in their lives. That's an increase from 74 per cent in 2006 and 73 per cent in 1997, when two previous similar surveys were conducted.

In fact, more than one in two Canadians (56 per cent) used at least one complementary or alternative medicine or therapy in the previous 12 months, an increase from 54 per cent in 2006 and 50 per cent in 1997.

And Canadians are using those services more often, averaging 11.1 visits in 2016, compared to fewer than nine visits a year in both 2006 and 1997.

The most popular complementary and alternative treatments used by Canadians in 2016 were massage (44 per cent), followed by chiropractic care (42 per cent), yoga (27 per cent), relaxation techniques (25 per cent) and acupuncture (22 per cent.)

In total, Canadians spent $8.8 billion on complementary and alternative medicines and therapies last year, up from $8 billion (inflation adjusted) in 2006.

Interestingly, the survey finds a majority of respondents -- 58 per cent -- support paying for alternative treatments privately and don't want them included in provincial health plans. Support for private payment is highest (at 69 per cent) among 35- to 44-year-olds.

"Complementary and alternative therapies play an increasingly important role in Canadians' overall health care, but policy makers should not see this as an invitation to expand government coverage -- the majority of Canadians believe alternative therapies should be paid for privately," Esmail said.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Nadeem Esmail, Senior Fellow

Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Bryn Weese

Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute

Office: (604) 688-0221 ext. 589

Cell: (604) 250-8076

bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter and Facebook

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit http://www.fraserinstitute.org

Read this article:

Fraser Institute News Release: Nearly eight in ten Canadians have used alternative medicines: survey - Marketwired (press release)

Sensory deprivation tanks, more commonly known as float tanks, offer alternative approaches to improve mental and physical health.

Float tanks are light less, soundproof tanks filled with Epsom salt water.

The water is set at skin temperature and the individual can float effortlessly.

There are two float tank therapy locations near FGCU, The Float & Flourish Center in Bonita Springs and Cloud9 Float and Spa.

The Float & Flourish Center serves as almost a modernized day spa, with services including float therapy, oxygen bar and infrared sauna therapy. Cloud9 Float and Spa is located in Naples and offers the same experience.

According to the Journal of Psychology and Health, sensory deprivation is the purposeful removal of stimuli to one or more of the human senses.

This can lead to a relaxed state, even falling into a state of meditation.

This medical technique is called Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy.

Developed in the 1950s by neuropsychiatrist John C. Lily, Float Tanks would see its first surge in popularity in the 1980s with the release of the film Altered States.

According to a 1981 New York Times article, about $4 million in sales were made in 1981.

However, with the fear and rise of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the popularity dimmed.

A study done by the European Journal of Integrative Medicine saw patients show improvements in physiological changes, alleviation of medical conditions, relaxation, personal growth and enhancement and an altered state of consciousness.

According to the Journal of Psychology and Health, a study showed to improve cortisol levels and lowered blood pressure.

Floatation therapy soothes muscle pain, cleanses pores and detoxifies the skin, said Guillermo Fernandez, owner of the Float & Flourish Center in Bonita Springs. It helps everyone. From high level athletes, to the everyday person with no athletic experience. Float tanks are one of the most effective stress-management techniques available.

Current and former high-level athletes have been known to use float tanks to aid in athletic performance.

Carl Lewis used float tanks to help him train for his long jump in the 1988 Olympics.

Golden State Warriors basketball player, Steph Curry said in an interview with CNN that he uses float tanks every two weeks.

See the rest here:

Float tanks gain popularity as alternative medicine - Eagle News

Patients who face serious illnesses are sometimes attracted to alternative medicines, also referred to as holistic or new age medicines. These can include treatments like homeopathy, hypnosis, energy therapies like Reiki, acupuncture, and herbal remedies, to name just a few.

These approaches raise various medical and ethical concerns. An important 1998 article in the New England Journal of Medicine sums it up this way:

What most sets alternative medicine apart, in our view, is that it has not been scientifically tested and its advocates largely deny the need for such testing. By testing, we mean the marshaling of rigorous evidence of safety and efficacy, as required by the Food and Drug Administration for the approval of drugs and by the best peer-reviewed medical journals for the publication of research reports.

Beyond the fact that their clinical efficacy has not earned a passing grade using ordinary methods of scientific investigation, the basic premise behind some alternative medicines can also be highly suspect, raising concerns about superstitious viewpoints or misguided forms of spirituality motivating certain therapies.

If we consider acupuncture, this technique does appear to provide benefit in certain cases of pain control. Yet similar results have been reported using sham needles tapping the skin in random places with a thin metal tube. Brain scans have demonstrated that treatment with genuine needles, as opposed to the sham needles, does cause detectable changes in the brain. But, when researchers ignored acupuncturists recommended meridian placement of needles, and instead did random placement in the skin, the same brain effects were observed. Hence, it is unclear whether the results seen from acupuncture arise mostly from the well-known placebo effect or not. Further research should help resolve this question.

