Alternative healing and health education

As new and unorthodox methods of health care become increasingly popular, more and more stories appear in magazines, television, and even professional journals. Advocates of alternative healing appear as conference speakers for lay and professional groups alike-including health educators. Such therapies appeal to a public eager to take control of their own health and bodies. Via the Internet, new ideas and treatments can spread through the population incredibly fast. The abundance of new healing techniques coupled with an interested audience and the wonders of mass communication present a challenge to the health educator. The author believes health educators need to be aware of trends in popular culture and new forms of alternative health care. Health educators should have the insight, by virtue of their training, to distinguish real from fantasy, science from pseudoscience. They need to become health information specialists and competent in operating the latest technology. Most importantly, health educators need to remain objective and keep an open mind coupled with a healthy degree of skepticism.