多种类型背后的基本原则alternative medicineis balance. Acupuncture, tai chi, and various forms of energy medicine are designed to bring the body into balance, which in theory, can help restore health.
在考虑自己或亲人的替代药物时，这种平衡原则是要牢记的重要原则。在各种疾病中使用互补和替代药物有很多好处，但也有一些谨慎的态度。在尝试任何新疗法之前，考虑利弊是一个好主意。
Alternative Medicine: Pros
Recently, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) reported that about 38 percent of U.S. adults and about 12 percent of children are using some form of alternative medicine. Here are some of the reasons:
- 全人治疗。传统医学认为疾病是与承载该疾病的独特实体。越来越多的医学专业趋势导致了许多治疗的进步，但也使医生与患者的“健康”部位远距离。传统医学和替代药物之间的关键区别在于，大多数替代医学强调whole-bodycare. Practitioners of alternative medicine address not just the physical body but also the patient’s emotional and精神健康. According to the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, a growing interest in a more holistic approach to health is one of the main reasons alternative medicine is on the rise.
- Personal attention.Because of the emphasis on whole-body care, alternative medicine practitioners often offer patients a great deal of personal attention. Traditional physicians can be strapped for time and pressured by insurance companies and packed waiting rooms. Alternative medicine practitioners, because of different philosophies and fee structures, typically place greater emphasis on one-on-one attention.
- 专注于预防。Another draw to alternative medicine is its focus on prevention. Whereas traditional medicine tends to intervene once disease is present, many types of alternative medicine encourage patients to have “well visits,” treatments that are focused on preventing disease before it occurs, in addition to being cared for when sick.
Alternative Medicine: Cons
在尝试一种新型的替代药物之前，请记住一些关键因素。以下问题不应阻止您或亲人使用替代药物，而应在决策过程中提供更多信息。
- 有限的科学研究。为了应对消费者的需求增加，替代医学研究的资金正在增长。但是，与传统的医学方法相比，证据仍然有限，这使许多问题没有解决。目前，正在进行几项研究。为了了解正在进行的替代医学研究，NCCAM建议询问您的初级保健医师或其他医疗保健提供者，访问NCCAM网站上的“研究”链接，或者去您当地的图书馆并询问科学期刊或在线资源。
- 令人困惑的营销。很容易混淆“自然”和“安全”一词，但是尽管有些营销人员试图让我们思考，但两者并不是同义词。许多dietary supplements和herbal remedies, both of which fall under the alternative medicine umbrella, are mislabeled as “natural.” A red flag should also go up if a manufacturer makes unrealistic claims that their products are “miracle cures” or have “secret ingredients.”
- 潜在的危险互动。Even in cases when the product contains no artificial substances, supplements and herbs can still potentially interact with prescription and over-the-counter medication. And some of these natural products have side effects of their own.
研究相关政府机构，例如美国国立卫生研究院和美国食品药品监督管理局，必须对您正在考虑服用的饮食补充剂或草药产品说什么。可以通过访问各个机构的网站来找到许多替代药物的报告。
When considering alternative medicine, think balance — taking the best health care from both the traditional and alternative sides of medicine could be your best option.
