Healthy Alternatives to Prescription Medications - Term Paper Example

Healthy Alternatives to Prescription Medications Prescriptions that are made for various health problems under conventional Western medical practice often have alternative interventions that are mainly drawn from traditional methods of treatment in various parts of the world. Remarkably, there are a lot of non medicinal interventions that people have invented to cure diseases and deal with other health conditions in the absence of Western medicine. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has classified complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into: alternative medical systems like traditional Chinese medicine, biological based therapy like herbal and dietary treatment, energy therapies like magnet therapy, manipulative body-based activities like massage and osteopathy, and mind-body interventions like meditation and hypnotherapy (Sarac and Gur 47). All these categories may be used complimentarily with medical prescriptions or entirely on their own, as alternatives to western medicine. In general, the use of CAM does not imply the rejection of conventional medicine, but as a critical part of self-care management that shows ones responsibility for health and a pragmatic approach to managing the chronic condition in the best possible way (Moses 64). Notably, some cases require the use of the alternative medicine in place of prescription medication. For instance, a person may opt for physiotherapy instead of antidepressants to relieve stress. Of great importance is the need to ensure that the alternative medications are healthy since ensuring the safety of the patient is very important. The effectiveness of any alternative treatment should be accompanied by lack of adverse effects. The use of alternatives to prescription medication is healthy if undertaken under the principles of quality use of medicine, which calls for judiciousness, appropriateness, safety, and efficacy. Prescription medication is not always effective and in some instances, it is does not work well enough as the alternative form of treatment. To begin with, ineffectiveness of the conventional medication leads people to seek alternative medication. For instance, biomedical treatment of chronic pain using long-term opoids, anticonvulsants, topical preparations, and tricyclic antidepressants is only marginally effective (Tan, Alvarez and Jensen 1420). For instance, Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FM), a chronically painful disorder of unknown origin that defies all clinical treatments is effectively managed by alternative treatments such as acupuncture, herbal and nutritional supplements, and massage therapy (Sarac and Gur 48). The alternative treatment gets rid of the conditions whereas medicinal prescriptions might escalate them. There are many cases where alternative treatment works better than Western medicines. In a study, Tan, Alvarez and Jensen (1422) discovered that hypnosis is more effective on pain treatment in comparison to medication management and even physical therapy. However, the use of any of the alternative medication is determined by the factors involved in each case. This means that some alternative medications are bound to be more effective than others depending on the factors, such as other medication, comorbidities, age, physical fitness, disability. For instance, the use of the herb St John’s Wort to treat mild depression is discouraged if a patient is using other medication. If used together with other antidepressants, there is likelihood of overdose and possible addiction of the patient and it reduces the efficacy of medicines like protease inhibitors, oral contraceptives, and estrogen (Sarac and Gur 48). The possibility of alternative medicine being toxic if used at the recommended dosage is low but not ignorable. For example, the use of ginkgo biloba, a dietary supplement which has anticoagulant properties which make it good for improving blood circulation, is associated with hemorrhage, while use of kava to treat anxiety is associated with hepatitis, with these effects arising due to the pharmacology of the substances (Moses 65). Given these possibilities, it is important that medical professionals who administer alternative medicine should be aware of the safe usage of the medication for the wellbeing of their patients. More often than not, people seek alternative treatment to complement medical subscriptions that have not worked to their expectations. The usage of alternative medicine should be governed by acceptable principles of medicine use that applies across the board. In general, the principles of quality use of medicine call for judiciousness, appropriateness, safety, and efficiency. Judiciousness entails using medicine or non-medicinal alternatives only when needed; appropriateness implies choosing the appropriate medication based on factors like the medical condition, potential benefits and risks, treatment period, and cost; safety entails considering any adverse effects that result from overuse or under-use of the therapy; and efficacy means that the therapy must yield beneficial health outcomes (Moses 64). There is a great possibility that the alternative medication may be unhealthy not only due to the ignorance of medical practitioners, but also because many patients increasingly choose the alternatives on their own. Factors such as discontent with traditional Western medicine, marketing