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Alternative Medicine

Important Note:Before trying any form of Alternative Medicine, please consult your child's medical doctor first. The information provided below should not substitute the opinion of your child's physician.

Alternative medicine consists of many different types of medical interventions, some of which overlap one another. Alternative medicine includes acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy, naturopathic medicine, osteopathy, and traditional Chinese medicine. Though some of these methods are very different from one another, they are all founded on the belief in the healing power of nature.

Conventional medicine tends to focus on removing symptoms with no regard to the body's natural healing process. For example, when a child has an ear infection, a physician will prescribe an antibiotic. Though this will rid the ear infection, it causes problems with the digestive system by destroying the bacteria needed for digestion. In addition, this form of treatment does nothing to prevent future ear infections from occurring.

With alternative medicine, however, the child might gain relief from natural ear oil and the immune system might be stimulated by an herbal remedy. In addition, the digestive system is completely unaffected by this course of treatment.

Many people continue to be skeptical that alternative medicine is an effective approach to treating illnesses. What they don't know is that in many cases, alternative approaches have been scientifically proven to be less dangerous yet more effective than conventional medicine.

 

Traditional Chinese Medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that disease is due to an internal imbalance of "Yin and Yang." Therefore, disease is treated by correcting the balance, thereby returning the body to a healthy state. The method used by the doctor of Chinese medicine will likely be a combination of acupuncture, herbs, and food.

The balance of Yin and Yang is not always exact. For example, sometimes a person may be feeling impatient or hotheaded (more Yang) while other times the person may be feeling calm and relaxed (more Yin). However, if one consistently outweighs the other, then the body is unhealthy and disease results. With traditional Chinese medicine, the goal is to decide the exact nature of the imbalance, determine the pathogen causing the problem, and then correct the pathological processes.

To find the imbalance, acupuncture points and the channels that connect them are examined. These channels carry "vital energy" throughout the body and represent each of the body's organs. Disease is present when the flow of vital energy through the channels is disrupted. Therefore, if there is a disease of the liver, the flow of energy through the liver channel will be abnormal.

One of the most difficult tasks in traditional Chinese medicine is determining which organs are affected with an illness. Often, the palpation of the pulse on the wrist enables the acupuncturist to find the diseased organ and the pathogen causing the illness. According to the Chinese, there are 12 main organs in the body and each organ has a pulse of its own. There are 6 pulses on each wrist, each representing a different organ.

In addition to the pulse method, other parts of the body are examined as well. For example, the facial complexion, body posture, and tongue (thought of as the most important diagnostic tool) are examined very carefully for characteristics of diseases. Listening to respiration, speech, and cough are also helpful in making a diagnosis.

When the diagnosis has been made, treatment in traditional Chinese medicine most commonly consists of acupuncture and herbal medicine, however, diet, massage, meditation, and exercise may be used as well.

 

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is used to promote health and alleviate pain. The idea of acupuncture is based on concepts of "vital energy," "energetic balance" and "energetic imbalance." While Western medical doctors focus on blood flowing through blood vessels and messages being communicated through the nervous system, those who practice acupuncture focus on the flow of vital energy through "meridians" and "channels."

When dealing with illnesses, the acupuncturist stimulates "acupoints," which are found along the meridians, with fine slender needles. The goal in this method is to adjust the vital energy so that the proper amount reaches the proper place at the proper time. This helps your body heal itself. Acupuncture is considered a safe and effective approach and is free from side effects. In fact, patients often claim to feel very relaxed when the treatment is over.

It has been said that children born with nervous system disorders, such as spina bifida, have benefitted from the use of acupuncture.

 

Herbal Medicine

Herbalists use leaves, flowers, stems, berries, and roots of plants to prevent, relieve, and treat illnesses. Natural herbal preparations are generally well-tolerated by children and most herbs are nontoxic, with few, if any, harmful side effects. However, since herbs are medicines, they should not be taken lightly.

The process that an herbalist may use to assess your child's health needs may include reviewing your child's medical history, methods of pulse and tongue diagnosis, abdominal diagnosis, and iridology, which involves the correlation of minute markings on the iris with specific parts of the body.

Once the evaluation is complete, an herbalist will most likely suggest individual herbs or herbal combinations that are thought to be beneficial to your child's illness. Many times, herbs will be used to not only relieve symptoms, but to strengthen the body's systems. It is important to report any changes you notice, whether they are improvements or side effects.

An important fact to keep in mind is that herbs work gently, so they take time to act. With Western medicine, we are used to seeing immediate relief or change. For example, we take aspirin, and our headaches disappear. With herbs, it take longer. Therefore, patience is important in order to fully benefit from the use of herbs. Also, because of their gentle action, herbs are thought to be particularly suitable for children.

 

Chiropractic

The chiropractic approach focuses on spinal manipulation (spinal adjustments in particular), which has positive effects on organs and systems. For example, an upper back adjustment can affect the lungs, heart, and parts of the digestive track. A lower back adjustment, on the other hand, can affect the kidneys, pelvic organs, and lower digestive tract. It is believed that spinal adjustments can correct deviations of the spine that irritate the nervous system, thereby causing various illnesses.

Studies show that chiropractic methods (such as full-spine, upper neck adjustments, cranial adjustments, etc.) have worked on infants with colic and children with seizures, constipation, asthma, and bed-wetting.

 

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a medical approach that uses medicine to stimulate the body's own immune system to initiate the healing process. It is an approach that focuses on the person's physical, emotional, and mental symptoms and is thought to be a safe method.

Homeopathic medicine works much like your child's immunizations. The practitioner finds a substance that in excess, would cause similar symptoms to what your child is experiencing. Then, when the match is made, the substance is given in small safe doses.

Many parents consider homeopathy a godsend to their children. Homeopathic medicines have been proven to be effective in treating teething or colic, reducing the pain and discomfort of a child's earache, strengthening the child's own natural defenses, and calming the hyperactive child.

 

Osteopathy

Osteopathy is based on the idea that the self-healing and self-regulating ability of the body is dependent on environmental conditions, adequate nutrition, and normal structural integrity. It is an approach that attempts to remove the causes of an illness and reinforces the body's ability to cure itself.

Osteopaths use specialized soft tissue techniques which resembles massage. However, the osteopath is either preparing the area for manipulation or is dealing with problems that are distant from the area being treated. The neuro-muscular technique, rolfing, and connective tissue massage are all soft tissue methods that are often thought of as massage, however, are something quite different.

Osteopathy is often used when no other form of treatment offers much help. Methods to the structure of the skull, such as Cranial Osteopathy, have been successful when applied to individuals with cerebral palsy. In fact, many claim that the results of this approach are often times miraculous.

 

Conclusion

Many times, children with disabilities have syndromes or disorders that have no cure. The idea then in using alternative medicine for these types of children, is to relieve some of the symptoms that accompany the child's disability. So, whether it's something as serious as seizures or as simple as constipation, alternative medicine may be the tool your child needs in order to be more functional or just more comfortable.

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