In a progressive and large city like Los Angeles new and innovative approaches to medicine remain popular among patients. According to recent Los Angeles Times article series that reviewed different alternative medical procedures; as a whole people are very supportive of alternative medicine yet have a difficult time finding scientific supportive research. According to the article this is mostly because science remains unwilling to devote research money to study the effects of alternative medicine. NCCAM’s more than 3,000 research studies have provided answers to important questions about complementary health approaches to help consumers and medical professionals make informed decisions. For example, we now have good evidence from studies showing that practices such as yoga, massage, chiropractic and acupuncture can help people with chronic pain, often difficult to treat. Dr. Kim reminds patients that alternative therapy should still be approached with the caution of any other medical procedure. Patients who have had surgery including breast augmentation or liposuction often consider massage as a possible option to ease tension of the muscle and hopefully reduce pain. Dr. Kim cautions patients against this until he has cleared them and considered their healing progress. It is possible to negatively affect the results by allowing a massage provider to massage the body. While the damage is not likely to be serious, it could prolong your recovery if it is done too soon after surgery. Dr. Kim encourages communication and reminds patients to feel free bring questions to his attention as soon as they arise.
