mind articles

vs. conventional therapies 

One of the most important relationships in life should be with your GP.

Unfortunately for many people GP's are no more than pharmaceutical company fronts and drug dispenses. With appointments generally lasting from 2-5 minutes (many would say just to hear the problem and then write up a prescription), and often taking several days to get in the door (especially in the UK), more and more people are turning to alternative medicine. 

But is it a better option? 

My experience in alternative medicine to date has been a mixed one. 

In the positive, the foundations of my diet have been largely shaped by Naturopaths, which I am very grateful personally, for my own health and that of my clients. Previously I was trained to eat according to the food pyramid (a grain based diet) which was a very long way from the ideal. I have benefited from Chinese medicine including acupuncture and herbal remedies for pain relief while kickboxing. But I have also spent money on treatments and analysis that has turned out to be a 'flaky' therapy. Empty promises and flashy marketing campaigns are common among 'the hamster wheel of alternative medicine' say's Jordan Rubin Author of the 'Makers Diet'. (1) 

So where does this leave us?

I believe an integration of conventional and alternative medicine is the right direction. A medicine based in sound science that assists the body in its natural process to heal itself while treating the person as an individual and not a number. So how do we achieve this? Most importantly by taking responsibility for your health, this includes finding the best practitioners from both sides of the fence. 

Two keys to finding your practitioner:
1. They live the part. When I registered for a doctor in London there was a sign that said "Overweight: Ask the nurse for advice" - however my nurse was far from the model subject of health. 
2. Openness is essential. If you are not comfortable with your practitioner then keep looking (which is harder to do in many places like UK as you are assigned a GP, but it's not impossible). For example if you do also use complementary medicine GPs can provide another viewpoint (more the better I believe) and even save you money if you require testing to be carried out (blood, urine, saliva, etc) which can be an expensive part of alternative medicine.
 

How popular is complementary/alternative medicine? 

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4 billion people - 80 percent of the world population - presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. 

Herbal medicine is a major component in all indigenous peoples' traditional medicine and a common element in Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Naturopathic, Traditional Oriental, and Native American Indian medicine. (2)

An estimated 30% of people in the UK now use herbal remedies and there are more than 3,000 clinics prescribing Chinese therapies in the UK. (3)

According to a study in the Jan. 28, 1993, New England Journal of Medicine, in 1990 1 in 3 American patients used alternative therapy or an estimated 425 million visits to alternative health practitioners. (2)

So over the next months I will be presenting some of the popular complementary choices including Ayurvedic, Naturopathic, Traditional Chinese, starting next month with Homeopathy.

Your 3d Coach

Craig Burton

References

1. The Makers Diet, Jordan Rubin, Berkley Books, 2004

2. How Popular Is Alternative Medicine, www.holistic-online.com

3. End alternative therapy free-for-all, BBC, November 1, 1999, 
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/501136.stm