Alternative Healthcare and Western Medicine

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Alternative medicine is a type of health care that is based on the traditional practices of using natural remedies to treat diseases and ensure healthy living. This type of treatment lost its importance with the rise of the western type of medicine. However today the importance of alternative medicine is gaining its fame and importance in the society and its contribution to the maintenance of health and well being should not be overlooked. “Alternative medicine itself refers to any type of medicine that cannot be refereed to as conventional medicine,” (Bright, p. 6). The forms of alternative medicine are based on theory and practice of the society and can be traced back to the ancient times when they were referred to as the prime medicine. The medical practitioners of the alternative medicine have claimed that alternative medicine is able to heal individuals without major side effects.

“Some of the examples of alternative medicine include the Chinese medicine, hypnosis, diet therapies, naturopathy, and herbal medicine among others.” (Eisenbern, p15).The health care provided by the alternative health care has recently gained a lot of popularity and people seek the treatment of alternative medicine especially those with chronic diseases such as cancer. In the earlier period, alternative medicine was greatly discouraged by scientists who claimed that there was no prove that such medicine would heal. However recent studies and research by some scholars have proved that alternative medicine is able to treat some diseases and it is as important as the western medicine within the heath sector today. Alternative medicine was previously common in the developing countries but today it is taking root in the developing countries as people start seeking its treatment.

“Western medicine on the other hand can be refereed to as the type of medicine that is considered standard and it is practiced by the health professionals such as the psychological therapist’s registered nurses among others.” (Bellavite, p. 34). This type of medicine is normally referred to as the conventional type of medicine and it is usually practiced by those who have attained the required levels of education such as degrees and PHD in medicine. The background of western medicine can be traced back to the alternative medicine especially in the use of herbal medicine. Most of the drugs that have been used in the westernized type of health care originated from the herbal medicine. This includes drugs such as the aspirins, opium, and quinine among others. Since its introduction in to the medical field, a large percentage of the population has been seeking health care provision from the western type of medical care. However, this type of health care has been associated with a lot of side effects from its use of chemicals in drugs thus causing more complications to the patients. There are also the cost issues where high cost of medical facilities has, made it impossible for some individuals to be unable to seek the health care services. For these reasons, a larger portion of most patients are now seeking alternative health care from the alternative health care systems which are cost effective and uses natural medicines to retain the health. These reasons among others discussed in the paper are used to support the thesis that alternative medicine should be viewed as equally important in maintaining health care and well being of individuals just like the western type of treatments. “In other instances the western type of medicine is not able to heal some conditions,” (Bird, p. p1).

One of the greatest importances of the alternative medicine is that it is focused in healing the underlying causes of the disease as opposed to the symptoms of the disease. “Alternative medicine focuses on the healing of the whole body and any underlying symptoms of the disease,” (Null, p. 22). This is a very important part of health care since it helps to improve the health of the individuals and also improve the quality of life. This enables the individuals to be able to live longer without many health complications. The medicines also come in variety giving its consumers a wide variety of medicine to choose from. They are able to choose the method they feel it’s comfortable and safe to them for different medical conditions. The use of alternative medicine in the United States can be studied using some statistics of patients who used alternative medicine for different medical conditions in 2007.

Used CAM as treatment

Percent2

Number in (standard

Disease or condition thousands error)

Back pain or problem…………………………… 14,325 17.1 (0.54)

Neck pain or problem…………………………… 5,031 5.9 (0.33)

Joint pain or stiffness, or other joint condition………….. 4,537 5.2 (0.27)

Arthritis………………………………………… 3,057 3.5 (0.23)

Other, specify…………………………………….2,733 3.3 (0.23)

Anxiety……………………………………….. 2,293 2.8 (0.23)

Cholesterol……………………………………..1,827 2.1 (0.17)

Head or chest cold……………………………….1,693 2.0 (0.17)

Other musculoskeletal…………………………….1,498 1.8 (0.19)

Severe headache or migraine……………………… 1,359 1.6 (0.16)

Insomnia or trouble sleeping………………………. 1,191 1.4 (0.16)

Stress…………………………………………. 1,124 1.3 (0.15)

Stomach or intestinal illness…………………………..974 1.2 (0.14)

Depression………………………………………. 962 1.2 (0.16)

Regular headaches…………………………………. 813 1.0 (0.15)

Hypertension……………………………………… 842 0.9 (0.12)

Fibromyalgia……………………………………… 755 0.8 (0.11)

Diabetes……………………………………….. 650 0.7 (0.12)

Sprain or strain……………………………………. 605 0.7 (0.10)

Coronary heart disease…………………………….. 586 0.7 (0.10)

(Source: National Center for Health Statistics)

The table above indicates that a large population of the developed countries is using alternative medicine for treating different medical conditions. Conventional medicine which is highly adopted by the society only concentrates with the relief of the symptoms but does not concentrate with the prevention measures of the diseases or the treatment of the causes of a certain disorder. Alternative methods in this case become very useful in that they concentrate with the causes of disorders in the human body and focus more on prevention rather than treatment of the diseases. For this reason most of them actually concentrate with nutritional balances where they insist on taking a lot of nutrients which may be lacking in the body resulting to some conditions. “Dietary measures are especially very important when it comes to alternative medicine,” (Murray, p. 12).

