Whether you call it complementary, holistic, non-traditional, or alternative medicine, you know that it's different from what we in the West know as conventional, traditional, and allopathic. The differences between the two approaches are diametric. According to Marc Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, former director of the National Museum of Health and Medicine, founding editor of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, serving on the editorial board of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, in an interview with Daniel Redwood, D.C., alternative systems focus on the whole person: "the focus on wellness, the use of natural products, nutrition in a primary role, the recognition of bioenergy. These are things that are not any one system--they are shared among alternative systems." The focus of conventional, allopathic medicine is to cure you when you're ill, and assuming the doctors know what's best for you.
Consider the difference if you have a physical complaint. The conventional doctor is likely to hear the description of your symptoms, order a test or two, write a prescription, and send you on your way. If you make a visit to a holistic-oriented doctor, he or she will listen to the description of your symptoms, then ask you questions like, What else is going on? What do you think it's related to? What have you already tried? The intent is to uncover emotional and lifestyle issues that are at the root of the physical complaint. According to Sharon Parish, M.D., an internist and assistant professor at New York's Albert Einstein School of Medicine, this medical interview is the most important tool for helping a patient find a cure. She says a doctor needs to know about "lifestyle, stressors, spiritual practices, diet, and nutritional deficiencies so that the whole person can be treated."
One of the key components of alternative medicine is the responsibility that the patient much assume for his or her own health. Bringing the body into a balance, disease-free state requires treating the whole person and requires attention and time for lasting results. Frequently, changes in lifestyle and habits are warranted. As David Diehl, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles School of Medicine points out, "If you've got a lousy diet and are getting acupuncture, it's like driving with the brakes on."
The much publicized survey by the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993 found that 34 percent of Americans used as least one alternative therapy; that one-third of Americans make an average of 19 visits to alternative treatment providers each year, spending $13.7 billion, 75 percent of which comes out of their pockets. Suzan Walter, president of the American Holistic Health Association, believes at least 50 percent of Americans are using alternative therapies today.
So why are we moving away from conventional medicine or at least getting a 'second opinion' from an alternative source? James Gordon, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry and community and family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Chair of the Advisory Council to the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine, Director of Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, DC, and author of Manifest for a New Medicine: Your Guide to Healing Partnerships and the Wise Use of Alternative Therapies (Addison-Wesley), believes that conventional medicine is failing the masses. In Mind-Body Connection, he says, "When that science and those who serve it fail us, we have the most powerful incentive to look for hope from alternatives which may call every aspect of that 'conventional medicine' into question." Micozzi, M.D., attributes this movement to his belief that the "health care crisis is really a crisis of confidence and conscience" because medicine may be
available, but it's not affordable for everyone who needs it.
The federal government spends more than $10 billion a year subsidizing biomedical research. Less than $20 million has been spent on alternative medicine research in the history of the United States, according to Micozzi, M.D.
There are at least a few government officials in Washington paying some attention to the alternative medicine issue. About six years ago, Congress set up the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) under the jurisdiction of the National Institutes of Health. Representative Peter DeGazio (D-OR) has sponsored H.R. 1055 that would convert the present OAM into an independent National Center for Integral Medicine (NCIM). If passed, NCIM would receive $200 million for research into effective complementary treatments and how they can be combined with conventional medicine. There is also a component that calls for educating the public about alternative medicine.
Alternative medicine systems include ayurveda, focusing on body type and its relation to diet, routine, exercise, and rest, and made popular in the U.S. by Deepak Chopra, M.D.; chiropractic focusing on the manipulation of the spine to restore balance in the body; herbalism, focusing on the use of herbal remedies to stimulate the body's own natural healing abilities by rebalancing and cleansing it; homeopathy, focusing on curing which arouses the immune system to overcome sickness and restore health; naturopathy, focusing on natural ways to restore balance in the body and promote health; osteopathy, focusing on the structural and mechanical framework of the body; and Traditional Chinese Medicine, focusing on balancing the body's vital energy, quite, frequently employing acupuncture.
Alternative therapies abound: acupuncture, acupressure, Alexander Technique, anthroposophical medicine, aromatherapy, autogenics, biofeedback, chelation therapy, detoxification, energy medicine, faith healing, fasting, Feldenkrais, flower essence remedies, folk medicine, guided imagery, Hellerwork, hydrotherapy, hypnotherapy, kinesiology, massage/bodywork, mind-body medicine, meditation, Native American medicine, orthomolecular therapy, polarity, prayer, reflexology, Reiki, rolfing, shiatsu, Tai Chi, therapeutic touch, Trager, and yoga.
The list seems endless; yet there are pearls of healing within each therapy. What they all have in common is the emphasis on self-awareness, the whole person, disease prevention, healing, and optimal health. Patients are responsible for choosing which therapies are right for them, taking into account their personal preferences, symptoms, general health, circumstances, and lifestyle.
Choosing between alternative and conventional medicine doesn't have to be an 'either-or' choice. Both schools of thought and practice have merit when it comes to treating health concerns. Patients often see a conventional doctor and engage in alternative therapies concurrently.
Perhaps the most notable proponent of using the knowledge and wisdom of both schools is Andrew Weil, M.D., founder of The Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, AZ, director of the program for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona medical school, and author of several books, including Natural Health, Natural Medicine and 8 Weeks to Optimal Health, who was recently on the cover of Time Magazine with the question, Can This Guy Make You Healthy? In an interview with Daniel Redwood, D.C., Weil stated that the "body has a healing system, an innate healing potential that can be accessed in many different ways. The optimal treatment is that which minimally impacts the physical body and maximally accesses the healing system." He says that the optimal treatment for about 20 percent of us is found in conventional medicine, like in the case of broken bones. However, for such complaints as headaches, stomach aches, and rashes, alternative therapies would be the first choice for treatment.
Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine (Harper), editor of an alternative therapy newsletter, and former chief of staff at Dallas City Hospital, believes that "contemporary medicine will [eventually] change to adopt" alternative therapies. In a recent Time Magazine on-line report, Joseph Jacobs, M.D., a former director of OAM, who was trained at Yale University, indicated that the "present distinction between alternative and conventional medicine will eventually be blurred."
Alternative medicine is non-invasive and preventative in nature. Its use can ease the pain that results from necessary surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. It is cost-effective and less expensive than conventional medicine. It takes into account all aspects of life -- the physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, social, and work. It boosts the natural healing process and lowers health care costs. It can readily be integrated with conventional medicine.
The critics says there's not enough scientific evidence to support the use of alternative medicine and its complementary therapies. Many of these systems have been around for thousands of years and are being used by most of the world's population. The transition from conventional medicine to the integration of alternative medicine into a more holistic approach of healing people is likely to be slow and tumultuous because personal responsibility is the key to making such a complementary system work. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D., says that "every person really has to be responsible to stay healthy, and get well when they're sick, and has to focus on their ability to care for themselves." That means we're all going to need to make some changes in how we live life.
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To learn more about alternative medicine, contact:
American Academy of Osteopathy at 317.879.1881
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at 206.298.0125
American Association of Oriental Medicine
American Chiropractic Association at 703.276.8800
American Holistic Medical Association
American Preventative Medical Association at 800.230.2762
American Holistic Health Association at 310.862.6116 and http://www. healthy.net/ahha
Andrew Weil, M.D. at http://www.drweil.com
Ayurvedic Institute at 505.291.9698
HealthWorld Online at http://www. healthy.net
National Center for Homeopathy at 703.548.7790
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