by Jared Garrett

Created on: February 21, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

All of today's alternative therapies are great! You can trust all of them, because our ancestors did it, and whatever they did was better!

Okay, that is a joke, but it is actually a pervasive attitude among some groups of extremists. However, it is interesting to explore today's alternative therapies, some of which return to medicine's roots. Why would this kind of exploration be valuable? The answer is simple, but not always immediately obvious. Consider the wealth of knowledge we now have. We have increased our medical knowledge exponentially for many years now, along with our technology. As this knowledge has increased, so has our awareness, in some circles, that these older therapies actually had a lot of merit. Our current wealth of knowledge can analyze these older therapies more deeply than before, and sometimes the results are suprising! We find that Chicken Soup has almost medicinal properties, aside from the comfort it provides. We learn that certain diets have great value due to the rich set of nutrients and such that are inherent in them.

So yes, let's not close our minds to alternative therapies. Let's not take the conventional Western medical profession at its word. This health system needs a kick in the pants anyway, so let us look to alternative, and sometimes more effective solutions.

As a final support for alternative therapies, let me relate a story from my own experiences. Many years ago, I broke a large chunk of bone off my heel. This chunk of bone floated in my heel, doing all kinds of damage, for some years, until I finally had the surgery to remove it. I moved immediately after the surgery, being thus unable to receive post-operative care. I also got a new job that required me to walk and run and lift for eight hours a day. So my foot had many problems. A regular podiatrist suggested orthroscopic surgery, and the possibility that I should have my ankle bones fused to reduce the pain and problems. I did not like this idea, so I went to a Holistic clinic to see what they thought. A chiropractor worked on my foot for several months, as well as an acupuncturist and a kinesiologist. My insurance plan covered the chiropractor, so that was something. I had cold laser treatment to reduce the scar tissue. After about five months of semi-weekly work, my foot is probably at 90% of its original performance. It is flexible and strong. I can actually run. If the podiatrist had his way, my ankle would be fused, giving me a strange limp that absolutely would not allow me to be as active as I am.

So alternative medicine really did the job.

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