Alternative Therapies and Modern Therapy

Are alternative therapies used alongside modern medicine? Actually they may be used more often than most people would think. First, take a look at Europe, and in particular France, the nation where the alternative therapy of Aromatherapy was invented in the 1800's. Many of the essential oils used in Aromatherapy in France are prescribed medicines under the control of physicians. It is quite common to go into a doctor's office in France and find Aromatherapy being used.

Next take a look at chiropractic therapy. In point of fact, in many parts of the US the traditional rivalry between chiropractic physicians and medical doctors has all but disappeared. Many times the DC and the MD will refer patients back and forth to each other, each realizing that the other can be an essential healthcare partner to their patients. After all, MD's don't do spinal manipulation, and DC's don't prescribe medication. Each can help the other, and each can help each other's patients. Many insurance companies have also recognized this and now pay for chiropractic therapy.

Alternative therapies used alongside modern medicine also at times include hypnosis, used for decades as a tool in the mental health field. Psychiatrists and psychologists often hypnotize patients and utilize the connection to the subconscious to help patients quit smoking, stop overeating, and conquer other problems and disorders. And one of the earliest medical uses of hypnosis, as a pain control device, is often used today by surgeons when for one reason or another they cannot use chemical anesthetics. They find that in many cases hypnosis works just as well if not better.

Acupuncture is an alternative therapy that is used by more medical doctors than most people would realize. Used for centuries in Asia, many medical professionals and have come realize that acupuncture can be a safe and effective treatment for pain and have incorporated it into their practices. Especially in California, many MD's utilize acupuncture, and some use acupressure, a similar science.

Modern medicine developed along with orthodox science, following the dominance of a materialist philosophy. Science has made major advances, but many people believe that somewhere along the way something became lost, and that is what holistic medicine and alternative therapies seek to return. But because both science and holism have adherents and both of them have benefits, alternative therapies used alongside modern medicine will become more and more common in the future.