For the first time, the government has officially studied the
use of alternative medicine among kids, and the results are both exciting and
discouraging. As someone who recovered from a severe childhood kidney disease using a
combination of alternative techniques and low-impact mainstream interventions
(I refused to do chemo against my doctors’ wishes), I find it exciting that the
government is studying alternative medicine in the first place—and that nearly
12 percent of children are making use of unconventional techniques like
meditation, acupuncture, and herbal supplements.
Being exposed to these techniques at a young age gave me a holistic
approach to my mental and physical health that is invaluable to my well-being
as an adult, so I hope the percentage of youth using non-traditional treatments continues to increase—but not as a replacement for traditional health care.
Unfortunately, the study also found that children are more
likely to use alternative medicine when their families can’t afford traditional
care. Appropriate nutrition and vitamins, no matter how useful they may be, are
no substitute for necessary pharmaceuticals and regular doctor visits. Furthermore,
studies on the benefits and risks of specific alternative treatments for
children are few and far between.
Let’s hope the field of alternative medicine continues to
grow in this country, right alongside the number of children with health insurance.
Photo: Shiatsuhealing.com
