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Why Alternative Medicine?Why More People Are Considering Alternative MedicineIt Is CheaperAs the cost of medical treatment continues to rise, alternative medicine provides another way of healing. Some alternative therapies are cheaper and could be more effective. Consider chiropractic. In the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutic (1993), a two-year study involving 395,641 patients with neuro-musculo-skeletal condition revealed that patients receiving chiropractic care incurred significantly lower treatment costs than those treated solely by medical or osteopathic care.It Is More PersonalWe are tired of doctors who listen to our problem for two minutes and then prescribe numerous pills without telling us what we did wrong in the first place. Alternative medicines aim to establish health rather than find disease. So, it is normal for a patient to be asked numerous questions. For example, a homeopathic practitioner may ask you for seemingly odd details like the position in which you sleep.The questioning sessions are also longer and numerous tests are conducted. For acupuncture, it is normal for the practitioner to check your pulse, tongue, breathing pattern and eyes. People have started considering alternative medicine because the practitioners seem to care. Most times, alternative medicine practitioners are able to dedicate more time to a particular patient than conventional doctors. Its Healing ApproachThe emphasis of alternative medicine is on preventive measure. It also believes in using the body's own healing power to treat illnesses. For instance, naturopathy places great stress on a proper diet that includes natural fruits and vegetables but excludes dairy products.Rather than tell you about your illness, naturopathy talks about how you can improve your health. A naturopath will help you change your diet rather than suppress your medical problem with pills. HopeAlternative medicine is synonymous with hope. Many people who found no cure with conventional medicine, turned to alternative therapies with great success. Patients suffering from so-called incurable diseases like AIDS or life-threatening ones like cancer turned to alternative medicine when doctors said that their disease is incurable. It is estimated that more than 80 percent cancer patients use alternative medicine alongside conventional therapy.Norman Cousins, for example, practically laughed his way to healing. He was told that he had little chance, if any, of surviving his disease. Hearing this, Cousins decided to take matters into his own hands. He started his own recovery plan, including laughter and affirmative emotions like love, faith and hope. He also took a great deal of Vitamin C, which he read would be beneficial for his condition. Despite his doctor's grim pronouncements that he would never survive, he turned his back on heavy medication and went on to cure himself of his disease. You can read about his remarkable recovery in a book entitled Anatomy of an Illness. Also Read:
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