HEALTH & FITNESS

By Ashley M. Boynes | Photos by David Pinchot

Kristen Happe performs an acupuncture facelift on Becky Palamides at The Grape Seed in Bridgeville.

But a 2004 study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that more than one-third of Americans had used some form of complementary or alternative medicine, ranging from chiropractic treatments to massage therapy to megavitamin treatments. Interestingly, alternative treatments were used more by women than men. People with higher education levels were also more likely to turn to alternative medicine.

The reason, seemingly, is that while research studies can say one thing, if people get results through a non-mainstream treatment, they’re going to use it. People with pain or other health problems aren’t concerned with theories so much as relief. And that kind of pragmatism has turned the alternative medicine business into an $18 billion a year industry.

For Kristen Happe, a licensed acupuncturist at The Grape Seed Natural Health Center in Bridgeville, it’s not unusual to see new patients view their initial treatments with a bit of skepticism. Many of Happe’s patients are people who have been unable to get results from conventional medicine and turned to acupuncture, people with conditions ranging from headaches and digestive problems to back pain and morning sickness.

That skepticism usually disappears after treatment, though, Happe says.

“They’ll say, ‘Wow, this stuff actually works,’ especially when treating pain because they’ll notice an increase in their range of motion or a decrease in their pain level immediately. When patients get results, they realize that it’s not voo-doo.”

That can be true of many other treatments that fall under the “alternative” banner. The term can include, among other things, herbs and vitamins, massage therapy, spiritual healing, yoga, meditation, magnetic therapy, the use of teas and oils, dietary supplements, spa treatments, enzymatic therapy, chiropractic, music therapy, acupuncture, and more. Some medical doctors (and even insurance companies) are even warming up to the use of certain alternative therapies in conjunction with more traditional medical treatments, though doctors stress that these alternatives should be used as a complementary means of therapy, and not as a replacement. Some in the alternative community concur.

“We are definitely not against conventional medicine,” says Denise Happe N.D., owner and Naturopath of The Grape Seed Natural Health Center. “Much of what you see out there says that one side is right and that the other is wrong. We don’t believe that either is bad. It’s about finding what’s right for the individual. If a person isn’t responding to conventional medicine, some of the measures provided by alternative medicine may be of value.”(Happe practices naturopathic medicine, which aims to improve the body’s functioning through dietary & lifestyle measures, nutritional, herbal and detoxification therapies).

For some illnesses, such as fibromyalgia and arthritis, for which there is no cure, other than pain management, patients often do what they can to keep themselves at ease, and this can include alternative therapies. Little is known about the mysterious illness of fibromyalgia which plagues nearly 5 million Americans, most of whom are female. Until recently, many insurance companies did not cover alternative treatments, and patients were forced to pay out of their own pockets for the sometimes expensive alternative therapies. When insurance companies realized that there were really no mainstream options to treat this disorder, some began to cover at least portions of the expenses of alternative treatments.

One example of an “alternative” philosophy meshing with conventional treatments is osteopathic medicine. Osteopaths, or D.O.s, are essentially regular doctors, but whose training includes a focus on the body’s ability to heal itself. Though once viewed as a group outside of mainstream medicine, D.O.s have for decades been recognized by the American Medical Association.

Whether you agree or disagree with alternative practices of medicine, one thing is for certain - a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and a good, nutritional diet is the way to go. If you feel the need to use alternative remedies in addition to your daily regime and regular prescriptions (as millions already do), make sure you first consult a doctor. •
Tim McNellie contributed to this report.