Exploring the Use of Alternative Health Treatments for Your Child
Alternative Health > Alternative Health Treatments for Your Child
Alternative health treatments, commonly referred to by medical professionals and avid users as complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), are gaining wider popularity and acceptance in Western medicine. CAM treatments or therapies encompass a host of options: herbal supplements and teas, acupuncture, massage therapy, prayer or meditation, art therapy, healing stones, and hypnosis are examples. A recent survey revealed that one in three U.S. adults use some form of CAM as part of their approach to overall health.
Often, practitioners of alternative health approaches employ a holistic method of treating illness and maintaining health; that is, instead of narrowly focusing on a specific aspect of care, they seek to treat the entire body, mind, and soul. Most mainstream healthcare providers do not use alternative health treatments. However, centers that advocate integrative medicine – for example, back pain may be treated both with pain medication as well as massage therapy – are becoming more common. These centers usually included traditionally licensed healthcare providers and clinicians in addition to licensed practitioners in whatever branch of alternative medicine is being offered. Many adults in today’s hectic, stressful, demanding environment may appreciate the concept of alternative health provision and see it as a way to rejuvenate their mental health and appreciation of life.
Is It Safe for Children?
But what about for your children? Parents considering introducing their children to alternative health therapies should be aware of possible risks. Specific risks include toxicity (poisoning) from administering too high a dose of herbal preparations and undertreatment for serious illness or condition (e.g., cancer, juvenile diabetes) if seeking mainstream medical treatment is delayed. Because children are much smaller than adults, it may be easy to overdo it with herbs. Just because herbs are natural does not mean that there is no such thing as “too much.” In fact, herbs are derived from plants, which can contain potent chemicals. Severe illnesses such as cancer and chronic or acute conditions such as diabetes must be treated and supervised by licensed medical professionals for the best outcomes. Failing to provide your child with adequate treatment for these conditions is potentially devastating.
Other risks are less concrete. One is choosing a reliable provider. Alternative health practitioners are much less regulated for competence, malpractice, or past criminal violations than traditional medical providers are. Some states have regulatory boards in place for therapies such as massage or acupuncture, but no standards, formal best practice guidelines, or monitoring practices are in place to regulate the alternative health industry and ensure safe, reliable treatment. Children may be especially vulnerable. Consider the alarming example of a massage therapist having previous child molestation convictions. How would you know? Would you want to leave your child on a massage table with him or her?
Increase Alternative Health Benefits to Your Child
However, don’t be scared off by these risks and the potential consequences they pose. CAM treatments and therapy can be quite beneficial to children, particularly when they are used in combination with traditional Western medicine. For example, if your child has the flu, treat her to a steaming mug of chamomile tea and explain that it can help with nausea. But if vomiting and nausea persist, explain that a trip to the doctor is also necessary sometimes. Give a child who has a cold an appropriate amount of Echinacea and explain that it, along with drugstore medications, can help the sniffles go away. If your child is experiencing stress or anxiety, teach him some yoga positions and practice along with him. Explain what meditation is. Keep a potted aloe plant in the house and break the leaves off to soothe burns or scrapes with the aloe balm.
Health experts agree that such alternative health treatments are safe for children and benefit them not only by helping cure their current malady but by promoting an open mind and giving them a lasting sense of control and empowerment over their health and their bodies. When parents approach CAM treatments for their children with a hearty dose of common sense – and the willingness to carefully select practitioners, to immediately turn to conventional medicine in the face of serious illness or symptoms, and to show their children that an open mind is a good thing not only when it comes to health but when it comes to life in general – alternative health options are safe and beneficial to the child. Balance is the key.