Blog Entry #9: Write an expository essay on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

   It is important initially to define what complementary and alternative medicine is, it is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard medical. This topic is interesting to me, since in my work experience, I have worked for pharmaceutical companies that use traditional drugs. These medicines have been studied in ways that can be defined as "scientific." But I think it's interesting to have the opportunity to learn about or even use these alternative therapies; they can be an excellent complement to traditional medication.

   Among the most widely used alternative therapies are mind-body therapies, which include meditation, hypnosis, and yoga. There are also so-called biologically based practices, which include vitamins, dietary supplements, and botanicals, and finally, what is called energy healing, such as the practice of reiki.

   Finally, it's always important to know the pros and cons of this type of medicine. Among the pros, the most important one worth mentioning is that alternative medicine—root cause analysis, while conventional medicine typically treats the symptoms of a person's illness—investigates the patient's dietary, mental, spiritual, and physical health. The cons, the most significant is that research is lacking due to the rather recent introduction of alternative medicine. All of this is an important basis for anyone choosing to use this type of medicine, whether or not to use it, to take into account and make an informed choice.