People around the world have begun to realize that allopathic medicine is not the panacea they have put their trust in for most of their lives. Medical practices that were once widely accepted are now questioned by many as their main concern is safeguarding their health and that of their family. Alternative medicine is fast becoming the gold standard in health care for those who are disenchanted with the results - or lack thereof' that conventional medicine has produced for them.

An example of alternative medicine would be when a cancer patient decides to forego all chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and instead follow a regimen of diet and food supplements such as laetrile for their only treatment. If you watch any TV at all, you've seen the skillfully edited commercials that feature smiling, happy people who seem as if they don't have a care in the world because they were given a pharmaceutical drug for some sort of medical problem they were having. The magazine ads are just as misleading to the public. Though each of these media outlets mentions the drug's side effects, it is done quickly and unobtrusively, almost as if it is an afterthought.

Alternative medicine has become so popular in part because of these undesirable effects. Take for example these adverse side effects of the popular hormone replacement therapy:

- Premarin

- Migraine headache

- Chest pain

- Confusion and memory problems

- Swelling of the lower extremities

Most women would probably prefer to have the hot flashes of menopause than to experience any of these reactions on a regular basis. But, you don't have to put up with either one when you use alternative medicine! Most prescription drugs are quite expensive when compared to the cost of vitamins, minerals, and herbs.

Alternative medicine believes that achieving wellness involves treating the entire body. Traditional allopathic, or Western medicine, concentrates on analyzing and managing specific complaints and illnesses. Treatment of these complaints almost always includes the prescription of one or more drugs. There is still a lot to learn about both complementary and alternative medicine and its role in helping people have an alternate to conventional health care. Many times, once they discover that the side effects are as bad or worse than the illness for which they were prescribed the drug in the first place, they seek a better, safer, and more natural approach to good health.

Many allopathic doctors have begun to embrace certain alternative medicine remedies and treatments, as they have seen for themselves the power behind these age-old solutions for good health. Alternative medicine is more respected by conventional doctors when treatments like this work better than the usual standard cancer fighting arsenal. This proves that even though conventional medicine is based on years of scientific study, complementary and alternative medicine can be just as effective at treating an illness or disease. You can expect alternative medicine to continue to influence the way we approach health care as it permeates mainstream medicine a little more each year.

Copyright (c) 2008 Vernon DeFlanders