Alternative vs. Integrative Medicine

Once upon a time individuals facing cancer felt they had to choose between one of two options- surgery and chemotherapy or alternative treatment.  But a new breed of medicine is emerging, one that bridges the gap between the two worlds and offers the best of each.  It’s called integrative medicine and world renowned medical centers such as Harvard and Stanford are pioneering training programs for the physician of the future.      A Brief History   “Alternative medicine” was probably the first ‘other medicine’ term to gain popularity in the US and refers to treatments not taught in Western medical schools. This includes the use of vitamins, herbs and mind-body techniques. Essential to the alternative approach is a belief in the body’s ability to heal itself and that health is more than simply the absence of disease.  Increasing consumer use of alternative medicine in the early 1990’s led to the creation of the Office of Alternative medicine as part of the government’s National Institutes of Health.  This growing ‘new’ medicine gained popular media attention in the 1993 New England Journal of Medicine article by Harvard alumni David Eisenberg, MD.  The article estimated that in 1993, unconventional medicine users spent approximately $13.7 billion out of pocket on herbal remedies that are not covered by health insurance companies.    By 1997 out-of-pocket alternative medicine consumer spending had increased to $27 billion.  Eisenberg’s study a...
Source: Dr. Donna, MedicineWoman - Category: Medical Scientists Authors: Tags: Cancer Integrative medicine Personal Health Source Type: blogs