Career School Guide

Careers in Holistic/Alternative Medicine

Are you interested in the connection between the mind, body and spirit in relation to health? Are you fascinated by alternative treatment methods that use natural solutions to treat or heal physical ailments? Holistic practitioners approach healthcare with attention to physical, mental, and spiritual elements that must all be treated in order to cure illnesses and improve health. There are a variety of paths you can take to fulfill your dreams of helping others through natural healing.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment for many physical ailments. It is based on the belief that a person's energy-referred to as chi-can become blocked from flowing evenly and freely in the body. Along with a blockage, a person experiences uncomfortable physical symptoms or conditions such as pain, arthritis, insomnia, muscle tension, among other problems. Shallow insertion of small needles into these points unblocks passages and relieves the physical symptoms.

Another alternative medicine career is homeopathy. Homeopathy is based on the idea that "like heals like". Homeopathic doctors use medicinal herbs, minerals, and some animal remedies to treat physical ailments in their patients. It is believed that the use of remedies that are similar to the illness they treat help to stimulate the natural healing reaction in the body.

Additional alternative and holistic medicine careers include Ayerveda-ancient Indian diet and exercise programs based on a person's personality, or Iridology-the study of the eye to diagnose and treat internal health problems.

Alternative and holistic healthcare is a growing industry and not always regulated. Because there are not always national or global standards for treatment, patients are still wary of alternative treatments. To help ease these fears and to grow a successful practice, it is important to invest in education and training with a respected program. The alternative health programs featured here will help you get started on researching the type of holistic care you are interested in.

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