Monday, February 22, 2010

Alternative Medicine in Today’s Modern World

Author: plantstemcells

We live in a busy world, when almost everyone loves to take things within their reach. We live in a world where fast food, remote control, TV, automobiles, gasoline, and electricity are a prerequisite. Modernization has its own conveniences, but it has its own downfalls. It makes us become busy all the time with all the details, so that we don’t have the time to study new things. Take, for instance, the practice of medicine nowadays. A patient comes in, and, after examination and history-taking he is being bombarded with a handful of pills to take with illegible prescription handwriting. The same thing happens to the second patient, then the third patient, and so on. Modern medicine is so monotonous that doctors appear too busy to research on alternative ways on how to promote good health and well-being.

Few of us medical practitioners realize the importance of alternative medicine, and how it opens venues for future research and for the formulation of custom protocols for the individual patient. We think of alternative medicine as “quack” treatments, but do we ever pause to study and examine it in detail so that we can learn from it and apply it to our practice?

Alternative medicine has been defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) as a form of healing practice which is “used in place of conventional medicine, such as using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional doctor.” It is different from complementary medicine, which is a healing practice being used together with standard medical care, e.g. using acupuncture to help with side effects of cancer treatment; or, integrative medicine, which “is a total approach to care that involves the patient's mind, body, and spirit and combines standard medical treatments with CAM practices that have shown the most promise”. These three concepts are grouped together as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).

Do Americans use complementary and alternative medicine in their daily lives? Absolutely. The NCCAM has reported in 2007 that in the United States alone, 38 percent of adults (about 1 in 9) and approximately 12 percent of children (about 1 in 9) are using complementary and alternative medicine. It has also been found out that CAM use is greater among women and those with higher levels of education and higher incomes.

 Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is further divided into four major categories: biologically based practices, energy medicine, manipulative and body-based practices. In addition, complementary and alternative medicine involves whole medical systems, in the form of homeopathic medicine, which seeks to stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself; traditional Chinese Medicine which uses herbs, meditation, and massage to obtain balance in the body; Ayurveda which originated in India; and Naturopathic Medicine, which supports the body’s ability to heal itself through the use of dietary and lifestyle changes together with herbs, massage and joint manipulation.

Naturopathic medicine trusts in the healing power of nature, such that it avoids synthetics drugs, radiation and major surgery. It stresses the importance of preventive medicine, that is, prevention of illnesses through a healthy, stress free lifestyle.

In this world of pollution, garbage, junk food, bacterial and viral gene mutations, the practice of naturopathic medicine among health practitioners is essential. Synthetic drugs are but a part of the traditional medical system which sees patients as a group, not as an individual. Have you ever wondered why, as practicing health care practitioners, some patients seem to get better than the others? This fact has nothing to do with compliance and risk stratification, as many compliant patients and many young, healthy patients die. This only proves the fact that each of us has a unique genetic make-up. Each patient is unique, thus patient care should be individualized and not commercialized for mass consumption. Thus, we should pave the way for revolutionary medicine—medicine which changes as the world changes; medicine which is not stagnant but is adaptable to change, dynamic and patient-oriented.

The latest breakthrough in naturopathic medicine is plant stem cells therapy. Plant stem cells is a form of therapy which used extracts from buds, young shoots and young roots. These plant parts were chosen to be made into extracts because they were believed to be the center of a plant’s energy and thus, they are the main source of therapeutic effects. These parts, made into plant stem cells, also differ from the adult plant parts because they are less exposed to toxins and pollution.

Plant stem cells contain biologic energy and the genetic information for future plants. Plant stem cells also have an abundance of precious substances such as growth hormones, including auxins, gibberellins, ethylene, abscisic acid, cytokinins, nucleic acids, minerals, oligoelements, flavonoids, vitamins and enzymes. Plant stem cells contain auxins, which are plant hormones which were discovered by Charles Darwin in 1880. These plant stem cells stimulate cell growth and strengthen the immune system. These plant stem cells also contain Indoleacetic acud which helps regenerate tissues and lessens inflammation.

Plant stem cells also contain gibberellins, which stimulate RNA and protein synthesis. The cytokinins found in plant stem cells protect cells as they go into the process of cell division, thus they show promise in cancer therapy. Abscisic acid, also found in plant stem cells create resistance to stress. Thus it is not surprising that plant stem cells are now being used for athletes, growth problems in children, replacement therapy for aging, adjunct to would healing.  Plant stem cell therapy increases exercise endurance, facilitates healing after illnesses and hospitalizations. Plant stem cells reverses skin and body aging, firms muscles, reduces weight and body fat, enhances memory, improves vision, makes skin soft, smooth and firm, reverses osteoporosis due to its osteoblastic action, and improves sleep.