Alternative medicine also has a different approach to the treatment of diseases. They deal with the individuals in very unique manner and use a very wide approach in treating their patients. In contrast, the conventional medicine deals with the specific organs of the body and that is why the western type of medicine has concentrated with specificity in their career where we have different individuals specializing in different organs of the body. In the western medicine we find the differentiated practitioners such as the chemotherapists, radiographers, surgeons, neurologists among others. This means that if an individual has different complications with the body organs you have to undergo the different procedures of being attended by the different medical practitioners. With alternative health care, they seek the root of the problem which affects other organs and thus treat the whole body as a whole as opposed to treating each specific organ separately. This not only safes time and cost but it also safes the patient the agony of undergoing so many procedures of treating each complication by a specialized doctor.

Another importance of alternative medicine in health care is that it concentrates with the long term caring of their patients. “Treatment within the alternative medicine sector will ensure follow up of the patients to ensure that the lost nutrients in the body have been recovered and thus ensuring that the individuals are always healthy,” (Bird, p. 2). Conventional medicine will not normally concentrate with long-term treatment of the patients. They only concentrate with quick fixes of the patients conditions every time they come for medical care. This means that realizing that a patient has a chronic disease may actually take a long time since a medical history will be required to follow up the patient. In this case the alternative medicine is of great importance since they treat the causes of conditions and further ensure a long term support of their patients which enables the body to slowly regain its healthy condition and eradicate further complications that would have risen in case of the conventional or the western medicines.

Alternative medicine is also very important for health care since it is very gentle to the patients. They use time tests, remedies from nature and very gentle treatments. With the western type of health care, it is very aggressive and subjects the body to other conditions such as radiation, surgery, chemotherapy and also very strong drugs that may affect their patients. Westernized form of treatment believes in the body being a mechanized system and thus all the disorders are traced to the failure of the system. This is the major reason they administer very powerful drugs. Alternative medicine is of great advantage since they believe the body works through a channeled net work. A blockage in one channel may cause problems to other parts of the body and thus they believe in blockages to cause ailments in the human body. “Most of the alternative methods believe that the bad health conditions result from bad diets and poor living habits such as smoking and drinking,” (Bird, p. 3). Their treatments are therefore concentrated in the unblocking and strengthening of the human body to clear diseases.

The alternative medicines are considered to be very safe by their practitioners since they involve use of natural products such as herbs to cure diseases. This means that the alternative medicines normally do not contain a lot of chemical formulas which may result to side effects. Most consumers of the alternative medicine consider the drugs safer since they do not have major side effects as opposed to the western type of health care. “With the western medicine, prolonged use of some drugs may at times result to side effects such as the tolerance to some diseases or other major side effects that may result to other major complications,” (Wharton). With herbal medicine, no such major side effects have been reported from their consumers. Most herbal medicine concentrates with the retaining and the supplementing of the lost nutrients in the human body. Most people have gone to the alternative methods of living where consumption of chemicals in the processed products was very minimal. This is some of the reasons why most people are using the alternative medicine today.

Scientists should not disregard the uses of the alternative medicine on the sense that no scientific research has been done to prove its effectiveness. “They argue that the holistic approaches are just for profit and do not help the patients,” (Abgrall, p. 44). In the olden days, our grand parents did not have the exposure of the western medicines yet they lived healthy lives and for longer periods of time. Alternative medicine has been there since the ancient times and its effectiveness can be traced to the initiators of the medicine and its uses in the older generations. During their time there were no pharmaceutical companies that were producing the westernized drugs yet they were able to live healthy.

Most individuals today are turning to the alternative medicine as it has been proved to be very effective. Research carried out by some scientist has proved that the type of medicine is very effective in treating some diseases. In this case, those people who feel dissatisfied with the western type of treatment are turning towards the alternative medicine. Previous researchers had discredited the use of the alternative medicines claiming that there was no enough evidence that such methods were effective in treating the human body. The findings from the recent studies have however supported the alternative methods and techniques of treating people and it is gaining popularity all over the world. In future most people will be seeking treatment from the alternative health care systems as they become more approved of their effectiveness.

The use of alternative medicine is greatly recognized and most people have adopted its use. Many companies have actually come up with other alternative products which are based on the alternative medicine especially in the pharmaceutical field. There are many products such as skin care products which are used to cure the skin conditions and maintain its healthy condition. The alternative medical fraternity has gone a further step of extracting the important ingredients from the natural sources such as plants and making this products available all over the world to those who do not have the exposure of the natural treatment. The benefits of the alternative treatment have actually been praised by many especially in its uses to maintain the skin.

