Why is alternative medicine absent in health care debate?

A new survey indicates 12 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 have spoken to their child's doctor about complementary and integrative approaches to medicine, yet nearly 90 percent say they want to know more.

Parents should be aware that integrative alternative medicine can be helpful from the onset of the disease and can save time and money and improve a child's quality of life, said Timothy Culbert, MD, medical director of Pediatric Integrative Medicine Clinical Programs at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, which conducted the nationwide survey.

“This is true for all kinds of conditions including acute illnesses like cancer or chronic problems like migraines or behavioral issues.” he said.

The survey assessed parents' attitudes about various approaches to treating a child's illnesses. Integrative medicine combines the best conventional medical therapies like drugs, chemotherapy and surgery with complementary therapies like massage, acupuncture and proper nutrition.

Natural treatments, including non-drug, less invasive therapies like acupuncture, massage and relaxation, are being found to be effective in the management of a variety of children's health concerns. They're designed to help kids more effectively control pain, maintain mental health and improve quality of life.

According to the study:

• 68 percent of parents say integrative medicine is an effective treatment approach.
• Parents are concerned about the overuse of prescription medications; 85 percent feel it's important to minimize a child's dependence on drugs, especially for behavioral issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or anxiety.
• More than three-fourths of parents agree combining conventional and complementary/alternative approaches to medicine is innovative and that hospitals should offer medical experts on both conventional and complementary/alternative therapies.
• Almost two-thirds of parents who have children with serious health issues haven't considered an integrative approach because they are unfamiliar with the subject.
• Of the parents who have used integrative medicine as part of their child's treatment, 95 percent have reported a positive experience.

"Parents need to consult and work with their child's physician to determine what integrative medicine options are available that may be helpful," said Culbert. "There are so many different kinds of complementary therapies, it's important to learn about options to find an approach that will work best for each patient. I see first-hand every day the difference it can make in a child's life."

Children's boasts the largest, longest-running pediatric clinical integrative medicine program in North America. The program offers a holistic approach to care and helps children and their families manage the everyday struggles of illnesses in a more comprehensive way. Currently more than half of patients at Children's use some sort of outpatient complementary or alternative medicine to help manage their conditions.

Bonnie - the problem here is that many physicians cannot have a conversation about integrative health options because they have never been educated about them. This is why there is little mention of alternative health options in the health care debate aside from a few senators and house reps who have had major successes through integrative therapies.