AMBestalternativehealth.docx

AMBestalternativehealth.docx

《AMBestalternativehealth.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《AMBestalternativehealth.docx（15页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

AMBestalternativehealth

AlternativeHealthCenters/Practitioners

AlternativeHealthCenters/PractitionersHolisticHealingCentersHomeopathists.AromatherapistsOfficesofHealthPractitioners,NECMedicalOffices

a3520

Original:

7/94

Line

Best'sHazardIndex

UnderwritingComments

AUTOMOBILELIABILITY

1

AUTOMOBILEPHYSICALDAMAGE

--

GENERALLIABILITY

4

Seminars.

PRODUCTLIABILITYANDCOMPLETEDOPERATIONS

4

Foreignsuppliers.

PROFESSIONALLIABILITY

2

MuchhigherifpractitionerisanM.D.

ENVIRONMENTALIMPAIRMENTLIABILITY

--

WORKERS'COMPENSATION

4

Possibleexposuretoinfectiousdisease.

CRIME

3

Higherwithretailoperation.

FIREANDE.C.

4

Higherwithrestaurant/snackbar.

BUSINESSINTERRUPTION

3

INLANDMARINE

1

BOILERANDMACHINERY

--

Low1-3,Medium4-6,High7-9,VeryHigh10

SICCode

SICClassification

8049

OfficesofHealthPractitioners,NEC

ISOCode

ISOClassification

66561

MedicalOffices

SpecialExposures

Noregulatoryagency

Allergicreactionstoherbs

Unscientificmethods

Restaurants/snackbars

RelatedClassifications

AccountingFirms

Acupuncturists

Chiropractors'Offices

FastFoodRestaurants

GiftorSouvenirShops

HealthFoodStores

HypnosisCenters

MassageTherapists

RISKDESCRIPTION

a352r.

Somepeopledoitbecausetheynolongerwishtobetreatedwithdrugsthatcancauseunpleasantsideeffects.Othersdoitbecausetheyfeeldetachedfromtheirtreatmentsandwantmoreinputintohowtocombattheirconditions.Othershavetrieditbecausepriortreatmentshavehadnonoticeableeffects,andtheyhavenoplaceelsetoturn-oftenthecaseforthosesufferingfromaterminalillness.

The"it"inthesecasesisoneofthevariousformsofalternativemedicinethathavebecomepopularintheUnitedStatesinrecentyears.

AlthoughrelativelynewintheUnitedStates,manymethodsofalternativemedicinehavebeeninexistenceforthousandsofyearsandarenotconsidered"alternative"intheircountriesoforigin.Acupuncture,forexample,wasdevelopedinChinaover2,000yearsagoandisstilloneoftheprimarymeansofhealthcareinthatcountry.

ApioneerofalternativemedicinewasSamuelHahnemann,aGermanphysicianwhocametobelievethatconventionalmedicineoftencausedmoreharmthangood.Hedevelopedthetheoryofhomeopathy（fromtherootwords"homeo"meaning"same"and"pathos"meaning"suffering"or"disease"）,amethodoftreatingdiseasewithwhatcausesthecondition.

ThetechniquewasfirstrealizedwhenHahnemanningestedalargeamountofquinine,anelixirthatwaswidelyusedduringthelate18thcentury.Inobservinghisownreaction,hefoundthathisbodyexhibitedsymptomsofmalaria-fever,chills,trembling,thirst,drowsiness,prostrationandflushedcheeks.Hededucedthatifthedosagewaslowered,thesymptomswouldbeminor.Afterfurthertestingofhishomeopathictheory,HahnemanndevelopedtheLawofPotentization,whichsuggeststhatthelowerthedosage,thegreater（ormorebeneficial）theeffectonthebody.Histheorywasbackedbythecommonlyacceptedbeliefthatthehumanbodyhadtheabilitytohealitself;homeopathicremediesmerelygavethebodyajumpstartinthehealingprocess.

HomeopathywascommonintheUnitedStatesduringthelate19thandearly20thcenturiesuntilitcameunderscrutinybytheAmericanMedicalAssociation（AMA）whichcondemneditsunconventionalmethods.TheAMAcontendedthattheprinciplesofhomeopathycontradictedthelawsofscience.Conventionalphysiciansdidnotbelievethathighlydilutedhomeopathicpotionscontainedenoughoftheoriginalsubstancetohavetherapeuticvalue.Thus,homeopathyfelloutoffavorwiththeAmericanpublicforagoodportionofthe1900s.

Alternativemedicinehasexperiencedaresurgenceinpopularityinthepast20years.AstudyconductedbytheHarvardMedicalSchoolfoundthatoneoutofeverythreepeoplevisitedanalternativehealthpractitionerin1990,accountingfor425millionvisitsincomparisontoanestimated388millionvisitstoconventionaldoctors.

Sometechniques,suchascrystalhealing,aNewAgetherapywhichclaimstoderivehealingenergyfromquartzandotherminerals,arelikelytobepurequackery.Thereisgrowingevidence,however,thattechniquessuchashomeopathyandbiofeedbackthatwereonceconsideredridiculous,areeffectivemethodsfortreatingchronicillnessesandpain.

