Alternative Medicine and Your Child

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/sys..._medicine.html

Alternative Medicine and Your Child


As you wander the aisles of your local health food store, you stumble on one
that is full of bottles that look like they belong in the drug store.
Looking up, you notice that the name of the aisle is Alternative Medicine.

Seeing the phrase "alternative medicine" might conjure up images of pungent
herbal teas, poultices, chanting, or meditation. In fact, both herbal
remedies and meditation, as well as dozens of other treatments, fall under
the heading of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Although there
is no strict definition of alternative medicine, it generally includes any
healing practices that are not part of mainstream medicine - that means any
practice that is not widely taught in medical schools or frequently used by
doctors or in hospitals.

But the boundaries of alternative medicine in the United States are
constantly changing as different types of care become more accepted by
doctors and more requested by patients. A few practices (such as hypnosis)
that were dismissed as nonsense 20 years ago are now considered helpful
therapies in addition to traditional medicine. Can alternative medicine help
your child?

Types of Alternative Care
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at
the National Institutes of Health recognizes seven general areas of
alternative care (some of which have been put through rigorous scientific
testing, but many have not):

Alternative medical systems generally fall outside the conventional medical
system of doctors and hospitals. They include acupuncture, the practice of
stimulating points on the body (usually with a needle) to promote healing;
traditional Oriental medicine, which focuses on diagnosing disturbances of
energy in the body; homeopathy, treating health problems with very diluted
substances; and community-based healers like midwives, herbalists, and
practitioners of Native American medicine.

Herbal remedies include a wide range of plants used for medicine or
nutrition. They are available in grocery stores, in health food stores, or
through herbalists and are often in the form of teas, capsules, and
extracts. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate
these substances. About one third of American adults regularly take some
sort of herb, anything from a cup of chamomile tea to soothe nerves to
echinacea to fight a cold.

Manual healing treats medical problems by manipulating and realigning body
parts. Perhaps the most widely known method is chiropractic care, which
focuses on the nervous system and adjusting the spinal column (the bones
that encase the spinal cord). Other forms of manual healing include massage
therapy; osteopathic medicine, which uses manipulation in addition to
traditional medicine and surgical treatment; and healing touch, where
practitioners place their hands on or near the patient's body to direct
energy.

Making a change in diet or lifestyle is an area of alternative medicine that
almost everyone has practiced at some time. Many people take supplements if
their regular diet does not have enough vitamins or minerals. And people
with chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes often change their
diet (more whole grains and vegetables and less salt or processed sugar) or
habits (regular exercise) to keep the problem in check. This is one of the
most useful forms of alternative care because altering your diet and habits
not only helps treat numerous diseases but can help prevent them as well.
This area of alternative medicine is widely accepted in the traditional
medicine model.

Mind-body control focuses on the mind's role in conditions that affect the
body. Hypnosis, a sort of conscious sleep or trance, can help some people
deal with addictions, pain, or anxiety, whereas treatments like
psychotherapy, meditation, and yoga are used for relaxation. Many people
also turn to support groups and prayer to cope with an illness or feel more
connected to others.

Drugs and vaccines that have not yet been accepted by mainstream medicine
are also considered alternative. Eventually, after extensive testing and
approval by the FDA, some of these medications or vaccines may become
regularly prescribed treatments.

Lastly, an emerging area of study looks at how changes in the body's
electromagnetic fields can affect health. Bioelectromagnetics is based on
the idea that electrical currents in all living organisms produce magnetic
fields that extend beyond the body.

How Does It Differ From Traditional Medicine?
Alternative therapy is frequently distinguished by its holistic methods,
which means that the doctor or practitioner treats the "whole" person and
not just the disease or condition. In alternative medicine, many
practitioners address patients' emotional and spiritual needs as well. This
"high touch" approach differs from the "high tech" practice of traditional
medicine, which tends to concentrate on the physical side of illness.

Most alternative practices have not found their way into mainstream
hospitals or doctors' offices, so you or your child's doctor may not be
aware of them. However, new centers for integrative medicine offer a mix of
traditional and alternative treatments. There, you might receive a
prescription for pain medication (as you might get from a traditional health
care provider) and massage therapy to treat a chronic back problem. Such
centers usually employ both medical doctors and certified or licensed
specialists in the various alternative therapies.

Despite the growth in the field, the majority of alternative therapies are
not covered by medical insurance. This is largely because few scientific
studies have been done to prove whether the treatments are effective (unlike
traditional medicine, which relies heavily on studies). Rather, most
alternative therapies are based on long-standing practice and word-of-mouth
stories of success.

What Are the Risks?
The lack of scientific study means that some potential problems associated w
ith alternative therapies may be difficult to identify. What's more, the
studies that have been done used adults as test subjects; there is little
research on the effects of alternative medicine on children. Although
approaches such as prayer, massage, and lifestyle changes are generally
considered safe complements to regular medical treatment, some therapies -
particularly herbal remedies - might harbor risks.

Unlike prescription and over-the-counter medicines, herbal remedies are not
rigorously regulated by the FDA. They face no extensive tests before they
are marketed, and they do not have to adhere to a standard of quality. That
means when you buy a bottle of ginseng capsules, you might not know what
you're getting: the amount of herb can vary from pill to pill, with some
capsules containing much less of the active herb than stated on the label.
Depending on where the herb originated, there might also be other plants,
even drugs like steroids, mixed in the capsules. Herbs that come from
developing countries are sometimes contaminated with pesticides and heavy
metals.

"Natural" does not equal "good" and many parents don't consider that herbal
remedies can actually cause health problems for their children. Medicating a
child without consulting the child's doctor could result in harm. For
example, certain herbal remedies can cause high blood pressure, liver
damage, or severe allergic reactions. Consider these examples:

Ephedra, also called ephedrine and often sold as the Chinese herb ma huang,
was on the market for years until it was linked to several deaths in people
with heart problems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided the
health risks associated with ephedra were too great, and it banned the
substance in December 2003.

