Careers in health care are among the most lucrative and rewarding careers. Within the health care field, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is unique. Compared to traditional Western medicine, CAM seeks to provide a much less invasive and more holistic approach to the health of a patient. CAM practitioners identify a patient as a whole person rather than simply a collection of symptoms and conditions.

More hospitals, clinics and private practices are integrating this type of care into their services by employing both mainstream medical techniques as well as complementary and alternative medicine. This integrated approach involves a wellness-based model of care as opposed to a disease-based model of care. Preventative lifestyle changes, low-tech, and low-cost measures are put into place with CAM patients before pharmaceutical or invasive procedures are considered.

In addition to being passionate about this approach, with the high cost of a medical degree, you need to be confident that the return on your investment will be worth it—especially if you take on debt to finance your degree.

Fortunately for those interested in a CAM degree, the career outlook for complementary and alternative medicine practitioners is excellent.

The field of massage therapy today is about much more than helping someone feel pampered and relaxed. Successful massage therapists employ a variety of techniques that can not only help with relaxation but can treat health ailments too. Recent research has shown massage can effectively treat conditions such as high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, headaches, osteoarthritis, and several other
types of conditions.

In a rigorous massage therapy program, you will learn how to treat these conditions as a health care professional. More importantly, this type of education will give you the skills you need to work in any environment you may choose.

Here are four additional ways a rigorous education can better prepare you for today’s massage therapy industry. 

Elizabeth Toth, Communications Coordinator at National University of Health Sciences, shares how alternative medicine helped her have a natural, unmedicated birth. 

When I found out I was pregnant, one of the first things that came to mind was what childbirth might be like. I had images of women screaming in pain, cursing their husbands, begging for drugs. With how birth is portrayed in movies, it's no wonder I was a little nervous about it.

While giving birth in real life isn’t exactly like that, I still needed to educate myself and prepare for the experience both mentally and physically. For most doctors, giving birth is considered a major medical event. Luckily it was one I could prepare for.

The rising cost of higher education is old news at this point, but most people would be surprised to find out exactly how much a medical degree, either in traditional medicine or complementary and alternative medicine, costs today.

In the past 20 years, average tuition and fees have increased over 165% for private medical schools and 312% for public medical schools. The average debt with which medical students leave school has also increased dramatically: today, most students graduate with an average of $183,000 in debt.

If you’re going to spend $25,000+ a year on an education, you need to be confident that the return on your investment will be worth it—especially if you take on debt to finance your degree. That’s why it’s important to take the return on investment (ROI) on your degree into account, and discuss your financial aid options with a financial aid advisor before deciding to take out loans.

Celebrity suicides from Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain to Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington are bringing to light the increasing prevalence of depression. Despite the stigma, more celebrities like Lady Gaga and Jim Carrey are speaking out. Mental health issues are not limited to celebrities, however. They are actually much more widespread than many may think.

According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), antidepressant use has risen by 65% between 1999 and 2014. A 2017 study also shows depression increased “significantly” among persons in the U.S. from 2005 to 2015, from 6.6% to 7.3%.

Research tells us that one of the biggest triggers for depression is chronic stress both from physical health issues such as chronic pain and psychosocial issues. So it is no surprise that with the economic and social stressors during the last 10 years that rates of depression would be on the rise.

Alongside pharmaceuticals, utilizing various types of treatment modalities including complementary and alternative medicine techniques often can lead to better outcomes than single modality interventions. These techniques may also help those who might want to rely less on pharmaceuticals in the long term.

Are you a physician looking to advance your career and provide superior care to your patients? If so, the Master of Science in Advanced Clinical Practice (MSACP) program at National University of Health Sciences might be the perfect fit to help you pursue your career goals.

The MSACP program at National University is an online advanced degree designed for first-professional health care providers, including DCs, NDs, MDs, and DOs. It provides physicians with an in-depth immersion into integrative medicine, and is taught by outstanding faculty active in their professions. If you are a busy physician looking to take the next step in your profession, check out these quick facts about our program. You will:

National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) graduates Ashley Biscoe, ND, and Alison Egeland, ND, both of the class of 2014, opened their naturopathic medicine practice in September 2016. Their practice, Attune Functional Medicine, (AFM) is located in Broomfield, Colorado. Today, Drs. Biscoe and Egeland are complementary care providers, co-managing patient health with an integrative medical philosophy.

Now, nearing the second anniversary of AFM, Dr. Biscoe shares a wealth of experience for those considering opening their own practices. Whether you are a current student, or a prospective student thinking about becoming a naturopathic physician, read on for 5 questions to ask yourself before opening your own naturopathic medical practice.  

Have you considered earning your degree in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?

If so, you probably have a lot of questions surrounding what it would mean to pursue this medical degree.

That’s why National University of Health Sciences has created this free, interactive resource—A Guide to Financing a Graduate Degree in Complementary and Alternative Medicine—for students just like you who are considering a degree in complementary and alternative medicine.

In practice, the concept of chiropractic care for children is not new; however, it may be a new concept for many adults. Why would children need chiropractic care, you may ask? Chiropractic physicians (DCs) offer techniques and treatments that pediatricians do not. In many instances, DCs can offer less invasive options first, before referring patients to prescriptions and surgery.

The central nervous system controls everything. The birth process itself can be physically traumatic, and for some infants, receiving adjustment can offer neurological input or correction from the start, allowing a healthy developmental process to unfold. Later, as young athletes develop, recovering from injuries sustained by participating in sports may be treated with less traumatic chiropractic solutions, rather than more disruptive therapies such as pharmaceuticals or surgery.

Because chiropractic medicine takes into account the entire person, when there is a correction in one area, it can help support and correct another area. Depending on which DC you choose, many incorporate other techniques and specialties such as acupuncture, craniosacral, nutrition and more.

Here are 4 ways chiropractic medicine can benefit children.

Getting older doesn’t have to mean bad news for your brain. Although many are worried about mental decline and diseases like dementia, following the principles of naturopathic medicine can provide natural, non-invasive approaches to keep your brain sharp.

Whether you’re worried about cognitive aging or just looking to boost your brain power, the 7 daily habits listed below can help you maintain a stronger, healthier brain.