Category: Alternative Medicine

Strong opinions of this drug called Marijuana will never be extinct for both parties of pros and cons. Cannabis and often called as Marijuana has two purposes either for medication or recreation. Thousands of decades ago, this plant was medically used around the world mainly because the innovation of medicine has not yet discovered by that time. The usage of this drug was passed from generation to generation up until the current year for it is believed to cure several health problems such as cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, manage nausea, anxiety disorders, etc. However, heavy use of this drug often leads to Marijuana addiction which causes the user to get high and have dependence disorders with Marijuana. Though medical usage of Marijuana was legalized to some states, their government still needs enough researches and studies, at the same time several of clinical tests and trials for them to have better knowledge about its impact to patients before the legal approval of this drug.

There are well-proven benefits for relief in long-term pain. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), a psychoactive compound in Marijuana that is responsible for its effect to humans being ‘high’, is still not properly understood but it does have some medical uses. Its anti-emetic properties are specifically useful in the treatment of cancer patients on chemotherapy as it contains specific chemicals that can kill certain types of cancer cells. THC also increases the appetite and reduces vomit response and it is also used for treating anorexia and other eating disorders. There is fair amount of evidences that Marijuana can impair lung function and increase lung capacity for those people who smoked pot daily up to 20 years.

A chemical found in Marijuana called Cannabidiol (CBD) that has anti-inflammatory, anti-pain and anti-psychotic properties may prevent cancer from spreading by turning off a gene called Id-1(Inhibitor of DNA Binding 1, a protein coding gene). There are researchers that experimented on breast cancer cells that have high expression levels of Id-1 and cannabidiol was used for treating it. The outcome was rather positive because the cells had decreased Id-1 expression and became less aggressive spreaders. Medical Marijuana can also treat different types of chronic pain such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, etc. In addition to this, it can also help control and prevent epileptic seizures. According to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, a small dose of THC can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Although Medical Marijuana can work wonders to life-threatening diseases it also has its limits whenever used, people with heart disease and with a history of psychosis, and pregnant women aren’t allowed to use it.

Marijuana may actually reduce anxiety which will improve the user’s mood if taken in low dosage, while higher dose causes opposite effects hence, should be used in moderation. This plant has been a great help in terms of curing and treating health problems such as relieving insomnia, anxiety, and pain even to the extent of life-threatening diseases and viruses such as epilepsy and cancer.

However, like every other medicine, Marijuana also has disadvantages. The disadvantages of using Marijuana as a recreational use are that it can be damaging to our mind and body. Common side effects of prolonged use of Marijuana are anxiety, hallucinations, increased heart rate, abnormal blood pressure and troubled thinking. Ironic that Marijuana is used to treat anxiety but too much use of it can also cause anxiety. Some disadvantages that people report from using high THC cannabis products are increased of anxiety or paranoia, difficulty with remembering or focus, or sedative effects. Some research suggests that for some with specific genetic predispositions, high THC cannabis may increase risk of psychosis or distortion form reality, but it should be noted that high CBD cannabis can treat psychosis. Marijuana can be addictive as it gives you the feeling of euphoria that encourages you to use it again. The major disadvantage of using Marijuana in a country that hasn’t legalized it for medicinal use or recreational use, you may get arrested for using it as it is still considered as a drug. Using Marijuana in a high stress environment may lead you to an accident as it will make your mind overly relaxed. Teens that tends to use a Marijuana as a way of coping up with their anxiety or depression without medical personnel’s’ consent such us doctors, will make them more anxious or vulnerable, they’re also prone to abuse illegal drugs. Marijuana is said to be a “gateway drug” as it has same effects of the other illegal drugs.

People are taking Marijuana for the thought that it will make them feel euphoria and to fulfill their satisfactions. They tend to smoke and drink Marijuana until it leads to addiction. Drug Free World conducted an interview with Paul, a former user of Marijuana. He said “After seven years of using and drinking, I found myself at the end of the road with addiction. I was no longer using to feel euphoria; I was just using to feel some semblance of normality.” This interview shows us the reality of taking Marijuana. Marijuana greatly affects the function of our brain that causes the hallucinations, panic, and anxiety of the user. Although some evidences show that it can treat the anxiety of a person. After the long term using of Marijuana some people tend to not feel the euphoric feeling of taking Marijuana as it just makes them feel normal. This means just like other medicines, once the body become immune to it, its effect would not be that visible anymore. Unprescribed amount of Marijuana intake makes some of its users to feel negative about themselves and their abilities thus causing paranoia or the fear of other people. Paranoia is the intense fearful feeling of a person and it involves the thought of being in threat. Some researches show that using Marijuana can cause a long-term effect like the decline in IQ of a person, lower life satisfaction, and antisocial behavior that leads to stealing and being dishonest.

Legalization of Marijuana is a worldwide talk. Many countries do not agree on legalization of it because they do not want the risk that it offers even though it is surely helpful to improve countries’ medical state. Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray says that Marijuana is for medical purposes not for recreational use. Because of the recent Miss Universe 2018, Marijuana became a big talk in the Philippines. There are articles saying that Marijuana is recently legalized by President Duterte. Half of Filipinos are in favor of legalizing Marijuana for medical purpose but there are also who does not agree. Marijuana is a well-known drug that could make people high or give them unexplainable pleasure; it could cloud their mind and make them unable to think rationally. By that, Marijuana’s image for other people was tainted badly. House Bill 6517 seeks Marijuana for medical purposes. Because of the influence of Miss Universe 2018, President Duterte considers to be in favor of legalizing Marijuana in the Philippines. Even though the President recently approves, Marijuana cannot be instantly use for medication. Medical experts in Philippines must still conduct researches that would help them know and understand how Marijuana works. It would still take further and wider study to understand how to properly use it for medicine.

People these days are prone to different kind of illnesses probably because of unhealthy lifestyle and polluted surroundings. Many medicines are invented and different types of herbals are suddenly sprouting everywhere. Once people learn that a type of plant can treat several diseases, they would intake it without further more questions. This is how desperate people not to be sick and avoid a life cost treatment from hospitals. Many are desperately fighting for cancer but to no avail; it is one of an illness that cannot be easily treated. No medication for it can assure patient a hundred percent cure. Thus, the issues of Marijuana being a medical cure for different types of illness like cancer, people are still wary about it. They cannot easily consider it to be a medical treatment because of the risk that it offers even though the elders use it as a treatment thousands of decades ago because of the lack of innovation when it comes to medication. We may be completely advance when it comes to technologies and medicines; still, there are things that we cannot give solution to, unless we embrace the risk provided on the possible solution that is discovered. Many countries may not approve its legalization but it is true that Marijuana is proven used as an herbal medicine; still it can cause addiction if abused. Marijuana may give out a bad image to everyone, but we must all remember that all medicines have pros and cons. It is just like every other medicine. It has side effects and if wrongly used, may cause life threatening conditions. It is good to discover a medicine like Marijuana but people must still be responsible. Everything that is abused is bad and using anything without proper orientation will put you at risk. For legalizing this type of drug comes with huge responsibilities. It is not just a simple medicine for cough that everyone could access. This type of medicine must be only accessible by professionals to avoid using it for recreational and out of curiosity.

