Samantha MacLaren 3/21/13 English 1102 Blog Dont quick fix it!

According to Sabriyna Rices article Are you taking too many meds?, the average American fills twelve prescriptions each year and that number of prescriptions filled each year has grown 39% between 1999 and 2009. With Americans spending $234 billion on prescription in 2008, this data shows that many doctors and patients are quick to look at pharmaceuticals as the most reliable solution. Even for common day to day problems like a headache, well pop an Ibprophen and go about the rest of the day. Taking medicines alone does not make the patient better or change the overall healthiness of his/her lifestyle. Medicines do not fill you with proper diet, exercise, and often can cause the actual needs of the patient to be over looked. In reality, pharmaceutical drugs should act as a last resort for medical issues. Why? If a medication works, why not take it right? Wrong. Medicines are usually designed to treat symptoms and not illnesses. So, taking that ibprophen is just a quick fix as it alleviates the headache, but does not treat the actual cause such as tiredness, stress, or lack of nutrition. The human body is best supported by its needs. While medicines undoubtedly save lives, prescriptions can sometimes mean the masking of symptoms without out getting to the roots of the medical issue. Natural products are often must more mild, and supply the body with the fuel it needs. I have come to think of most medicines as a quick fix; whereas, the real solution lines in changes in diet, exercise, and healthiness. Through research, and

through talking to your doctor specifically about alternatives to prescription drugs, you can generally find a number of healthiness changes that can be used to replace many of the most prescribed drugs and that will help tremendously with many medical conditions such as, pain, high blood pressure, acid reflux, heart disease, anxiety, insomnia. Whether its herbs, vitamins, food, acupuncture or yoga, there are many natural approaches to healing. Pain medication is one of the most popular controversial prescription drugs. While it is effective in relieving pain, it has become a widely sold street drug as it is very addictive. Physicians wrote more than 131 million prescriptions in 2011 (Corbett). It seems as though doctors believe in the drugs ability to alleviate pain. However, the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation shows individuals with lower back pain show greater improvements in disability and pain with just four acupuncture sessions in two weeks compared to receiving traditional treatment (Corbett). Fortunately, some more broad-minded doctors are moving away from pharmaceuticals towards more natural options that encourage body replenishment. Sleep aides are one of the most habit forming drugs. Although, they can be prescribed for regular use dependency is easily developed. Whereas, many foods inhabit your sleepiness in the way that turkey makes you want curl up on the couch after thanksgiving dinner. According to Marissa Abruzzo Before bed, try eating your choice of bananas, figs, turkey, milk, whole grain crackers, or yogurt, these foods are high in tryptophan, which promotes sleep (Abruzzo). I personally snuggle up in my bed with a cup of bedtime tea which contains the natural sleep aid valerian root. Dr. Teitelbuam reports on prevention.com that trying melatonin, a hormone naturally produced by the

pineal gland that you can also get over-the-counter with the optimal dose being 0.5 mg (Corbett). Exercise for 30 minutes to an hour a day works effectively to prepare for sleep at the end of the day. Pain and insomnia are two conditions we generally think to be incurable or hard to cope with even using prescription drugs. However, natural treatments of illnesses are less harsh on the body, less habit forming, and just flat out healthier. When considering your medical conditions and the treatment options on your next trip to the doctor, dont quick fix it! Find the root of the problem and look to natural ways to promote healthiness in your body in the long run.

To read more about natural alternatives : http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/naturalremedies/top-10-prescription-drugs-and-natural-remedies/9-insomnia#ixzz2OebmkwsB Works Cited http://www.katiecouric.com/features/my-natural-alternatives-to-prescription-drugs/ http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/natural-remedies/top-10-prescription-drugs-andnatural-remedies/9-insomnia