Popular Keywords in Alternative Medicine Category

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

I was investigating some popular search keywords yesterday which led me to do a search for the term medicine. Scanning through the results, I found it interesting that six out of the top 21 searched keyword phrases, were related to alternative methods of healing. Even more so, I found it really interesting that the term alternative medicine ranked so high on the list.

I took a screenshot of the 21 most popular terms related to the root term medicine, and highlighted the ones I feel fit into a similar category.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that terms related to alternative medicine have grown in such popularity. It was Thomas Edisons prediction that doctors of the future would give no medicine, but would interest their patients in care of the human frame, diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.

While many turn to the Internet for traditional information about drugs, topics such as nutrition, homeostasis, naturally boosting immunity, continue to grow in popularity.

Alternative medicine is a broad category, and while many chiropractors would not consider the practice of chiropractic as alternative medicine, search results have shown consumers likely feel otherwise. A quick glance through Planet Chiropractic news archives, and I notice there are dozens of articles including the term alternative medicine.

Interestingly, there is little talk in this year’s presidential race about alternative health care, with Texas Republican Ron Paul being the only candidate I’m aware of to openly talk about it.

The search results speak for themselves, people are seeking holistic alternatives to traditional medical practices. That’s not to say that medically related searches have decreased, it appears more that the search for all health-related topics is on the rise.

When we say homeopathic medicine or herbal medicine, I wonder if medical marijuana falls into the category amongst those searches. Medical marijuana in West Los Angeles has grown in popularity, but that only represents a tiny area within the United States. I’m assuming most people would be expecting to find results such as Chinese herbs, such as ginseng, rather than cannabis.

While not appearing on the search list, I would assume topics such as home births with midwives, would fit into the category of alternatives. It has been funny to notice how many searches for tushy massage there are. Searches such as that are likely coming from an audience with a completely different intention than reading about articles of alternative health and healing.