In the last decade, the medical industry has seen a significant growth of complementary and alternative medicine. It is estimated that two out of three Australians have used a complementary or alternative medicine, (Andrew Bonney,2016). This can be attributed to their increased credibility, consumer desires for a more holistic approach to health, wanting to prevent sickness and disease and people wanting to feel more in control of their health due to other forms of western medicine not working.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) refer to all forms of health care that are used in addition or instead of western modern medical treatment. Examples of complementary medicine include physiotherapy, occupational and acupuncture. These treatments could be used in conjunction with a person being treated for leukemia, going through chemotherapy as it would help stimulate a healing response as well as dealing with nausea, post-operative pain including muscular and skeletal. Alternative medicine includes herbalism, naturopathy and acupuncture where the focus of healing lies solely on these medicines.

Increased credibility:

A main impact of increasing interest and use of complementary and alternative medicine is the increased credibility of the treatments. Physiotherapists and osteotherapists are mostly completing four to six year degrees in order to gain sufficient qualifications for their field of work. As well as registering with registration bodies who monitor and govern the things they can promote to their clients as well as extensive research being conducted behind some of complementary and alternative medicines, overall resulting in a wider acceptance from consumers of these treatments.

Australians are striving towards a more holistic approach to health. Meaning that the focus is being shifted from focusing on illness or certain parts of the body, this approach considers a person as a whole including mind, body and spirit. For example, a Western approach to a person experiencing stomach pains could include prescription drugs such as antibiotics, meaning that their immune system will further be weakened. However, a holistic approach would focus on strengthening one’s immune system by exercising regularly and including complementary and alternative medicines into daily life such as herbalism, which would restore the body’s natural defence mechanisms and yoga which would help maintain a healthy weight.

Prevention

Prevention of illness and disease has played a significant role in the growth of complementary and alternative medicine as some have been promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) a reliable source that provides thorough research, which people all around the world can trust. The endorsement from WHO of acupuncture and some herbal medicines has helped to give consumers a piece of mind as they know it is a safe alternative to use. For example, acupuncture can be used as a preventative measure for a person experiencing back pain. This will help with alignment and will prevent bulging and herniated or ruptured disks in the back

Finally, Australians may feel they have no control over their health due to their current treatments not working. Therefore, through the use of complementary and alternative medicine, a person can choose when and what alternative medicine or treatment they want to use rather than being assigned to Western drugs. For example instead of being prescribed depression and anxiety medication from a doctor, treating it more alternatively through the use of acupuncture to calm and release tension.

Overall the main contributing factors to the growth of complementary and alternative medicine include the increased credibility, Australians desire for a more holistic approach, the movement towards prevention and people wanting to feel in control of their health.

Humans ability to reason and use logic is clouded by the fear of uncertainty. The longing for concrete facts is what has created a world where uncertainty and faith are feared because they have become synonyms of ambiguity. However, this fantasized dystopian world eventually becomes dull and somber.

When a person’s health has been compromised, the patient often is looking for anything that will make them whole again. To begin healing, the patient has two options, the first being conventional medicine- also known as western medicine- which is defined as “a system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery.” The second option is known as alternative medicine. Alternative medicine works exclusively with treatments and methods that use natural products and mind and body practices. Although conventional medicine utilizes science, and alternative medicine focuses on spirituality, these contrasting methods both have a common goal – healing. Alternative medicine proves to benefit a patients health independently, as well as when used simultaneously with conventional medicine, harmonizes science and spirituality by finding a necessary bond between these two worlds as well as emboldens holism which proposes the idea of viewing the patient as a whole.

It is difficult for western and holistic medicine to regard each other as equal because of their opposing views on medicine. Integrative medicine is a type of holistic medicine that may be able to bridge the gap between these two very different methods. The concept of holism is, “The theory that parts of a whole are in intimate interconnection, such that they cannot exist independently of the whole.” (Oxford Dictionaries). Intermediate medicine assesses health care from all points of view. This method works to heal the patient not only physically, but emotionally too. It utilizes western methods of physical healing in conjunction with the knowledge of holism and alternative medicine. Integrative medicine finds a balance between mind and body which can not be achieved by a doctor that favours western or holistic medicine. It demonstrates the importance of a balance between these two methods of healing, as well as the significance of holism.

The medical world is actively trying to find new treatments and techniques to cure humans who are constantly changing. Science is crucial for understanding evolutionary development in order to solve these problems. Unfortunately, medical advancements often sacrifice physical cures for mental stability. In the eyes of western medicine researchers, it is more important to cure the superficial symptoms than the root cause. Integrative medicine, again, satisfies the constantly changing evolution of humans without sacrificing the spiritual wellbeing of the patient. “The purpose of integration is to identify the strengths but also the limits of conventional and alternative approaches”. (Jaramillo).

Science has created an image to appear superior making people believe technology can control all aspects of life, but scientists are discovering that some answers reach beyond the limits of an x-ray, opening scientists eyes to integrative medicine. “Our research and our evidence-based treatment guidelines echo our focus on technical treatments for specific diseases, ignoring the critical impacts of whole person factors in these diseases”. (Reilly). Western medicine has minimized patients and their inner health. Integrative medicine emboldens holism, which proposes the idea of viewing the patient as a whole. Holism is a way of reworking a doctors perception of patients as a unique human being. One of the main views of holism is to understand that the human body is a combination of the mind and physical aspects which is why doctors should be encouraged to reach beyond the physical symptoms of an individual. Integrative medicine reclaims medical values and humanize it.

Society has changed the course of values associated with medicine overtime. Integrated medicine is actively refocusing medicines approach to genuine and natural origins of humanity. Due to medicine being one of the few fields that deal directly with people’s lives, it is supposed to be unbiased, however it is contaminated by the suffocating views of society where productivity trumps quality and the values that once maintained the soul, mind and body were distorted. “Integrated medicine is not just about teaching doctors to use herbs instead of drugs. It is about restoring core values which have been eroded by social and economic forces”. (Dr. Lesley Rees and Dr. Andrew Weil). These exact forces are responsible for the derogation of a crucial aspect of disease: their origin. Investigating the origins provides a balance between the body and spirit. Doctors usually search for diseases in order to cure a patient, but underestimate the potential of spiritual factors that may affect the patient. By doing so, valuable time is wasted trying to find a complex diagnosis where only a simple problem is present.

