More health care professionals and consumers are getting involved in alternative and complementary medicine--and the case for a balanced approach was presented by Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman at the FNHP's annual professional issues conference in June.

Alternative medicine has many definitions but can best be described as "therapies not routinely taught in medical school," says Fugh-Berman. Some hospitals even consider alternative medicine quackery and want no part of it, while others advocate a "spa-like approach" where tai chi, yoga and a massage are blended into a treatment schedule. Fugh-Berman, an assistant clinical professor in the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, advocates neither perspective. Both the skeptics and those who embrace the more gimmicky notions of healing are missing the more serious aspects of this form of treatment, she says.

"There are many benefits to alternative medicine, but many of today's doctors find it difficult to cut through all of the skepticism."

Beneficial remedies include chiropractic therapy, use of various herbs like St. John's Wort and echinacea, and homeopathy, a form of treatment where the doctor employs a diluted concentration of a drug that in larger doses would create symptoms of a disease--all done to help treat the ailment.

Fugh-Berman says she became interested in alternative medicines through her Chinese mother, who exposed her to ideas outside western notions of health care. As editor of the newsletter "Alternative Therapies in Women's Health," Fugh-Berman says she has found her niche.

In July, Fugh-Berman appeared on NBC's "Today Show" to talk about the interaction of herbal remedies and prescription drugs. Consumers should not assume that simply because "medicinal herbs" are natural that they are also harmless, she says. For instance, the popular echinacea stimulates the immune system and is useful for treating colds and upper respiratory conditions, but it can increase symptoms associated with illnesses like asthma. She recommends avoiding echinacea if you have asthma, HIV, tuberculosis or autoimmune disorders.

Go to www.msnbc.com/news/432169.asp (link no longer active) for more of Fugh-Berman's tips from the "Today Show." For more information about the newsletter, go to www.ahcpub.com/online.html or call 800/688-2421.