As you wander the aisles of your local health food store, you stumble on one
that is full of bottles that look like they belong in the drug store. Looking
up, you notice that the name of the aisle is Alternative Medicine.
Seeing the phrase "alternative medicine" might conjure up images of pungent
herbal teas, poultices, chanting, or meditation. In fact, both herbal remedies
and meditation, as well as dozens of other treatments, fall under the heading of
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Although there is no strict
definition of alternative medicine, it generally includes any healing practices
that are not part of mainstream medicine - that means any practice that is not
widely taught in medical schools or frequently used by doctors or in hospitals.
But the boundaries of alternative medicine in the United States are
constantly changing as different types of care become more accepted by doctors
and more requested by patients. A few practices (such as hypnosis) that were
dismissed as nonsense 20 years ago are now considered helpful therapies in
addition to traditional medicine. Can alternative medicine help your
child?