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Govt
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Go To Index Page Alternative medicine making waves in West Washington:
The use of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) has increased
tremendously in the West with more and more people believing in its
benefits. Alternative medicine includes the use of herbals, vitamins
and other supplements, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine
(TCM), homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic medicine, massage therapy,
and Ayurveda. Often included into this mix are energy therapies such
as Qi gong and bioelectromagnetic treatments, as well as mind-body practices
that encompass prayer, meditation or even dance. "Although the most
commonly used CAM is related to prayer, the most commonly reported CAM
adverse events tend to be 'allergic' reactions from herbal agents that
include urticaria, contact dermatitis, and anaphylaxis," said Dr. Bielory.
"There has been a recent surge of interest in TCM in Western countries,
as it is low cost and has shown favorable safety profiles," said Xiu-Min
Li, MD, an associate professor of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at
the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Herbal therapy is in
the mainstream of modern medical practice in China for treating asthma,
although the role for TCM in Western countries has not been established
as there are no FDA approved botanical drugs for treating asthma. Another
area of growing interest is in the use of probiotics to both treat and
prevent allergic disorders. Probiotics are cultures of potentially beneficial
bacteria of the healthy gut microflora. "Microflora or healthy bacteria
within the gut appear to be an important part of our mucosal protection
while also supporting healthy bowel functions," said Renata J. M. Engler,
M.D., from the Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences at Walter
Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. "When the healthy bacterial flora
is disrupted as with antibiotic therapy, illnesses such as vaginitis
and serious bowel infections may occur more easily. In addition, there
is a growing body of evidence that the healthy bacteria may interact
beneficially with the immune system overall.
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