forces, availability and access of information on the internet, and increased desire of patients to play a proactive role in their medical decision making have driven people to seek alternative medicine (Tan, Alvarez and Jensen 1421). For example, people may be convinced about a given non-medicinal alternative through a promotional campaign that is not necessarily honest or exhaustive about the usage of the alternative. In this case, there is a risk of misusing the non prescription medication regardless of whether one is using other medication or not. While some of the alternative medications are potentially harmful, others are almost completely safe. For instance, massage is a very satisfying therapeutic intervention that is safe. Massage involves the systematic manipulation of soft body tissues for therapeutic purposes and it is used to treat many conditions including injuries and physical problems and to manage stress and tension. The therapy works by influencing various body systems such as blood supply to tissues, removal of toxic wastes from muscles, boosting the immune system, enhancing posture and flexibility, and managing blood pressure (Sarac and Gur 52). Indeed, massage is used as a recreational therapy that is effective in keeping psychological and physical bad health effects at bay. Similarly, physical exercise that helps to burn fat from the body is a safe and cheap way of keeping healthy. As the world becomes more united through globalization and people get more informed through unrestrained flow of information, people are turning to the use of alternative medication from other cultures. The use of CAMs is increasingly attractive since the remedies are relatively accessible, safe, and effective (Moses 63). For instance, more people are turning to the Chinese medication method known as acupuncture. This is a medication that involves a group of therapies where needles are inserted into the subcutaneous tissues to restore balance to the body systems (Strauss and Lang 2). This treatment is used to relieve stress. In addition, another technique that is used to cure stress is meditation, which includes mindfulness practices like yoga. People who have used mindfulness as a therapy to treat anxiety have reported its effectiveness. In this form of alternative treatment, patients become less reactive to intrusive thoughts by shifting attention and holding a non-judgmental stance. Another strategy, known as compassion meditation increases positive feeling and social connectedness since, in its practice, the stressed individuals direct compassion and warmth towards others (Strauss and Lang 3). The efficacy of these interventions has made their popularity to grow. People in the United States often seek CAM interventions while seeking to cure mental health complications, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 40% of people who seek PTSD treatment use the mind-body treatments, such as meditation, exercise therapy, and relaxation to deal with emotional and mental problems (Strauss and Lang 1). Presently, people can access the information about these therapies through the Internet and apply them on their own. The subjugation of alternative cures does not augur well with the health needs of the society. Instead of regarding the alternative cures as inferior to prescribed medicine and ignoring them, the powerful stakeholders should endeavor to improve and promote them. The healthy use of the alternatives depends on the conscious efforts of each stakeholder, ranging from the government, to medical practitioners, to patients. There is need for health professionals to develop knowledge about alternative medicines since patients often look up to them for advice about the risks and benefits of using CAMs for their treatment needs (Mosses 63). Moreover, society in general and the policymakers in particular have to embrace the use of alternative medication to increase the probability of curing various ailments and disorders. Presently, alternative medication lags behind since it is not taught in medical schools, it is not traditionally used in hospitals, and medical insurance companies do not reimburse it (Tan, Alvarez and Jensen 1421). Those in positions of power are supposed to promote the use of alternative treatment that has been proved effective while also enabling research to develop the treatments more. There is a great room for improvement in the use of alternative treatment given its efficacy in its current use, which is highly limited. The safe complementary use of the treatment together with prescription medicine is critical to avoid side effects that arise due to lack of knowledge. The medical realm can be certainly improved a great deal if alternative treatments are taken with the seriousness they deserve. Works Cited Moses, Geraldine. “Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in the Elderly.” Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research 35.1(2005): 63-68. Sarac, Aysegul Jale and Ali Gur. “Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies in Fibromyalgia.” Current Pharmaceutical Design 2006, 12, 47-57. Strauss, Jennifer L. and Ariel J. Lang. “Complementary and Alternative Treatments for PTSD.” PTSD Research Quarterly 23.2(2012):1-3. Tan, Gabriel, Julie A. Alvarez and Mark P. Jensen. “Complementary and Alternative Medicine Approaches to Pain Management.” Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session. 62.11(2006): 1419–1431. Read More