Alternative Therapies vs. Medical Treatments: Which Are Best?
March 16, 2017 by ThySista
Filed under Health & Wellness, Opinion, Weekly Columns
(ThySistas.com) For thousands of years, alternative medicines were used to treat an array of illnesses. From ancient Egyptian medicine to Chinese herbal medicine, many of the treatments used thousands of years ago are still used today, despite the fact that modern medicine has advanced in many ways since then. The fact that alternative medicine is still used today despite the fact that conventional medicine has come a long way differs the question of which treatment method is actually best. Admittedly, modern medicine tends to see better results in some cases but is it sustainable? Take antibiotics, for instance, infections and illnesses are becoming more and more resistant to them, which means that one day soon they will no longer be effective. With that in mind, a lot of people are starting to wonder whether alternative therapies could be the way to go, especially as a lot of doctors are now recommending them over medical treatments.
Do alternative therapies work?
When it comes to determining whether alternative therapies or 
modern medicine is best for treating health problems, it’s important to think about how successful alternative therapies are. The fact is that while some alternative therapies work wonders, such as this homeremedyshop.com UTI remedy, not all alternative treatments are as effective. From aches and pains to skin problems, alternative treatments can be effective. However, for more serious illnesses like cancers, severe infections, and chronic health problems, modern medicine tends to offer more effective treatment.
Why are they a popular choice?
Alternative therapies are a popular choice for a range of reasons, from reducing the cost of medical treatment to offering healthier long-term solutions. Take eczema, for instance; medical treatments include the use of steroid creams that remove layers of skin, whereas natural treatments like aloe vera soothe the skin and often work just as effectively as steroid creams. There are a lot of health problems like gluten intolerance, IBS, and Crohn’s Disease that were nowhere near as prevalent as they are today. These kinds of long-term conditions are often managed with natural medicines as it’s believed that they’re better in the long-term. When medical treatments don’t work or aren’t as effective as it’s hoped they would be, many people choose to turn to alternative medicine. Take back pain, for instance, when a medical treatment is ineffective, acupuncture is often tried and is successful.
Which is best, alternative or medical treatment?
When it comes to deciding which is best, alternative or medical treatment, it becomes tricky. You see, it depends on what the health problem is that is being treated. For more serious conditions that require urgent care, medical treatment is always the best route to go down. Whereas, for health problems that are minor or chronic, often alternative treatments can be a better option than taking drugs for a prolonged period, depending of course, on what your doctor says about opting to try an alternative treatment method, that is.
The fact is that both medical and alternative treatment methods can be effective, it’s just a case of deciding which is best for a certain health problem or condition. Sometimes it’s not just a case of using one type of treatment or the other; it’s a case of combining both alternative and modern medicine.
Staff Writer; Sharon Hall