Alternative medicine concentrates with the active participation of the patient in the treatment. Alternative medicine therefore makes the patient understand better their conditions and they are able to understand their conditions and they become more willing to participate in regaining their health. In the western type of medicine it is very difficult for the patients to understand the terms that are used by the medical practitioners. They are treated with an attitude of asking no questions. “Patients just accept medication due to their body ailments yet most of them do not understand what is happening with their bodies or what is the cause of the conditions in which they are suffering from,” (Eisenbern, p. 22).

“In most cases conventional medicine has recently been commercialized with many individuals offering the medical services for a profit,” (Abgrall, p. 56). This has made it very difficult for the poor families to afford the medical services. This is especially the case in the developing countries where most people are poverty stricken making it very difficult to afford health care of the western nature. Alternative medicine is equivalently cheap and affordable to the individuals no matter their background. The type of treatment is concentrated on health and has not been commercialized as the western type of health care. It is very cheap to the common person. In terms of cost therefore, alternative medicine is very convenient. Western medicines are also much commercialized with many pharmaceutical companies competing to manufacture drugs which are simply the same. The difference in most of the drugs is just the brand and they try to dominate the market through advertising for their use. This has actually led to some individuals feeling that they can buy drugs over the counter to treat their symptoms. This is not the cases in alternative medicine since they want to treat the main cause of the symptoms and not just the symptoms themselves. Alternative medicines have not been classified as drugs and most of them are actually referred to as supplements. “Most supplements do not actually require any doctor’s prescription and they are considered safe to use since they are classified as foods and therefore safe to use,” (Murray, P. 18). However, patients are advised to always consult a doctor before they can take any form of medication.

Alternative medicine is greatly involved with impacting knowledge to individuals on their health conditions. They hold many classes for their patients especially those with chronic diseases and help them to understand their bodies. They also have a lot counseling for their patients and help them accept the condition of their bodies and in this way they are more cooperative in using the natural methods to regain their health. Western type of culture just treats the patients and administers the prescription of the drugs to be taken. Alternative health care is therefore useful in sensitizing the individuals on their health and how to maintain their health for longer periods. This is very important in helping individuals maintain a state of well being since they are more careful about what they eat and also the personal hygiene.

Alternative medicine is completely natural and does not involve any chemistry into the human body. This safes a lot of individuals the pain of going through frequent injections and surgery of their bodies. The sources of the medicine used by the alternative medicine are readily available since they grow naturally within our environment. This means having a shortage of the drugs in the market is not very common since the natural sources are most of the times very available. There is no secret in the ingredients used in preparing the medicine and they actually advise their patients to take the plants in their raw form if it is in their disposal. Assured availability of drugs helps the individuals to be assured of continued treatment. “Alternative medicine has become very useful in treating the incurable and very severe disorders today,” (Null, p. 36).

In conclusion Alternative medicine has come to be accepted by most individuals as a method of treatment that gives different experiences to individuals all together. People are able to test different forms of treatment which are different from the flooded westernized type of health care. It is a reliable type of health care which helps the individuals retains their well being of the health conditions for a long time. Alternative health care is especially useful in educating people about their body conditions and helping them understand why their bodies react the way they do. It is an old approach but it is becoming very popular for its effectiveness especially in terms of cost and preventing complicated diseases in the human body. The greatest advantage is that it uses natural medication and thus one does not have to undergo through chemicals that are in the western type of medication which come with major side effects posing a threat of further complication in our bodies. Both types of treatment are however very useful in maintaining good health and well being of human body and none should be viewed as less important since each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. “Alternative medicine has proved very positive results and it is now being taught in various education institutions. It is a valuable resource that should be integrated into the healing procedures of lives in our societies,” (Bright, p. 16).

Works cited

Abgrall, Jean-Marie. Healing or Stealing? New York: Algora Publishing, 2001, pp. 33-56
Bellavite, Paolo, and Andrea Signorini. Homeopathy, a Frontier in Medical Science: Experimental Studies and theoretical Foundations. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 1995, pp. 22-48
Bird, Michael. Running toward holistic health and well-being.Nation’s Health. 2001, Vol. 31 Issue 2, pp. 1-3
Bright, Mary. Holistic Health and Healing. Philadelphia, Davis Company, 2002, pp. 6-17
Eisenberg, David M. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 280, 1998, pp. 15-31
[email protected] University of Pennsylvania. 2009 .
Murray, Michael, and Joseph Pizzorno. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. California: Prima, 1998, pp. 12-26.
Null, Gary. The complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing: A Comprehensive A-Z Listing of Common and Chronic Illnesses and Their Proven Natural Treatments. New York: Kensington Books, 2005, pp. 22-37
Patricia M. Barnes. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults and Children: United States, 2007. National Center for Health Statistics, 2007
Shealy, Norman and Caroline Myss. The Creation of Health: Merging Traditional Medicine with intuitive Diagnosis. Walpole, N.H Stillpoint Publishing, 1988, pp. 12-57

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Alternative Healthcare and Western Medicine

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