[This article, frum Brie Zeltner, the Plain Dealer, on Cleveland.Com, speaks to the increase in popularity in using alternative therapists including Chiropractic, Therapeutic Massage and nutritional supplements.  At Live Well Holistic Health Center, patients typically see powerful results from all three of these therapies for a wide variety of conditions.  Following is the article.]

Alternative therapies have hit the mainstream, if Consumer Reports readers are any indication. A recent survey, released July 21, showed that about 75 percent of the more than 45,000 people the magazine polled were currently using some form of alternative or complementary medical therapy.

That included vitamins, with 71 percent of respondents taking them, or mind-body therapies like yoga and massage, which about 20 percent reported using.

As a 2009 Consumer Reports survey also indicated, most people felt that hands-on therapies were the most effective alternative methods of treating their ailments, but rated prescription medication more effective than alternative remedies for most conditions.

Back pain and neck pain, notoriously difficult to treat, were two conditions forwhichan alternative remedy, chiropractic, won out over prescription drugs. Of the 36 percent of people who used the technique for back pain, 65 percent said it "helped a lot" for their pain, whereas only 53 percent said the same for prescription drugs.

Readers with fibromyalgia, a complex chronic-pain syndrome, said that deep-tissue massage was the most effective treatment for them, rating it just slightly higher than prescription drugs.

The magazine asked about several other ailments that are often hard to diagnose or treat, and lead many to complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM,therapies for relief. While prescription medication was the most helpful therapy for these -- irritable bowel syndrome, digestive problems, depression, anxiety, headache and migraine, insomnia, cold and flu, and allergy -- alternative therapies weren't too far behind in some cases.

A total of 47 percent of people used multivitamins or supplements like fish oil or vitamin B complex to treat depression. More than 40 percent of people with anxiety used deep breathing exercises, and 34 percent of them said this helped them a lot.

Many of the most popular CAM therapies are also the most effective -- probiotics for irritable bowel;meditation for insomnia, anxiety and migraine; and chiropractic and massage for back pain. This is borne out by the results of the high-quality but sadly very small body of scientific research being funded by institutions like the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.

If three out of four of us are really using these therapies at any given time, let's hope that body of research continues to grow.

Winter, with its dull skies and cold wet weather, is the heavy 'Kapha' season according to Ayurvedic medicine.  Ayurveda describes three 'doshas' or qualities ascribed to all things.  The Kapha dosha has the qualities of wet, cool, earthy and oily.  It tends to bind, stabilize, lubricate and sustain. 

The winter season is a time for consolidation and containment and a time to shelter from the cold in rest and reflection.  Kapha's qualities of nourishing and sustaining complement the season's inactivity, enabling the mind and body to quietly recharge in preparation for the new year ahead.  To stay balanced and healthy during the winter, try to follow the general guidelines below.  You will likely have fewer colds, feel less run down and be charged and ready for the new year.

First and foremost, protect yourself from the elements and don't over extend your self.  Even more than in the autumn season, a scarf is your first line of defense as the neck is the most vulnerable to the wind and cold, and it is the physical place where we catch colds, according to traditional Chinese medicine.  Also as in the autumn, lubricate your nostrils and ears with oil or butter to protect those delicate vulnerable areas from the cold wind. 

Spend plenty of time indoors by the fire or with several candles, reading, writing, sipping tea, with a blanket...get cozy.  It's healthy to get outdoors all year 'round, but in the winter wait for those days when the sun is shining and there is no wind. 

The Kapha times of day are from dawn to mid-morning and from early evening until about 10 p.m., and these are ideal times to counter Kapha's cold heaviness with some warming exercise to enliven a sluggish mind and body.  Winter is not a time for inactivity, but it is a time for extra rest and recharging.  So now it's time for a full extra hour of sleep compared to summer. 

The winter diet should be warming and substantial, with more whole grains, less fruit, lots of steamed or baked vegetables, especially root vegetables like carrots and potatoes, and more dairy and meats if these are in your diet.  Soups are wonderful during the colder weather.  Garlic, ginger and cayenne will add warmth and spice up your life. 

To thrive this winter, stay warm and cozy, get lots of rest, eat warming foods, and do your warming exercises. 

And of course, if you feel like you'd benefit from some extra support, we have wonderful natural supplements at Live Well to help with breaking up Kapha, warming the body, supporting the immune system, and recovering from any colds or flus more quickly.  Bodywork, Massage Therapy, Gentle Chiropractic, Acupressure, Medicinal Aromatherapy or any combination of these powerful modalities are also available at Live Well. 

All of these modalities can be used as tools to help you feel your best, even at a time when the weather provides extra challenges.  Soon enough, spring will be here!