| Many people who suffer from cancer choose to go | | | | of treatment. Of the 43 women, 38 had PAP smear |
| an alternate route rather than the conventional one | | | | results that returned to normal, 3 showed partial |
| and choose therapies that might not be considered | | | | improvement and 2 showed no change. None got |
| within the boundaries of Western medicine. Others | | | | worse. These results are very encouraging. |
| choose to integrate conventional medicine and | | | | Mind-body therapies are designed to help the mind's |
| alternative medicine in an effort to try and get the best | | | | ability to affect the body's functions and symptoms. |
| of both worlds. They do this for a number of reasons. | | | | This means that with the right techniques you can |
| The most common reason being that conventional | | | | learn to alleviate pain and discomfort. These |
| therapy simply does not work for them and they are in | | | | techniques include relaxation, meditation, guided |
| a situation where they are willing to try anything to live. | | | | imagery, biofeedback and hypnosis. The symptoms |
| Others are simply more unconventional by nature and | | | | and conditions that you can relieve include: chronic pain, |
| may not believe in Western medicine or have more | | | | cancer, headaches, post-heart attack care and |
| faith in alternative medicine in the first place. Whatever | | | | pre-surgical preparation. It should be remembered that |
| the reasoning behind their decision, everyone has the | | | | no matter how effective the treatment, and even |
| right to choose their own form of therapy and to have | | | | though the side effects are minimal, you should always |
| that decision respected. | | | | remain under the care of your alternative care |
| There are 2 ways that one can go about choosing an | | | | professional. |
| alternative therapy, the one is by choosing a particular | | | | Therapeutic touch and reiki healing are energy-based |
| treatment and the other is to choose a particular | | | | techniques. They help activate the self-healing |
| practitioner. You can go with a practitioner that has | | | | processes and also aid in the reduction of pain. Despite |
| been recommended to you and that you have heard | | | | the name, there is no actual physical contact, only |
| many good things about, and who, when you see him | | | | close physical proximity between the patient and the |
| or her, makes you feel comfortable and at ease. This | | | | practitioner. In several studies over the years beneficial |
| places the type of treatment used second in the list of | | | | results with no significant adverse effects have been |
| priorities. Or the type of treatment could be more | | | | found but more in depth, scientific studies are needed |
| important to you than the practitioner, so long as the | | | | for the results to be more conclusive. |
| practitioner is experienced and professional you don't | | | | Acupuncture has been recognised by the World |
| really mind about anything else. Most people consider | | | | Health Organisation as beneficial for almost 30 |
| both issues to be of roughly equal importance, they | | | | different diseases or conditions. The main benefit is in |
| want a particular treatment but they also want a | | | | the field of pain relief. It is also beneficial regarding the |
| recommendation and to feel comfortable and at ease | | | | following: headaches, lower back pain, menstrual |
| with the practitioner. | | | | cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, |
| Naturopathy involves the use of natural medicine to | | | | fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and myofascial pain, but it |
| treat and prevent illness. Their approach is holistic, thus | | | | may require an additional therapy in order to fully treat |
| looking for the cause or imbalance and treating the | | | | the condition. |
| whole person. It includes training in anatomy, physiology, | | | | If you feel that you would like to add alternative |
| herbal medicine, nutrition, homeopathy, flower | | | | therapies to your conventional ones, especially if you're |
| essences, mineral therapy, iris diagnosis, massage and | | | | going to add herbal remedies to your medicinal drugs, |
| colonic irrigation. It is becoming more evidence and | | | | you need to be aware that there is a possibility that |
| scientific as more and more of the "folk lore" | | | | they could interfere with each other. They could be |
| knowledge is being proved. Their eclectic approach | | | | metabolised in the same area in the liver and one could |
| has been getting remarkable results for years. In the | | | | cancel the other out, they could interact negatively, |
| case of cervical cells that have been returned with an | | | | they could reinforce each other in ways that no one |
| abnormal test result, there is a treatment whereby a | | | | foresaw and suddenly you're on a super drug. A lot of |
| mixture of specific herbs and enzymes is applied | | | | things could happen so it is best to keep all of your |
| topically along with herbal suppositories for 6 weeks. | | | | health care practitioners, both alternative and |
| The women are advised to ingest specific nutrients | | | | conventional, informed of what you are doing. This not |
| that have been proved to assist cervical cells return to | | | | only helps keep them up to date and in the loop, but |
| their normal structure. In addition to this appropriate | | | | when in a medical emergency, it's nice to know that |
| lifestyle and dietary measures are implemented. | | | | there are at least 2 people out there that know what |
| Portland's National College of Naturopathic Medicine | | | | drugs/herbs have reacted badly in your system and |
| has completed a preliminary study of 43 women with | | | | who will be able to give you the right medicine at the |
| abnormal smears to test the effectiveness of this kind | | | | hospital. |