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rosy3939
01-20-2005, 11:30 AM
Many people post on these boards about alternative methods of treatment for their psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. It has worked for many but because you belief so strongly in non-traditional methods of treatment it appears that there is a lack of support for NPF position in lobbing the congress for addition funds for the National Institute of Health. Perhaps is there was more information about what the NIH does and about the “Then National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine”, that it may change your minds about supporting the NPF and would consider coming to Capital Hill Day.

I know from reading the boards and reading the Capital Hill Day tread it does not appear that any of the regulars who practice Alternative or Non Western Traditional medicine are coming to Washington to lobby. Why?

Here is some information I took off the NIH web site. Please read it. We are going to be lobbing for you too, and we need your voice to be added to ours!

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Mission
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science; training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers; and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals.
To fulfill its mission, the NCCAM supports a broad-based portfolio of research, research training, and educational grants and contracts, as well as various outreach mechanisms to disseminate information.

Research
NCCAM's primary responsibility is the conduct and support of basic and clinical research studies, using well-established tools of rigorous scientific design, conduct and oversight. These studies involve investigator-initiated projects as well as NCCAM-solicited applications. NCCAM supports definitive large, multi-center clinical trials; studies of entire systems of traditional and indigenous medicine (e.g., Native American medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine); CAM Specialty Centers of Research; exploratory studies of frontier medicine; and studies of botanicals that are used by the American public to treat many diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, and depression. The Center carries out these activities independently and in collaboration with other NIH Institutes and

Centers, other government agencies, domestic and international research institutions, and industry.

Training
The NCCAM supports a full spectrum of predoctoral, postdoctoral, and career awards to develop a cadre of skilled investigators from both the CAM and conventional communities. The goal is to train individuals to apply the tools of exacting science to CAM systems and modalities. Institutional awards are available to support research fellows. Mentored Research Career Development Awards provide opportunities to clinicians and research scientists to develop skills for conducting rigorous research and to pursue careers as investigators. Limited support is also provided for research conferences.
Information Dissemination
Distributing scientifically based information on CAM research, practices, and findings is central to the NCCAM mission. This is accomplished through:
 Operating the NCCAM Information Clearinghouse
 Producing publications, such as fact sheets and the NCCAM newsletter
 Offering a Web site at nccam.nih.gov
 Sponsoring town meetings, conferences, and other outreach activities
 Exhibiting at events around the United States and the world
 Co-sponsoring, with the National Library of Medicine, the CAM on PubMed database, located at nlm.nih.gov/nccam/camonpubmed.html
 Maintaining the Complementary and Alternative Medicine subfile of the Combined Health Information Database (CHID) at chid.nih.gov

All the information was taken from NIH website.

We must become the change we want to see.
- Mahatma Gandhi

RichJ
01-20-2005, 04:15 PM
hi mitch, i need to thank you for all you do on here.

have a great night my friend

richard

makeitgoaway
01-20-2005, 06:45 PM
Good post Mitch!

You make an excellent point. I'll take a cure anyway it comes. I don't care if it is natural, alternative, western medicine or standing on my head 3 times a day. Without the proper funding and research, we may never have a cure. THIS ISSUE NEEDS AND DESERVES EVERYONE WHO IS EFFECTED BY PSORIASIS TO SUPPORT IT!

GET ON BOARD!

babzee23
01-20-2005, 10:37 PM
hey mitch! its babz...remember me??? anyways, im on the "natural" route for psoriasis also. (no strong meds or steroids)..but im still dragging my tush to D.C. in April! Trust me, those of use using alternative therapies are just as supportive..c u in D.C.! :)

Kimbercat
01-21-2005, 01:47 AM
hey mitch! its babz...remember me??? anyways, im on the "natural" route for psoriasis also. (no strong meds or steroids)..but im still dragging my tush to D.C. in April! Trust me, those of use using alternative therapies are just as supportive..c u in D.C.! :)
Hey, Babz! Looking forward to seeing you again! :) I will be in DC as well. The more people we have, the better an impression we can make. :cool:

grannyfranny
01-21-2005, 06:43 AM
Just remember----some of us can't come-----for a lot of different reasons.

bella247
01-21-2005, 07:25 AM
Just another reminder, If you can't go, you can still write!!!! :D

Whether you write or go, you are helping the cause and that's all that matters! :D

GitOverIt
01-21-2005, 10:14 AM
I can't go for several reasons ....but I do plan on writing as I did last year....however I haven't been able to find any info on it...checked home page and Joey info on it but I thought last year we had some help in writing our letters plus how to find our congresspeople?

bella247
01-21-2005, 12:07 PM
Hi Sally,

here is the link for both letters and rep locator, CHD info (http://www.psoriasis.org/resources/advocacy/contact_congress.php)

If you look at the CHD thread started by PJ you will find tons of links for things like this!!

