| Why are so many alternative health sites more | | | | ExaggeratePhrases like "miraculous breakthrough" or |
| "alternative" than "health"? I don't know either, but | | | | "works for a variety of ailments" may get your |
| typing "natural health" or "alternative medicine" into a | | | | attention but they should also ring your mental |
| search engine will show you just how many natural | | | | warning bells. And be especially skeptical if you see |
| health sites there are these days. And the topics | | | | something like "absolutely no side effects". If a |
| range from do-it-yourself therapies like aromatherapy | | | | treatment is powerful enough to cause such a |
| to highly invasive procedures like colonics. So how do | | | | profound change in your body it's going to have at |
| you know which sites are giving solid medical advice | | | | least some potential for side effects.Legitimate |
| and which are preying on the fears of people | | | | Practitioners Cite Their SourcesNo one practices in an |
| overwhelmed by this huge topic? Here are some tips | | | | intellectual vacuum. All legitimate practitioners--even |
| to help you sort the nonsense from the facts:Not All | | | | those in natural health--use and read peer-reviewed |
| Alternative Health Organizations Are LegitimateFor | | | | literature. Look for specific references like "in the |
| every natural health expert who works hard to | | | | June issue of" instead of "a study showed" in articles |
| legitimize his or her area of expertise there are | | | | and web copy. The more detail provided, the |
| dozens of charlatans just waiting to pounce on | | | | better.No Therapy Is A Cure-AllLegitimate |
| unsuspecting (and often desperate) people. If the | | | | practitioners will offer you a variety of options; they |
| verbiage on a web site or in a brochure feels more | | | | won't try to limit you to their own favorite therapy. I |
| like a hard-sell than an attempt to educate clients it | | | | suspect that every practitioner (natural or |
| probably is. Natural health is a multi-billion dollar | | | | mainstream) is at least a little bit biased but a good |
| industry in the US and quackery is, unfortunately, | | | | one will work to design a full-spectrum program.Most |
| more common than factual information.Natural | | | | ImportantNatural practitioners are often accused of |
| Medicine Is About Empowerment--Not FearFor some | | | | trying to turn people away from mainstream |
| reason natural health practitioners are among the | | | | medicine (and some do) but no legitimate practitioner |
| worst offenders when it comes to instilling feelings of | | | | believes that prescription drugs are evil. Overused, |
| fear, anger and disenfranchisement into their clients. | | | | sometimes, but never evil. Legitimate practitioners will |
| When I see claims like "the government wants to | | | | encourage their clients to minimize their dependencies |
| suppress this" or "the medical community doesn't | | | | on drugs by making changes in their lifestyles but |
| want you to read this" I have to wonder why | | | | they also know that medications are sometimes a |
| practitioners are moved to such desperate measures | | | | necessary part of life.Lisa Barger is a traditional |
| just to sell a bottle of herbs. Legitimate practitioners | | | | naturopath specializing in natural health education. To |
| work to educate clients--not polarize and frighten | | | | learn more about Ms. |
| them.Legitimate Practitioners Don't Have To | | | | |