Alternative Medicine versus Conventional Medicine Two systems of medicine are available in the USA: Conventional Western (Allopathic)

Medicine and Alternative or Complementary Medicine. Conventional medicine is comprised of drugs that suppress the body's natural immune responses. It is the world of the American Medical Association (AMA) which is aligned with the multibillion dollar pharmaceutical industry. There is no better medicine when it comes to surgery, emergency and trauma. But there is no question that Alternative Medicine, which is more cost effective over the long term, works better for just about everything else, especially for diseases like cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, sinusitis, etc. Alternative methods work by assisting your body to heal itself instead of introducing strong drugs. They emphasize prevention and attack causes rather than symptoms. The Chinese have a saying about the wisdom of "walking on both feet," which means using the best of both Eastern and Western procedures. Many alternative doctors do just that. Experience shows that you're likely to get the best results with a practitioner who has trained in a number of different modalities. There may be many underlying factors influencing your health -- poor digestion, nutritional deficiency, toxicity, emotional stress, etc. You want someone who is capable of determining exactly what must be done to help you regain your health. Many alternative practitioners use high-tech, scientific diagnostic tools to pinpoint imbalances or underlying problems in major organs. Through a thorough line of questioning, they determine the probable cause and work with you toward a cure. You also want someone who listens and is open-minded and who treats you as an individual. What's good for Dave is not necessarily good for Marie. You are biochemically unique and you deserve to be treated as such. Your health--your very life--depends on it. For example, the conventional doctor who has 20 patients with asthma will often provide each of them with the same protocol, thus treating the condition and not the patients themselves. An alternative practitioner realizes that asthma has many causes. Perhaps the cause is an allergic reaction or a viral infection or diminished nerve supply due to a misaligned spine. The practitioner will try to find the cause for each patient's condition and treat each differently. This difference between approaches is the cornerstone of alternative medicine.

Alternative Medicine: An Overview Alternative medicine covers a wide range of medical approaches, therapies, and philosophies that, in general, have been rejected or neglected by physicians in the United States in the twentieth century. Until very recently, alternative medical treatments and practices have not been widely taught in medical schools, reimbursed by medical insurance companies, or used in hospitals. However, signs of a new openness to alternative medicine have begun appearing in recent years: a growing number of medical schools have begun teaching courses in alternative medicine; more private insurance plans have begun to recognize the utility of some forms of alternative medicine and have offered coverage in conjunction with

conventional treatments; and, in 1992, a Congressional mandate established the Office of Alternative Medicine, a small entity within the National Institutes of Health that was chartered to assess alternative therapies. Its annual budget has grown every year since 1993 and, between 1997 and 1998, increased from $12 million to $20 million. Popular forms of alternative treatments include acupuncture, biofeedback, chiropractic services, homeopathy, and naturopathy. These are described below:

Acupuncture: uses thin needles inserted into specific "reflex points" to relieve pain and to treat conditions such as nausea and chemical dependency. Biofeedback: uses relaxation and visualization in order to lower patients' stress levels, alleviate headaches, or reduce their blood pressure. Chiropractic services: adjusts the spine to treat pain and to prevent disease. Homeopathy: uses very small and diluted doses of natural, yet frequently poisonous, substances such as snake venom, poison ivy, and mercury to treat certain illnesses or disorders (e.g., allergies, asthma, epilepsy).