I am glad you wrote last year please let us know how it goes this year!! : )

chromediva
01-21-2005, 12:50 PM
Hmmmm! I believe I said I was going to Capitol Hill Day, I do practice Alternative but my mother is on Enbrel right now and I have nothing AGAINST any drugs. I have taken antiobiotics and blood pressure meds in the past. I just choose to treat my P. natural.

I agree, I will take a cure in any form. seems kinda unfair to point blame on us tree huggers! I think we are very involved!

I see at the bottom of the main page that we have 44,710 members. what about them? where are they? only a few ever respond to post and only a few are really helpful.

why don't more people get involved? I don't know! but out of everyone that post on here the Alternative group is pretty small compared to the rest of the members.

rosy3939
01-21-2005, 05:37 PM
The thread was in no way putting people down for follow alternative medicines. Rather it was a informational piece to show those that do that the NIH does support research into non-traditional forms of medicine.

I am glad you are going to able to make CHD. Looking forward to meeting you.

Mitch

makeitgoaway
01-21-2005, 07:24 PM
Hmmmm! I believe I said I was going to Capitol Hill Day, I do practice Alternative but my mother is on Enbrel right now and I have nothing AGAINST any drugs. I have taken antiobiotics and blood pressure meds in the past. I just choose to treat my P. natural.

I agree, I will take a cure in any form. seems kinda unfair to point blame on us tree huggers! I think we are very involved!

I see at the bottom of the main page that we have 44,710 members. what about them? where are they? only a few ever respond to post and only a few are really helpful.

why don't more people get involved? I don't know! but out of everyone that post on here the Alternative group is pretty small compared to the rest of the members.



I hope my post wasn't misunderstood either. No one is attacking "tree huggers" here! Just looking for all the support that we can get. As far as the other 40k+ members, from what I know about last years CHD, there were more non-posters then there were posters.

PJ Leary
01-21-2005, 10:17 PM
Hi Mitch and Everyone,

I agree with the general concensus, I'll take the cure any way I can get it. I've done my good share of natural stuff trying to get rid of the spots, I have never had any annimosity towards those who are supporters of that path. I never found one that worked for me, though. I wish I had! I am always open to new ideas, and I don't give a hoot where it comes from, natural, biologic, or something totally new!

In the meantime, I think that Mitch seems to be trying to extend support to those who may have felt picked on here in the past because they support natural therapies. I think Mitch is trying to be nice, and also trying to encourage everyone who can possibly get to DC to come and join us.

I look forward to seeing everyone there, tree huggers most welcome in my book..............and everyone else for that matter. You don't have to agree with everyone about the therapies you prefer to support the NPF agenda.

Kimbercat
01-21-2005, 11:01 PM
I agree, I will take a cure in any form. seems kinda unfair to point blame on us tree huggers! I think we are very involved!

I see at the bottom of the main page that we have 44,710 members. what about them? where are they? only a few ever respond to post and only a few are really helpful.

why don't more people get involved? I don't know! but out of everyone that post on here the Alternative group is pretty small compared to the rest of the members.
I'm sure that there was no intent to point fingers. Mitch posted a very similar call for action to everyone in another post http://psoriasis.org/forum/showpost.php?p=135821&postcount=1

We just want to see as many members as possible involved, no matter what their treatment of choice is. We all have a common goal. I hope everyone will take the time to either write or join us. Looking forward to seeing many of you! :)

rosy3939
01-25-2005, 08:41 AM
Bump. People come and go and I think this is important information to be shared with everyone.

Hope to see all at Capital Hill Day in Washington on the 10-11.

Mitch

bella247
01-27-2005, 11:26 AM
THIS IS SUCH A GREAT THREAD!!!


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