Originally published October 24 2005
Alternative medicine is a thriving business in the U.S.
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Opening in Columbia, PA, The Natural Healing Center is one of many alternative and complementary medicine practices opening in the U.S., where more and more Americans seek help outside of the defunct American healthcare system.
Massage therapy, acupressure, homeopathy, aromatherapy and other methods in the growing field of natural healing are coming to Columbia.
The Natural Healing Center, 259 N. Sixth St., is offering the variety of services to area residents.
"A lot of people are getting to the point of, 'I don't want to be 60 and taking 10 different kinds of medications.
I want to do something better for my body,' " says Carol Page-Potter, a certified massage therapist at the new center.
More and more people are going natural with their health care, particularly to control pain and improve their emotional health, according to recent surveys.
The Centers for Disease Control's 2002 National Health Interview Survey found that 36 percent of adults use some form of complementary and alternative medicine, which it defined as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, products and practices that are not considered to be part of traditional medicine.
She says she tried the traditional route of medications but was not satisfied with the results.
She then turned to massage therapy and acupuncture and found they worked better to relieve her pain.
Hawk has a doctorate in pathology and formerly worked as an immunologist with the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.
In homeopathy, she uses natural therapies and herbs to treat women undergoing menopause and people with chemical sensitivities, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and other chronic problems that may not respond well to traditional medicine.
It also encourages them to do their own research on online sites such as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (nccam.nih.gov), part of the U.S. National Institutes for Health.
Consumer Reports also recommends that people check their health plan, to see if alternative therapies will be covered, and also check the practitioner's education and background.
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