Naturopathy: uses a variety of therapies to help the body heal itself through nutrition counseling (e.g., emphasizing low-fat diets), herbal medicines (e.g., St. John's wort and other natural herbs), ultrasound therapy, massage, yoga, and other methods. Purist naturopaths avoid all antibiotics and other mainstream medicine.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993-the most comprehensive published study of alternative therapies-reported that 34 percent of adults had used alternative therapies such as these in 1990. However, about 72 percent of these users did not inform their physician that they used such therapies. Altogether, the amount spent on alternative therapies totaled $13.7 billion in 1990, with $10.3 billion of that amount spent out-of-pocket. Moreover, in 1994, there were 59,000 licensed alternative medicine practitioners in chiropractic, oriental medicine (acupuncture and herbal medicine), and naturopathy. About 50,000 of these providers were practicing in chiropractic medicine. More recent research investigated the characteristics of persons who have used alternative medicine. First, individuals with college or graduate degrees were found to be more likely to use alternative medicine than those with high school education or less. Second, individuals reporting serious health problems were more likely to use alternative medicine than healthier individuals. Furthermore, the majority of individuals who used alternative medicine did so largely because they viewed these practices as being compatible with their own values, beliefs, and philosophy toward life and health, not because they were dissatisfied with conventional medicine.

Insurance Coverage of Alternative Medicine Some health plans and employers have begun to voluntarily cover different types of alternative medicine. In January 1997, Oxford Health Plans became the first major health care plan in this country to offer comprehensive coverage for a range of alternative care services, including acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathy, and other specialties (e.g., nutrition, yoga, massage therapy). Policy holders, if they choose to pay an additional three percent premium, are reimbursed for these alternative services. Unlike other health plans that offer some coverage for alternative medicine, Oxford does not require a referral by a patient's primary care physician (PCP) to use these services. Only certain groups in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut can purchase this rider. Other insurers have offered more limited coverage of alternative medicine. Coverage often varies dramatically from one insurer to another. Plans offering limited coverage to some subscribers include American Western Life Insurance Company, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente, Mutual of Omaha, and Prudential. Many of these plans cover chiropractic care; others include acupuncture, biofeedback, massage therapy, herbal remedies, and/or other forms of alternative medicine. Although there is a relatively small proportion of plans offering alternative care coverage now, more HMOs are expected to begin reimbursing their members for some alternative treatments in the next few years. In fact, a recent survey of 80 national HMOs found that 58 percent intended to offer alternative care therapies to members by 1998. Additionally, in March 1998, Health Care Value Management, New England's largest Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), announced that it would offer alternative medicine benefits to its 400,000 members. Finally, a few self-insured companies, including Microsoft, have already included generous coverage of alternative practices in their health plans. Microsoft employees have a plan option that includes unlimited access to naturopaths and chiropractors. Except for certain chiropractic services, the federal Medicare program does not currently offer coverage of alternative medicine. However, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the agency that administers Medicare, has started to evaluate several treatments. First, in response to recent findings, Medicare announced it would test a new (non-surgical) preventive heart program developed by Dean Ornish, M.D. One study showed that this preventive heart program reduced the need for surgery and cut patients' medical costs by $10,000 a year. Additionally, a 1997 report by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel found that acupuncture is effective in treating postoperative and chemotherapy nausea, vomiting, and other conditions. As a result, Medicare has started assessing the cost effectiveness of including acupuncture in its benefits package.

