Career Opportunities in Alternative Medicine

Approximately 38 percent of adults and nearly 12 percent of children in the U.S. use some form of complementary and alternative medicine, according to a new survey from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Center for Health Statistics. If you don't already know, complementary and alternative medicine is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine.

According to the survey, the most prevalent provider-based complementary and alternative medicine therapies are chiropractics/osteopathy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and naturopathy. Choose one of these alternative medicine careers, and your healing services will be in demand.

Career in Chiropractics/Osteopathy
Chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation focus on the relationship between the body's structure and function. While chiropractors employ a wider range of techniques for manipulating the spine, osteopaths employ a wider range of techniques overall.

Employment of both osteopaths and chiropractors is expected to increase 14 percent - faster than the average for all occupations - between 2006 and 2016, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In May 2007, median annual earnings of salaried chiropractors were $65,890. Doctors of osteopathic medicine earn much higher salaries, comparable to those of MDs. But remember that chiropractors complete four years of doctoral work, while osteopaths complete three to eight years of internship and residency in addition to a four-year doctoral program.

Career in Massage Therapy
Massage therapists manipulate muscle and connective tissue to enhance function of those tissues and promote relaxation and well-being. Most states have laws regulating massage therapy, many requiring practitioners to complete a 500- to 1000-hour training program.

According to the BLS, employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations. In May 2007, median annual earnings of massage therapists were $34,870. Bonus: About 64 percent of massage therapists are self-employed.

Career in Acupuncture
Acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. The predominant technique involves penetrating the skin with needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.

Acupuncturists must complete a master's degree program in acupuncture, preferably one that's accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. According to PayScale.com, the median annual salary for self-employed acupuncturists is $45,000.

Career in Naturopathy
Naturopathic medicine proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Naturopathic physicians support this power through treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and traditional Chinese medicine.

Naturopathic physicians must complete a four-year doctoral degree program, preferably one that's accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Education. According to the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges, an established doctor of naturopathy earns an average annual salary of $80,000 to $90,000, and may even make upward of $200,000.

Defy convention - choose one of these up-and-coming careers in alternative medicine.

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