Beginner's Guide To Alternative Health
WHAT IS ALTERNATIVE HEALTH?
Alternative health is defined by the use of non-conventional medicine in terms of modern Western medicine. These alternatives have ancient roots most commonly in traditional Asian medicine. However, a variety of cultural traditions are utilized in this vast landscape. A national survey in 2012 found that more than 30% of adults sought some form of alternative medicine.
Alternative medicine is more and more commonly being recommended to patients by medical professionals in conjunction with conventional medicine. This is commonly referred to as complementary medicine. There is no reason that one needs to approach his or her personal health with an all or nothing approach. It is perfectly appropriate to use the best methods and treatments from both philosophies.
FORMS OF ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
You are probably familiar with a range of different forms of alternative health. Some of the most common alternative health people in the West are familiar with would be acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, meditation, herbal supplements, and homeopathy. There are a variety of wellness techniques available too such as infrared heat, cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen, yoga, metabolic and hormonal balancing and more.
Some less common alternative health practices are Ayurvedic medicine, hypnotherapy, art therapy, music therapy, tai chi, reiki, and much more.
A majority of alternative health therapies are not backed by what many Western physicians consider to be strong human scientific research; however, studies have been conducted to determine the medical implementation of some of these medical alternatives.
Usually, once scientific studies have enough substantial evidence for a medical alternative, medical practitioners are more likely to recommend these alternatives to their patients. There is a massive amount of basic science and animal studies as well as more and more human clinical trials available for those physicians that wish to offer as much as possible to their patients.
Dr. Warner’s Stance On Alternative Health
Dr. Meredith Warner is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon who believes in the use of alternative medicine when backed by scientific evidence. Many conventional modern drugs and therapies are derived from ancient remedies after extensive scientific research. The herbal supplements she has chosen to include in her Well Theory line of wellness products, while natural in origin, have been studied by researchers and have evidence to back up their therapeutic benefits. Oftentimes these natural options are a safer alternative to modern synthetic medicines. Dr. Warner also prescribes pharmaceuticals and performs surgery. She believes that whatever will work the best and provide good outcomes with safety is what should be used for any particular condition or problem.
In her clinical practice, Dr. Warner uses an Integrative Health approach when prescribing and recommending medications and therapies to her patients. Integrative health looks at an individual’s whole body and takes into account their wants and needs when deciding on whether to go with a conventional or alternative approach. She and her team perform extensive analyses of a given patient’s health status and then make recommendations. She will also follow the patients as they progress through the health protocols.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Meredith Warner is the creator of Well Theory and The Healing Sole. She is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Air Force Veteran.
She is on a mission to disrupt traditional medicine practices and promote betterment physically, spiritually and mentally to many more people. She advocates for wellness and functional health over big pharma so more people can age vibrantly with more function and less pain.
At Well Theory, Our surgeon-designed products are FDA Registered and formulated to help people:
- Manage the symptoms of musculoskeletal pain
- Recover vibrantly from orthopedic related surgeries
- Fill the gaps in our daily diets
- Manage pain associated with inflammation