Why Holistic Health Careers Are on the Rise

holistic health careers If you're considering holistic health careers, now is a great time to get into the field. Holistic health considers a whole person and emphasizes the connection between their mind, body and spirit — more and more people want treatments that address all three, or therapies that compliment traditional medicine focusing on the body. A growing interest in wellness and healthy living has fueled an increase in the need for practitioners of massage, acupuncture, Chinese medicine and other complementary treatments.

Find out more about why:

Increasing focus on wellness 

A variety of factors indicate that Americans have a growing interest in all aspects of a healthy lifestyle, which is a positive indicator for the growth of holistic health careers. Food trends like locavorism, wholesome foods and GMO-free agriculture indicate consumers have an appetite to improving their diets and health. Yoga studios and CrossFit gyms abound, and apps for everything from eating well to practicing meditation exist. Fitness, health and all aspects of wellness are a growing part of people's everyday lives. Even the social media channel Pinterest showed an increase in activity around holistic health for this year based on what users saved.

Significant spending on complimentary health

recent federal study found that 60 million Americans spend money on complimentary health treatments, and 4.1 million children have used them. Out-of-pocket spending on these therapies topped $30 billion. Families with income ranging from $25,000 to more than $100,000 put part of their budget toward alternative medical treatments. so a broad spectrum of households see the value in a holistic approach to health. Among the treatments people report using: acupuncture, massage, naturopathy, supplements, mind-body therapies and more.

More validation of holistic approaches

A growing body of research shows the benefits holistic approaches offer to health care. "Integrative medicine is not going to have the same funding as pharmaceuticals do, but because of the consumer demand and increased interest from academia and our national government in integrative medicine and health, there has been an increase in research," Stephanie Romanoff, communications director for the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine, told UPI. "And increasingly, there's more research validating the value of these approaches." Many complimentary treatments have been practiced for centuries, but this interest and acceptance in institutions of higher learning and government agencies will accelerate demand and growth.

Alternative treatments integrated into health care

According to a study conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association, individuals are increasingly turning to massage for reasons above and beyond relaxation. Some 52 percent sought massage for medical reasons and 23 percent to treat stress. This is just one example of how consumers see massage and alternative treatments as a part of maintaining their health overall. Nearly 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of children use complimentary therapies, according to the National Institutes of Health. Women and those with higher levels of education and income report using these treatments at a greater level.

The demand for practitioners of alternative medicine is likely to continue growing and the field needs trained and educated professionals to fill the need. The Acupuncture and Massage College offers several excellent programs to prepare students to join exciting and burgeoning holistic health careers. Learn more by downloading our free eBook today!

Career in alternative medicine - Spotlight

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