Popular Alternative Medical Careers

Basic Acupuncture.

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The Alternative Medicine Sourcebook describes “alternative medicine” as healing practices that do “not fall within the realm of conventional medicine.” Critics claim that the effectiveness of alternative medicine is negligible, but many turn to it as a practical treatment for their ailments, often in conjunction with conventional medicine. Business is good, and practitioners are in demand. Here are a few fields that those interested in alternative medicine careers can pursue.

  • Acupuncture: Acupuncture treats patients via the insertion or manipulation of needles in the body. The ancient practice originated in China and is used to relieve pain, promote health, and some claim that it can prevent disease and improve fertility.
  • Chiropractics: This field of alternative medicine focuses on diagnosing and treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Treatments involve manual therapy of joints or of the spine and certain exercises.
  • Iridology: This somewhat controversial alternative medicine involves diagnosing physical ailments by thoroughly examining the eye. Treatments then generally include homeopathy or herbal medication.
  • Naturopathy: Naturopathy involves encouraging the body’s natural ability to heal and not relying on surgery or medication. Treatments include, but are not limited to, acupuncture, massage, kinesiology, iridology, enemas, vitamins, and a variety of other therapies.

Those interested in careers in medicine alternatives generally need some sort of specific education or training. This can be gained from classes, study, apprenticing or through specialized institutions like chiropractic schools. A lot of people are either wary of chemicals or in favor of more natural treatments and will need professionals in the field of alternative medicine to help them.

Filed Under: Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Traditional Medicine Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies? Pt 6

Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies? Pt 6

When it comes to taking herbs, you may actually be unwittingly making a mistake that could potentially harm your health. Here is a look at one of the biggest mistakes that you could be making when it comes to taking herbs.

Are you making sure that you are taking your herbal supplements every single day, or otherwise on a consistent basis?

It is vitally important that you take your herbs and your supplements regularly as is recommended by the manufacturer in order for you to assess if they are actually working for you or not. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is that they begin to take an herb or a supplement, then they skip a day, and then they skip two days, and then after a while they believe that they have not seen any improvement and so they either stop taking the supplement all together, or they add other supplements in because they believe the first one was not working.

The fact of the matter is, you have to be consistent in taking your herbal remedies and supplements in order to tell whether or not they are actually working for you. One of the best ways that you can achieve this is by purchasing a daily pill organizer so that you can tell whether or not you have taken your supplement for the day. This will ensure that you stay on track. Keeping a pill organizer within reach will ensure that you really, truly benefit from the vitamins and supplements that you buy.

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Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies? Pt 4

Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies? Pt 4

When it comes to taking herbs, you may actually be unwittingly making a mistake that could potentially harm your health. Here is a look at one of the biggest mistakes that you could be making when it comes to taking herbs.

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make pertaining to herbs and herbal remedies is taking dieter’s teas and herbal laxatives thinking that it is going to induce regularity in your bowel movements. The herbs that are found in products such as these are known as anthranoid laxatives, and they include buckthorn, senna, aloe, rhubarb and cascara sagrada.

People that use these products can actually become unnecessarily dependent, and may end up using them for days, weeks, months or years longer than they are supposed to. Stimulant laxative chemicals like senna should never be used for a period longer than a week, unless you have express permission from your physician or some other licensed health care provider. When you use products such as these for an extended period of time, then it may cause your bowels to have difficulty moving all on their own. People who have taken these laxatives for too long a period of time have ended up with chronic diarrhea issues along with irregular heart rhythms, muscle weakness, liver impairment and kidney impairment.

Make sure that you talk with your primary health care provider about being able to wean off of laxatives in a gradual manner so that you can recover your normal bowel function again. The big key here is going to be to go about the process slowly, typically combined with taking a fiber supplement and making sure that you also get enough fluids as well.

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Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies? Pt 3

Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies? Pt 3

When it comes to taking herbs, you may actually be unwittingly making a mistake that could potentially harm your health. Here is a look at one of the biggest mistakes that you could be making when it comes to taking herbs.

There are herbs, drugs and supplements that when you decide to take them together, you may actually be putting yourself at risk of bleeding. Certain types of medications known as anticoagulant drugs like warfarin and aspirin are blood thinners. What this means is that they are designed to keep blood clots from forming inside of your arteries. Their purpose is to reduce the risk for developing heart disease or a stroke. However, it is vitally important that you understand that when you combine these medications with supplements and herbs that are also capable of promoting the anticoagulant effect, then you can significantly increase the risk of bleeding and causing serious harm to your body.

