Alternative Therapy And Hiv

By Author: Louie Dale
Total Articles: 104
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There are two distinct forms of medical treatment, western and alternative. Western medicine will typically make use of medications which have been created by pharmaceutical companies to combat illness whilst alternative medicine will make use of natural strategies such as a change in diet and natural supplements to combat illness as well as techniques such as acupuncture and meditation. It is not uncommon for these two forms of treatment to be used in conjunction with one another. Some practitioners have started to look into combining alternative therapy with western medicine in the treatment of HIV.Pharmaceutical medical practitioners are divided in terms of the efficacy of alternative therapy. There are those that believe that the correct alternative treatment can help the body cope with the stress of HIV as well as the side effects of the antiretroviral treatment. There are also those medical practitioners who feel that their patients would not benefit from using alternative therapies and that these alternative therapies can, in fact, do more harm than good.In countries where alternative therapy and traditional healing are ...
... more accepted it is not unusual for individuals to make use of alternative therapies. Even in more western cultured countries alternative therapy has become more popular. According to research done by the CDC it has been found that more than seventy percent of the individuals in the USA with HIV make use of some kind of alternative therapy in conjunction with their western treatment. There is even an increasing tendency for medical aid plans to provide cover for certain alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic treatments.This popularity does not imply that alternative therapy is without risk. The various supplements that are used are not monitored by the American Food and Drug Administration and as such their purity and concentration are not guaranteed. When it comes to the use of alternative therapy in conjunction with antiretroviral treatment it is important to be cautious and to consult your health care professional first as there are herbs which can reduce the efficacy of the medications you are taking to combat your HIV infection. There is also no guarantee that these alternative treatments are effective. As such it is important to do a substantial amount of research prior to making use of any alternative therapy or therapist.Whilst eating a more healthy diet and boosting your immune system by natural means in conjunction with your western HIV treatment will not do you any harm it is important that you ensure that the alternative therapist you are working with is willing to communicate with your medical practitioner and to ensure that any supplements they recommend to you are not going to counteract the efficacy of the antiretroviral treatment you are undergoing. It is important that you are aware of the fact that alternative therapies have not been standardized and that the standardization of these therapies is complicated due to the individualistic nature of each course of treatment.If you are not certain of an alternative therapy and how it will affect your HIV treatment be sure to consult your medical practitioner before you start that particular therapy.