Alternative Health Care is not as Alternative as it Used to Be
This article was provided by Top Rated Chiropractor Dr. Kevin Wong DC at Orinda Chiropractic & Laser Center in Orinda, CA. If you'd like to learn more, please visit http://www.orindachiropractic.com
Open Your Mind to Natural Health Care!
Did you grow up in the traditional medical model? Does it feel uncomfortable to go against the word or advice of your Medical Doctor? Are you scared at making your own decisions about your health care? After all, The Doctor knows best, right?
Welcome to modern healthcare where people are not afraid of the answers to those questions I just posed in the previous paragraph. In this day and age, people are questioning traditional medicine’s advice because there have been so many problems arising over the years. Probably the biggest example of this is our current opioid crisis which has created so much addiction and sadness across the United States and the world.
Alternatives to the Medical Model
There are so many people out there who have no idea that there are alternatives to the traditional medical model. I have been a Chiropractor since 1996 and Chiropractic, at times, is still fighting an uphill battle with being recognized as a legitimate health care profession. But you are part of the informed generation who knows the power of Chiropractic, massage, Acupuncture, massage therapy and other natural health professions. How can I give you more information to empower and inform you? Read on.
The human body is a pretty amazing organism. We are capable of so much adversity in our lives. We can endure emotional trauma, physical injury and even subject ourselves to body positions or activities each day that can wear our bodies down. In our society, we are trained from youth of the idea that as we begin to age or get older, our bodies should expect a certain amount of pain. Unfortunately, this type of mindset also prevents many of us from seeking help early when we do feel pain begin. We say things like "it will just go away" or "I should expect pain at this point of my life".
When we apply this mode of thinking to even younger people, the gravity of the situation can be worse. Let's take an example of an athlete who hurts themselves while playing their sport. Most of the time, especially in younger people, unless the problem is deemed serious enough to warrant a trip to the doctor, people are just dealing with the pain. Some refer to it as "taking one for the team", but staying in pain can lead to further injuries down the road. We still find many people out there who will deal with pain for so many years, it becomes part of who they are. They walk around with it like a badge of courage or as a symbol of martyrdom. It is a mindset that is dangerous for the person involved.
What is the Allopathic Medicine Model?
Most of us have grown up in a traditional, allopathic medicine type of health model. In other words, we go to the medical doctor when we are "sick". This pervasive viewpoint on how to deal with not feeling well has been echoed throughout time in the United States since our country was very young. The problem is, the traditional medical model does not deal with the actual cause of the pain. Often, the pain is being covered up. It has been documented that large numbers of patients die in hospitals each year while receiving surgeries that may or may not have been necessary.
Please do not misunderstand me, we need the Medical Specialists of the world as they have an important place in health care. The point is this: We must be willing to change our mindset and look for other health care options that offer ways of feeling better. This may include Chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, naturopathy and others. The only way to do this is educating patients and teaching them what else is out there.
The shift patients are making now to being more open minded to alternative or natural health remedies has been slow and at times painful. Even as I write this article in modern day, 2018, there are misconceptions: Chiropractors are quacks, "massage" is a bit shady and Acupuncturists just stick needles all over the body like it's a voodoo doll. Many people still don't even know that a Naturopath is a Doctor.
Is Alternative Health Care for you?
Alternative health care is a powerful force to be reckoned with now. The amount of healing we provide is astounding. I want to take Chiropractic as an example.
Chiropractic has been proven to not only help patients heal faster for a variety of
ailments, but save insurance companies and patients money in the long run. Yet we are treating less than 10% of the population.
So I say to you, health care consumer of 2018, think about how you are truly feeling these days. Do you have any type of pain or health condition you have been experiencing that you have not done anything about? Have you been putting off getting any treatment for pain or symptoms? For those of you who have been going the traditional Medical Route, is it time for a change?
Changing of our minds takes time and for some it will never come. But there are so many great options for getting help these days, there is no true excuse to not explore them. "I don't have time", " I don't have the money", "I don't have the ......." We all make time for things we feel are important. We all use excuses for what we don't want to do.
Open your mind, empower yourself, take control of your health and take that pain away!