Although there are a growing number of doctors that support the idea of taking the patient’s spiritual well being into consideration, in the integration of alternative and conventional approaches, there are many that oppose the integration of alternative and conventional approaches. Conventional doctors have communicated feeling challenged by integrated medicine as it can be viewed as taking credit for their work. “Interest in the whole person is what good doctors have always had. Creating a new brand of integrated care almost accuses those of us in normal medicine aiming to something different”. (Margaret McCartney). Integrated medicine is not in fact a new brand of care but instead a means of encouraging, inclusion, cooperation and unity among the different types of medicine. It is anything but wrong to promote people’s creativity in finding solutions for diseases that not even conventional science has discovered. Some doctors also believe that the flexibility of of integrative doctor’s minds is completely absurd. “Academic freedom allows professors to proclaim all sorts of wild ideas, including nonsensical ones, but we do not have to allow them to teach courses with no basis in reality.” (Dr. Salzberg). With respect to the human mind and body, there is much that can not be explained, but must be encouraged. Reality is based on humanity not on reason or logic. There is no perfect form of medicine that will please and suit everyone, but health is not a competition to prove which ideology is better than the other. Trying to attain a perfect system will not result in healing but instead close-minded doctors who oppose inclusion and innovation.

Magic goes far beyond the reach of a wand. Magic comes from within the confines of the body in a mysterious and often underestimated place: the human mind. As any superhero, the mind must battle enemies who aim to challenge its focus and minimize its thoughts. When society is given the power to challenge the mind, it is given the power to challenge its magic.

Health is what determines the reach of our ideas and measures the solidity of the ground we are standing on. When the floor under someone’s feet becomes loose, human instinct is survival. But what if the problem comes from one of the underground pillars, and the issue is handled by covering the superficial damages only? This may have allowed for more time, but the floor will eventually collapse. The thing is, the human body is not a calculated structure, nor machine. There is nothing perfect regarding the human body, but that does not mean that there is no magic in it. That is why doctors should not aim for perfection. Doctors should should aim towards finding what benefits the patient. In order to heal a patient, they must be treated as a human, as a whole, not a robot. To humanize medicine, there has to be a holistic concept behind the education of practitioners. Holism implies harmony, which is essential for any living organism. For that reason, integrative medicine encourages a balance between science and spirituality. In order to achieve equilibrium, there has to be an open mind because insights are usually mystifying. But actually, ideas that may sound out of comfort, are sometimes just a little outside of what logic has established, and it is okay to follow them to eventually get outside the box.

According Center of Disease Control and Prevention, we have at least two million people who get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and it causes to 23000 people die every year in the U.S. That comes from that people tend to use a lot of description drug at any given moment. However, people have chosen the second way to prevent antibiotic-resistant and medicine side effects by using alternative treatment and alternative medicine since 1980, but some people are still incredulous about the effects of alternative treatment and tend to push again it out of the U.S. In this case, people are wondering what is complementary and alternative medicine the best therapy in the near future? It is a controversial topic. However, people should use alternative medicine because of its efficacy and safety.

In term of alternative, complementary and alternative medicines are the products and practices that do not belong to standard medical treatment. Additionally, according to the National Cancer Institute stated that “complementary medicine is the treatments that are used along with standard treatments, and alternative medicine is treatments that are used instead of a standard medical treatment”. In this case, people usually use massages as a complementary medicine because of easy practicing, efficiency, and safety. First of all, massages are a therapy that is easy to practice. Everyone can use a massage every time and everywhere. It does not require any special skill that people need to study or get the certification for its expected massage therapist. In this case, the data of American Massage Therapy Association stated that about 19 percent of adult Americans used massage between 2016 and 2017, and about 33 percent of adult Americans used massage in the previous five years, and moreover, 27 percent of them used massage at home, and about 39 percent of them were given massage at Spa and Massage therapist’s office in 2017. Figure 1 below shows massage therapy.

[image: https://www.amtamassage.org/uploads/cms/images/aging-massage-89076266.jpg/image-full;size$470,314.ImageHandler]

Figure 1: Massage Therapy

Source: www.amtamassage.org

Furthermore, massages are effective and safe. The massage therapy does not have any side effect and it is the best way to push again the pain instead of a painkiller bill. By affecting small force on the muscles and joints, massage therapy can help relieve pain in the body and relaxing, and because people just use a small physical force on the body to massage, the massage therapy does not harm the patient and cause any side effect. That’s is why 89 percent of adult American agree that massage helps reduce pain and 29 percent of them agree that they reduce stress and help to relax (AMTA). In short, in term of complementary medicine, massage is the best choice for pain instead of a pain killer.

Not only massage therapy can help people reduce pain and relaxing without any side effect, but the herb also the best alternative medicine to prevent sickness, and in some cases, it is used to treat some dangerous diseases such as cancer and diabetes. A long time ago, people used herd as the medicine to treat some normal sickness such as headache, stomachache and cold because they had many observation and experience with these medicine herb, and now, many scientists confirm the benefits of medicine herd in treatment normal illness by many studies and researches. Take Vietnamese and Chinese as an example, they use turmeric and honey as a medicine to treat stomachache, and in another example, in American, they use blackberry to treat diarrhea and some problem about tissues and joint. In this case, Santosh Kumar Yadav review many researches about turmeric benefits and stated that:

An Indian dietary derivative – curcumin– has been proved an invaluable therapeutic agent that has no side effects and is cheaper to treat gastric diseases. Curcumin (C21H20O6), the principal curcuminoid, a yellow pigment found in the rhizome of Curcumaloga, also known as turmeric, has been used since ancient times in China to treat various human disorders, and it is well documented for its medicinal properties in the Indian and Chinese systems of medicine.

In short, the benefit of medicine herd is proved during many experiences, observation in daily life, and in case of science, we also have many studies and researches to identify the benefit medicine herb in treatment normal illness.

Moreover, people use medicine herb to treat many serious diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Many researches stated that the description drugs that diabetes type -2 patient are using have many side effects, but in contract to description drugs, medicine herd has the same effect with description drugs, but it is quite safer than description drugs. Take cinnamon as an example, according to Eric Yarnell and Kathy Abascal, the people who use cinnamon have lower blood glucose and total cholesterol, and they found that cinnamon help decrease blood pressure in diabetes patient, and it is quite safe. Additionally, medicine herd is used to prevent cancer. Many drugs that use to treat cancer kill cancer cells and these drugs also harm the patient body. These drugs cause a terrible effect on the patient’s bodies such as hair loss, diarrhea, headache, and internal bleeding. However, some medicinal herbs are identified as a natural anticancer drug, and important these drugs do not have any side effect that can harm the patient’s body. Some research showed that some herbs that have strong chemical can kill the cancer cell. For example, research of Kaowin stated that garlic has N-benzyl-N-methyl-dodecane-1-amine that have many anticancer properties, and it is also promising anticancer drugs soon. As a result, the medicine herb completely has the big benefit to prevent and fight again diabetes and cancer.

