From Mainstream Medicine to Alternative Therapies, Essay Example

Perhaps it is because of the recent incidents with pharmaceuticals being pulled off the shelves after passing through the “rigorous” testing conducted by the FDA. Or perhaps it is due to the long term side effects some of the harsher drugs used for such diseases as cancer and chronic illnesses can cause. Perhaps it is due to the state of our country and the fact so many Americans cannot afford healthcare in order to get the medications they need from the doctor. Perhaps it is a combination of all three things combined. Whatever the reason may be, no one can argue the fact that alternative therapies have slowly been replacing traditional “western” medicine in many households and with many healthcare providers in recent years. The numbers continue to rise, despite the FDA’s claim of some of these therapies being dangerous due to not going through the pharmaceutical processes, etc.

Alternative therapy can also be referred to as complimentary therapy and the term  refers to any treatments, techniques, alterations in methodology, or any other non-mainstream methods which are used to treat illnesses from the common cold to arthritis to diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Some of these therapies have been studied in cancer patients, as described in an article published by the American Cancer Society.

This study, which surveyed over 4,000 cancer survivors, reported over half of them using alternative therapies to help with their diseases. Some of the alternatives used were Tai Chi, hypnosis, nutritional supplements, massage, and other homeopathic methods which hoped to shrink and possibly eliminate any tumors. More women were reported to have used these alternative therapies than men, but many men were in the user’s bracket also. The study goals were to examine what kind of therapies were being used by patients for what type of cancer and how successful these therapies actually were when compared to pharmaceutical chemotherapy and radiation methods.

The American Cancer Society is planning further studies to determine other issues related to alternative medicines and how they affect its patients, but the facts so far are leaning toward the direction that people in the general population have begun to look further than their physician’s office and their drugstore for solutions to their problem.

Call it lack of insurance coverage, new innovative ideas, not trusting the government, or whatever you wish, but the point of the matter is that over time we will see more and more of these therapies used as healthcare coverage continues to get worse and continues to cost more. Families will do what they need in order to try to live a normal and healthy quality of life.

Reference

(2008 August 06). Study Offers Portrait of Complementary Therapy Use Among Survivors.     http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Study_Offers_Portrait_of_Complementary_Therapy_Use_Among_Survivors.asp.