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The Evolution of Alternative Medicine

Back in the 1990s, the word “alternative” was a synonym for hip and forward-thinking. There was alternative music and alternative energy; there were even high-profile alternative presidential candidates like Ross Perot and Ralph Nader. That was the decade when doctors started to realize just how many Americans were using alternative medicine, starting with a 1993 paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The paper reported that one in three Americans were using some kind of “unconventional therapy.” Only 28 percent of them were telling their primary-care doctors about it.

I was in high school at the time, and I knew about alternative medicine from my father, a family…

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Resources

 The Evolution of Alternative Medicine

When it comes to treating pain and chronic disease, many doctors are turning to treatments like acupuncture and meditation—but using them as part of a larger, integrative approach to health. 

Alliance for Natural Health

The Alliance for Natural Health USA, is part of an international organization dedicated to promoting sustainable health and freedom of choice in healthcare through good science and good law. We protect the right of natural-health practitioners to practice and the right of consumers to choose the healthcare options they prefer.

Alternative Medicine Foundation

Providing consumers and professionals with responsible, evidence-based information on the integration of alternative and conventional medicine.

Complementary Medical Association

The Complementary Medical Association's primary aim is to promote ethical, responsible, professional complementary medicine to the public and the medical profession.

Health Action Network Society

HANS is a non-profit society dedicated to ensuring Canadians have knowledge of and access to the powerful and effective properties of natural, complementary and alternative medicines and therapies.

Health Freedom

If you believe in access to alternative/integrative medicine and dietary supplements and want to make a difference, then you've come to the right place.

Institute for Traditional Medicine

Traditional medicine refers to ideas, experiences, and substances that have been handed down generation to generation from ancient times, where the origins are obscure but where the continuity of basic understanding has been assured by a formal structure. Among the primary traditional medical systems still active today are the Chinese, Tibetan, and Indian (Ayurvedic).

Integrative Medicine Alliance

The IMA fosters networking, dialogue, education and collaboration between conventional and complementary/alternative medicine practitioners in order to deepen the quality of the human experience of healthcare.

International Herb Symposium

A Symposium to touch your heart and soul as well as mind and spirit, this gathering is for all people enraptured by the healing essence of herbs.

National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine.

Trinity School of Natural Health

Trinity School of Natural Health offers the most complete natural health education that provides people with hope, solutions and support to transform their lives and improve the world.

Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine

The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine is dedicated to engaging a global community of health professionals and health seekers in innovative education, leadership, interprofessional collaboration, research and advocacy that embraces all global healing traditions, to promote the creation of health and the delivery of evidence-informed comprehensive, affordable, sustainable person-centered care.

American Alternative Medical Association

AAMA promotes an enhanced professional image and prestige among practitioners of traditional and nontraditional therapies and methodologies. AAMA fosters unity among "grass roots" practitioners and those with advanced academic credentials.

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

Founded in 1985, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians is the national professional society representing licensed naturopathic physicians. AANP aims to increase awareness of and expand access to naturopathic physicians, help its members build successful medical practices, and expand the body of naturopathic medicine research.

American Herbalists Guild

The American Herbalists Guild was founded in 1989 as a non-profit, educational organization to represent the goals and voices of herbalists specializing in the medicinal use of plants. Our primary goal is to promote a high level of professionalism and education in the study and practice of therapeutic herbalism.

American Holistic Nurses Association

The American Holistic Nurses Association is a non-profit membership association for nurses and other holistic healthcare professionals, serving more than 4,000 members across the U.S.

American Massage Therapy Association

The mission of the American Massage Therapy Association is to serve AMTA members while advancing the art, science and practice of massage therapy.

American Naturopathic Medical Association

The American Naturopathic Medical Association is the nation's oldest and largest American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Founded in 1981, ANMA is a nonprofit, scientific, educational, organization, dedicated to exploring new frontiers of mind, body, medicine and health.

Association of Reflexologists

The AoR exists to promote and progress reflexology providing support for over 8,000 members throughout the UK and overseas. Our members are qualified practitioners, or those undergoing training for a professional qualification.

Australian Natural Therapists Association

The Australian Natural Therapists Association Limited is the largest national democratic association of 'recognised professional' traditional medicine and natural therapy practitioners who work in the areas of health care and preventative medicine.

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America

This unique organization was founded to establish a curriculum, approve teachers and recognize, register and provide a referral service for, Registered Craniosacral Therapists and to educate the public about its trainings and the practice of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy.

European Herbal & Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association

The EHTPA was founded in 1993 when it became clear that with the development of the European Union, the legislative framework under which herbal medicine was practised in the UK and Europe was likely to undergo radical change. The main professional herbal practitioner associations in the UK affiliated with Irish and Danish herbal associations to form the European Herbal & Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association.

European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy

ESCOP was founded in June 1989 as an umbrella organisation representing national phytotherapy associations across Europe, especially in their discussions with European medicines regulators. Since 1996 it has been a company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom.

Indian Board of Alternative Medicines

An internationally acclaimed pioneer Institute of Alternative, Complementary and Holistic Medicines with more than 60,000 students from all over the world. The Institute is duly registered under the Government of India Act.

International Association of Hygenic Physicians

The purpose of this web site is publicize the work of the Association and to allow for easy and convenient communication among member physicians and to invite membership among like-minded physicians throughout the world who share a commitment to the natural hygienic approach to health care.

International Association of Reiki Professionals

IARP is the professional association of the global Reiki community, working to promote wide reaching healing effects throughout the world and to provide members with extraordinary benefits and tools to enhance and expand their practices. We are an organization for you and work to create a supportive environment within Reiki.

National Center for Homeopathy

By providing general education to the public about homeopathy, and specific education to homeopaths, we help to make homeopathy available throughout the United States.

National Herbalists Association of Australia

Founded in 1920, we are Australia’s oldest professional association of complementary therapists. Representing Western herbalists and naturopaths, we are the only national professional association specifically concerned with the practice and education of Western herbal medicine in Australia. Our mission is to serve and support our membership and promote and protect the profession and practice of Western herbal medicine.

Reflexology Association of America

The Reflexology Association of America has been serving the needs of its members since 1995 when forward thinking leaders came together to form a non-profit member association dedicated to unifying all reflexologists for the recognition, excellence and professional strength of Reflexology.

Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association

VBMA is a group of veterinarians and herbalists dedicated to developing responsible herbal practice by encouraging research and education, strengthening industry relations, keeping herbal tradition alive as a valid information source, and increasing professional acceptance of herbal medicine for animals.

American Society of Alternative Therapists

The American Society of Alternative Therapists is a nonprofit professional and educational association of certified ASAT C.O.R.E. Counselors. Its principle functions are, Training ASAT C.O.R.E. Counselors and establishing state and local ASAT chapters.