Some of these herbs and supplements include willow bark, fish oil, dong quai, devil’s claw, goji, saw palmetto, ginseng, gingko, ginger, garlic, feverfew, danshen, coenzyme q10, chamomile and aloe vera. While these are all natural supplements that are generally healthy for you, they can cause a bad reaction when mixed with anticoagulant drugs. If you happen to be taking more than one of the aforementioned herbs, or if you are taking an anticoagulant drug, then you are going to want to consult your physician so that you can determine the best course of action from here on out. Make sure that your physician always knows what herbal remedies you are taking when a new medication is prescribed in order to ensure your good health.

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Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies? pt 2

Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies?

When it comes to taking herbs, you may actually be unwittingly making a mistake that could potentially harm your health. Here is a look at one of the biggest mistakes that you could be making when it comes to taking herbs.

Are you turning to natural products like herbs in order to boost your energy “naturally” because you are feeling tired all the time?

If you are feeling weary, tired or completely lacking energy on a constant basis, then you should visit your primary care physician rather than just attempting to mask the symptoms with a trip to your local health food store. Although supplements and good diet can be beneficial in some circumstances, your absolute first step is going to need to be to ensure that the cause of your fatigue is not some kind of underlying condition. There are actually a number of different conditions that are capable of presenting themselves in this manner, including depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleeping disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, asthma and anemia. It is important that you rule all of things out before trying to change your situation using herbal remedies and other health supplements.

Fatigue is also a symptom of a number of other conditions including some infectious diseases, diabetes, heart failure, liver disease, kidney disease, Addison’s disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, malnutrition and a side effect from taking certain medications. As such, it is important that you go and visit your primary health care provider first. Your physician will ask you some questions, ensuring that the right examination and tests are done so that these conditions can be ruled out and you can figure out what is actually causing the tired feelings.

Filed Under: Herbal Food Supplements, Traditional Medicine Tagged With: , ,

Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies?

Are you Making Mistakes with Herbal Remedies?

When it comes to taking herbs, you may actually be unwittingly making a mistake that could potentially harm your health. Here is a look at one of the biggest mistakes that you could be making when it comes to taking herbs.

Are you drinking chamomile tea without really knowing what types of medications it is capable of interacting with?

Most people think that chamomile tea is simply harmless, but the truth is that this seemingly harmless tea can have some pretty serious side effects when it is combined with specific types of medications, and so it is important for you to be aware of these potential interactions so that you can avoid them.

Here is an example: There was a case that was published in Canadian Medical Association Journal in the April 2006 issue that describes how a 70 year old woman was being treated by her physician with a drug called warfarin, when she was simultaneously using chamomile. She ended up being admitted to the hospital because she had internal bleeding, and it turned out that she had been using chamomile body lotion and chamomile tea as a means of self treating some cold symptoms that she had.

There is actually a pretty extensive list of drugs and medications that are capable of interacting with chamomile. It is important that you speak to your physician before you take chamomile, or tell your physician that you are taking chamomile if he or she plans to put you on a new medication so that you can prevent a completely unnecessary interaction from happening between your medications and your herbal supplements. A little bit of forethought can go a long way in ensuring your good health and overall safety.

Filed Under: Ancient Practices, Herbal Tagged With: ,

Herbal Remedies Could be key to Losing Weight

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 04: Clients work...
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If you’re like millions of Americans fighting the battle of the bulge with little success despite your attempts to eat less and exercise, herbal remedies might be a fantastic option to look into.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The old mantra stands the test of time, even when it comes to losing weight. There are many pharmaceutical drugs out there that advertise promising weight loss, but they are expensive and often don’t deliver what you are promised.

What follows are some herbal ingredients that may be helpful in your personal battle to lose weight.

• Green tea: Green tea often mimics the effect of coffee but it is much better for you. With a high-dose of vitamin C, green tea is simply good for you. Studies suggest green tea is effective in boosting one’s metabolism and helping the body to burn fat. Some studies show the combination of caffeine and green tea to be especially effective.

• Cayenne: You know the super-spicy spice, cayenne pepper? Cayenne contains an ingredient called capsaicin which essentially stimulates saliva production and therefore helps the body digest faster, acting as a boost to your regular metabolic rate.

• Seaweed: While it doesn’t sound too appetizing, seaweed can have a positive effect in helping people lose weight. The herbal form of this oceanic delicacy acts to stimulate the thyroid. No worries with trying to digest the ocean’s form of seaweed as the herb does come in forms of capsules of tablets.

• Dandelion: Who knew the colorful flower that aggravates homeowners by the millions could help in terms of weight loss? Dandelion, in pill form, acts as a diuretic which helps naturally decrease the amount of water in the body. Some people have allergic reactions and heartburn as minor side effects to dandelion.

