Alternative therapies and overall health

Alternative therapy and overall health are not an either-or relationship. When supported by evidence-based evidence and the applicable boundaries are clear, it can be an effective supplement to modern mainstream medicine. Both of them jointly point to the overall health goal of "all-dimensional care of body and mind." However, there is currently no unified adaptation standard in the industry, and the weight of efficacy is also highly flexible due to individual differences, and there is no one-size-fits-all formula.

Not long ago, I met a 32-year-old girl who works in Internet operations. She suffered from migraines for three years. She had an MRI and found no organic problems. The painkillers prescribed by Western medicine made her sick after taking them. Later, with the mentality of giving it a try, she found a certified aromatherapist and used customized essential oils for head massage and mindful breathing once a week. In two months, the frequency of attacks dropped from three or four times a week to once every half month, and the previous problem of hair loss was much better. It is not impossible to say that this is a placebo effect, but the objective improvements in her headache scale score and sleep quality are real. This is because alternative therapy fills the gap of "functional discomfort" that is not covered by mainstream medicine - many times people feel uncomfortable but cannot find the index problem. This is not because you are being pretentious, but because the evaluation system of mainstream medicine has not yet covered these detailed physical and mental related reactions.

Of course, there are always many voices of opposition. Many researchers in the mainstream evidence-based medicine system believe that the vast majority of alternative therapies have not been verified by large-sample double-blind randomized controlled trials, and their efficacy is too uncertain and may even delay treatment. Previously, a 19-year-old college student was admitted to the emergency department. He was suffering from bacterial pneumonia and refused to take antibiotics. He drank the so-called "natural antiviral herbal juice" at home every day. When he was delivered, he already had white lungs. It took three days to rescue him. This kind of case that crossed the line is also the core reason why many people talk about alternative therapies. To put it bluntly, using alternative therapies as the first choice for serious or emergency cases is essentially irresponsible for one's own life. No matter how much emphasis is placed on natural conditioning, it cannot violate basic medical common sense.

Interestingly, practitioners of the holistic medicine school rarely struggle with the question of "who is more effective." In our clinical practice, we always prioritize patients first: emergency and severe cases seek mainstream medicine to control risks first, and follow-up rehabilitation, chronic disease conditioning, and emotional relief are then matched with appropriate alternative therapies. There is no need to "take sides" at all. Last year, I had an acute lumbar prolapse, which was so painful that I couldn't get out of bed. I immediately went to the orthopedic department and was prescribed mannitol and analgesics. After three days, 80% of the pain was gone. Then I saw an osteopath in the rehabilitation department to do core strength training. It has been almost a year since it relapsed. Whose credit do you think it is? If any link is missing, I may suffer more.

Now many oncology departments in tertiary hospitals have incorporated mindfulness meditation and music therapy into routine care to alleviate nausea, vomiting and anxiety in chemotherapy patients. The effect is no worse than auxiliary drugs and the side effects are smaller. In the "Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine" updated by the World Health Organization in 2023, it also clearly delineates applicable scenarios for more than 200 alternative therapies: acupuncture can be used to relieve chronic low back pain and postoperative pain, yoga can improve blood pressure levels in patients with essential hypertension, and meditation can reduce the frequency of attacks of generalized anxiety disorder - these are all supported by solid evidence-based evidence and are not some deceiving metaphysics.

In the final analysis, what everyone is pursuing is "overall health", not to compete for who is higher and who is lower. It’s okay for you to believe in mainstream medicine. If you feel uncomfortable when the doctor says, “There’s nothing wrong with you, just go back and take care of yourself.” It’s not a bad idea to try alternative therapies from regular institutions. ； It's okay if you prefer natural treatment, but the premise is that you don't insist on going to the hospital because of the organic disease. If something goes wrong, no one will be able to support you. Health is something that everyone has different views on. What suits you, what allows you to eat well, sleep well and feel comfortable is a good method. How can there be so many black and white truths?