With hard evidence that alternative have work for a variety of individual, many people still believe in modern medical care, and they continue to push against complementary and alternative medicine, and they hope that they can remove the alternative from the U.S. They believe the description drugs that are better and safer than alternative medicine because medical experts, doctors, and pharmacists research and test the drugs before the drugs can be given to the patients. Additionally, some people who got complementary and alternative medicine feel the effects of complementary and alternative is slower than description drugs. That’s why they think the people should believe in the medicine that is certified by modern sciences as the description drugs and remove the medicine that belongs to tradition as the complementary and alternative. In this case, we all agree that complementary and alternative medicine effect slower than description drugs, and they are maybe certified by traditional experiences and observations. However, nowadays, the complementary and alternative medicine did not belong to tradition. Many medical expert and doctor are researching alternative medicine to find the new medicine that more effective and less harmful. For example, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has more than 2500 researches about complementary and alternative medicine safety and efficacy. Moreover, now, more and more American believe and used complementary and alternative medicine as the main treatment. Figure 2 below compares the percentage of people believe and do not believe in complementary and alternative medicine.

[image: ]

Percentage of U.S. adults believing in positive effects of complementary and alternative medicine as of 2017

Source: www.statista.com

Although description drugs have fast efficacy, and they have many types of research and studies to certify them, complementary and alternative medicine also get more scientific evidence to prove their great benefit for people.

Complementary and alternative medicine do not belong to tradition anymore. With the best efficacy in treatment normally illness and many serious diseases, the complementary and alternative medicine not only prove for themselves by patient’s experience, but they are also proved by many types of research and studies. In the near future, the term “alternative medicine” maybe is replaced by the term “integrative medicine”. In that, patients can be completely treated in the body and mind with the effective and safe medicine that come from nature.

Work Cited

1. “Adults with Positive View on CAM in the U.S. 2017 | Statistic.” Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/667420/us-adults-with-positive-view-on-complementary-and-alternative-medicine/.
2. “Complementary and Alternative Medicine.” National Cancer Institute, 10 Apr. 2015, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam.
3. “Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet | American Massage Therapy Association.” Certification, Licensing and Accreditation for Massage Therapists | AMTA – American Massage Therapy Association, Feb. 2018, www.amtamassage.org/infocenter/economic_industry-fact-sheet.html.
4. Kaowinn, Sirichat, et al. “Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology: N-Benzyl-N-Methyl-Dodecan-1-Amine, a Novel Compound from Garlic, Exerts Anti-Cancer Effects on Human A549 Lung Cancer Cells Overexpressing Cancer Upregulated Gene (CUG)2.” European Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 841, Dec. 2018, pp. 19–27. EBSCOhost, doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.09.035.
5. Yadav, Santosh Kumar, et al. “Turmeric (Curcumin) Remedies Gastroprotective Action.” Pharmacognosy Reviews, vol. 7, no. 13, Jan. 2013, pp. 42–46. EBSCOhost, doi:10.4103/0973-7847.112843.
6. Yarnell, Eric, and Kathy Abascal. “Herbs for Diabetes: Update-Part 1.” Alternative & Complementary Therapies, vol. 20, no. 6, Dec. 2014, pp. 328–333. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1089/act.2014.20607.

Background:

The practice of Medicine of CAM use is found drawbacks, particularly among DM patients, the prevalence of ancient medication use in study conducted in African continent, was 80% and Northern part of Tanzania was 40.3%, this shows that in African countries particularly country like Tanzania the CAM use is culturally accepted, although there’s still few knowledge on prevalence, determinants and kinds of CAM used among diabetic patients, the obtainable knowledge solely covers the utilized ancient drugs in concert among the CAM observe, thus this study can will covers the prevalence, associated factors and all CAM patterns like herbs, dietary supplements, multivitamins, mineral supplements, non-secular therapies, manual techniques, and exercises.

Objectives:

To determine the prevalence, associated factors and patterns of CAM use among Diabetic patients type 2 aged older than 18 years attending clinic at health facilities in Dodoma urban.

Methods:

The study will be based on randomized selection cross sectional study, conducted at health facilities in Dodoma urban district among DM patients type 2 attending clinic by direct interviewing and asking questions in Swahili language by utilizing questionnaire and the collected data will be examined by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Budget:

The total provided field research is T.sh. 100,000, in which stationary work will cost sh. 50,000, transportation sh. 20,000, rim paper, pen, pencils, staple is T.sh 15,000, internet services T.sh 5,000, and T.sh 10,000 for contingency money.

Definitions of key terms

• Complementary and Alternative Medicines is the medical term describes the practice and the traditional medicines products which are untested, lack biological plausibility and are not standard for medical health care.
• Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (formerly named non-insulin dependent) is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar as a results from body’s inability to respond properly to the action of insulin produced by the pancreas.

1.0 Introduction

1.2 Background

Complementary and alternative medicine has been defined as the broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country’s own tradition or conventional medicine and are not fully integrated into the dominant health care system

In Tanzania one among the modes of CAM use is traditional medicine practices which is used by more than half of adults, they are used in treating a variety of conditions including NCD’s. The study done in Northern Tanzania to assess the traditional medicine practices among community members with diabetes mellitus showed that many individuals were using traditional medicine and the prevalence was 40.3%, the fact that CAM use in Tanzania is culturally accepted, still there is few data on prevalence, determinants and types of CAM used among diabetic patients, the available data only covers the use of traditional medicine as one among the CAM practice, the study will intend to covers all pattern of CAM like herbs, dietary supplements, multivitamins, mineral supplements, spiritual therapies, manual techniques, and exercises.

Diabetes mellitus affects the whole thing of a human being and progressively individuals use complementary and practice of medicine in conjunction with alternative medical treatments and manner modifications to manage their condition and improve well-being.

1.3 Literature Review

1.3.1 The Prevalence Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine Use

The recent percentage prevalence review of CAM use, which consist a total of 18 studies from 9 different countries, showed that the burden of CAM use among diabetic mellitus patients ranges from 17% to 73%.

The conventional therapies such as insulin, lifestyle measures, and lowering oral glucose medicines which have been seen to be used in diabetes mellitus management, sometimes become unavailable or expensive and associated with side effects to many diabetic patients. All these reasons eventually leading to the use of complementary and alternative medicines among people living with diabetes mellitus so as to manage their diabetic health status.

The prevalence variation across the world range from 12.4% to 72.8% with high prevalence estimated to be 80% in Africa followed by USA, Asian, and European countries.

1.3.2 Factors Associated With The Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicines Among Diabetic Patients.

A study which was done in USA identified that those aged above 65 years are being three times more likely to use CAM compared to the ones below 65 years.

Also a study which was done in Saudi Arabia found the association between being female and CAM use, whereby they are more likely to use CAM compared to males. This could be due differences in accessing health care between the two genders.

Study done in Lebanon identified that compared to not married, married patients had the twice odd of using CAM, and patients who reported an income of less than 500$ had less odd of using CAM compared to the once reported an income of between 500 -1000$.

Therefore, the major greatest associated factors for CAM use are cultural and spiritual beliefs, age, time-course of diabetes mellitus disease, disease complications, and advice from family and friends influences.

1.3.3 The Pattern Of Complementary And Alternative Medicines Use Among Diabetic Patients.

Diabetic care journal showed that the most commonly CAM used were nutritional advices lifestyle diets, spiritual healing and herbs medicines.

