See what is known about the effectiveness and safety of CAM strategies - and the way to integrate complementary or alternative medicines into comprehensive MS care. Another reason you should be up-front with your doctor about CAM is basically because, in some cases, some natural products can actually hinder traditional procedures. For example, certain herbs can interfere with some prescription medications, such as contraceptive pills or antidepressant medication. That is why it's always better to see your physician if you have a health problem and talk openly about any CAM you are employing or might want to try.

Folks who are afraid and hurting are being heard. They can be asking and answers are broadcast back again to them at the same frequency. Unfortunately they don't really work nonetheless they are human answers. Cries have been heard, humanity recognized. Something positive is going on and which should not be diminished. Science-based healthcare too often inspires fear and dread. Alternative medicine routinely inspires hope and good feelings. That is absurd given their respective track records, of course, but it's the reality.

One of the most popular herbal remedies in the United States is echinacea. Used to treat colds, it's a $130-million-a-year business. In 2003, James Taylor and co-workers at the University of Washington in Seattle studied more than 400 children with colds who had received either echinacea or a placebo for 10 days. The only real difference: Children taking echinacea were much more likely to build up a rash.

Alternative medicine includes treatments not currently considered part of evidence-based Western medicine. If you refer to yourself as a homeopathic doctor, you'll need to have a medical license, otherwise you could work as a homeopathic counselor. and Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th ed. (2009). Becoming an ND doesn't require a pre-med undergraduate major, but if you understand you're considering heading down this career path, make sure to satisfy any science prerequisites which may be essential for graduate school.

Manipulative and body-based practices. Counting on the physical manipulation of the body, this practice is intended to boost specific symptoms and general health. Examples of these practices include chiropractic and osteopathy. Besides being benchmarks, placebos are a topic of research in their own right. On May 16th the Royal Society, the world's oldest scientific academy, published a level of its Philosophical Transactions specialized in the field.