Alternative medicine.Chiropractic chiropractic (kīrəprăk`tĭk) [Gr.,=doing by hand], medical practice based on the theory that all disease results from a disruption of the functions of the nerves. , acupuncture acupuncture (ăk`y  pŭng'chər), technique of traditional Chinese medicine, in which a number of very fine metal needles are inserted into the skin at specially designated points. , herbs, massage, homeopathy--once considered the domain of outsiders and eccentrics--have emerged as mainstream therapies. In response to increased interest in alternative medicine, the National Institutes of Health launched a branch to study the efficacy and safety of holistic approaches to health care. The scientific community, which includes traditional medicine, requires hard research to back claims of therapeutic benefits and safety. Since then, the emergence of alternative clinics and practitioners, as well as traditional health care providers who give a nod to alternative therapies, have drawn holistic medicine holistic medicine, system of health care based on a concept of the "whole" person as one whose body, mind, spirit, and emotions are in balance with the environment. into mainstream medical practice. Insurance providers have even begun to offer coverage for certain alternative options. Results of a national study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association is an international peer-reviewed general medical journal, published 48 times per year by the American Medical Association. JAMA is the most widely circulated medical journal in the world. indicate that patients who use alternative medicine do so largely because it is more consistent with their philosophy and worldview world·view n. In both senses also called Weltanschauung. 1. The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 2. A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group. than traditional medicine. Disappointment in traditional health care was not a predictor for seeking alternative settings. Instead, predictors of the use of alternative health care include: higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. status; poorer health status; a holistic orientation to health; an experience which changed the person's worldview; certain health problems including anxiety, chronic pain, back problems, and urinary tract problems; and an orientation to environmentalism environmentalism, movement to protect the quality and continuity of life through conservation of natural resources, prevention of pollution, and control of land use. , feminism, spirituality and personal growth. Forty percent of the randomly selected respondents reported using alternative health care during the previous year. Although those individuals may be over-represented in the survey, (those choosing non-traditional health care providers may also be more inclined to participate in the survey) it is still a large chunk of medical care from outside traditional sources. The use of alternative health care is a trend that will probably continue to impact the medical establishment and the delivery of health care services in the future. (The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1998, Vol. 279, No. 19, pp. 1548-1553) |
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