With the help of the right nutritional supplement, many people can experience greater levels of health and fewer symptoms of illnesses than would otherwise be possible. Indeed, nutritional supplements can often successfully make up for dietary shortcomings or address symptoms that are not resolved using conventional therapies. However, consumers are often confused about how to choose a supplement that will deliver meaningful benefits. Unfortunately, nutritional supplements are often of dubious quality, and some products don’t contain any of the ingredients that they advertise.1 When the advertised ingredients are present, many supplements aren’t formulated in a way that allows the body to use those ingredients effectively, which means the majority of each dose will go to waste and the patient is unlikely to experience beneficial effects.
In light of such widespread industry practices, knowing how to choose a supplement that will deliver on its promises can be complicated. But it doesn’t have to be if you know what to look for and as you begin your search for the right product, it is critical to understand one of the most essential attributes of nutritional supplements: bioavailability.
Philosophies of Alternative therapies
Alternative therapies tend to share a few core beliefs, including:
- Illness occurs if the body is out of balance.
- The body can heal itself and maintain a healthy state if given the right conditions.
- The whole person should be treated, not just the disease or the symptoms.
- The gentlest therapies must be tried first before harsher ones.
- There is no quick fix, since healing and balance take time.
- Natural products are preferable to synthetic ones.
Why people use Alternative therapies
People may have more than one reason for trying a alternative therapy. Some of the reasons include:
- achieving and maintaining good health
- helping them perform everyday tasks
- feeling dissatisfied with conventional medical practices
- wanting to take charge of their own health and medical problems
- reading evidence of the benefits and safety of some complementary medicines and therapies
- feeling dissatisfied with limited success rates or adverse side effects of prescription medicines
- wanting to receive healthcare that treats the whole person and not just their symptoms
- 1. Acupuncture
- Acupuncture is a healing technique that dates back more than 3,000 years. The goal of acupuncture is to rebalance the patient’s chi, promoting healing and restoration. This is achieved by inserting thin, sterile needles into specific points in the body along energy meridian pathways.
- When many people think of acupuncture, they associate it with pain management. According to the National Institutes of Health, several studies found that acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis or knee pain, tension headaches and migraines. However, acupuncture is also effectively used to alleviate chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue, infertility, asthma and menopausal symptoms. It is often sought in conjunction with other alternative and conventional medical treatments.
- 2. Oriental medicine
- Oriental medicine is ancient system of medicine that restores health and balance by treating illness and disease through the Five Major Branches of Oriental Medicine: acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, oriental nutrition and dietary therapy, tuina or oriental bodywork, and tai chi and qi gong.
- Studies have demonstrated that Oriental Medicines help and manage chronic illness such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease. Additionally, according to the studies, when implemented safely and under the direction of an experienced practitioner, Oriental Medicine is considered to have a better safety profile when compared to pharmaceutical chemicals.
- 3. Chiropractic medicine
- Chiropractic medicine is a comprehensive health care profession that addresses the wide variety of factors that impact human physiology. In fact, in some states, Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) are licensed to be primary health care providers for their patients. They often work hand-in-hand with allopathic practitioners to provide patients with alternative care that meets their personal needs.
- Chiropractic physicians specialize in natural, non-invasive health care and are trained in treatment methods that include performing musculoskeletal adjustments, physical rehabilitation, and recommending natural or herbal remedies.
- Chiropractic medicine is a well-known and well-respected form of alternative medicine that is increasingly moving into the mainstream of health care. Patients frequently turn to chiropractic doctors for relief from chronic pain resulting from headaches, back and neck discomfort or damage, and sports injuries. When used regularly, chiropractic medicine can be a preventative treatment therapy, keeping patients healthy and pain free.
- 4. Massage Therapy
- Therapeutic massage offers both relaxation and health benefit. This type of therapy is designed to work together with medical treatment to address many health disorders and improve general quality of life. Massage is a preferred method of stress relief for many who are committed to wellness and preventive health care.
- According to the 2014 Massage Therapy Consumer survey performed by the American Massage Therapy Association, 6.9 % have used massage therapy as a form of complementary medicine. Massage therapy has been shown effective in treating chronic pain and illness, including pain and fatigue in cancer patients, immune system functioning, headaches, high blood pressure and fibromyalgia.
- 5. Naturopathic Medicine
- Naturopathic medicine is a system of health care focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness. It is dedicated to nature’s healing powers and centered around six principles: First Do No Harm, Treat the Whole Person, Identify and Treat the Causes, The Healing Power of Nature, Doctor as Teacher, and Promoting Wellness. Naturopathic doctors treat the individual, not the disease, and prevent illness and chronic conditions through a combination of practices including nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy and minor surgery.
- Because Naturopathic medicine approaches patient care from a holistic standpoint and treats the entire person, as opposed to only the disease and diagnosis, it is particularly well suited to serve as a complementary medical treatment to other interventions. Treating chronic illness holistically means looking at all the factors that comprise health, with the ultimate goal of restoring balance and supporting the natural healing process. Naturopathic medicine in all its varied modalities offers the most depth when incorporating it into a complicated chronic illness care plan.
- When dealing with chronic illness, the goal is to bring relief to the patient as soon as possible and to establish a treatment plan that will ensure healing and continued well-being. Allopathic and conventional Western medicine are not the only options for intervention and prevention – and more patients are realizing this and choosing to explore complementary and alternative medicine.
- 6 African
- The use of medicinal plants as a fundamental component of the African traditional healthcare system is perhaps the oldest and the most assorted of all therapeutic systems, the major focus of the present review is to provide an updated overview of 10 promising medicinal plants from the African biodiversity which have short- as well as long-term potential to be developed as future phytopharmaceuticals to treat and/or manage panoply of infectious and chronic conditions.
- Within the framework of enhancing the significance of traditional African medicinal plants, aspects such as traditional use, phytochemical profile, in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies and also future challenges pertaining to the use of these plants have been explored.