State Mandates While some health plans and self-insured employers, as well as Medicare, voluntarily cover or are considering covering alternative medicine, some states have issued mandates. For example, a law in New York that went into effect on January 1, 1998, requires insurers to cover up to 15 chiropractic visits per year. Critics fear, however, that such mandates could greatly increase costs and drive large companies to leave the commercial insurance market and, instead, self-insure18. Altogether, in early 1995, 41 states reportedly required private insurers to offer chiropractic services19, either as a rider or mandated as a benefit. Additionally, according to Oxford Health Plans, eight states currently mandate that insurers offer acupuncture treatments. Moreover, the state of Oregon and the city of Miami have mandated acupuncture treatment for chemically dependent offenders20. Of all 50 states, Washington state has had the most extensive mandate. A law that took effect on January 1, 1996, required health plans to provide access to licensed providers of alternative health care. It stated that all categories of providers would be given equal treatment by insurance companies. The law initially mandated that, in every health plan, insurers must cover visits to chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, and other alternative care providers. However, after 12 of the state's largest insurers challenged the mandate, a federal judge ruled that the mandate was preempted by the Employee Retiree Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). In turn, the ruling was changed so that the mandate applied only to state-regulated health plans21. As of April 1998, an appeal by the state was pending. Cost Effectiveness of Alternative Medicine Since relatively little is known about the cost effectiveness of alternative medicine in general, many insurers are cautious about voluntarily offering the same levels of coverage for alternative medicine as they have for conventional medicine22. The NIH continues to sponsor various studies of alternative treatments. However, many conclusions from these studies will not be reached for several years23. Washington state's alternative medicine experience could ultimately provide useful information to other states. However, the use of Washington state's mandated alternative medicine benefits has not yet been sufficiently high to provide analysts with meaningful cost-benefit data. As a result, no cost effectiveness studies have been completed there. Proponents and opponents have argued about whether Washington state's mandate has added to the cost of health care. Proponents believe that the mandate lowers costs as people move from more expensive procedures to less expensive alternative medicine treatments. Opponents, on the other hand, think that it raises costs for everyone, not just those who use

alternative medicine procedures24. In the short term, they contend, costs increase as insurance policies pay for alternative treatments, because persons who have never tried alternative treatments are more likely to do so. Additionally, critics argue, persons who had used such treatments only sparingly have incentives to use more services (since insurance coverage lowers their out-of-pocket spending). Until there are sufficient data on use to conduct well-designed studies of Washington state's experience, however, learning about the cost effectiveness of its mandated alternative medicine benefit is likely to remain difficult. Conclusions Alternative medicine may potentially reduce health care costs and provide more effective care; but since alternative medicine can take so many forms, it is difficult to generalize about the usefulness and effectiveness of alternative medicine as a whole. While acceptance of alternative medicine has grown in parts of the medical community (e.g., more insurers are voluntarily offering coverage, more medical schools are including alternative medicine course options), alternative medicine still has many skeptics. As research on various types of practices continues, it should become easier for insurers, providers, employers, and others to evaluate which treatments effectively complement traditional medicine. Alternative medicine Vs conventional medicine Practices not generally recognized by the medical community as standard or conventional medical approaches and used instead of standard treatments are known as Alternative medicine. Treatment systems like chiropractic, herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, and spiritual devotions and culturally based healing traditions like Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Christian Science come under the ambit of Alternative medicine. Scientific community define alternative medicine as any treatment, the efficacy and safety of which has not been verified through peer reviewed controlled studies. US. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine(NCCAM) defines complementary and alternative medicine as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine". Complementary medicine is used in conjunction with conventional medicine whereas alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. Alternative medicine and modern society. In a study published in Medical Journal of Australia , Edzard Ernest found that about half the general population in developed countries use complimentary and alternative medicine. Similarly, a survey released by NCCAM in May 2004 found that in 2002, 36% of Americans used some form of alternative therapy in the past 12 months - a category that included yoga, meditation, herbal treatments and the Atkins diet. A telephonic survey conducted by BBC in

