A lot of people’s first instinct when the topic of complementary and alternative medicine comes up in conversation is to walk away. There is a lot of stigma surrounding it due to hardcore advocates who completely shrug off the power of pharmaceutical medicine. Studies seem to suggest that certain alternative medicines can be very good for the human body though, making them a superior alternative in some cases to pharmaceutical drugs.
If you are somebody who in the past never had much interest in alternative medicine, this post is here to tell you why it’s time to reconsider and start using them.
Herbal Medicine
So you want to research and learn more about complementary and alternative medicine? Good thinking. More and more people are turning to it because it provides them with a safer, healthier alternative than many pharmaceutical drugs. People report time and time again that pharmaceutical drugs exacerbate their problems. Drugs specifically used to heal the gut tend to have a lot of side effects, as do ones for mental health problems. Instead of using them, you can use turmeric for IBS and chamomile for stress and anxiety. Before using herbal medicines of any kind, check yourself for allergies.
Not everybody is able to take herbal medicines as they are allergic to them. If you take them and then have an allergic reaction, you could wind up in the hospital. Make sure that you do a patch test with your drug of choice before use so that you can make sure it is safe for you to use it. If you use it in spite of it not being safe then again you could end up in hospital and potentially make yourself very sick.
Finding Practitioners
Not all types of alternative medicine revolve around herbs (although many do). If you are planning on pursuing alternative or complementary medicine then you need to find a respectable practitioner to work with, assuming you will not be administering herbal medications to yourself. Finding a practitioner should not be especially difficult as such services are widely available. Make sure that the one you hire has good reviews. Reviews can tell you a lot about an individual and help you to figure out whether they are worth hiring or not. Likewise, check out your chosen practitioner’s star rating on Google or Trust Pilot.
When searching for a practitioner you also need to think about their area of expertise. If you are suffering from digestive issues then you need to find somebody who focuses exclusively on that. Likewise, if you have mental health issues then you need to focus on them. If you do not then you won’t be able to treat your issues effectively. Finding a practitioner who specialises in your problems should be as simple as conducting an internet search. Before agreeing to work with somebody, again, make sure that you read their reviews. Until you have read somebody’s reviews hiring them is not sensible.
Verifying Safety
Before you begin using any kind of alternative medicine or complementary therapy you need to verify that it is safe for you to try. Some alternative medicines are not exactly the safest things. Some are even downright dangerous. If you do not verify the safety of the particular method of treatment you are pursuing then you could end up making yourself very unwell or just causing yourself unnecessary problems. A good way to find out whether or not a particular type of treatment is safe or not is to speak to an actual physician, not a herbal practitioner.
Bear in mind some doctors are very dismissive of herbal medicine so rather than asking them for their opinion, ask them for their medical support and expertise. In other words, get them to provide insight into your chosen treatment method’s safety rather than their opinion about its efficacy.
Medicine Interactions
One last thing to think about is medicinal interactions. If you are taking certain drugs then herbal supplements could be dangerous. For example, people taking grapefruit supplements cannot safely take certain antibiotics. If you do not speak to a doctor or do your own research about medicine interactions prior to embarking on an alternative medicine treatment plan, you could end up getting into a lot of trouble, medically that is. The practitioner with whom you work should also be able to give you insight into drug interactions and help you to make safer decisions with regard to your treatment.
Complementary and alternative medicines can be great for treating health problems. Before undergoing this form of treatment research must be conducted, however. Never undergo any kind of treatment without educating yourself about it first.
