Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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| | Complementary and alternative medicine is a broad term that includes any approach to health care that is not typically used in conventional Western medicine. These practices and products may be used to complement conventional medical treatment or as a separate, alternative treatment. From acupuncture to yoga, complementary alternative medicine is rapidly increasing in popularity. The most recent report of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) found that about 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of children in the |
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Opportunities
Consumer-Driven Health care
As the costs of medicine and medical insurance continue to rise, people are demanding more effective and less expensive health care options. Health care consumers are also more knowledgeable and empowered than ever before. The days of following a single doctor's advice without question are long past. When diagnosed with a disease, most people spend time on the Internet exploring their treatment options. People are seeking out complementary alternative medicine options to treat everything from the common cold to cancer.
Stress Management
Many alternative medicine practitioners believe that stress is the root cause of most disease. Even conventional doctors recognize stress as a contributing factor in certain types of disease and a barrier to healing. In our fast-paced and overworked society, most of us struggle with stress on a daily basis.
Many forms of complementary alternative medicine address stress at a fundamental level. Massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and other techniques help individuals to attain deep states of relaxation, creating opportunities for the body to attain balance and healing. Other forms of complementary alternative medicine, such as yoga and meditation, help people learn to manage their stress more effectively.
Whole Body Health
Consumers are increasingly interested in improving their overall health, in part of avoid the costs of getting sick. Complementary alternative medicine offers many paths to optimal wellness, while conventional medicine has historically focused on addressing symptoms of disease.
This is particularly relevant in light of high rates of fatigue, obesity, addiction and other serious barriers to whole body health in our society. Complementary alternative medicine offers support to individuals seeking to overcome such barriers. For example, hypnotherapy can help smokers quit, and movement-based therapies can encourage healthy weight loss.
Booming Wellness Industry
The popularity of complementary alternative medicine continues to skyrocket. Women and people with higher levels of education and income are currently the most frequent users, but people of all backgrounds are interested in effective and affordable health care alternatives. At the same time, the increasing interest in anti-aging and anti-stress therapies has created a boom in the spa industry, which employs a growing number of alternative health practitioners. These factors combine to create a strong market for skilled practitioners of complementary alternative medicine.
Rewards of a Complementary Alternative Medicine Career
The most obvious reward of a career in complementary alternative medicine is the opportunity to help others attain health and wellness. You will also be able to create a career as unique as you are and enjoy daily work that supports your own balanced healthy lifestyle. Perhaps most exciting, you will be part of a transformation in health care, as mainstream medicine recognizes the effectiveness of more and more alternative techniques.
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