1998 found that around 20% of adults in Britain had used alternative medicine in the past 12 months. A lot of medical colleges have begun offering courses in alternative medicine Difference between conventional and Alternative medicine The difference starts from the definiton of health itself. Conventional medicine defines health as the absense of diseases. This is a negative definition. But alternative medicine defines it as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Bernie S. Siegel, M.D criticizes this approach of conventional medicine in his book "Love, Medicine and Miracles," "Despite the insights of some eminent doctors, medicine still focuses on disease, giving it a failure orientation. Its practitioners still act as though disease catches people, rather than understanding that people catch disease by becoming susceptible to the seeds of illness to which we are all constantly exposed. Although the best physicians have always known better, medicine as a whole has rarely studied the people who don't get sick. Most doctors seldom consider how a patient's attitude towards life shapes that life's quantity and quality." Those who use conventional medicine seek treatment only when they are ill. They don't focus on preventive treatment. But alternative medicine focuses on preventive treatment. According to alternative medicine, health is a balance of body system-mental, emotional, and spiritual, as well as physical. It uses therapies to strengthen body's own defenses and restore balance. One cannot feel the result of alternative medicine overnight. But it is a slow process. Result will not be at the expense of side effects. Alternative medicine recognizes human body's resistance. When diseases occur, it seeks the ways to strengthen this natural resistance. Alternative treatment methods are very effective in treating both major and minor medical conditions. It empowers patients. When Talking About Alternative Medicine Versus Conventional Medicine Alternative medicine versus conventional medicine has always been a hot topic of discussion. Though we all are aware of the major points to be discussed while talking about alternative medicine versus conventional medicine but still let us know some critical differences between the alternative treatments and the conventional medicines. The most basic difference between the herbal cures or alternative medicines and conventional medicines is that where the latter is the result of scientific endeavors the former is not. These natural cures are the possessions of our ancestors who used them in ancient times much before the arrival of conventional medicines. The effect of these medicines is so much that still most of the people like to prefer these herbal therapies instead of the mainstream medicines to cure various types of disorders and diseases. These herbal supplements are more like any dietary supplements comprising of herbs and other herbal remedies to cure your ailment. A herb is a kind of plant that is used as a medicine because of its medicinal properties. And one can easily guess the effectiveness of these herbal medicines by comparing the death ratio of ancient times with today's. If conventional medicines have the capability to cure these diseases then why the hell the ratio of diseases is increasing with great pace today. It seems as if conventional medicines are

interfering with the natural process of treatment. For example, when your headache can be treated naturally with a simple massage then what's the use of taking synthetic medicines to alleviate the pain. The natural treatment only demands a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet following which you can simply say good bye to your all contemporary diseases at once. It is not the saying of a single person but many people have admitted this fact. Majority of patients have said good bye to their long-term diseases by switching over to alternative medicines from conventional medicines.

Why Don't More Doctors Use Alternative Medicine? You may wonder why these methods are not being used by more doctors. Although they are being used by many, too many mainstream doctors today become so specialized that they treat the body parts and forget they are treating the whole body. This is fine for surgery, emergency or trauma but not for perpetuating good health. 1. One reason for this specialization is that medical schools are organized into organ-specific departments with no common link between them. Although disease usually appears as a local symptom, it is always related to the entire system. So you must treat the whole person to cure the disease, otherwise you are just treating the symptom. The medical school department heads ignore or deride this idea to defend their own orthodox concepts. 2. It takes time for new ideas to be accepted. In the 1800s, a Viennese doctor suggested that his colleagues wash their hands after they finish working on cadavers, instead of using their unwashed hands to deliver babies. After 30 years of ridicule and debate this idea finally caught on. How many babies died waiting for this idea to be accepted? How many cancer, heart and AIDS patients are dying today for the same reason? Many doctors today are refusing to accept the common sense truths that have existed for centuries. The "cut, burn and poison" mentality of fighting the war on disease that exists today, completely ignores the importance of the immune system. In fact, it often weakens an immune system that is already under assault. The important truth that is ignored is--it is not the doctors job to fight the war on disease. It is the patient's own immune system that must win that war. The doctor's job is to help the immune system and provide the tools with which it can fight. Since this is not being done in the U.S., American doctors are winning many battles but losing many wars. The majority of cancer patients who are given a "clean bill of health" die within five years. No attention is being paid to the immune system because this area is out of the realm of drugs and modern medicine. 3. Also one of the most powerful industries in America, the pharmaceutical industry, provides a huge amount of funding for the medical schools with the intent of marketing their medicines. There is a great deal of pressure from this industry to keep alternative methods from being taught. However, due to popular demand, some alternatives are now offered as electives. It's a small step--but it's a step in the right direction. Perhaps, 30 years from now, we may be living in a new era when we look back with great disgust at the many lives unnecessarily lost at the hands of conventional medicine.

