Alternative Medicine is one side of an intense love/hate relationship for many seniors. What makes this statement fact is a recent federal survey that reveals that more than 34 percent of all U.S. adults routinely use it.

What about children you ask. Approximately 12 percent of them avail themselves of it, of which nutritional supplements play a large role. But what is this form of medicine?

Simply put, alternative medicine is any method of treatment for the relief, or cure, of any disease or malady that is not either approved, or recommended, by established medical practitioners and their professional organizations.

The survey included more than 32,000 Americans and was conducted in 2007. One of the findings was very revealing. Since the last survey was taken five years earlier, the use of many types of this form of treatment had neither increased, or decreased, during the ensuing five year span.

These numbers tell us that each year, millions of people are putting their trust in the regular use of complementary alternative medicine. The percentage of those doing so hadn’t changed noticeably.

Does this mean that all seniors in the United States should begin immediately putting their trust in nutritional supplements, accupuncture, “probiotics” such as fish oil and a host of other natural treatments than we can’t find in our local pharmacy?

No! What seniors should do is set out on a path of finding out what complementary medicine can do for them as individuals. Emphasis is placed on the word complementary. By no means should seniors stop their regular usage of medicine prescribed by their personal physicians.

The most serious problem that exists with alternative medicine is the lack of scientific testing and verification of many of the claims put forth by practitioners in the field.

All of us look for hope, and as we age, our bodies gradually reflect the wear and tear of living our lives.

There exists no magic potion that will return us to the vitality and appearance of youth we once had. Alternative medicine is no mystical wand employed by a great wizard that can cure us of all maladies, including aging.

But it can do some very interesting things to us both physically and mentally. Before seeking so called “natural cures,” educate yourself! If you have access to a computer, you can do this without even leaving the comfort of your own home.

This is why this treatment brings out a love/hate situation in most seniors. While everyone would love to feel better physically and suffer less pain, they hate the very thought of having to plow through the myriads of treatments that make up the subject to pinpoint the ones that could help them.

The following are several easy steps to follow that will yield remarkable results for your search.

1.Look up your malady or particular pain on the internet. Don’t look for the treatment, simply identify the problem as it affects you personally.

2.Now seek personal experiences on the web that identify others suffering from your identical problem.

3.Make a list of the medicinal treatments that helped others.

4.Now look up the specific treatments and learn about them intimately.

5.This is very important! Before you begin using any type of medicine, consult your physician. Some medications prescribed by your doctor often react to other things. Play it safe!

The amazing thing about many new medicines put on the market by major pharmaceutical houses regularly, is that they originated in nature, and were first manufactured by green plants.

Don’t rule out all alternative medicine as just fairy tales and smoke. Take the time to investigate them for yourself. After all…there may be remnants of the Garden of Eden still left somewhere in the world. You wouldn’t want to miss that for lack of knowing its location.