Workplace Health: Traditional or Alternative Medicine?

With the world leaning towards alternative and complementary medicine, growing tired of the ongoing prescription of drugs with more and more side effects, it's critical that we look at alternative ways of staying healthy. There is absolutely a place for traditional medicine - this is not my argument. I believe medicine saves lives every day with doctors and surgeons laboring hard at ensuring the optimal choice of treatment (s) is explained and provided to us. This is the tried and tested and we can't live without it. No debate here.

However, there are times in our lives, that attempting alternative forms of medicine keeps us healthy and can also help us achieve a state of wellness beyong the need of drugs, tests and various appointments for that ache that just won't go away. With stress being a huge part of our lives, starting to reduce its effect is paramount in walking towards happiness and well being. There are many choices of alternative and complementary medicines and treatments to choose from. Which one works best for you? It's up to you. I always find that we resonate with one or two alternative health therapies versus others. Trying them is your best way of knowing for sure.

Here is a short list of a dozen health practitioners that you can contact:

1. Holistic Nutritionist

2. Personal Fitness Trainer

3. Wellness Coach

4. Homeopath

5. Psychotherapist

6. Acupuncturist

7 . Reiki Master

8. Massage Therapist

9. Naturopath

10. Craniosacral Therapist

11. Life Coach

12. Yoga Instructor

Workplace Health also needs this new approach to keeping their precious resources - employees - healthy. Long gone are the days that the employee health benefits suffice to ensure our employees attend work regularly and remain productive to keep a corporation alive and well in the competitive global economy. Companies must become a strategic partner in the health of their workers. The cost of not providing alternative and traditional medicine in the workplace, accessible to all employees, is too great!

30 years ago, health options were provided during work hours with the benefit of an Occupational Health Department - this has almost disappeared in today's time. It is now that employers across the nation should look at how we can increase our productivity and sales with fresh, healthy minds and bodies. Providing resources at the worksite, decreases absenteeism, disability and workplace injuries and related financial costs. It also sends a message to your employees - you are valuable to us and we are here to help you achieve success in your job and your health.

Lucie Fournier

Founder/Workplace Health Strategist