The
vast amount of available and often conflicting health
information today can create a daunting terrain for those wishing
to navigate a course of wellness. And while a choice between conventional
allopathic medicine (what most of us in the US grew up with) and
alternatives such as acupuncture, homeopathy, herbology, chiropractic,
and other complimentary modalities was at one time an either/or
proposition, some health care professionals today are beginning
to recognize the value of incorporating aspects of both into an
approach known as Integrative Medicine. But in the midst of our
hectic lives, how do we sift through all the new information that
is out there and make the choices that will be most beneficial for
our own health and wellbeing?
In
this segment of Pathfinders, Tina Steele, MA, will help to demystify
those choices and act as a guide to clarify the roles of conventional
and alternative, or complimentary, medicine in creating and maintaining
health and wellness. Trained as an Applied Medical (Clinical) Anthropologist,
at the University at Buffalo, NY, with some graduate work completed
in medical school, Tina has worked in both research and public health
and is a certified HIV prevention counselor. A lifelong proponent
of complementary therapies, Tina relies on research and her own
personal experience with popular modalities as well as the use of
diet, exercise, and supplements for treatment and prevention. It
is her belief that by combining the very best elements of alternative
therapies with conventional medical treatment we move toward a more
integrated and truly holistic approach to the prevention and treatment
of disease and the maintenance of a healthy mind and body.
Tina
has an online biweekly radio show entitled Being Well; health alternatives
in a mainstream world (www.ladybuglive.com/well.htm)
and is the Science and Medicine Correspondent, for Lady Bug Flights,
an ezine that can be accessed at www.ladybugflights.com. |