A study which was done in Lebanon showed that folk foods and herbs medicines were the most commonly used CAM followed by natural healthy products, spiritual healing, relaxation techniques and vitamins, this could be due to the presence of floral diversity that for long has constituted a basis for health care.

1.4 Statement Of The Problem

The use of CAM is a public health concern with recent review of CAM use, which consist a total of 18 studies from 9 different countries, showed that the burden of CAM use among diabetic mellitus patients ranges from 17% to 73%. Despite advances in care and management of diabetes mellitus still there is an increase in morbidity, mortality and long term complications, this could be due to the use of CAM which could interact with convectional medications and lead to failure in regulating glucose.

Rationale

The fact that CAM use in Tanzania is culturally accepted, still there is few data on prevalence, determinants and types of CAM used among diabetic patients, the available data covers only the use of traditional medicine which is one among the pattern CAM practice, so the study will be intended to study all pattern of CAM use like herbs, multivitamins, mineral supplements, dietary supplements, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises.

The developmental condition that I thought would be the most beneficial to learn to enhance my chiropractic career is muscular dystrophy.

Muscular dystrophy is categorized as rare genetic diseases, that displays numerous symptoms, however, the main apparent symptom is loss of muscle function (Do et al. 2018). The abnormality that appears with muscular dystrophy is that abnormal genes interrupt the production of protein affecting the natural process that is essential to developing healthy functional muscle (Mayoclinic, n.d.).

The several types of muscular dystrophies are unique targeting different muscle groups, while having its own set of genetic mutations that occurs at different ages (Do et al. 2018). Muscular dystrophies are categorized into Duchenne, Becker, Myotonic, Facioscapulohumeral, Congenital, and Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. Due to several types of muscular dystrophy, various signs and symptoms arise. However, in the most common forms of muscular dystrophy the disease targets specifically boys in their childhood, while unique cases are not diagnosed until later in an individual’s life (Mayoclinic, n.d.).

An individual diagnosed with a type of muscular dystrophy would experience, frequent falls, difficulty rising from a lying or sitting position, difficulties running and jumping, waddling gait, walking on toes, large calf muscles, muscle pain and stiffness, learning disabilities, and finally delayed growth due to feeding and respiratory insufficiency (Mayoclinic, n.d.). Albeit, normal symptoms are commonly seen there are other rare symptoms individuals may experience such as microcephaly, eye anomalies, and cerebral malformation (Mah et al. 2015).

The rate of occurrence of this unique disease in the United States varies as a result of the severity and rareness of different muscular dystrophies. As stated above, the most common forms of muscular dystrophy produce rates of approximately 1 in every 5,600 – 7,700 males spanning from 5-24 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Moreover, myotonic muscular dystrophy identified by researchers and doctors as the most common form occurring in adults produces occurrence rates of 1 in every 8,000s individuals across the world (Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation). When it comes to racial and ethnic groups specifically in the United States muscular dystrophy has been shown that the disease has the lowest amount of occurrences in Non-Hispanic Blacks while Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites were much more susceptible from acquiring a type of muscular dystrophy (CDC, 2019).

This array of disease are hereditary deteriorating disorders producing severe complications targeting individuals muscles (Mah et al. 2015). This diseases is acquired through genetics through three different occurrences being autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or X-linked traits as well as rare incidences may appear at birth as a defect (Mah et al. 2015). Going into more detail, myotonic dystrophy the most common form acquired by adults may show symptoms such as myotonia, deteriorating muscular weakness, irregular heartbeat and endocrine dysfunction (Mah et al. 2015). To classify this developmental abnormality, the classification system is based on molecular genetic testing categorizing muscular dystrophy into 2 different types. Type 1 is identified by abnormal additions of repeating trinucleotide chromosomes, while Type 2 tetranucleotide chromosome are added on as an addition to another unique chromosome to designating itself to be type 2 (Mah et al. 2015). Type 1 can be further be divided making up other subgroups based off of the time the individual was diagnosed with the disease (Mah et al. 2015). Contrary to myotonic dystrophy which is the result of additional chromosomes, facioscapulohumeral dystrophy is diagnosed when an individual has a reduced number of chromosomes. And finally, congenital dystrophy is diagnosed when the individual acquires the disease early on in their life (Mah et al. 2015). Individuals who are diagnosed early on in life experience symptoms that occur during the first 6 months that have an array of effects on the body such as reduced muscle tone, muscle weakness and decreased deep tendon reflexes (Mah et al. 2015).

Muscular dystrophy affect various systems affecting those diagnosed differently. It has a various array of symptoms such deformed or rigid joints, overall weakness due to muscle loss, difficulties swallowing, and pulmonary insufficiency increasing mortality rates from an infant from birth to 1 month (Mah et al. 2015). Moving onto facioscapulohumeral dystrophy, individuals who are diagnosed with the genetic disease show symptoms of extreme weakness, along with defects to the central nervous system that results in mental retardation, epilepsy, retinal vasculopathy, and sensorineural hearing loss, while limb-girdle muscular dystrophy is a diverse group that also includes gradual muscle weakness that affects the hip and shoulder regions of the body (Mah et al. 2015). Although muscular dystrophy can affect several body tissues and organs as stated above, the main system affected by this rare disease is that it targets the normal development of muscle fibers (NIH, 2020). Destruction of an individual’s muscle fibers results in abnormal muscle growth, inability to grow the basic units of muscle fibers (epimysium, perimysium, endomysium), and decreased length on the muscles and tendons (NIH, 2020). As a byproduct from these degenerative effects the strength of the tendons and muscles are significantly reduced (NIH, 2020).

Muscles are made up of an abundance of muscle fibers. Each fiber is several individual cells that have joined together during development known as endomysium and are encased by an outer membrane known as perimysium. These muscle fibers that make up individual muscles are held together and are enclosed by dense irregular connective tissue called epimysium. To fire muscles it requires a process called an action potential. This process occurs by a signal being transmitted from the region of the brain to the spinal chord (NIH, 2020). Once the signal reaches the spinal chord it is sent out on through the ventrally located peripheral spinal nerves and are transmitted to the neuromuscular junction (NIH, 2020). At the neuromuscular junction, a chemical is released called acetylcholine which binds to receptors at the motor endplate and triggers an action potential causing the muscle to contract. The membrane of muscle fibers embodies a specific group of proteins named dystrophin glycoprotein complex (NIH, 2020). These proteins prohibit inhibit impairment of the muscle fibers while they are in the activated and relaxed state (NIH, 2020). However, if the membrane is degraded or affected these muscle fibers begin to discharge a protein called creatine kinase, necessary for providing adequate energy for muscle activation (NIH, 2020). As a result, acquire calcium causing significant damage to the muscle fibers resulting in reduced quality of the muscle inhibiting proper muscle function (NIH, 2020).