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Chinese Herb Guide: Dandelion

A dandelion flower
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Dandelion is an herb that is used in a variety of different herbal remedies, especially when it comes to premenstrual bloating. Dandelion may also be capable of providing anti-inflammatory results. The best way to enjoy dandelion is as a tea. You can create a dandelion tea by steeping half of an ounce of dried dandelion leaf in a cup of hot water for a period of ten minutes. You can have as many as three cups of tea with dandelion in it per day.

For a lot of people, the dandelion is a yard pest. The truth is, the dandelion is particularly rich when it comes to nutrients. The roots and the leaves of the dandelion plant have been used for a variety of different medicines, including treatments for gastrointestinal system disorders, skin conditions, aching joints, bloating and breast illnesses. The leaves of the dandelion contain a number of vitamins including B-complex vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D and minerals such as magnesium, zinc potassium, copper, manganese, iron, choline, silicon, calcium and boron. The primary active ingredients in the dandelion plant are called germacranolide and eudesmanolide, and they are compounds that can be found only in dandelion plants.

The dandelion plant offers numerous other benefits. For example, it has diuretic properties and is useful in purifying the liver and the blood stream. The dandelion plant can decrease the body’s concentrations of uric acid and serum cholesterol. The dandelion plant can maximize how well your pancreas, kidneys, stomach and spleen perform in your body. The dandelion plant can treat anemia, abscess, breast tumors, liver cirrhosis and boils, and can also avert the development of both breast cancers and age spots. The dandelion is also effective in treating menopause in women. It offers numerous benefits and is well worth adding to your daily regimen accordingly.

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Chinese Herb Guide: Chamomile

Echte Kamille (Matricaria recutita)
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In herbal medicine, chamomile is an herb that is well known for relieving nerves, distress of the stomach, infection and ulcers. This herb can also speed up the healing process. You can take it as a tea by adding between 2 and 3 teaspoons of chamomile to a cup of hot water. Steep the tea for between 10 and 20 minutes and take as many as three glasses of the tea per day. This herb, chamomile, actually happens to be related to the daisy, and it is indigenous to several regions including western Asia and Europe. There are different types of chamomile, such as German chamomile, which is the most common type when it comes to herbal remedies.

This herb has been used for numerous centuries as a means of treating gastrointestinal system disorders and many other disorders and ailments as well. This herb is still in use today in both Asian herbal medicine and Western herbal medicine as well. The chamomile herb has been used in ancient medicine including in Egypt, Greece and Rome. These people used chamomile to treat a wide variety of different maladies including stomach pain, fever and stroke. It is also especially popular in Germany where it is used as a cure-all for a wide variety of different purposes. In the United States, chamomile is commonly used for aiding in sleep and causing soothing, relaxed feelings. German chamomile can also be used for nausea, bloating, stomach pain and other similar digestive issues.

Other benefits that are provided by chamomile include soothing flu and colds, helping abscesses and wounds heal more quickly, reducing inflammation of the gums, treating psoriasis and other skin conditions and treating a disorder known as ulcerative colitis. Chamomile can be taken in many different forms including as soaks, teas and ointments. Children can use it for diaper rash, colic, chicken pox and a number of other common maladies.

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Chinese Herb Guide: Garlic

fresh garlic being rubbed on bread using a gar...
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There are a wide variety of different Chinese herbs that are used in medicine and medical treatments for ailments on all sides of the spectrum. Garlic is an example of such an herb. Garlic has strong antibiotic properties when it is chopped up or chewed. It can help to reduce bad cholesterol and can lower the risk of having a heart attack because it works to prevent blood clot formation. Garlic also has distinct anti viral properties. It is easy to use in a wide variety of different ways including garlic tea or using it in food as a seasoning. If you want to make garlic tea, steep six cloves in cool water for at least six hours and drink as needed.

Garlic is grown all throughout the world, and many herbalists believe that it is one of the more essential and one of the more useful herbs available for herbal medicine purposes. There are cultures all over the world that have benefited from the use of garlic in food and medicines over the course of several centuries.

Garlic is considered by many to be a miracle herb because it is used to prevent colds and flu, to ward off menstrual pain, to prevent high blood pressure, to relieve cough and to prevent atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal issues, bronchitis, fungal infections, bacterial infections, viruses, intestinal parasites and more. Garlic is also perceived to be an antioxidant, and so it may be effective in preventing cancers like colon cancer while boosting the immune system and its effectiveness.

The most popular use for garlic has to do with its effectiveness in cardiovascular wellness because it is an effective treatment for high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, triglyceride levels and respiratory infections. The primary ingredient that is found in garlic is called Alliin, and this chemical is similar to an amino acid called cysteine that gives garlic its many health benefits.

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