Western Medicine, it has dominated America's culture for many years. Western Medicine has some flaws as a result, many Americans are turning to alternative medicine. "Health food stores, other alternative medicine outlets, and offbeat practitioners are doing a thriving business these days with so-called remedies" ("A Professional . . . " 4). These so-called remedies have become quite popular with the American public. A 1997 survey showed 42 percent of Americans utilized alternative medicine. That is a large percentage, considering the fact that alternative medicine uses "hands-on treatments that seem more like witchcraft than medicine" ("A Professional . . . " 4). Witchcraft or not, alternative medicine has a great deal of potential. In fact, alternative medicine is the key to a healthy body.
Despite it's growing popularity, some people may not know what alternative medicine is. It ought to be defined, in order to eliminate all ambiguity. Alternative medicine is any medical practice that is not used by conventional doctors or taught in mainstream medical institutions (Dillard 10). The category of alternative medicine covers a wide variety of methods. Acupuncture, Yoga, Homeopathy, an

Prescription drugs are a danger to people. Prescription drugs kill between 80,000 and 120,000 people every year (Duke 22). An estimated 8,000 to 20,000 lives are lost each year due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAID's include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. They are efficient pain relievers, but over a period of time, they can cause serous, sometimes fatal damage to the stomach (23). This occurs because the conventional approach focuses on alleviating the symptoms, rather than curing the problem. Three of every one-thousand patients admitted to U.S. hospitals die from the medicine that they receive while there (24). With such a high rate of failure, it is a wonder that western medicine is considered to be the prominent form of medicine in America.

One danger of alternative remedies is present when a patient postpones successful forms of conventional medicine because of the use of alternative medicine. In some cases the patient may even die as a result ("A Professional . . . " 4). This problem can be eliminated with communication. If one communicates with an alternative practitioner and/or a primary physician, the treatment options can be made clear. Then, the patient will have the option of making an educated decision on his/her treatment. In some cases, the person may prefer death to conventional forms of treatment. My grandmother had colon cancer. She had surgery and it was removed. The doctor suggested chemotherapy. Seeing as how she was 75, she opted not to receive chemotherapy, because she felt that it would compromise her quality of life. Five years later, she is still alive and kicking. She is using alternative therapies, but that is her choice, and she made an educated decision.

Chinese medicine is considered, in America, to be a form of "alternative medicine." Interestingly enough, Chinese medicine dates back five-thousand years, as opposed to the two-hundred years that conventional medicine had been practiced (Burns). Chinese medicine uses a number of healing practices including acupuncture, herbal formulas, and massage (Wu 3). Chinese Medicine is based on prevention (Dillard 100). It involves basing a diagnosis on medical history, symptoms, and observations (Nian-Peng Shi). The individual is taken in to account, rather than forming the diagnosis, based on a set group of symptoms that do not change from patient to patient (Burns). A cheaper alternative to conventional healthcare, Chinese medicine may be the way to go. Many practices are opening that have combined western medicine with Chinese medicine. A practice of this sort may be the solution to one's healthcare problems.

Another widely used method of Alternative medicine is the use of herbal medicine. Herbal medicine is the use of plant remedies to treat diseases. It is the oldest form of medicine known to man ("Frequently Asked Questions" 1). Herbal remedies date back at least two-thousand years. They began through the method of trial and error. Over the years, these methods have been perfected (Nian-Peng Shi). In America, herbal medicine is considered to be "alternative medicine," despite the fact that 80% of the world's population relies on herbs for health. In Herbal medicine, the underlying cause of the problem is addressed and treated. This is more effective than simply treating the symptoms as in conventional medicine ("Frequently Asked Questions" 1). In the words of Dr. Michael Nian-Peng Shi, the "internal functional imbalance" is cured (Nian-Peng Shi). Herbal remedies are quite effective.

Conventional medicine has many flaws. This is why people are seeking out alternative medicine. Western medicine is expensive, and only the affluent receive top quality care. Many conventional physicians are encouraged to limit the amount of time spent with the patient. Western medicine has stooped to a six-minute doctor visit. Insurance administrators are d