Many new specialties are likely to appear in the coming years, says Sinatra, with an aging population demanding its health care needs be addressed. Gender-specific medicine also will become more and more important because we are already realizing that men s and women s bodies simply do not work in the same ways. Finally, complementary therapies aren t likely to provide a cure for cancer or heart disease or diabetes, but they may offer more comfort for patients. Growing bodies of research show the efficacy of chromium, coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E for patients with diabetes and the value of antioxidants is becoming even more pronounced for patients with heart disease. In the coming years, cancer patients will discover herbs and supplements are increasingly useful in alleviating the effects of chemotherapy and radiation and even in providing pain relief, says Dillard.
Integrative medicine is the wave of the future.
It can do so much for our patients that only the tip of the iceberg has been explored, says Sinatra. CAM therapies can do a great deal for us, too. Inc. A Thomson Healthcare Company .