Are you willing to pay extra for treatments that your insurance does not cover? Whether it is conventional medical therapy or alternative treatment, it can be hard to know what to do. Two free, nonprescription treatments, prayer and meditation, are tops in alternative treatments patients use. Why? Because it works. So why aren't more doctors recommending it along with all the other treatments? Why does conventional treatment get first choice?
Massage, acupuncture and other alternative modalities can be just as effective with better results, less side effects. Treatments and medicines used over 2000 years ago on Eastern medicine are often dismissed and discouraged as fist line treatments. Evidence based studies is the buzzword for medical treatments that works best today. Drug trials done over a few months to years take precedence over tried and true alternative treatments from thousands of years ago.
One size does not fit all. Treatments must be customized to each patient. This takes careful history taking, physical exam, in conjunction with other tests - conventional and alternative. All aspects of medical treatment must be respected and offered to patients so they can make a fully informed medical decision.
Even more discouraging is that health insurance covers any alternative treatments. For a person with a chronic conditions like arthritis, insurance will cover addictive potent pain medications when routine massages and/or acupuncture and/or routine physical therapy offer better pain control, and ongoing daily function.
If drug dependence to the point of drug addiction occurs, treatment is covered by insurance over non addicting complimentary treatment even though rehabilitation for addiction will incur extra cost and suffering for the patient. What began as arthritis pain can turn into drug dependence and adverse reactions with other side effects that may require rehabilitation or more drugs. This can add at least two or more new diagnoses for the patient which may require some self pay in addition to insurance coverage.
Seek out other therapies for your diagnosis. Many chronic conditions can be helped with proper diet, exercise, prayer, etc. The healing activity must be continuous and maintained routinely to get good results. Good lifestyle changes should be incorporated into daily life. As one learns to take pills daily so can one learn healthy routines that improve their quality of life. Best health!