If the economy collapses, will more folks check out alternative medicine?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

We folks here know that herbs, homeopathy, touch therapy, etc, work. But as you know, we have this forum because there are many at DU who think anything that isn't "cut and drug" is quackery. Do you think an economic downturn might cause more to investigate alternative medicine?

[Celebration]

1. Depends

People will generally go where there is insurance coverage. If insurance collapses or people lose coverage, and everyone pays out of pocket, then the answer is yes, because of the cost differential.

OTOH, if most have insurance, people like massage therapists could suffer, because generally it is discretionary $$ that pays for treatments like that (they are not generally covered by insurance).

Just my two cents..............

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. around where I live, so few have insurance

that I sort of forget it is there! But of course you would be right about the insurance angle. I'm assuming, though, that as people lose jobs they lose insurance coverage, or can't afford to keep up with premiums.

[Stevepol]

3. There are already a lot of people ck-ing out alternative medicine.

As for the insurance angle, I'm not sure that will affect the degree to which people respond to alternative medicine. It's already being used to a considerable degree by people, much more than in the past, so much so that the traditional sources of healing are co-opting some fo the methods. The strongest push for alternative medicine is that so much of it is very inexpensive.

Diet, e.g., is probably the best means of dealing with a health issue. Cut the refined sugar, add some foods known and recognized to help the body in general like olive oil and so on, and of course eat veggies at a much greater ratio.

Exercise is not very expensive.

Changing the thinking and learning to relax is not expensive.

However, it is true that each health issue demands a different type of treatment and as the cost mounts, the insurance could play a role.

My fear is that if we get a better health care system (more coverage) in the future, a lot of the alternative medicine will not be covered.

[Chemical Bill]

4. I was at the dentist's today...

and the youngish hygienist asked me what medications, etc., I was taking. I mentioned saw palmetto, and she said that a lot of her patients were taking that. I explained why. It seems that many people are seeking alternatives, at least around here. That must be why the drug industry wants to eliminate the competition by making medicinal herbs available by prescription only. Somebody at work told me that doctors aren't allowed to mention herbal alternatives to drugs. I hadn't heard that, but I wouldn't doubt it.

Bill