Back home now and the gulf between alternative medicine and conventional therapies continues to narrow. The growth of alternative medicine poses a range of questions for the medical profession, but as evidence emerges that some complementary medicines are effective it becomes ethically impossible for doctors to ignore them. It has been estimated that one in five Australians see some sort of alternative therapist each year and we spend as much on such therapies as on prescribed medications. Emma Simkin reports. The stereotypes are changing.
Alternative medicine is no longer just about crystals and home remedies.
Its treatments and therapies are mainstream and accessible. The popularity of non-prescription products cannot be denied and this is something the medical profession is coming to terms with. Whether it be Ginkgo for brain health or St John's Wort to combat depression, more and more people are turning to complementary products. But there are still some question marks. What the medical profession wants is evidence, scientific evidence that alternative forms of medicine are safe and effective, and with the AMA discussing the use of alternative medicine at its national conference this weekend your GP may soon be prescribing herbal remedies and suggesting acupuncture.