Do you see a move to more natural medicines happening?

[Astrid]

I had forgotten that 15 years ago I did have a great pharmacist who also dealt in natural methods. They must have kept records of purchases, as after my 2nd purchase of ural, he made me up some natural tonic instead, which was just pure magic. Same with thrush, they gave me handouts on what foods to avoid and sold me garlic and acidophilus tablets. This was well before I had heard about natural medicines etc

It is great the health funds now fund alternatives. I was seeing physio for pelvic instability, then switched to an osteo and happy to find out that my health fund covered me.

[widdly]

its interesting to see this thread here today, as i was asked a sorta similar question by a journalist this morning. She asked me to comment on kids cough medecines being made a prescription item, my response was that it is a great thing as i believe that too many parents over medicate their kids with these types of drugs just cause they don't know any better. They dont realise that cough medicine often doesn't do any good anyway for a small child. I often wonder what on Earth kids cough medecines contain too, to look and smell they way they do.

I admit that in the past there have been several times that i, a sleep deprived PND mother of an unwell child, have walked into a chemist and bought whatever i could over-the-counter to help my child get some sleep, even though i knew it wasn't the best option, i was desperate for a break. So, if the medecine was prescription only, then mothers in this position just wouldn't be able to as readily dose their kids up on drugs, and maybe it would encourage parents to research alternative options.

Even the last 2 nights my almost 2 year old has been impossible to get to sleep and in the end i have given him a dose of Panadol just in case he is in pain and thats why he wont sleep, now how ridiculous does that sound??!! So this morning i went and bought a bottle of Brauers Calm, i was VERY sceptical, but i gave some to DS before his afternoon sleep and instead of bashing the bedroom door and hysterically screaming, he is happily chatting to himself in bed, no over the counter drugs needed.

I think i have actually gone way off topic, sorry, but yes i am certainly researching alternative methods and im hoping that others will too, i think it will make for a much healthier society.

[Pandora]

I didnt realise osteopathy was considered an alternate therapy? mmm

To asnwer your question - I think so, but I think there are other contributing factors as well. My GP is very open to nautral therapies himself though and will often recommend osteo/naturopathy/acupuncture instead or in conjunction with western treatments.
DS' first naturopth visit was at 7 weeks, and his osteo shortly after that.

It helps when health professionals have that sort of open attitude toward it also, and that different treatments are becoming more well known and more accessible

Case in point, my GF was pg in 2001, and we went to the Mind Body Spirit expo and saw a stand being run by a couple of Doulas, with info about doulas etc, and my friend and I looked at each other and though - yeah right who'd want one of those...

Obviously now I know better

Similarly the way that things like flower essences, aromatherapy oils and homeopathics (i.e. brauer) are sold in pharmacies now, makes them a lot more accessible and, for want of a better word, normalises them for some poeple who may not have considered them in the past.

Sites like bellybelly help too

[Astrid]

I didnt realise osteopathy was considered an alternate therapy? mmm

I could well be wrong, it was something I had not heard about until DD was born. To me it is something that is not mainstream like a GP or a physio, so therefore alternative. The one I am seeing now is part of a Natural therapies clinic.

[Pandora]

no I dont think you're wrong, I think I've just beeing going to one for so long it hadnt occurred to me.