When will alternative therapies stop being “alternative”?

The number of people turning to alternative therapies to prevent and treat health problems has been growing gradually for years. These days, one in five Britons use them. Unfortunately, alternative therapies aren´t cheap. Last year, British people spent £450 million on this kind of treatment.

What many people don´t realise is that alternative treatments have become increasingly available on the NHS, the UK National Health Service, which provides free healthcare for everybody. There has been a change in the medical profession´s attitude towards alternative remedies. A recent survey shows that more than two-thirds of doctors believe alternative therapies should be available free on the NHS. Doctors are becoming more sympathetic to complementary medicine as research proves that certain treatments are effective. Complementary medicine is now available from around 10% of doctors´ surgeries, and the number is rising.

However, the NHS does not recommend all alternative therapies. They have classified treatments into three groups; recommendable, accepted but not recommendable, and rejected. Recommendable therapies have all been supported by scientific research. These include homeopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy and chiropractics.

Treatments that are accepted but not recommendable include aromatherapy, meditation and reflexology. Doctor can´t recommend them because they lack proper regulation. Doctors reject reiki and crystal therapies due to a lack of serious scientific research.

The availability of free alternative therapies differs across Great Britain. Each health authority decides how much of their budget to spend on this sector, usually basing their decision on the needs of the local community. The NHS has given money to some hospitals to employ alternative therapists, and it has opened five homeopathic surgeries in the UK.

Experts agree that the future is looking good for complementary medicine. Recently, the Department of Health announced plans to invest £18 million in the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. In the near future, acupuncture and homeopathy will no longer be considered “alternative”. They will become part of traditional medicine.

Celebrity health advice

Recently, more and more celebrities have been appearing in the media offering advice on how to have a healthy lifestyle.

Depression impossible: Tom Cruise made the medical community angry when he told a TV host that depression cannot be treated with medicine. Doctors quickly denounced the actor´s comments as “dangerous and irresponsible”. They suggest that if you suffer from depression, you should seek help from your GP, and not from the star of Mission Impossible.

A warm cup of health: Gwyneth Paltrow has been strongly criticised about the health advice she offers on her website GOOP.com. Her support for “cupping” is particularly controversial. In this treatment, a practitioner places warm glass cups on the skin to reduce stress. Experts have explained that the therapy causes bruising, that is, brown or purple marks on your skin. Gwyneth, stick to what you do best: acting…

Dreamdiet: When Beyoncé needed to lose weight for her role in Dreamgirls, she went on a rapid programme to lose weight called “The Master Cleanse”. This diet consists of consuming nothing more than a glass of pure water mixed with lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days. Although you can lose weight this way, the side effects include fatigue, dizziness, dehydration and nausea. Experts say that it is not only dangerous, but also weight is quickly regained when the diet ends.

Magic tape: Not all celebrity health advice is dangerous. Some of it is just plain silly. David Beckham and Serena Williams have been wearing coloured sports tape to treat muscle injuries for years. Lance Amstrong said the tape has “special powers”. Experts, on the other hand, say there is no research to support this theory: “The tape has nothing more than a placebo effect”.

A bit of common sense: On a positive note, England cricketer Stuart Broad has spoken out against dietary supplements. He says, “A balanced diet provides our bodies with all the nutrients we need”.

English at University. Episode 1