Learning about Alternative Medicine at the Mayo Clinic

There are alternative medicine clinics that are cropping up all over the West, such as the MidWest Alternative Medicine Clinic, as this type of medicine becomes more accepted and popular. The Mayo Clinic has a lot of information about alternative medicine so that individuals can understand what it includes and what to ask about it when they are talking to their doctor. Alternative medicine usually entails using different herbs and natural means to treat different health issues, from physical health to mental health. Often conventional medicine, such as is used at the Mayo Clinic in general, is paired with alternative medicine techniques so that each method can work together to help the person's issues.

The great thing about alternative medicine according to the Mayo Clinic is that it will usually encompass a diagnosis that takes into account the person's entire body and lifestyle rather than only addressing the current symptoms that he is experiencing. Conventional medicine is usually good at solving the symptoms that are presenting themselves, but does not necessarily address the underlying causes of why the person got sick in the first place. Alternative medicine at the Mayo Clinic usually begins with a diagnosis that takes into account the way the person looks, the way they smell, the way they live their lives and the foods that they eat. The practitioner will observe different parts of the person's body to check for any abnormalities.

Once the diagnosis has been made, the practitioner will begin to prescribe the plan to bring the person back to health, restoring balance in their body. Alternative medicine techniques mentioned and used at the Mayo Clinic include things like herbal treatments and acupuncture. Herbal treatments are prescribed that contain about four different herbs or more that are designed to restore balance to the person's body. These herbs are taken either in a tea form, or by pill or powder in most cases. There are also acupuncture techniques in which pressure or needles are used to stimulate different areas on the body so that the blockages in the system are unplugged and the electrical pathways and patterns are restored.

Besides these methods, alternative medicine at the Mayo Clinic also includes teaching individuals what the proper diet and exercise plan is for their bodies. Some individuals might be eating healthy foods, but the foods might not be the best choices for their particular body type. In addition, they might be working out but they might be working out too hard or not enough for their particular body type. Alternative medicine works to restore these practices to health.