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Beyond Conventional Medicine
by Greta Perry
In our health-and-fitness-conscious society, the list of approaches that may help us achieve healthy lives is constantly growing. The list of alternatives to conventional medical care changes continually as therapies that are proven safe and effective are adopted into traditional health care and as new options emerge.
Whether you have a curable or incurable ailment, are in some need of pain relief or simply want to quit smoking or lose weight, many avenues are readily available on the northshore in addition to conventional medical care.
Chiropractic care, one of the most well known practices in alternative medicine, has become more mainstream in Louisiana and the United States over the last 20 years. Most patients enter the door for pains in the neck and back as well as headaches and various other maladies. “Chiropractic philosophy directs everything in our body to the spine, which, when misaligned, can affect even our internal organs and central nervous system,” says Scott Schroeder, DC. “Our goal is to seek harmony and balance with the spine to prevent possible ailments as well as treat the current ones.”
The vision of a hypnotherapist with a watch waving back and forth may be forever embedded in your brain, but what these trained professionals can offer a client is much more than party tricks. “Hypnotism is an amazingly powerful technique that helps both deeply and quickly,” explains hypnotherapist Sandra Soule. “Hypnotherapy works well for addictions, phobias, anxiety, depression and habit changes in the young and old.” Hypnotherapy can offer immediate changes after one session or a few, depending on the goal.
Acupuncture is another widely recognized approach to healing, having been applied for centuries in Eastern Medicine. What is not so well known is that, with advanced technology, it is now possible to accomplish this ancient treatment without needles. Jamie Wally of Advanced Laser Works uses a laser with electrical impulses to target defined areas and stimulate the body’s natural endorphins. “I treat people mostly for weight loss, insomnia and smoking cessation, all with extremely high success rates,” Wally says. For the treatment to be effective, Wally notes that her patients “must understand that change is necessary from within.”
You’re more likely to think of a massage as a great gift certificate for your birthday than as a therapy. And while there is no question that stopping the world for a short time to relax and be pampered and massaged will do wonders for your psyche and aching body, Aveda’s Jill Landry, a nationally certified massage therapist, explains that massage can do much more. “As massage therapists, our goal is to develop a partnership with our clients and educate them how to better take care of themselves. Through massage and that partnership, they can achieve the balance they desire.” Jill commonly asks her clients how they want their body to feel when they leave their session. This approach incorporates the client’s psyche into the massage process. “Clients may feel relaxed during the massage, but leave with a renewed energy that will help them achieve their daily balance,” says Jill.
Herbal and nutritional supplements are no longer seen as unusual. It was not that long ago that the local pharmacist carried the only vitamins in town. Now we have multiple options, and can consult with specialists in the herbal and vitamin supplement field. (Naturally, if you are currently taking prescribed medication, you should consult with your physician before taking supplements.)
In a perfect world, medical and alternative providers would work hand in hand and we would take more responsibility for our own health. “It would be beneficial to every community if medicine were practiced in a complementary fashion,” notes Soule. “Alternative medicine could and should work with the [mainstream] medical community to better treat the patients.”
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine distinguishes between two main types of alternatives to conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine; for example, using aromatherapy to help lessen a patient’s discomfort following surgery. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine; an example is the use of a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.
In addition, the center defines integrative medicine as combining mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness. It is based on a physician-patient partnership in which both modalities are used to stimulate the body’s natural healing potential.
