How do you go about finding the right complementary and alternative medicine practitioner? There are so many different therapies and treatments that the options can seem overwhelming. Here are some suggestions:
Ask friends and family
Ask friends, relatives, and colleagues for the names of practitioners they've used. You'd be surprised by how many people have a practitioner they'd recommend.
Ask your healthcare providers
Ask your doctor, dentist, or other health care providers for recommendations. They may even regularly refer their patients to certain practitioners they trust.
Inquire at the health food store
Inquire at a local health food store or natural grocer. The manager usually knows practitioners in the area and they often have a board with business cards posted.
Check with local colleges
Call a local alternative medicine college or visit the website. Faculty members at colleges often teach part-time and maintain a practice. They usually have years of experience and are generally considered to be good practitioners.
Search web directories
Go to the professional association's website. Each type of therapy has an association with an online database of registered practitioners. You can often enter your city and zip code and get the names and phone numbers of practitioners in your area.
Ask your insurer
Check with your insurer to see if you are covered for any alternative health services. For example, some insurers cover visits to a chiropractor. They may have a list of of practitioners who accept your insurance.
Welcome to Healthy Living!
Most of us want to live a healthier life, but it is sometimes a daunting task trying to sift through the often-conflicting information we are given, in an effort to find what will work for us. We have all heard the ongoing debate about whether low-carb diets are healthy or bad for us and the varied opinions about which carbs we should be eating. There is the accepted opinion that coffee/caffeine has a harmful effect on your life and then the newer opinion that it is actually beneficial. The same is true for alcohol - red wine to be specific - does it kill brain cells or does is that negated due to the positive, healthy effects it seems to have on the heart? These debates are only the tip of the iceberg . . .
While the previous issues address what we should and shouldn't be eating, there is also the question of what to do if we have developed some ill effects (not feeling well, no energy, weight gain, disease) and want to reverse them. There are so many possible solutions. Do we fast - and if so what kind of fast (juice, water, fruit)? Do we need to detox? If so - how? Herbal cleanses, colonics, saunas, body wraps, sea water baths, Epsom salt baths? What herbs will help heal our bodies and in what quantities? And what about the alternative therapies: massage, Reiki, bio-feedback, hypnotherapy, meditation, light therapy, aromatherapy (to name only a few!)? Which of these would help us in our particular situation?
How to make sense of all this information? We would like to have this site be a place to discuss which things have worked for us (or haven't) and hopefully by sharing our experiences we will be able to help each other wade through all the possibilities and find our own paths to a Healthy Life!
While the previous issues address what we should and shouldn't be eating, there is also the question of what to do if we have developed some ill effects (not feeling well, no energy, weight gain, disease) and want to reverse them. There are so many possible solutions. Do we fast - and if so what kind of fast (juice, water, fruit)? Do we need to detox? If so - how? Herbal cleanses, colonics, saunas, body wraps, sea water baths, Epsom salt baths? What herbs will help heal our bodies and in what quantities? And what about the alternative therapies: massage, Reiki, bio-feedback, hypnotherapy, meditation, light therapy, aromatherapy (to name only a few!)? Which of these would help us in our particular situation?
How to make sense of all this information? We would like to have this site be a place to discuss which things have worked for us (or haven't) and hopefully by sharing our experiences we will be able to help each other wade through all the possibilities and find our own paths to a Healthy Life!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Tips for Finding an Alternative Health Practitioner
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