Even if the observed effects are not placebo-related, acupunctures non-rational justification for its purported effectiveness remains a concern. It is based on energy principles that neither science nor faith affirm. Dr. Glenn Braunstein described it critically in the following way:

Chi, the invisible nutritive energy that flows from the universe into the body at any one of 500 acupuncture points, is conducted through the 12 main meridians [channels] in (ideally) an unbroken circle. Meridians conduct either yin energy (from the sun) or yang energy (from the earth). All maladies are caused by disharmony or disturbances in the flow of energy.

Clearly, then, some alternative therapies, beyond the basic issue about whether they work, raise serious spiritual concerns as well.

Another new age therapy known as reiki, developed in Japan in the late 1800s, claims that sickness can be caused by a disruption or imbalance in a patients reiki or life energy. Reiki practitioners try to heal a patient by placing their hands in certain positions on the body in order to facilitate the flow of reiki from the practitioner to the patient.

A 2009 document from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stresses, In terms of caring for ones spiritual health, there are important dangers that can arise by turning to reiki. The document notes that because reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholics to put their trust in the method, because to do so would be to operate in the realm of superstition, the no-mans-land that is neither faith nor science.

Scientific investigations of another new age therapy, the popular herbal remedy known as echinacea (taken early to ward off a cold) have revealed no difference between echinacea and a placebo in controlled studies involving several hundred subjects. While some herbal remedies may be harmless and inert placebos, others may have more serious health consequences if ingested above certain dosages due to ingredients of unknown potency derived from natural substances.

Sometimes a remedy can be borrowed from Chinese, Indian or another medical tradition, but it should be chosen for its efficacy, safety, and reasonable mode of action, and not be in conflict with principles of sound medical science or Christian teaching.

Health improvements that arise from alternative remedies may be due not only to the placebo effect, but also to the fact that patients are usually given more time, attention and focused concern by alternative practitioners than by traditional physicians. This can translate into modified habits and changed lifestyles, leading to various health benefits.

Modern medicine can be legitimately faulted for downplaying this dimension, so that, in the memorable words of pediatrician Jay Perman, Doctors tend to end up trained in silos of specialization, in which they are taught to make a diagnosis, prescribe a therapy, and were done. But were not done.

The famous Greek physician Hippocrates once noted the same point: It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has. Todays physicians-in-training, fortunately, are seeking to incorporate more and more of these patient-centric and holistic aspects into their own traditional medical practices to improve patient care and outcomes.

Father Pacholczyk is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and director of education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center, Philadelphia.

Read more:

The ethics of new age medicine - Catholic San Francisco

If youre skeptical about human-caused climate change or the safety of vaccines, would being berated in front of a live studio audience by a bombastic old man make you change your mind? Then congratulations, Bill Nyes new Netflix show, Bill Nye Saves The World, is literally just for you!

Wait...whered you go, bud?

I was excited when I heard that a new science show for adults was hitting Netflix, especially one starring 90s-kid nerd hero Bill Nye. But either the science guys jokes havent aged well or his schticka zany dad-figure in a lab coat stirring beakers full of colored liquidsdoesnt quite work when hes bellowing, red-faced, about the dangers of climate change denial, alternative medicine, and the anti-vaxxer movement. While seemingly aimed at the average layman who holds some science-skeptical views, Nyes new show delivers delivers so little information in such a patronizing tone its hard to imagine a toddler, let alone a sentient adult, enjoying it.

The format of the showwhich blends live studio interviews, field reporting, and Nye shouting into camera on subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to GMOsdoes have potential. Many of the studio guests are interesting and engaging. For instance, the first episode, which focuses on climate change and energy, features Mark Jacobson, a Stanford engineer who recently authored a paper on how we could run the entire world on renewables by mid-century. It would have been fascinating to hear Jacobson give a detailed summary of his idea for transforming the energy gridand Im sure he would have been happy to oblige.

Instead, we watched for an excruciating five minutes as Nye pitted Jacobson against another of his round table guests, energy and environment reporterRichard Martin, to explain at a ten-year-old level why Martin is like, totally wrong and dumb for thinking nuclear power should be part of our energy future, too. The entire exchange was apparently intended to bolster the (not exactly scientific) viewpoint Nye interjected throughout the segment, that nobody wants nuclear power.

This, unfortunately, is quintessential of the showa small amount of information packaged to promote a cartoon-caricature understanding of a complex science issue, slanted to the POV of an unabashedly political science comedian.

