The Pros And Cons Of Alternative Medicine

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Alternative Medicine Alternative medicine, a term that describes medical treatments that are used to cure physical and mental pain in a human body. It can be refer to as “integrative” or “complementary” medicine. Research says about 40% of adults in the United States say they use some form of alternative medicine (Webmd). Alternative medicine is a interesting topic because it has variety of links with many different cultures. It’s very difficult to say when alternative medicine began, because recently the practices that fall under the term “alternative medicine” were the conventional medical practices of the time. But as an estimate if we go back in history, after tracing several of the forms of healing that are now labeled as alternative,…show more content…
Doctors recommend alternative medicine to people to release frustration, sadness, or other problems. There are some reasons why people use alternative therapies. Some people use it for breast cancer, relaxation, emotions, relieve anxiety and increase health. Many doctors, cancer nurses and researchers believe that positive emotions can improve your health. Research says some people believe that using specific alternative therapies instead of conventional cancer treatment might help control or cure their cancer (Cancerresearch.org). In 2008 (the most recent data found), more than 38% of American adults used some form of alternative medicine and helped in a way. Examples of alternative medicine are acupressure, aromatherapy, and reflexology. Acupressure is similar in practice to acupuncture, only no needles being used. People that do acupressure use their hands, elbows, or feet to apply pressure on certain body parts. Acupressure usually decreases nausea for some patients and lower anxiety in people who scheduled to have surgery. Aromatherapy uses essential oil that comes from roots, leaves, seeds, or blossoms of plants. It is used by inhaling the oil, massaged into the skin (in rare cases). Some are used to treat inflammation or infections; others use it for relaxation. Reflexology is applying pressure on the feet, hands, or ears. The theory of this therapy is to correspond to different body organs and systems. It is believed that it positively affect organs in a person’s health. For example, applying pressure to a spot on the arch of the foot is believed to benefit bladder function (Greatist.com). Any person can use reflexology. Millions of people around the world use reflexology for conditions like anxiety, cancer, diabetes, kidney function, and asthma. Some studies have found that reflexology can improve respiratory function in breast cancer

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