Thus plant stem cells are a revolutionary type of therapy in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. Firstly, it is because plant stem cells, as a form of naturopathic treatment, makes the doctor practice the adage “primum non nocere” (first, do no harm), because this type of therapy is effective yet poses the least risk to humans. Secondly, plant stem cells support the healing power of nature inherent in each human being. Third is that plant stem cells remove the causes of diseases and does not suppress and eliminates the symptoms only, unlike synthetic drugs. Fourthly, plant stem cells make the doctor a teacher and a researcher because it encourages him to assume full responsibility over a patient’s health and not delegate it to pharmaceutical companies who do not recognize their patients as individuals but as a pack of people where they could throw their pills at without recognizing their specific individual needs. Fifth, plant stem cells treat the whole person and emphasize the condition of health to promote well-being and prevent diseases for the individual, community and the whole world.

By- Marie Gabrielle Laguna MD
Plant Stem Cells—a medical revolution that will heal the world over.
www.plantstemcells.net, about PSC
http://www.plantstemcells.net/general-information/custom.html

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1051842_23.html

Monday, February 15, 2010

The History of Alternative Medicine

By Kellie Coton


A New Fad or Steeped in Ancient History?


You may be new to using alternative medicine or perhaps you have already seen the amazing benefits alternative medicine and alternative therapies can bring to your life. But do you know how long its been practiced and where it originated? Well let me take you on a journey into the fascinating history of alternative medicine.

The history of Alternative Medicine is an interesting one and has links with many different cultures. However it's difficult to say exactly when Alternative Medicine began, in part because up until recently the practices that fall under this term were the conventional medical practices of their time. But if we go back in history and trace several of the forms of healing that are now labelled as alternative we find that their origins go back as much as 5000 years.

From Eastern Philosophy to Widely used Western Alternatives


One of the oldest forms of alternative medicine can be traced back through Chinese history. The ancient Chinese, in much the same way as alternative medicine is used today, based their healing on the importance of the body and spirit being in balance. Much of the philosophy of Chinese Medicine is based on Taoist and Buddhist principals and the belief that a person and their environment are closely interlinked. The widely known principles of Yin and Yang come from Chinese Medicine and are integral to its practice. Yin and Yang explains how opposing forces are integral to each other and how for harmony within the body to take place, these must be in balance. When these are out of balance, disease occurs.

Chinese Medicine works at restoring balance in various ways including herbal medicine, acupuncture, breathing and movement (Tai Chi and Qigong) and also through diet. The practitioner looked at the patient's health and life in detail to ascertain where their life force or Qi (pronounced Chi) was out of balance. Various methods would then be used to restore the patient back to health. Such was the effectiveness of Chinese Traditional Medicine that it still forms a large part of modern health care in the East. It's not unusual for these "alternative" practices to be used in hospitals alongside western medicine.

The other Eastern Culture that has a long history of alternative medicine is India. Ayurvedic medicine dates back as far as 6000 years ago and like Chinese Medicine also has links with Buddhism. Ayurveda comes from 2 Sanskrit words - Ayu meaning life and veda meaning knowledge of. It is a system of medicine that keeps a persons body, mind and spirit in tune with nature in order to maintain good health.

When in Rome .....


In the West, the History of Alternative Medicine goes back around 3000 years. Treatments such as hydrotherapy were popular with the Romans and Greeks. The Ancient Greeks who were greatly influenced by the Babylonians and to a lesser extent by India and China brought herbalism into the West. Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC), a Greek physician commonly referred to as the Father of Medicine, practiced herbal medicine.

During the Middle Ages, Monks in Europe studied and grew medicinal plants and translated many works on the subject from Arabic. Folk Healers also passed on their knowledge of healing through word of mouth, from Master to Apprentice. The understanding of the power different plants have is ingrained in many native civilisations and has allowed man to understand and thrive in often challenging environments. When the Europeans settled in America they found that the Native Americans had an extensive knowledge of the healing power of their indigenous herbs. Likewise the Aborigines in Australia understood the power of plants found in their environment.

Moving forward in time towards the 19th Century, before the rise of Western Medicine, as we now know it, medical practitioners were more like today's naturopaths. They would take a detailed medical history paying particular attention to the patient's lifestyle. They would then suggest ways to improve this by changes in diet, environment and would also prescribe herbal remedies.

