by Patty Bates-Ballard

Created on: November 22, 2008   Last Updated: February 03, 2009

From exercise to organic food to greener products, more and more North Americans are seeking a healthier lifestyle, and that includes natural healthcare options. The good news is that better information and more options are available today than ever before.

From chiropractors to acupuncturists to naturopathic physicians, in 1990 Americans made 425 million visits to providers of unconventional therapies. By 1997, that number had skyrocketed 47% to 625 million visits. .[1] Now that many major health insurance companies have responded to the growing demand by covering at least one type of alternative health care, more than 80 million Americans currently turn to the estimated $30-50 billion industry that is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).[2] A 2007 study of Minnesota community-dwelling older adults found usage of complementary and alternative medicine at nearly 63 percent in older adults and even higher in those with specific health problems. As awareness of the benefits of natural medicine grows, experts expect consumer demand to continue to increase[3].

Why do people use alternative medicine?

People decide to try alternative medicine for many different reasons, including dissatisfaction with conventional medicine, satisfaction with their increasingly health-aware lifestyles, and because they want to supplement conventional approaches.

Dissatisfaction with conventional medicine

Many North Americans have become disenchanted with conventional health care systems because of the over-reliance on invasive procedures and prescription drugs. In the US each year, prescription drug related problems cause over 100,000 deaths and practitioners perform over seven million unnecessary surgeries and medical procedures.[4]

When these conventional treatments don't alleviate pain or disease, many lose trust. Not willing to give up hope of regaining health, patients begin looking for alternative healing options.[5] Naturopathic doctors successfully treat problems like back pain[6], menopause, menstruation and hormonal issues, allergies, depression, insomnia, thyroid problems, weight and appetite control, type 2 diabetes, cholesterol, migraines and other types of headaches, blood pressure issues, fibromyalgia and many others.[7]

Conventional medicine has a fairly poor track record of treating these types of debilitating chronic pain and illnesses, yet naturopathic medicine successfully offers relief for these and more[8]. That's because naturopathic medicine focuses on assisting

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>