1. Alternative Medicine as an Alternate Treatment Method
You can use alternative medicine as a stand-alone treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions. Some individuals use alternative medicine after trying conventional treatments and being turned off by the side effects. One advantage of alternative medicine is early detection. For example, mammograms aren't typically recommended until a female reaches age 40. However, you can get a thermogram at any age. If the natural health practitioner finds anything abnormal, you'll know to have a mammogram, even if you're younger than age 40.
2. Choose Your Alternative
The 2 most popular types of alternative medicine in the U.S. are chiropractic and acupuncture. Chiropractors apply gentle pressure to the spine to correct subluxations or improper spinal alignment. Acupuncture is an ancient type of Chinese medicine that inserts fine needles to balance yin and yang and improve the body's Qi, or vital energy flow. Acupressure is another type of alternative medicine that applies pressure to acupressure points on the body. Hydrotherapy uses water to treat disease by improving circulation and encouraging blood flow.
3. Limiting Your Use of Alternative Medicine
Most natural health practitioners usually recommend that you limit the type of alternative treatments you use at any given time. By doing so, you'll be more able to observe the effects of a particular treatment to know whether you're receiving any benefit from it. If you try multiple therapies at one time, you won't be able to easily identify the reason for your health improvement.
4. Check With Your Doctor
Before you begin alternative medical treatments, check with your doctor. Alternative treatments are suitable for most individuals; however, a few conditions don't mix well with alternative treatments. Individuals who have disc herniation should avoid chiropractic treatments, and individuals with polycythemia should avoid acupuncture. If you have already begun alternative treatments, let your doctor know. Many doctors are supportive of their patients, and most traditional doctors recognize that there's no harm in trying chiropractic treatments or acupuncture, as long as you're going to a qualified practitioner. If you're uncomfortable with trying acupuncture based on fear of the provider's credentials, you might want to consider integrative medicine providers such as qualified MDs who also offer acupuncture.
5. See if You're Covered
Unfortunately, many types of alternative treatments aren't covered by traditional health insurance plans. Chiropractic and acupuncture are 2 types of alternative treatments for which some health insurance plans now provide coverage. Other lesser known alternative treatments such as reflexology, thermography, aromatherapy and hydrotherapy usually aren't covered. Some flexible medical spending accounts do provide reimbursement, so you can reduce your tax liability and enjoy a reduced rate on such alternative treatments.
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