How a Bit of Mould Turned the Tables on Alternative Medicine


The widespread use of alternative medicine in its various forms decreased during the 20th Century. Treatment of patients became more focused on the use of hospitals, and developments in modern medicine lead to the widespread use of Pharmaceutical Drugs to treat disease. The discovery of Penicillin and its development into a drug that could treat bacterial infections in the 1940's revolutionised health care and alternative medicine lost favour with most medical practitioners.

Although many Doctors let go of what they considered to be outdated treatments such as homeopathy, herbalism and traditional Chinese Medicine many patients still sort them out, especially when conventional medicine didn't appear to be working for them.

No Longer An Alternative, Now Another Choice for Achieving Better Health


The result now is that Alternative Medicine is on the increase. Practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, aromatherapy and healing are kept alive by practitioners who specialise in one of more alternative form of treatment. Frequently alternatives are used alongside modern medical treatments, which have led to alternatives being given the term complimentary medicine.

This brief history of alternative medicine shows that many of the practices used today have been with us for thousands of years. Given the rising popularity of using alternative medicine to deal with health issues today, it's likely that these practices will be around for many more.

Want to find out more about using alternative medicine and alternative therapies to improve your health? Visit http://www.alternativemedicineanswers.com and grab your FREE preview of the new book Alternative Medicine Answers now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kellie_Coton


http://EzineArticles.com/?The-History-of-Alternative-Medicine&id=1631659

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

What is Alternative Medicine?

Author: gmanty

The term “alternative” medicine is a far-reaching one that describes a number of health and healing methods.  Generally, when using “alternative” you are talking about medicinal and general health practices, products, etc. that are not a part of society’s conventional medical systems. Sometimes referred to as “complementary” medicine when used in addition to, as opposed to instead of, conventional systems, the term can cover everything from folk medicine to faith healing to therapeutic massage.  In other words, if you can’t learn it in medical schools or get it in conventional hospitals, it’s considered “alternative.”

Because so many different approaches to health and wellness are lumped under the alternative heading, it can be difficult to decide whether or not to take any of them seriously.  Fad diets, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbology, yoga, probiotics and new age healing are just a few of the choices that fall under alternative medicine.  But how are you supposed to know what is real from what is quackery?

There are many sources that attempt to back alternative medicine practices with scientific study.  A quick search through the library or Internet will result in lots of studies and first-hand experiences that prove or disprove the worth of just about any alternative method you can name.  Ask friends and family if they have tried a particular treatment or practice, you’ll be surprised how many people go outside of conventional medicine for alternate therapies. Many of us already use alternative medicine without even realizing it.

Remember when grandma insisted on her special chicken soup when you were sick, or a friend recommended an egg yolk mask for acne just because that’s what her mom did?

Those are great examples of alternative medicine, and there’s plenty of research out there that shows them to have real world value.  Chicken soup is easy to eat when you’re sick and provides necessary hydration, vitamins, minerals, and protein to help you recover.  The high protein in egg yolks soothes and enriches the skin, as it dries it pulls out impurities, and all without adding oils or over drying.  Just because a medical doctor didn’t proscribe them doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t work.

Some alternative medicines have become more accepted by the conventional medical community.  Acupuncture, part of traditional Chinese medicine, has been practiced for thousands of years and is considered conventional in many Asian countries. However, acupuncture is accepted only for pain management in the US. Acupuncturists claim it can help everything from weight loss to infertility, but this has not been definitively proven in scientific study.  Practitioners in the US are highly trained and must get a license before treating patients.  Licenses aren’t infallible, but it does lend extra assurance that a professional with high standards is treating you.  Further proof of acceptance is that many insurance companies will cover treatment by a licensed acupuncturist.

It is still important to take care when choosing to use alternative medicine.  Be sure and do your homework.  While it may not hurt to put egg on your face, taking herbs without knowing how they may interact with other medicines or knowing proper dosages can cause serious problems.  Going to an unlicensed practitioner for something like acupuncture can result in serious injury. You should consult with your present health practitioner to discuss the alternative medicines you are considering. Be sure to weigh the risks and benefits carefully before trying anything new. Always let each health professional know all of your medical history and present practices.

Many people find great results from alternative and complementary medicine. When you explore these “new” options, you may find that there are centuries old ways to take care of your body and mind that have been overlooked by today’s western medicine.  Careful research and a mindful approach can help you achieve a better lifestyle and enjoy good health.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1361153_17.html