Health Industry

[mtnman]

How many of you guys can foresee a boom in the health industry in the upcoming

years. I have my own opinions, but mine are a bit biased because of my knowledge of

natural/holistic health methods. I also haven't been around long enough to be aware of

health market history from the past decades or witnessed previous trends firsthand.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

Personally, I am fed up with the Health Care System and I think many others feel the same. In the last year, I've been shuttled around from doctor to doctor, prescribed drugs, received dozens of guesstimate-diagnosis's all for nothing.

It is this kind of frustration that leads people to try alternatives, including health supplements, alternative therapies, and other medical substitutes.

I've made more headway on my health issues in the last 6 weeks due to my own proactive diagnosis's and treatments vs 18 months of doctors, countless hours wasted, and thousands of dollars.

So to answer your question, I believe alternative health/fitness is a great industry and will only grow larger as frustrations escalate.

 

[Yankees338]

I may be a bit biased because my dad is a chiropractor and acupuncturist, but I'm a strong supporter of natural/holistic/alternative medicines. Because of my background, I've been receiving chiropractic care for as long as I can remember. I've probably taken an Advil/Tylenol about 10 or so times in my life, and that was only because my dad wasn't around to treat me.

I've been getting regular adjustments for my entire life, probably about once a month. I honestly believe that this helps not only my neck and back, but many other aspects of my health as well. Over the years, it seems that because I keep most of my body in pretty good health, I'm better able to deal with other problems as they come. I rarely get headaches, and when I do, it's because I haven't been adjusted in awhile. I'm basically never sick, as opposed to some of my friends who are sick about once a month.

My dad has only been practicing the acupuncture for about a year, so most of that is new to me, and I have less experience with it. However, from the few times I have had it done, it's worked very well. After getting treated with acupuncture for a cold, I was almost 100% better after 24 hours, and I felt the improvements immediately. I've had it to treat pain in my elbow and shoulder before, too, from pitching, and I was able to pitch the next day in my game.

My last point about acupuncture is more general, and I mean it in all honesty. I strongly believe that everybody should at least try it out. I believe it's truly just great for you; it is also terrific for dealing with stress. I remember the first time I went for an acupuncture treatment. It was while my dad was practicing in a clinic while he was still in school, and I went with my mom and friend to try it out. It was so relieving and relaxing that my friend and I both fell asleep during the 20 minutes that we were lying on the tables with the needles working their magic (Btw, the needles DO NOT HURT! They're about as thin as a hair.). Honestly, the feeling is like being high...naturally. It's just so relaxing and soothing, and I think that everyone would really be better off if they had a treatment like this every so often just for their general well-being.

 

[thecoach]

Well, my girlfriend doesn't come on here so I guess I'll get involved in this one (she's a doctor and hates that I never go to doctors about things). I personally don't take medication for anything, especially pain killers. If I am absolutely on my death bed with a cold where I'm getting dizzy, can't think straight and am not able to even function properly enough to watch TV, I might fire back a couple of Cold FX pills. I don't even buy Advil/Tylenol becuase the meds would expire before I even opened the bottle. I just stay active and never get sick...don't beleive in it...have you ever noticed that some people are always sick and do nothing but complain about being sick? Kind of the Law of Attraction thing there maybe

In Canada our health care is free, but that doesn't mean it's good. There was a study done that doctors are right 67% of the time. That means they are wrong about 3 out of 10 times...that's pretty scary when you think about it. Through an insurance plan that I have, I have access to the Best Doctors plan, so if I get seriously sick I can see the people that are known as they best in the world with that given illness.

Over the next 30 years there will be a boom in the health care industry that has never been seen in history and I would assume that it's going to ugly...The worlds largest age demographic in history is approaching their 60s and that's when stuff starts to deteriorate with the body. From what I've seen not many long term care facilities or hospitals plan on expanding to accomidate the Baby Boomers need, becuase after 30 years they'll all be gone and then the health care facilities will not have enough people to fill them. Right now in Canada, some of our waiting lists for services are long enough. Now, there's going to be a huge boom in demand (more sick people) and no increase in supply (no more facilities), so I think it's going to be ugly.

I could see people at the very least having to turn to alternative medicines out of nessessity and desperation becuase they can't get in to see a regular practitioner to treat them.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[TheGreatBear]

It's already booming? Healthcare was 6% of US GDP in 1970, 12% now.

 

[camski]

To give some perspective, I live in a small town of about 15,000 people and in my community the two largest employers are the hospital and the school system. And this doesnt include all the nursing homes and doctors offfices.

 

[Antonio.]

The market for new healthcare products will always be strong our population is getting older by the minute and there going to need ways to cope with there problems.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[WheelsRCool]

It's already booming? Healthcare was 6% of US GDP in 1970, 12% now.

Actually it's up to 16% now, $2 trillion...!

 

[6.0_bull]

The Alternative health business is huge and growing steadily every year and still seems to be a business with many niches that need to be exploited, In my opinion the alternative health industry is still in its infancy of growth considering the major baby boomer generation going into retirement and the US having the highest obesity rate in the world with the general population suffering from every major illness and rising by the year, people are defiantly looking for alternatives .

 

[mtnman]

Thanks for all the opinions!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Bilgefisher]

Without delving into politics it may actually depend on who gets elected in 2008. Many candidates have many different health care proposals, each could change the face of health care as we know it. The plans vary as greatly as the candidates. One wants universal health care while another wants to do away with government control on our health care system.

To steal a saying "It depends"

 

[hakrjak]

The biggest growth industry I'd be concentrating on would be geriatric care. Through medical advances, people will continue to live longer and longer -- And the older they get, the less likely they'll be able to care for themselves. Independent, Assisted Living, or full convelescent homes are going to be growing at a rate never seen before.

Cheers,

- Hakrjak