Thursday, May 20, 2010

The New Trend Of Healing Called Complementary Care

By Arthur Adams

Do you know what is meant when someone talks about alternative medicine? It's actually a very large category with a lot of different types. I am knowledgeable about herbal remedies. This means I know about a small part of this entire medical field.

It's unfortunate that many of today's 'traditional' medical personnel write off herbal remedies, or laugh about them. The ironic thing is, in many cases the drugs they prescribe are manufactured from herbs.

This unfortunate bias is starting to shift. A new model, termed complementary care, is becoming more common. This is when a doctor works together with alternative medicine practitioners for the best interests of the patient.

It's very helpful for doctors and alternative practitioners to work together. In some cases, herbal remedies can interact with other drugs. Plus, there are some conditions where herbal remedies can make them worse rather than better. I don't have all of the possible side effects and interactions memorized, but I know many of them, and of those I don't know I know where to look for that information.

Your average medical doctor doesn't know much about herbs. I know a couple who have a decent knowledge, but the majority know little to nothing on the subject. In fact, some doctors aren't comfortable when their patients are taking herbs because they have no idea what the effect of the herbs will be. This is where I can come in and really contribute.

I work with doctors, and this is helpful to me because I can't prescribe. The doctor can do that because he or she has the appropriate training for this. When it comes to standard medicines, I'd just be guessing as to what would work best and clearly that is not the way to go.

Another benefit here is traditional medicine. We shouldn't discount this form of medicine - it can be very effective, and often it can get the job done when herbs simply cannot.

Let's take heart attacks, for example. There are herbs that can thin blood, lower blood pressure, and help control cholesterol. However, there are no herbs that I could give someone to save heart tissue during a heart attack. A heart attack requires a trip to the hospital, and conventional medications.

Complementary care is really the ideal model of care for patient well-being. When doctors and alternative medical practitioners work together, all parties benefit.

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