Research advocates that this rare genetic disease is genetic and there is no medical prevention besides screening during pregnancy. Albeit, a cure has not been found treatment plans have been devised to increase the individuals quality of life minimizing the substantial effects associated with this condition (NIH, 2020). Treatment could range anywhere from physical therapy, drug therapy, and surgery, however, as chiropractors we are musculoskeletal experts and try to avoid the last two options. There is room for chiropractic and other alternative support, sometimes has even been shown to be quite effective and can have a significant impact on life expectancy and quality of life. I do believe there is room for chiropractic care as we are musculoskeletal experts and we can certainly help people with muscular dystrophy avoid getting addicted and hooked onto opioids which is a major problem in our society today. As chiropractors, we could improve individuals’ biomechanics, posture, and body awareness which would be very beneficial to an individual suffering from this particular disease. This topic interests me personally because I am very interested in biomechanics and how different diseases affect optimal movement patterns. I have always been interested in rehabilitation exercises and helping treat diseases that affect muscles and mainly I asked a bunch of chiropractors who own their practices what would be the most beneficial developmental abnormality to learn and they all said muscular dystrophy.

The backbone of modern medicine’s success has long been attributed to an evidence-based paradigm; a direct point of difference when compared to the practices of homeopathy. In medicine all diagnoses and subsequent treatments are informed by a plethora of scientifically proven and reproducible studies (1). Under this paradigm, any form of treatment may be used for a given health related issue, as long as it’s mechanism of action can be explained and recapitulated scientifically. While some alternative medicines fit under this model, one which does not is homeopathy. A discipline whose remedies and treatments are omnipresent in pharmacies and the like, resulting in an excess of 4.4% of Australians over the course of a typical year (2). Whilst the argument against homeopathy may be made on a solely scientific basis, as attempted by the NHMRC which emphatically states that there are no health conditions for which there is reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective (3). The debate may be extended into the plains of reason and ethics, particularly as homeopathic proponents are typically quick to dismiss any scientific critique.

The basis of homeopathy arises from the premise that like cures like, whereby one may be cured of a variety of ailments through the consumption of a remedy consisting of numerous diluted substance (4). Despite these remedies having no proven mechanism of action in any illness which they have been tested under, homeopaths continue to dismiss any concern surrounding the lack of a tangible scientific evidence (5). Instead, vaguely proposing that a mechanism of action does exist and has simply just not been discovered yet (6). The implications of this ad hoc speculation is not only misleading, but implies that our current grasp of science is insufficient to understand a discipline devised nearly 200 years ago. A dangerous inference to make, as it risks casting doubt over a sound paradigm which has been carefully cultivated over years. While, homeopaths may be unwavering in this scientific debate, if one is to extend the same argument to the realm of ethics the true insufficiencies of their argument is exposed. If the desired outcome of these homeopathy proponents is for their remedies to be considered equally justifiable in the use of the treatment of illness as true medications. Then it would follow that any application of homeopathy should be subject to the same level of scrutiny that would be applied to any other practice of medicine. This would then mean that homeopathic practitioners would have to practice in accordance with the best available knowledge, as is expected of any other medical physician. Granted that the best knowledge is unanimously agreed to be provided by science (7). It then follows that any prescription of a homeopathic remedy which is null of scientific support, would be in direct violation of a foundational principle of medicine. To avoid this critique homeopathy would consequently need to be considered as a non-medicinal discipline. However, in doing so would mean that any practise of homeopathy in a clinical setting or claims of efficacy for a given ailment of any severity, would be considered mass deception. Something which ethically is considered innately wrong under Kantian ethics, as well as being in opposition of producing the greatest possible good for greatest number of people under utilitarianism.

Following the rationale that homeopathy as currently constructed is unable to scientifically or ethically constitute as a medicine under the paradigm of evidence based practice. Some have suggested for homeopathy to instead be applied in medical situations as a placebo-based therapy (8). A notion which builds off the current scientific understanding of homeopathy as it is believed that all reported efficaciousness of their products can be attributed to the placebo effect. Proponents of this shift in the discipline call for the substitution of the remedies for placebo’s such as flavored water (9). With the hope that the placebo effect of homeopathy will be retained, whilst removing the risk of giving a potentially toxic remedy if it hasn’t been sufficiently diluted. While the placebo effect has been proven to produces tangible and reproducible effects, this framework would still be unacceptable on ethical grounds. The current ethics for the application of placebo’s is still under intense debate for any forms of use, including informed use of a placebo. This proposal would imply a direct breach of the ethical imperative to facilitate informed consent and moreover autonomy, as it would involve the hoodwinking of patients to facilitate the placebo effect. While this idea may seem outlandish and would be met with almost complete rejection by homeopathic practitioners, it allows for a light to be shone on a distinction which must be allayed in the ethical debate and perception of homeopathy.

Whilst there is no scientific evidence, most homeopathic practitioners do believe that their products are efficacious and in doing so are acting in good faith (10). Despite this not being sufficient to absolve homeopathy of the whole of being unethical in its application, the suggested shift in homeopathy to placebo-based therapy insinuates that practitioners are not acting in good faith. Instead claiming that practitioners lying to their patients about the constitution of their remedies would be no change to what currently do. Thus, while ethically and scientifically the outcomes of this shift are still insufficient to apply to any medical context, one must be careful of mischaracterization of the actual practitioners in this discourse.

Given this total failure to find a scientifically viable application of homeopathy, the natural conclusion would be to bring an end to homeopathic remedies in any medical related context. Before this judgement maybe made, the final argument which must be deliberated, is whether a ban against homeopathy would be paternalistic and contravene the autonomy of patients who willingly choose homeopathic remedies (11). While superficially this argument may seem to have merit, the argument is fatally flawed. Since, for one to act autonomously there must be truthful provisions of efficacy and risk provided (12). Following that neither of these can be produced through any scientific evidence, one cannot make an ethically sound autonomous decision. Instead any decision made by a consumer would be based on fabricated and misleading promises made by those distributing the homeopathic product. While in many contexts this may seem a superfluous argument as individuals seeking these products do so due to having experienced a benefit from homeopathic remedies. The danger lies in the precedent that is set by tolerating these misleading and false claims. While it may seem innocuous in the context of treating headaches, the trust that consumers begin to build for the effectiveness of these homeopathic remedies becomes exploitable in other realms of healthcare where a placebo effect will not be enough to see recovery. No example highlights these risks more poignantly than the wave of homeopathic products currently claiming to protect individuals against the highly contagious and potentially fatal COVID-19 virus. While, few may buy the products, the claims made surrounding these products incipiently coalesces with the conspiratorial rhetoric against the current health advice. Thus, creating a space where through pseudo-science backing individuals believe they are within their rights to be non-compliant with the health advice. While this may seem to be speculative and inferential, the same pattern seen during this pandemic has played out several times in the past.

With an exemplar being the deplorable actions of Homeopathy Plus who falsified a homeopathic whooping cough vaccine. Whilst simultaneously spreading misinformation about the effectiveness of the genuine whooping cough vaccine that was available (13). These actions were found to be a breach of Australian Consumer Law and they were subsequently reprimanded. Despite the outcomes of this trial, the repetition of this behavior by the discipline in this current pandemic highlights the importance of discourse needed around homeopathy. As in the context of a pandemic particularly the false claims made may not only risk the lives of the individuals who take their products but also extend to many others around them.