4. Why don't we hear more about natural medicine from the news media? We are hearing more and more from the news media every day. But have you ever counted the pharmaceutical advertisements during a typical one hour program --especially if it's a movie where one of the characters has a specific health problem? How many drug ads do you think you would see during an expose of the drug industry or a show on the benefits of alternative medicine? The news media, like everyone else, is in the business of making money. Much of those revenues come in the form of advertising dollars. The pharmaceutical giants spend dearly on advertising. 5. Young doctors leaving medical school find themselves in a system that rewards "rescue medicine." That is what they are taught. There is no reward, and there may well be scorn from fellow doctors, for those who take the time to prevent illness or correct the deficiencies that may cause it. To do so would hurt the pocketbook of the medical establishment. Medical insurance supports this view. Financial rewards follow only from sticking to the model of illhealth and treatment. As educated consumers, we need to be keenly aware of the politics of conventional medical care. 6. Malpractice is another great fear for doctors. The definition of malpractice is not whether the treatment is good or bad for the patient, but rather if the practice in question is what other doctors in the given locality normally do or prescribe. Did you ever wonder why some therapies are only available in certain localities or why you may have to travel to a big city for a particular treatment? 7. We, the public, need to change our attitudes toward the "practice" of medicine. It's not about "medicine" or treating bad health. It's about producing good health. Drugs won't get you there and most of the time they will set you back by suppressing a symptom that is pointing to the real problem. (See Drug-induced Disorders on the links page). Instead of treating the symptom, treat the cause. The symptom will then disappear. Only then will you experience a true cure.

Alternative medicine The term 'alternative medicine' that is so commonly used today is somewhat unsuitable since that would seem to indicate that it is a form of treatment departing from so-called 'traditional' scientific practices and is just a possibility for a new treatment of disease. The truth is, so called 'alternative' medicine is the natural treatment of disease that was in effect in ancient times long before conventional medicine was ever introduced. Alternative medicine is traditional, whereas conventional medicine is relatively new and not traditional. So conventional medicine should rightly be deemed 'alternative.' Upon the introduction of conventional medicine, what is now called alternative medicine was suppressed, insomuch that many sufferers are very distrustful of the use of ancient treatments because they have been made to believe that such treatments are ineffectual or even dangerous. Yet, many ancient practices as Chinese, water treatment, herbal remedies, massage and Ayurveda (Indian medicine believed to be the oldest and most complete medical system) are still being practised with great results; and, in recent times, other systems also based upon the

ancient forms of natural healing have emerged. These include such therapies as homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, aromatherapy, nutritional medicine, naturopathic, and many other natural therapies that have proved to support the natural healing function of the body with excellent results. In spite of this, there are persons who would prefer to suffer than give such treatments a chance. However, when all else fail, many of those same persons are now returning to such therapies with the hope of finding relief. Although there are different alternative therapies with varying beliefs and techniques, there are common principles under which they are all operating: 1. The body can heal itself naturally and remain stable. 2. Health problems can be contributed to factors of mind, body and emotions. 3. It is more important to get to the root cause of an illness and treat the whole person than to concentrate upon symptoms only. 4. A person can contribute to his own healing if he pays more attention to his health. 5. The same method of treatment cannot be suitable for everyone since each person is unique in his physical, mental, and spiritual build. This is why two persons may be diagnosed with the same disease and the same level of illness, and one survives and the other succumbs. Your mind can work wonders. The main difference between so-called alternative medicine and conventional medicine is that the latter is too concerned with treating the symptoms of disease by scientific techniques and technology instead of treating the whole person and the cause of disease. On the other hand, alternative medicine puts much emphasis upon the prevention of disease (as mentioned above), and seeks to treat the whole person so as to strengthen the immune system to bring about a sustained healing