During Episode 2, which debunks alternative medicine, Nye and science communicator Cara Santa Maria repeatedly gang up on another guest, the mild-mannered filmmaker Donald Schultz, when he suggests that some non-Western medicine practices might not be entirely bogus. In a later episode focused on GMOs, correspondent Derek Muller visits a farmers market to interview some crunchy hippie-types about whether or not they consider genetic modification safe. Mullers interviews are packaged into a sort of freak-show highlight reel, which Netflix viewers get to cringe at alongside the studio audience, the crowd roaring with laugher every time one of the hapless veggie-lovers says something silly.

Are you feeling pumped about science yet?!

To be fair, I havent watched every single episode, and most of them do seem to have one or two solid segments. Muller visiting the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to speak with astrobiologists about the search for life on Mars, or traveling to South Korea to discover how K-pop is transforming views on gender identity and sexuality, were both palatable and mildly informative. And every now and then, the show manages to be downright funny, like when wrestling champion Ryan Couture is trotted on stage dressed as an indestructible tardigrade. As Gizmodo space writer Rae Paoletta put it, that single handedly saved the [space] episode.

Most of the entertaining bits share a common theme. The angry science man is nowhere near them.

Let me be clear. I believe climate change is real and human-caused, I believe that vaccines work, and I believe that most alternative medicine is a load of malarkey. Like Nye, Im outraged to see anti-science beliefs promulgated at the highest levels of our government. Nye and I are on the same teamand yet I still felt like I was being talked down to throughout his show. How will the average viewer feel?

Perhaps, theyll feel a bit like the live studio audience, laughing nervously during Nyes tirade about how Miamis going to be underwater if we dont get our collective shit together, and wishing they could be anywhere else.

Read this article:

Bill Nye Spends Most of His New Netflix Show Yelling at the Audience - Gizmodo

As a Metaphysician Ive been what many consider to be, an alternative medicine practitioner since 2011. The terminology alternative medicine is one that I dont care for much because like with any term it can be misconstrued, overused and misunderstand. But for the purposes of this post I will use the term to differentiate what people perceive to currently understand.

As a Process Improvement Consultant for physician practices, I have also been in the healthcare industry for over 24 years in various administrative capacities that include being an assistant administrator in a FQHC, running the day to day operations of various sub specialties and teaching process improvement in one of South East New Jerseys largest healthcare systems.

So I have come to see and understand a lot about, what is currently two sides re: alternative medicine and traditional healthcare models. I am also seeing a morphosis of collaboration between the two sides. However that is for another post.

In the capacity of teaching process improvement and facilitating numerous work-flow project teams, I came to learn and teach the value of data collection.

With every project team, a clearly defined opportunity statement and a clearly defined goal or outcome was invaluable to keeping projects on track,cost-effectiveness, keeping the team focused and much more. And as the projects and teams progressed, nothing was more valuable than data collection.

Why? Because its one thing to state that you believe you have an issue or concern worth paying attention to, however data collection removes opinion and either proves or disproves your statement.

In my approximate 7 years of being a Metaphysician I have noticed a gaping hole in the communication and professional respect between alternative practitioners and traditional physicians.

Again, I am also currently seeing a morphosis of this but there is still a long way to go.

It is my desire to bridge this gap.

For the purposes of this article I will speak from the perspective of what I have come to notice as an area of opportunity for my fellow practitioners.

This opportunity is in the area of data collection. Data collection is not the only area of opportunity however again, for the sake of this article I will remain focused on it.

There are various areas of expertise, skill and focus in the alternative health arena creating the various fields of specialty that a practitioner may provide service in.

Some of these areas are: metaphysics, reiki or energy, psychics, meditation, yoga, and more.

The tapestry of services available in the arena of alternative health is vast, however there is an even greater amount of potential clients who will not receive these services because of the lack of science to prove what we as practitioners know and/or believe to be what works.

Many people are not aware that science in many cases, is following what society is willing and ready to accept, as much as it may provide answers to what was once not understood.

But there is yet another opportunity to not only provide some of the answers to concerns that potential clients are looking for, but also to begin to have more valuable and substantiative communication with traditional physicians.

If its one thing I know from being in the healthcare industry for over 24 years, its that physicians respect science and data; and its an incredible opportunity for alternative health practitioners to learn what it may not know, and to understand the importance of why you may want to know more.

You can say that reiki works because one of your clients was actually cleared by their medical doctor of having to get that procedure done; and potentially as a reiki practitioner you have other clients that have said the same.

However this does not hold up as a form of data collection until its put on paper and until you take the opportunity to organize the data. Here is an example: (The specialty of reiki is only being used as an example.) You can associate and apply this to any area of practice.

Client goes to their own medical doctor and receives a specific diagnosis on specific date.

Client then goes to reiki practitioner to have some clearing work done on a specific date.

Client goes back to medical doctor and finds out through testing that procedure is no longer required.

Client tells reiki practitioner.

This seems to be where it stops. Information may be collected during other parts of the process, however it is not being compiled in a manner that shows the practitioner what they need and want to know.