In conclusion, the debate the value of homeopathy as a medical practice is intrinsically flawed, as if one wishes to practice homeopathy it would have to be through the rejection of not only scientific fact but the rejection of any ethical consideration. Due to the inability of the discipline to be shifted ethically to a placebo-based therapy framework, the only logical deduction would be to prevent use in any medical context or face the risk of it continually infiltrating aspects of medicine which may cause incomprehensible damage both directly to one’s health or indirectly on a societal level.

References

1. Sackett DL, editor Evidence-based medicine. Seminars in perinatology; 1997: Elsevier.
2. Relton C, Cooper K, Viksveen P, Fibert P, Thomas KJH. Prevalence of homeopathy use by the general population worldwide: a systematic review. 2017;106(2):69-78.
3. Health N, Council MR. NHMRC Information Paper: Evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy for treating health conditions: National Health and Medical Research Council; 2015.
4. Smeaton JJJoCMC, The. Homeopathy. 2002;1(3):38.
5. Milgrom LRJCMR. Under pressure: Homeopathy UK and its detractors. 2009;16(4):256-61.
6. Levy D, Gadd B, Kerridge I, Komesaroff PAJJoBI. A gentle ethical defence of homeopathy. 2015;12(2):203-9.
7. Djulbegovic B, Guyatt GHJTL. Progress in evidence-based medicine: a quarter century on. 2017;390(10092):415-23.
8. Smith KR. Why homeopathy is unethical. 2011;16(3):208-11.
9. Hahn RGJCMR. Homeopathy: meta-analyses of pooled clinical data. 2013;20(5):376-81.
10. Smith KJB. Against homeopathy–a utilitarian perspective. 2012;26(8):398-409.
11. Zawiła-Niedźwiecki J, Olender J. A Not-So-Gentle Refutation of the Defence of Homeopathy. J Bioeth Inq. 2016;13(1):21-5.
12. Coggon J, Miola JJTClj. Autonomy, liberty, and medical decision-making.2011;70(3):523.Word count: 1419 Student Number: u7088750
13. Sieverson D. Court imposes penalty for false or misleading claims by Homeopathy Plus and Ms Frances Sheffield. Australian Competition & Consumer Commision 2015.

As a healthcare professional, chiropractic medicine is a field that is often overlooked but holds immense potential for healing and improving quality of life. With a focus on non-invasive, holistic treatments, chiropractic medicine aligns with my personal philosophy of treating the whole person, not just their symptoms. In this essay, I will discuss my passion for chiropractic medicine, my relevant skills and qualifications, and the opportunities for growth and development within this field.

Passion for Helping Others

My passion for helping others has been a driving force in my life for as long as I can remember. From volunteering in my community to working with patients in healthcare settings, I have always found joy in making a positive impact on others’ lives. This passion for helping others has led me to pursue a career as a chiropractor.

As a chiropractor, I would have the opportunity to work directly with patients, diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions, and help patients manage pain and improve their overall function. I believe that chiropractic care offers a holistic approach to healthcare that aligns with my personal philosophy of helping others.

One experience that demonstrates my interest in helping others is my work as a nursing assistant in a hospital. In this role, I had the opportunity to work with patients and care for their needs, which solidified my desire to pursue a career in healthcare.

Relevant Skills and Qualifications

To be a successful chiropractor, one must possess a strong understanding of anatomy and physiology, manual dexterity, effective communication skills, and the ability to analyze and interpret medical data. A background in biology or healthcare can also be beneficial.

Aspiring chiropractors may gain relevant skills and qualifications through coursework in anatomy, physiology, and other healthcare-related subjects, as well as through internships or other work experience in a chiropractic clinic.

These experiences provide a foundation for understanding the body and its movements, as well as the ability to apply manual therapy techniques to alleviate pain and promote healing. Strong communication skills are also essential for effectively interacting with patients and understanding their concerns.

Opportunities for Growth and Development

As a chiropractor, there are numerous opportunities for growth and development. The field of chiropractic is constantly evolving, and practitioners must stay up-to-date with new techniques and research. Working as a chiropractor allows for the development of a wide range of skills, including manual dexterity, diagnostic abilities, and patient communication. Additionally, working in a chiropractic clinic provides exposure to various musculoskeletal conditions and the opportunity to collaborate with other healthcare professionals.

As the demand for alternative medicine continues to grow, there is a potential for career advancement and expansion into new areas of practice. Overall, pursuing a career as a chiropractor offers a path for both professional and personal growth.

Conclusion

Becoming a chiropractor is a career path that aligns with my passion for helping others and interest in healthcare. The skills and qualifications necessary for success in this field, such as knowledge of anatomy and experience in a chiropractic clinic, are areas that I have pursued through my education and previous work experience.;

The potential for growth and development as a chiropractor is also a factor that excites me, as there is always more to learn and opportunities to improve patient care. Overall, I am committed to pursuing a career as a chiropractor and am eager to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of others.

Chiropractic care is always advised after a car mishap because it may assist get the backbone back into the right alignment after whiplash. If you have just been involved in a car misfortune and experienced pain because of your injuries, receiving supervision from a chiropractor could be helpful to you. Chiropractic adjustments can assist you to recover from many car accident damages and bring you back to living a more comfortable, more pleasant life. What Injuries do Chiropractors Treat? Due to the solemnity of car accidents, passengers are often left with a wide range of damages following a crash. These could contain headaches. Deep bruising. Whiplash. Neck pain. Shoulder injuries. Back pain. Chest pain. Joint pain. Muscle pain. Strains.

Kinds of Car Accident Injuries:-

There are numerous kinds of car accident injuries:- Whiplash. Neck Wounds. Substituted bone fragments. Herniated discs. Soft-tissue injuries. Here are the advantages you could potentially obtain by seeing a chiropractor after a car mishap. Reduce inflammation:- Inflammation is a typical outcome of physical injury. A chiropractor acts on your backbone to realign the spinal cord. So your body may respond by cutting back on its inflammatory cytokine production and reducing pain. Inflammatory back pain shows in additional methods than mechanical back pain. If your back pain is due to inflammation, you will most probably feel the most discomfort when you first awake in the morning. Document Your Injuries:- If you were injured in a car accident and needed medical care and specialized treatment, an experienced chiropractor will appropriately document your accident-related injuries.

Delayed Signs:-

If you obtained emergency medical care right after your wreck, some signs don’t show up until much later. A chiropractor is prepared for precise detection. Minimize pain:- When you obtain chiropractic care after an accident, you can potentially minimize discomfort throughout your body. By spinal manipulations conducted by an expert chiropractor, your body naturally removes pain-relieving hormones. Restore range of motion:- When you are injured in misfortune your neck or back can lose flexibility. Failure of flexibility can be due to misalignment of the joints in the spine. Chiropractic care can correct the range of motion. Diminish scar tissue:- It is common for scar tissue to form after a car accident injury. When muscles are injured, the body tries to recover them through scar tissue. Scar tissue can induce long-term pain and stiffness. Experience non-invasive therapy:- Most people like to sidestep surgery after a car accident if possible. Chiropractic care is non-invasive and aligns the spine without surgical intervention.

