There is a fine line between alternative medicine and
quackery. Always use a practitioner who is state licensed and is a member of a
recognized medical association. Some alternative therapies are strictly fads
and they come and go. Unscrupulous people have always capitalized on the sick,
infirm, and dying—and they will continue to do so.
While some alternative medical therapies are ineffective or
even harmful, others such as those recognized by the NCCAM have been in
existence for thousands of years and are now undergoing rigorous scientific
studies in the United States. The differences between conventional and
alternative medicine are no longer as clearly defined as they once were and it
appears that alternative medicine is here to stay.
Heleigh Bostwick is a freelance writer who frequently
writes about health and nutrition. She is the editor of Parenting Multiples.