Thetheorybehindalternativemedicinediffersfromconventional（"allopathic"）medicinewhichtreatssymptomsdisplayedasaresultofillness.Insteadoftreatingonesymptomoronepartofthebody,alternativetherapytreatstheentirebodyandmind.Forexample,conventionaldoctorsmayprescribepainkillersforchronicheadaches.Alternativepractitionerswouldattempttodiscernthecauseoftheheadachesbyinterviewingthepatients;dependingonthetypeofpractitioner,treatmentscouldincludebiofeedback（toteachthepatienttocontrolresponsestostress）,acupuncture（toopencloggedenergychannels）orahomeopathicremedy（introducingintothebodyatraceamountofwhatmightcauseaheadache,thusstimulatingthebody'shealingresponse）.

TheresurgenceofalternativemedicineintheUnitedStateshasledtothe1992formationoftheOfficeofAlternativeMedicine（OAM）,adivisionoftheNationalInstituteofHealth（NIH）.ThepurposeoftheOAMistoevaluatealternativemedicaltreatmentmodalitiestodeterminetheireffectivenessandtohelpintegrateeffectivetreatmentsintomainstreammedicalpractices.Thisisaccomplishedbysponsoringresearchandconferencesandbyconductingfieldinvestigations.

TheOAMclassifiesalternativetechniquesinthefollowinggroups:

Diet/Nutrition/LifestyleChangesincludemacrobiotics,megavitamins,dietsandchangesinlifestyle;Mind/BodyControlencompassesarttherapy,soundandmusictherapy,biofeedback,hypnotherapy,guidedimagery,andcounselingandprayertherapy;TraditionalandEthnomedicinedealswithacupuncture,herbalmedicine,homeopathicmedicine,NativeAmericantechniques,naturalproductsandtraditionalOrientalmedicine;StructuralandEnergeticTherapiesuseacupressure,chiropractic,massagetherapy,reflexology（manipulationsofthefeettotreatconditionsintherestofthebody）,rolfing（adeep,oftenpainfulmassage）andtherapeutictouch;PharmacologicalandBiologicalTreatmentsincludeanti-oxidizingtechniques,celltreatment,chelationtherapy,metabolictherapyandoxidizingagents;andBioelectromagneticApplicationsincludeelectromagneticfields,electrostimulationandneuromagneticstimulationdevices,magnetoresonancespectroscopy,andblue-lightandartificiallightingtreatments.

IntheUnitedStates,peoplemostoftenseektreatmentfromalternativemedicalpractitionersforconditionsrelatedtoagingandlifestyle,suchasarthritis,osteoporosis,highbloodpressure,coronaryarterydiseaseandulcers.Generallythesearechronicconditionsthatoftenwillnotrespondtodrugsorotherconventionaltreatments.Ratherthancontinueaseeminglyfruitlessmethodoftreatment,patientswillseek-andaresometimesreferredbytheirmedicaldoctors-helpfromalternativepractitionerswhomayusetechniquesshowntohavebetterresults.

Similartoconventionalmedicalassociations,alternativehealingcentersmaycombinevariousalternativespecialties.Alternativecenterswillmostoftenbefoundinlargecities;manywillbefoundnearcollegesanduniversities.Alternativecentersalsomayhavearetailstorewhereherbalremedies,foods,giftsitems,books,andmusicalandself-helprecordingsaresold;somecentersalsomayhaveasmallhealthfoodrestaurantandjuicebar.

Practitionertrainingvariesdependingonthetechniquesused.Withtheexceptionsofacupuncturistsandchiropractors,techniquesmaybelearnedthroughcorrespondencecoursesorevenbyreadingbooks.Acupuncturistsmayattendaspecialschoolorcompleteanapprenticeshiplastingthreetosixyears.Chiropractorsarerequiredtoattendchiropracticschools,passchiropracticexamsandbelicensedtopractice.Hypnotistslearntheirartthroughclassesandseminars;somestatesrequirethathypnotistsfirstbeboard-certifiedpsychologists.Homeopathistsoftenaremedicaldoctorswhobecomeinterestedinhomeopathyduringtheircareersinconventionalmedicine.However,therearehomeopathiccorrespondencecoursesandafewtrainingschoolsavailableforlaypeoplewhowishtopractice.

Followingisalistanddescriptionofsomeofthemorecommonalternativemedicalpractices:

Homeopathy:

thepremisebehindthistreatmentisthatifthebodyisintroducedtominorsymptomsofanillness,itwilltriggerthebody'sinherentdefensesystemandpreventamajoroccurrenceoftheillness.Homeopathicremediesareprescribedbysomephysiciansandhealthprofessionalswithconventionaltrainingandarealsoavailablebymailorder,incertaindrugstoresandfromhomeopathsandnaturopaths.Remediesarepreparedbyrepeatedlydilutingasubstanceinwater.Themainstreammedicalandscientificcommunities,however,havedifficultyacceptinghomeopathicremedies;theymaintainthatafterdilution,virtuallynoneoftheoriginalsubstanceremains.Hahnemann,thefounderofhomeopathy,claimedthattheLawofPotentizationresultsinmedicinesbecomingstrongerastheybecomemoredilute.Thistenetisindirectoppositiontotheprovenscientifictheorythatthegreaterthedose,themoreprofoundtheeffect.Threestates-Arizona,ConnecticutandNevada-haveseparatemedicalboardsthatlicenseandoverseehomeopathicpractitioners;itisagainstthelawtopracticehomeopathyinNorthCarolina.

MedicinalHerbalism:

thepracticeofpromoti