Safety questions about Vioxx give patients reasons to try alternative treatments

• In the United States, people who are in pain or experiencing other health problems will typically consult their physician, often taking medicines daily to relieve ailments such as arthritis pain or to lower blood pressure.
• Three Herndon business owners say they firmly believe that their alternative methods-tai chi, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage-also can improve people's physical and even emotional well-being.
• Students in Stephan Berwick's tai chi classes say they have found wide-ranging benefits from practicing the martial art.
• Berwick himself, a martial arts scholar, feels so strongly about the subject that he dropped his other martial arts studies to learn and teach Chen Taiji, the traditional form of tai chi.
• He also teaches a class called True Strength, which is a form he developed based on Chen Taiji.
• "We've got something special going on, and people really seem to be responding," Berwick said.
• Jeanie Schmidt is a perfect example of the type of relief acupuncture devotees find from the treatment.
• Schmidt, a registered nurse and founder of the Herndon Free Clinic, has suffered from osteoarthritis for many years.
• Oliver combines chiropractic techniques and acupuncture in what he said is the traditional Chinese treatment method.
• Oliver said his treatments follow three basic phases-immediate pain relief, stabilizing the affected area of the body and maintaining progress.
• Schmidt's experience is supported by a recent study at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, which showed that people with osteoarthritis in their knees found relief from acupuncture.
• Sinclair said that, though she is a strong proponent of the traditional medicine she practices, she believes it works well in conjunction with conventional medicine.
• Acupuncture can help reduce pain or lower someone's blood pressure faster than might happen with medication alone, she said.