Question

Based on a new study, Americans’ out-of-pocket expenditures for alternative health in the U.S. average out at $30 billion a year. “Alternative health care” costs included practitioners such as yoga instructors and chiropractors; natural supplements such as glucosamine and self-help materials such as books and CDs are used. Discuss your understanding of alternative healthcare and if you or someone you know has used treatment in this manner and the results of said treatment.

Answer 1

Alternative health care is a set of procedures which will be belonging to the standard health care therapies.These alternative systems may be used alone or along with the conventional medicines.

The alternative medical system includes the following:

Ayurveda: Ayurveda is a traditional medicine which is followed over 5,000 years in India.According to ayurvedic medicine everything in the body will be composed of 5 things.those are air,earth,water,fire and vacuum.The balance will be maintained among these elements,if any change in the balance that will result in the formation of illness.

Ayurvedic treatment generally includes the following treatments:diet,cleansing,detoxfication,herbal medicine,yoga,meditation and exercise.

-palliative care include shamana therapy to eliminate the doshas(vata,pitha and kapha)

-for purification panchakarma technique is used

-pathya vyavastha for proper diet

-to eliminate aggravating and precipitating factors nidan parivarjan

-satva vijaya for psychiatric illness

-rasayana therapy to strengthen immune system

Homeopathy:this was developed by Samuel Hahnemann. These techniques are used by diluting the specific substances with alcohol or water.

The main drawback of this therapy is sow acting in nature.so it cannot be used for medical emergencies where those should be treated 1st with allopathic medicines and also in case of certain conditions at the stage of surgical methods are needed.

Naturopathy: As the name indicates it deals with the natural body mechanisms in prevention treating the illnesses. Naturopathy mainly focuses on the prevention aspects than the treatment of the disease.

The treatment modalities used in naturotherapy are:water therapy,mud therapy,food,space therapy,fire therapy,massage and air therapy

Unani: This medicine originated in Greece but now it is practiced in India.This type of medicie uses herbals, dietary and other alternative measure to treat the diseases.

Acupuncture: It is a traditional chinese medicine that was originated 5000 years ago.

In this therapy needles are introduced in to the body to pass through meredian linesto influence and balance the balance of "qi"which is considered as vital energy.there are over 1000 acupuncture points in the body.

Yoga therapy: yoga is also originated from India.Yoga is a discipline where the individuals are practiced to adopt specific body positions, breathing control and simple meditation to maintain good health.there are different yoga aasanaas are available to each part of the body ad also to maitain body flexibility.

Chiriopractic is also another type of therapy used to diagnose and treat with the musculoskeletal disorders,especially spine.

there are so many other type of alternative medicine are also in practice to improve the health status of the individual.those are:

massage,tai chi,body movement therapies,dietary supplements,herbal medicine etc.

All these medicine types are with less side effects,so i will encourage the people to use these alternative medicine to improve their health.