This is an interesting report, with a few zany points. You'll find my comments in blue. Enjoy.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More than 70 percent of adults aged 50 or older use some type of alternative therapy, such as herbal medicine, meditation, or seeing a chiropractor, according to new study findings.
Author Dr. Gong-Soog Hong said she was surprised to see so many older adults turning to alternative treatments. Although it's important to have "options," she said that many of these remedies are largely untested, and experts still don't know if they interfere with many combinations of drugs older adults are taking.
"Any kind of side effects can be possible," Hong told Reuters Health. "That's pretty scary."
[No. What is scary are the dangerous side effects caused by pharmaceutical drugs]
Hong and her team presented their findings last weekend at the annual meeting of the American Council on Consumer Interests in Columbus, Ohio.
Hong, who is based at Ohio State University in Columbus, added that many older adults likely try alternative remedies because they have pain or discomfort that's not alleviated by conventional Western medicine.
[A HA! I wonder why? Perhaps it is possible that convential Western medicine is almost useless?]
Indeed, people were more likely to turn to alternative medicine if they said their health was poor, and they had more problems with day-to-day activities such as bathing. "So when conventional medicine cannot give you an answer, sometimes you turn to alternatives," Hong said in an interview.
To investigate how many older adults are, indeed, turning to alternatives, Hong and her team interviewed 848 people aged 50 and above about their use of chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, breathing exercises, herbal medicine and meditation.
[ 848? That represents the general population? That hardly represents some rural towns in North America! ]
Seventy-one percent of respondents said they had tried at least one of the six types of alternative therapy. The most popular remedy was chiropractic medicine, used by 43 percent of older adults.
The least popular remedy was acupuncture, perhaps because few insurance companies cover it, Hong noted. "It's pretty much out-of-pocket cost," she said.
Hong said that one reason alternative medicine appears so popular among older adults is that the definition she and her colleagues used for "alternative" is fairly broad.
She added that she and her colleagues have continued their research, and are now investigating "who is using what," or how many adults in general use different types of alternative medicine, to get a sense of what age groups prefer which specific therapies.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
My comments:
Even in this flawed method of study it shows that there are a lot of individuals that are not satisfied with the convential medical system. This is probably because you usually come out of treatment feeling worse than when you started. Whether it be prescription meds, surgery, cancer treatment etc. It is all done in an incredibly un natural manner that is so invasive to the human body that it interferes with the body's own healing mechinisms and quite often causes so much stress on the organs and the immune system that they are apt to shut down!
So in turn people go out looking for a quick fix with alternative health care. Well let me tell you that alternative health care is not a quick fix. It is a long process through cleansing, diet change, herbal and nutritional supplements and topped off with chiropractic, accupunture or massage therapy. It can take days, months or even years to see success. The wonderful thing is that you will see beneficial results!
Don't expect to see major results though if you just pop a few herbal/nutritional supplements without changing the detrimental daily lifestyle habits such as eating junk, smoking, alcohol etc.
It usually takes a whole lifestyle "overhaul" to reach good health.
My point? Take the time and make yourself healthy.
Amen to your remarkes in blue! Not only Senior Citizens are seeking Natural Alternatives, but so are many of us younger ones!
What got me started was the fact that I couldnt find any type of Worm parasite medicine for humans over the counter. I tried every single drugstore and mainstream store-- but all that is sold is bug spray or lice medicine.
Aft first I was bloated, with constant bloodshot eyes. I had a hard time getting into my doctor's office, as they are overbooked and understaffed as usual. When I did have to miss some time at work (and much needed pay) to finaly get an office visit over another matter, I was simply told to go on a diet and excersize more to eleviate the "pot belly".'
No mention of parasites being a cause- though Im' sure that during my pap smear that day, the doctor saw some of the worms I had in me. She had a very nervous look of horror on her face after givng me my pap smear. Her words, "ummm, you have a bit of a yeast infection... i can give you a perscription to get rid of that- I'll leave now, and you can get dressed."
Going on an Atkins type diet where I was to eat
mostly animal protiens in the hope to rid the "fat" only made my "pot
belly" worse. Ephreda Free
Hydroxycut with Caffiene only made me more wired up and affected my
nerves, giving me heart palpatations.
I had been aware of parasite infections at an early age , and at that time (in the 1970's) I was actually able to find a bottle of pinworm medicine in a local drugstore- unheard of these days) I bought it and used it without my parent's knowledge. I got lots of dead pinworms out of me, my stools came out purple from the medicine, and I got lots of skin rashes from the 'die off" (not knowing at that age that I should drink lots of water and clean the colon to help eliminate dead worm waste and toxins)
Because of my past experience with worms- and reading about them , I did a search on Google.com and found the Curezone site by accident. I discovered the Parasite forum, and this led me to the discovery of herbs and natural ways of ridding parasites-- and the proper way to go about it.
Of all times to start, It was right before Thanksgiving 2004! I read all I could and found that meat tends to encourage parasites by lowering the alkaline state of the body.-- so I was even afraid to have any turkey! I had a little of it, with plenty of raw salad, cooked asparagus and sweet potatoe, and home-made pumpkin pie
From that day foreward , I became a regular visitor of Curezone- and discovered the advantages of getting more raw fruits and veggies in the diet, and supplements, enzymes, etc that help the body assimilate vitamins.
I did a total diet and lifestyle overhaul and discovered a little - on a physical level- of what is meant by that quote Jesus mentions in the Bible, " in the World but not of it...."
I
discovered after colon cleanses and following the knowledge I learned
from many good Curezone posts that I was soon eliminating many dead
liver and sheep flukes-- and other smaller
worms. The improved diet of raw fruits and
veggies really cleaned me out as well-- so much so that I even lost
some Mucoid Plaque without even going on any type of Master
Cleanse! Thank God!
After three liver Cleanses followed from Dr. Hulda Clark's instructions, I was soon losing so much weight and my stomach became as flat as a board! People at work became concerned because the weight loss was so fast. I dropped from a dress size 14 to a size 10 in pants. Sometimes a size 8.
And my flatulence issue is gone-- except during PMS Menstruation time of course.
I am more calmer-- talk less fast and am not as moody as I was.
Now my doctor would just prescribe me drugs for all of these issues, without getting to the root of the problem. It's as though all doctors have a gag order placed against them to forbid them discussion of parasites or Mercury possibilities with their patients.
I would still be a mess right now if I never discovered Curezone and kept depending on my doctor . Not to mention - having to take time off from work to get an office visit- because they close right after I get out of work (4:30- 5:00) and are not open on weekends.
Wher'es a person supposed to turn to if they
aren't taken seriously from their own doctor or drug store? They
need to seek an alternative route!