Alternative Medicine, Chinese Healing Arts,...

[rainbowqtbabe]

...Acupuncture, etc... Anyone know much about these topics? I have an unexplainable stomach ache that comes for about a day each month. I have had almost every test possible done, and they've resorted to calling them "stomach migraines" and gave me a migraine pill that doesn't work. I'm at the point where I want to step away from what I've been doing and want to try something completely new. What do I need to look for in a good alternative medicine doctor or clinic, what are the pros and cons, what is the best route to go, and how can I convince my parents it isn't "a bunch of crap" and to open their minds?Thanks for your time.

[Megan G]

If you are looking for a good alternative medicine practitioner make sure that they are regulated and have taken the necessary schooling. I would definitely seek out alternative medicine if you are not getting answers from the medical profession (contrary to what Kalos will probably tell you). I would suggest going to see a registered Naturopathic Doctor that can take your case, history, do a physical exam and necessary laboratory work. Naturopathic Doctors are trained to look for the root cause of illness instead of covering it up or palliating with medications. Look up registered ND's on the AANP website in the US and the CAND website in Canada - this allows you to find ND's that have taken the necessary schooling (approximately 8 years of school). As far as your parents are concerned its pretty easy to "convince" people once they see the benefits and results of utilizing complementary/alternative medicine. They can even just turn on the television and watch Oprah when Dr. Oz is on - he is very much an advocate of preventative/complementary health care. Or even just watch the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore - where he explains the importance of preventative medicine and how the health care in the States is so ineffective (not only because of the health care coverage problems) because doctors only treat symptoms with medication instead of stressing the importance of diet and lifestyle! Many people are starting to get frustrated with the current medical paradigm and are seeking out alternative options! "Why put an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff when you can build a fence at the top?" Prevention is the key to true health!!!Kalos: Why do you keep posting that Eastern medicine is becoming obsolete in Asian areas as Western medicine becomes more available....that is sooooo not true and you would know that if you took a trip over there sometime!!!

[Dr. K]

Have you consulted with a nutritionist? There may be something you're eating that's disturbing your digestive tract. The first step to do is eliminate all sugar, all chemicals, and all processed foods out of diet. After one month, slowly add one food at a time for two week interval and see which one is the trigger.If something what you're eating isn't the problem, then yes, consult with a naturopath first, they have the most well rounded education for what you're seeking. Education consists typically of nutrition, homeopathic medications, herbs, acupuncture, and so forth.Good luck!

[Patrick oldie]

I have been interested in the history of TCM as a lay person for over 30 years. In the old feudal days in China a doctor was only paid while you were well and not paid when you were sick and so it was in his own interest to make you well if you were one of his patients.Also if one of his patients died he had to hang a lantern outside his practise.so people were able to see who were the good Dr's and if someone died and he did not put the lantern out, he was executed the one thing that save the Dr's was that the patient had to stick to what the Dr ordered. It's not surprising that to days modern youth if told not to smoke by their Dr would not listen to him. I believe that a combination of TCM and western medicine can work side by side. It's not long ago that western medicine cut people open to try and find the meridians that TCM said existed? and when they could not find them rubbished TCM.It wasn't until technology came along with a means of finding the acupuncture points, that western Dr's started to take up acupuncture themselves.One of the main differences between the two systems is western medicine takes away the symptoms ie: headache take 2 panadol where as TCM finds out which meridian is unbalanced then proceeds to balance them there by making you well again, but not all illnesses are controlable by both systems and there are good and bad practitioners in both camps