Plant-based alternative therapies gaining momentum in America and around the world

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Oct, 2005

According to the Washington-based Institute of Medicine, a non-profit advisory group for health and science issues, 1 in 5 Americans now use some form of 'alternative' therapy, up from 1 in 50 in 1990. With almost daily news of dangers of certain prescription drugs, along with increased awareness that the medical establishment is under the pressures of Big Business, turning to 'true traditional medicine' is becoming commonplace.

Around the world, acceptance of natural therapies into mainstream medicine and by the public is happening faster than in the US. According to Anne Cowper, Secretary of the National Herbalists Association of Australia, 50% of her country's population is using some form of natural medicine, and the market for these therapies appears to be growing at about 30% per year. In Cuba, flower essence therapy, pioneered by Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930's, has become a mainstay of national healthcare. Flower essence therapy has been shown effective for improving a patient's emotional state, having a profound effect on their ability to heal.

In France, one cannot obtain certain 'essential oils' without seeing a licensed pharmacist. These potent plant extracts which are readily available in the US, are some of the most powerful antibiotics known to us. According to a recent study by the University of Manchester, England, essential oils could kill the deadly MRSA hospital 'superbug,' an infectious bacteria resistant to most modern treatments. Says Jaqui Stringer of the Christie Cancer Hospital, "Our research shows a very practical application which could be of enormous benefit to the NHS (National Health System) and its patients."

It is expected that interest in natural and alternative therapies will continue to grow. As these treatments are accepted by the conventional medical establishment, effective synergies between the two styles are likely to benefit patients. According to Misty Allen Cech, owner of natural health outlet www.anandaapothecary.com and student at the Boulder Colorado-based School of Natural Medicine, "There are techniques of conventional medicine that natural medicine simply cannot match. We (as naturopathic physicians) are not taught to treat head injuries, for example. We are, however, taught how to help a patient create the optimal conditions within their body and mind to support the healing process."

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