Ayurnepal.com

As complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) becomes more mainstream, many new career paths are beginning to open up for holistic health advocates. While the AMA claims that most alternative methods are not effective and have not been sufficiently tested, consumers and practitioners of CAM alike feel the real issue is conventional medical doctors do not want the competition.

The fact is millions of Americans use some form of complementary medicine each year. Some CAM services may even be included in Obama's new healthcare plan, including acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy. This week, Senator Harkin (D) of Iowa spoke at a congressional hearing in defense of alternative medicine, emphasizing that, "healthcare plans will not be allowed to 'discriminate' against any healthcare provider that is licensed".

So what does this mean for the economy and the future of healthcare? There are literally hundreds of disciplines that fall under the umbrella of complementary/alternative/holistic and integrative medicine, including: acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, massage therapy, naturopathy, herbology, homeopathy, chiropractic, reiki, yoga, Ayurveda, hypnotherapy and aromatherapy to name a few. (see more complete list here) There are several schools and certification programs in the US and abroad that provide training and certifications in these fields, but only a few are actually licensed in the US. Licensure also differs from state to state.

The bottom line is, if enough consumers are seeking alternative products and services, filling these needs will contribute to and help boost the economy. This is good news for our current economic crisis. Doug Rosenberg of PRWeb writes, "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, alternative medicine careers are expected to increase more than average through 2016, with certain natural healing professions, such as massage therapy, chiropractic and nutrition, leading the others in marketplace demands. Alternative medicine has become increasingly integrated into conventional medicine, and hospitals and wellness centers across the country now use natural healing modalities as treatment".
source: examiner.com