A Guide To Knowing If Alternative Medicine Is Right For You

There's no clear cut answer to the question,"Is alternative medicine effective?" On the positive side of things, individuals featured on our series I Beat The Odds have remarkable real-life stories of terrifying diagnoses, dwindling odds, and recoveries found through natural treatments and therapies. Their stories, along with some good-old-fashioned research, helped us come up with a guide to figuring out if alternative medicine is right for you.

While finding the path to their individual cures, the people on the show had to face a hard truth. Dr. Karan Reckamp, MD and hematologist with City of Hope Cancer National Medical Center, came on the show and broke this truth down by saying, "There are lots of anecdotes out there that tell of cures for cancer from various treatments. Every person is different, every person's cancer is different, so those things may be true, but they also may not be applicable to the majority of people." Reckamp's own anecdote on cancer cures is actually a good way to think about alternative medicine as a whole.

So, How Do I Know If Alternative Medicine Is Right For Me? 

Double-Check Everything You Hear About Alternative Medicine

Every story of hope and survival told on our series I Beat The Odds follows an individual seeking out treatment for a disease or diagnosis outside of traditional western medicine. Going off the beaten path, especially when it comes to putting medication in your body, is no small thing. Consult experts who support use of alternative medicine, and who reject it before deciding for yourself. 

Be Open To The Fact That Nobody Knows Everything

The stories from I Beat The Odds prove that people are like treatments, they can't recognize and understand everyone's illnesses. One man on the show was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, then pancreatitis, then doctors resigned to calling his illness a complete mystery. Despite never defining his illness, the man was able to treat himself with ayurvedic cleanses.

Be Careful What You Hear

Now, with stories like the man with the mysterious pancreatic illness, some people think they've found a cure for cancer. This is NOT the case. Watch the episode, and you'll see. However, brash headlines and promises for cures are profitable and prolific. Keep your mind open when searching for alternative medicine, but also don't let your heart fall for any "miracle cures" that grace your newsfeed. Follow leads, keep a steady head, and research, research, research. 

Be Relentless In Your Search

This point can almost go without saying, as in dire situations, people tend to be relentless. If we can offer any encouragement, it's that we've seen time and time again on I Beat The Odds that there's a lot out philosophy and medicine out there. Many the people on the show felt like they'd hit a dead-end looking for the right treatment for their disease just before discovering a new school of thought, or an ancient treatment, or a new diagnosis. All of these life-changing discoveries came from relentless efforts.

Don't Settle One Way, Or The Other

It's not unheard of for people to swear off western medicine, or to never consider alternative medicine. However, people have found cures on both sides of the coin. A lot of individuals will use natural and western treatments at the same time to improve their fight against an illness. Consult your doctors before taking anything new, but also do your best to explore all of your options.