What external pressures have moved mainstream medicine to accept alternative therapies?

Question

Have any alternative therapies been proven to work as well as standard treatments? If so, name the therapy (ies)

Answer 1

I am a medical medical doctor. If any treatment is effective, I call it an effective treatment. If there is nothing but a faith in the effectiveness of a treatment then you can call it an alternative to traditional medicine.

Why do most large health plans cover some alternative therapies? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE; MONEY. The insurers offer the coverage because so many people believe the therapies will work for them and if the health insurer does not pay for certain therapies, many people will not sign up for the insurance.

If it is strategically necessary for insurers to cover the expense of an alterrtnative therapies it is because it will increase their membership. The costs are usually low, malpractice risk is less worrisome, traditional physicians may be freed from some of the frustration of providing care for vague life difficulties and for which they have no clue or desire to continue to struggle with,

Many slightly embarrassing claims can now be made by practitioners renting offices next to heart surgeons and immunologists but they do not ring up huge bills and some are really sincere people who do no harm and provide a warm and re-assuring space within the often indifferent, sterility of medical clinics staffed by professionals who often cannot empathize with others and are poor communicators. Theyget away with it because they have the proven science principles in their hands. There comes a time when death seem and close at hand. At that point, most people look squarely at the facts and become more tradfitional in their approach to a problem - a real y big problem . Beliefs are seen to actually be attitudes thatin good faith have grown out a suspicion about institutions rather than doubting the biologic science we call medicine. Being suspicious of a biological science and seeking alternatives to the fundemental facts is like having suspicions that there is an alternative explanation for how a light bulb works.

Answer 2

external pressures moved mainstream medicine accept alternative therapies

Answer 3

external pressure..health food stores sell $15Billion annually.
pressure from patients...especially when they experience side effects of chemicals and do not improve their health.

there are many alternative therapies that work better than mainstream...check out the German Monographs on herbal treatment for most disorders.

Accupunture has been successfully used for 2,000 years

Chiropractic care has been shown more cost effective and works better for low back pain, neck pain and headache

Massage therapy drains lymphatic system and improves overall health