Alternative Therapies And Their Growing Popularity
Alternative Therapies and Medicine Expert Genie James, M. M.Sc. Discusses the Causes of this Growing Trend
Jacksonville, Fla. (Vocus) August 19, 2009
A recent National Institute of Health and Center for Disease Control survey (http://www. usatoday. com/news/health/2009-07-30-alternative-medicine_N. htm) of 23,000 Americans has revealed results regarding the growing popularity of alternative therapies (http://www. alternative-therapies. com/) for both healthcare treatment and prevention. The study found that $34 billion is being spent annually on alternative therapies, a 25 percent growth over the previous decade. These expenditures account for 11 percent of out-of-pocket spending on personal healthcare. Medical experts, while not surprised by this study, are looking deeper into the causes of these results.
One expert, Genie James, M. M.Sc. (http://www. geniejames. com/), co-founder of the Natural Hormone Institute and author of the soon to be released In the Mood Again: Use the Power of Healthy Hormones to Reboot Your Sex Life at Any Age (Simon & Schuster 2010), is a national leader in the field of natural alternative therapies. As a leading voice in recognizing what the traditional medical community has largely ignored, misdiagnosed and mistreated, James points out that both men and women are looking for science-based research that supports alternative therapies. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) (http://www. oprah. com/article/oprahshow/20090112_BHRT_FAQ), organic eating, herbal medicines and the positive affects of maintaining an active, healthy sex life are becoming increasingly recognized alternatives. These successful and proven methods, based on scientific research, have helped thousands of patients who have suffered from symptoms of hormone imbalance, like weight gain, low sex drive, fatigue, hot flashes, foggy thinking and depression.
"Today, broadly defined alternative therapies are medically proven to be safe and effective," said James. "It is interesting to note that 38 percent of the adults surveyed in this study have used these alternative methods in the past year, making them more mainstream than ever before."
The study also found that $22 billion of the total $34 billion spent is classified as "self-care", or therapies utilized before seeking the advice of a doctor. According to James, women represent a significant portion of this movement.
"Women make 80 to 90 percent of healthcare decisions and they are looking for less expensive proven alternatives to living a healthier lifestyle. With nearly 38 million women in the U. S. going through menopause, we are finding that they are not willing to simply sit tight and suffer through," says James. "They are turning to alternative methods such as BHRT, yoga, herbal medicine, organic eating (http://www. organiceating. com/), and even recognizing the health benefits of and partaking in a healthy and active sex-life."
And, women aren't the only ones moving the needle when it comes to the growth in the use of alternative therapies. James says men too are turning to alternative options. For example, two of the most popular pharmaceutical treatments for erectile dysfunction (http://www. webmd. com/erectile-dysfunction/) (E. D) are Viagra (http://www. viagra. com/) and Cialis (http://www. cialis. com/index. jsp). But even these popularly prescribed drugs are being reevaluated for their across the board effectiveness notes James.
"The use of these drugs is considered by some to be a temporary fix. Viagra, for instance, stimulates blood flow to the penis, but does not work over time to restore sexual arousal," says James. "Alternative therapies, such as herbal medicines and exercise, work to fix E. D. naturally, and over a period of time a stimulant therapy may no longer be needed."
Despite the fact that the study reveals an increase in the number of Americans utilizing alternative therapies, James maintains the belief that these therapies alone may not be the solution for everyone.
"It may be that a cancer patient can't go without chemotherapy, but it's important to educate Americans on alternative therapies, and how they may assist in the overall treatment and healing process," says James. "Hopefully this study will inspire more research and investigation into the use of alternative therapies and will continue to reveal their true capacity as part of the overall continuum of care."
About Genie James, M. M. Sc: Genie is nationally acknowledged as a change-agent for improved women's health. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Natural Hormone Institute of America and has co-authored From Belly Fat to Belly Flat (http://www. amazon. com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=from+fat+belly+to+flat+belly&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=1153143581&ref=pd_sl_4qzxsvnr0k_b) and From Hormone Hell to Hormone Well (http://www. amazon. com/Hormone-Hell-Well-Straight-PossiblyTheir/dp/0757313906/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250609831&sr=1-4), with her husband, C. W. Randolph, Jr., M. D. Dr. Randolph is an internationally renowned expert in the field of bioidentical hormone replacement. He is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist and compounding pharmacist. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine and a member of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists.
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