Alternative Health Consumer
Massage therapy and reflexology are alternative health practices
Mar 1, 2007
Alternative Health
Complimentary and Alternative Medicine is a “group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine," according to the National Center for Alternative and Complimentary Medicine. Conventional medicine is medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals.
Alternative Health - Consumer Information and Protection
Unfortunately, many alternative and complimentary practices are not standardized or well-regulated across the board from state to state and province to province. How can you, the consumer of these health practices, protect yourself from possible harm?
Get a Proper Diagnosis from your Medical Practitioner
Making a diagnosis is one of the primary roles of your medical practitioner. They can obtain blood work, radiology tests, scans, etc. to accurately diagnose your health condition.
When you visit an alternative practitioner, s/he can make an assessment based on their particular paradigm and can offer you perhaps a different perspective on your health condition, but if they are not an M.D., they cannot diagnose.
Alternative Health Practices - Be Informed – Be Prepared
Before you go to your first appointment, you might want to gather your own information about this particular alternative health practice. You might also want to prepare a mini health history and make note of your medications and supplements.
When you visit an alternative health practitioner such as a Reflexologist, massage therapist or body worker, you can expect an assessment of your medical history. From this assessment, your therapist will know how better to help you, or if they can help you at all. Hopefully, they will also share their assessment with you, and offer helpful ways to help you improve your health.
During your visits, it’s okay to ask questions. It’s your health. You can ask about the practitioner’s training and certification; whether they have ever dealt with your type of health condition before; their experience; etc.
After the visit, you might want to ask yourself if you were comfortable with the practitioner? Did s/he answer your questions? Did s/he respond to you in a way that made you feel comfortable? Does the treatment plan seem reasonable and are you in agreement with it? Did s/he make the information readily available to you?
Nowadays, there is a lot of hype about alternative and complimentary health practices, but it’s important to remember that not all practitioners are equal, and not all health practices are necessarily right for you. For your own peace of mind, be informed and be prepared to ask those questions. Remember, it's your health and well being.
© Copyright, Sylvia Carlson, March 2007. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
