I have located a printed directory of alternative medicine for the
Central Virginia area.
"The Directory of Complementary Healthcare Professionals (DOC), Second
Edition is scheduled for publication in the Summer 2004."
http://www.brandylanepublishers.com/doc04a.htm
"DOC is distributed free to healthcare providers, including hospitals,
clinics, physicians, dentists and participating practitioners. Also
available through booksellers, grocers, pharmacies, natural and
holistic shops, and other locations. Anticipated readership: 100,000 -
150,000."
Currently over seventy (70) categories of alternative medicine are
included.
It is one of the best kept secretes in Richmond, VA. But if you try
looking for one at a natural health grocery store, you should be able
to find one in the book department.
The directory documents that alternative medicine is mainstream.
Whether or not this stuff works in the opinion of the Quackpots is
entirely besides the point.
So why don't we get real for a change? Conventional businesses are
marketing to people interested in alternative medicine in a big way.
It is no different from business selling out America by catering to
Spanish speaking illegal aliens. These people have cold hard cash to
spend and businesses are more than willing to go after this market. 🙂
Wikipedia can argue to they are blue in the face that physical therapy
is NOT a form of alternative medicine. The reality is that more than a
few physical therapists are going after the alternative medicine
market. Here is one example, that I am familiar with.
"May Physical Therapy is located within health clubs, thus removing the
'patient' syndrome and supporting a healthy and fit therapy outlook and
recovery. We offer innovative physical and aquatic therapy (including
watsu), and myofacial release."
May Physical Therapy is located in my AFFC gym, for example. They
offer massages for $40/HR. In one recent, gym advertisement they were
soliciting people with running and other exercise related injuries.
So, you idiots can make it a law that physical therapy is a part of
conventional medicine, but the reality is that more than a few see
themselves catering to the alternative health market.
The same goes for psychologists. You in academia can claim all that
you want that psychology has nothing to do with alternative medicine,
but in the real world people are paying these people in the range of
$70+ an hour for their alternative health services. Probably more
psychologists are advertising than any other group of people in this
directory.
At least one MD is offering Homeopathic services. Of course, may other
physicians and medical centers are catering to the mind-body market,
and the like.
Then we can see a few surprises. Even though the Commonwealth of
Virginia does NOT sanction naturopathy there are more than a few
naturopaths practicing in this region of the country. At least one of
them is located in Richmond, VA with only a ND after their name. I
thought that naturopathy was illegal here, but that does not seem to
keep them out of Virginia.
The same goes for reflexology. Is this stuff legal in Virginia? I
doubt it, but that ain't stopping a number of different individuals
from advertising their alternative health services to the public.
Just thought that you might want to know.
--
john gohde
http://naturalhealthperspective.com/