Can doctor prove that it was due to pt.s reiki session, that procedure is no longer needed? If so, great!

If not, keep collecting data from more clients.

Notice that I kept citing, on a specific date. The reason for this is to capture noticeable time frames between when someone is diagnosed and when the energy that was causing the clients diagnosis is cleared.

The reiki practitioner will also want to collect information on the reason why their clients have come to see them in the first place, i.e., feeling depressed, anxiety, headache. etc.

Over time you will notice a pattern based on what your clients are telling you. This information can be used in your marketing and advertising in order to assist your current and future clients to know what types of energy and/or concerns cause an individual to pick up the phone to call you in the first place.

Your data collection will also substantiate the difference between your opinion and the information that supports it, therefore assisting in your clients decision to choose you.

Last but not least, you and your client will feel more confident in sharing your knowledge with the traditional medical community.

As we continue to get better at supporting our wisdom through efficient data collection, I perceive that communication will become easier between what is currently known as alternative medicine practitioners and traditional physicians; and we will continue to simultaneously and collectively build the bridges that allow people to enjoy holistic options to mind, body, spirit transformation.

Please comment, like and share if this post resonates with you.

Lisa is Metaphysician and Imagination Hacker who works with men and women who are ready to step into their own, are ready to move beyond their past experiences and programs, and are willing to unlearn to relearn what has been taught in this game we call Reality. Lisa knows through her own experience which she shares with her clients, that by understanding who you are foundationally and scientifically, and by paying attention to your thoughts and the effect your thoughts have on you vibrationally, mystery and dogma disappear allowing you to do your own inner work more freely. http://www.lisascott.org

Lisa is also a Process Improvement Consultant for Physician Practices. With over 24 years of healthcare business experience Lisa assists her clients to look at their work-flow processes to determine effectiveness and efficiency, and provides solutions for your practice needs. Your practice is speaking. Find out what it needs. Lisa

Excerpt from:

Can Data Be The Bridge To Communication Between Alternative Practitioners And Traditional Doctors? - Huffington Post

Article by Dante LaPenta Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson April 19, 2017

University of Delaware researcher Ju Young Shin is investigating symptom management in Parkinsons disease (PD).

Her research eye is particularly focused on medication adherence; as an adult nurse practitioner, the topic is especially critical. The movement disorder occurs due to a lack of dopamine levels in the brain. Medication helps to manage symptoms.

Without proper medication adherence, the four cardinal symptoms of PD slowness of movement, tremors, rigidity and postural instability worsen, explained the School of Nursing assistant professor. When the medicine level goes down, they may freeze. For example, they cannot walk even if they are in the middle of a crosswalk. They know, but they cant move.

In 2013, Shin received a Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurse Association Research Award. She interviewed people with Parkinsons disease and learned about their challenges with medication adherence. From the study, she published two manuscripts one in Geriatric Nursing and the other in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

While interviewing participants, she discovered a sub-group of people that said they did not take medication as prescribed because they were afraid of adverse effects of antiparkinsonian medications. So Shin dove deeper. She began investigating complementary and alternative medicine like yoga for use by people with PD.

The General University Research Program (2014-16) funded Shin to develop and administer a survey. It explored the prevalence, types and associated factors of complementary and alternative medicine use in community members with PD.

From the study, she learned that the majority of people used at least one complementary and alternative medicine to manage their PD symptoms. Additionally, she found gender differences in PD symptom presentations. Moreover, individuals who had used complementary and alternative medicine reported perceived benefits and necessity with complementary and alternative medicine.

And when it came to how the person had the disease, Shin found significant differences in PD symptom presentation.

At each stage of the disease, the participants incorporate different approaches to manage their disease, she said. As a clinician, this can teach us their needs to manage their symptoms on a daily basis.

Parkinsons is a very individualized disease. Each person can experience the cardinal symptoms differently, making it challenging when prescribing medication.

The medication from movement disorder specialists are mainly treating movement problems slowness, rigidity or freezing of gait. The specialists do a great job, but [patients] see their specialist for half an hour, every six months. As a nurse practitioner, Im interested in how they are dealing with those problems at home, Shin said.

All of this research has laid the groundwork and knowledge base. Now in her fifth year at UD, Shin hopes to develop individualized interventions to educate and converse with patients around their medications. Shin recently headlined a Parkinsons Disease Foundation webinar on medication adherence challenges.

She also has an intervention in the works for family caregiver support another area of interest.

If they freeze at home, in the hallway, somebody needs to be able to help and be trained on how to help.

In the School of Nursing, Shin credits her mentor Barbara Habermann, a qualitative research expert who is also interested in Parkinsons disease family caregiving.

She has been really wonderful in guiding me on my research journey here at UD.

Link:

Parkinson's: Medication adherence | UDaily - University of Delaware - UDaily