Alone and in combination with prescription drugs, several dietary
supplements - such as chaparral, comfrey, germander, and ephedrine - have
been linked to severe illness, liver damage, and even death.

Parents might also give their children much more of an herb than
recommended, thinking that because it's natural, higher doses won't hurt.
But many plants contain potent chemicals; in fact, approximately 25% of all
prescription drugs are derived from plants.

Choosing a practitioner can pose another problem. Although many states have
licensing boards for specialists in acupuncture or massage, for instance,
there is no organization in the United States that monitors alternative care
providers or establishes standards of treatment. Basically, almost anyone
can claim to be a practitioner, whether he or she has any training.

Perhaps the greatest risk, however, is the potential for people to delay or
stop traditional medical treatment in favor of an alternative therapy.
Illnesses such as diabetes and cancer require the care of a doctor. Relying
entirely on alternative therapies for any serious chronic or acute
conditions will only jeopardize the health of your child.

Can Alternative Care Help Your Child?
Many parents turn to a cup of chamomile tea or ginger as a first line of
treatment against the flu or nausea. Anxious children can learn to relax
with the help of meditation or yoga. Such alternative therapies complement
traditional care and can give you and your child a greater sense of control
over his health.

If you want to try alternative medicine for your child, you should first
discuss the proposed treatment with your child's doctor or talk to your
pharmacist to make sure it is not dangerous or will not conflict with any
traditional care your child receives. Your child's doctor can also give you
information about treatment options and perhaps recommend a reputable
specialist. By coordinating alternative and traditional care, you don't have
to choose between them. Instead, you can get the best of both.

"Mark Probert" Mark wrote:
Alternative Medicine and Your Child

Making a change in diet or lifestyle is an area of alternative medicine
that
almost everyone has practiced at some time. Many people take supplements
if
their regular diet does not have enough vitamins or minerals. And people
with chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes often change
their
diet (more whole grains and vegetables and less salt or processed sugar)
or
habits (regular exercise) to keep the problem in check. This is one of the
most useful forms of alternative care because altering your diet and
habits
not only helps treat numerous diseases but can help prevent them as well.
This area of alternative medicine is widely accepted in the traditional
medicine model.

Example of change of diet: If one experiences ear infections;
strep throats; or asthma / lung congestion, perhaps if that person
eliminates dairy (& cow's milk) products from their diet, those health
problems may dis-appear.

"Mark Probert" Mark wrote:

Alternative Medicine and Your Child

Actually, the two do not mix. Becuase, you are subjecting yourself to
the possibility of criminal prosecution for child negelect.

Making a change in diet or lifestyle is an area
of alternative medicine that almost everyone has
practiced at some time. Many people take supplements...

Actually, you are referring to a subset of altenerative medicine that
is better referred to as the Wellness Movement. See:
http://naturalhealthperspective.com/.../Wellness.html

And, of course, it is also referred to as natural health. See:
http://naturalhealthperspective.com/

This is one of the
most useful forms of alternative care because altering your diet
and
habits not only helps treat numerous diseases but can help prevent
them as well.
This area of alternative medicine is widely accepted in the
traditional
medicine model.

Again, you are actually referring to the Wellness Movement or Natural
Health.

A reputable specialist for alternative medicine would be a naturopathic
doctor.

Brad_Chad

"Brad_Chad" wrote in message
oups.com...
A reputable specialist for alternative medicine would be a naturopathic
doctor.

Bull****. You ignored the URLs where I showed that naturopaths kill
patients.

"Brad_Chad" wrote:
A reputable specialist for alternative medicine would be a naturopathic
doctor.

IMHO, the best & reputable specialist for alternative medicine
would be a medical doctor (M.D.) with a very keen interest in the diet /
nutritional medicine side of over-all medicine

However, a M.D. with a deep knowledge of diet / nutritional
medicine is still a very rare "bird" these days.

In article .com,
Brad_Chad wrote:
A reputable specialist for alternative medicine would be a naturopathic
doctor.

At least make sure the ND has a degree from an accredited school and
isn't a mail-order degree type like Hulda Clark.

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"I don't need someone to tell me that George W. Bush is a
deceitful, corrupt, clever and destructive man--that's pretty
clear on the face of it." -- Garrison Keillor

David Wright wrote:

At least make sure the ND has a degree from an accredited school and
isn't a mail-order degree type like Hulda Clark.

Ah! Another nasty attitude scientist with the personality of a
constipated wort hog.

You have my condolences.

In article .com,
Mr-Natural-Health wrote:

David Wright wrote:

At least make sure the ND has a degree from an accredited school and
isn't a mail-order degree type like Hulda Clark.

Ah! Another nasty attitude scientist with the personality of a
constipated wort hog.

That's "wart hog," you illit. And what was wrong with what I said?
Did I hurt your feelings? Do you have only a mail-order degree?

You have my condolences.

Save it. I have a real degree.

Eat your heart out, John. Assuming your dentures allow it.

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"I don't need someone to tell me that George W. Bush is a
deceitful, corrupt, clever and destructive man--that's pretty
clear on the face of it." -- Garrison Keillor

David Wright wrote:
Ah! Another nasty attitude scientist with the personality of a
constipated wort hog.

That's "wart hog," you illit. And what was wrong with what I said?
Did I hurt your feelings? Do you have only a mail-order degree?

What? You don't drink beer?

Ha, ... Hah, Ha!

By the way, can you kindly remove that bug that crawled up your arse
before playing doctor again on these ngs?

It is giving you the personality of a constipated wort hog.