Wounds are not Still Obvious:-

Broken bones or bruising will be easy wounds to spot after a car crash. However, other injuries are not always apparent. It could take hours or a few days to feel the signs of whiplash. The best method to deal with a whiplash injury is to catch it early on. Ignoring the potential injury can direct to long-term discomfort, which is why it is important to see a chiropractor immediately. Pain Comfort Without the Use of Drugs:- Many people affected by a car accident, will merely take pain relief pills because they think that will make them better. Chiropractic adjustment delivers pain relief without the help of drugs or addictive medications. Chiropractic adjustment also handles the injury at the source of the problem. Controlling Pain:- Even if you don’t feel the ache after an accident, you should visit a chiropractor to control future signs. The sudden shock of an accident could keep you from noticing a problem.

Many Benefits:-

Chiropractic adjustments aren’t just for back and neck issues. It can assist with leg or arm injuries, headaches, and more. Improves your Chances of Making a Successful Claim:- If you were hurt in a car accident that was caused by another person’s carelessness, visiting a chiropractor after your accident will improve your chance of obtaining the compensation that you deserve. When your accident injury is driven by someone else, it will be up to that individual’s insurance company to pay for your medical treatment. Obtaining chiropractic care after an auto misfortune is the best decision. You will not only get the pain relief treatment but can rest ensured that your medical bills will be taken care of. Chiropractors use a variety of tools and methods to realign individual vertebrae and reform joint flexibility. Advantages of spinal manipulation and other services delivered by doctors of chiropractic.

Final Thoughts:-

Chiropractic treatment after a car accident delivers complementary treatment to lessen pain, improve healing, and enhance long-term results. Chiropractors use natural therapies. Patients visiting a chiropractor after an accident injury experience pain relief, increased health, and a quicker return to their normal daily lives. Are you considering chiropractic care in your area? If yes then it is best suited to consult with the expert Denver chiropractors.

Cupping therapy is an ancient Chinese form of medicine that is still used to this day to cure many different conditions. Some people believe that anything practiced medically must be scientific, however that is not always correct. Whether cupping therapy is a science, or a pseudoscience, is not yet proven. Cupping has been depicted as a special therapeutic method, but the evidence provided is controversial. Causation and correlation are a major factor of the medical method which often gets confused and leads to the arrival of the conclusion ‘science’. The uses of cupping therapy will be explored and further criticized in depth to arrive at the conclusion of whether the correct title for the medicinal method is either science or pseudoscience.

Science allows people to observe, experiment, update our knowledge and learn It has many aspects and features, and that’s what makes it multifaceted. Science isn’t set in stone, so new theories and evidence can arise. As Albert Einstein once said: “The important thing is never to stop questioning” (Australian Academy of Science, 2017). Science is testable. So, for example, if an ‘idea’ is testable it should be able to have observations made that can logically support that idea and prove its truth. Conversely, a set of observations could be gathered that are logically unreasonable or inconsistent to prove that the ‘idea’ is in doubt false. In science, an idea requires a lot of reasoning to work out an appropriate test and it might require someone to make independently testable assumptions to test — but to be scientific, an idea must be testable, somehow, someway.

Science is multifaceted, which is why the term often gets misused. A pseudoscience is a branch of science that “consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that are claimed to be both scientific and factual, but are incompatible with the scientific method” (Wikipedia, 2019). Pseudoscience is generally the result of having information or research that is “based on faulty premises, a flawed experimental design or bad data” (Rouse, 2019).

The main differences between the two are that science explains and argues using data collected from experiments and scientific knowledge, whereas pseudoscience uses ignorance to prove it’s point and has little to no scientific evidence. Additionally, science tends to convince people through logical and scientific information, but pseudoscience preys on people’s emotions and tries to convince them through faith and distrust. To sum it all up, science continually tries to disconfirm its hypothesis in contrast to pseudoscience, which focuses on proving and confirming its truth without mentioning its flaws.

In science, experiments and observations are conducted to either confirm or disconfirm a hypothesis. While on the other hand, pseudoscience begins with a hypothesis and from there finds information to confirm that statement, and also doesn’t include any evidence that is contradicting. To verify or support a hypothesis in science, scientific knowledge and data/results collected from multiple experiments are included. Whereas, in pseudoscience there is minimal scientific evidence or results included in the explanation because experiments can’t be conducted due to the hypothesis having such broad claims. Lastly, pseudoscience uses anecdotal (personal stories or testimonies), which “isn’t useful for scientific knowledge, which requires reproducibility”, and “collecting a bunch of anecdotes isn’t the same thing as a carefully designed study, because without controlling for variables, you simply can’t determine cause-and-effect relationships” (Raff, 2013).

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of medicine. Its true origin is unknown as it has dated back to many different countries, however the earliest records of cupping can be located in Egypt at around 1550 B.C. People believe that the Chinese introduced the method due to their advance knowledge and uses of the therapy. In China, “it was applied using cattle horns or cross sections of bamboo. To create negative pressure inside the horn or bamboo” (Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences, 2018). The cattle horns “were used mostly to draw out pus and blood in the treatment of boils” (Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences, 2018). Originally cupping was used as a replacement for traditional Chinese surgery, but was later found to be useful for ‘treating other diseases’, and so was developed into a special therapeutic method. Due to the advancements and changes in the world cattle horns are no longer used, they are replaced with glass or plastic cups. It can be used as treatments for skin conditions like muscle weakness, eczema and boils, inflammatory conditions, emotional conditions, helps to improve high blood pressure and is also used in cosmetic purposes for weight-loss and removing/treating cellulite.

People such as celebrities and athletes are recommending cupping. It’s been labelled the ‘celebrity cupping craze’. Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham, Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and athletes such as Serena Williams and Michael Phelps are all sporting the ‘fresh cupping marks’ on their backs (Morgan Massage, 2019). The trainer of Michael Phelps said that cupping therapy has aided in reducing soreness and sped up the muscle healing process of overworked muscles. In comparison tennis champion Serena Williams said to the press: “It feels like a suction. It feels like an octopus, although I don’t know what an octopus feels like”. And Williams tried to explain to the press: “I think I snapped once a while back. It looks weird, the cupping. Yeah, I always do it, but I just did it for fun, so… But, yeah, so it just feels like it’s suctioning, and it just feels good” (Morgan Massage, 2019). While Michael Phelps trainer states that cupping is used as a treatment for muscles and helps to improve healing, Serena Williams says that she uses the ‘therapeutic method’ because it feels good and is fun. This is a clear example of contradiction, which causes skepticism to arise about whether cupping therapy is in fact a treatment or just an activity that people do because it feels good.

Like science and pseudoscience, causation and correlation are terms that are often confused and misused. Causation is the relationship between cause and effect whereas correlation is a relationship between two or more variables. However, seeing two variables moving together does not necessarily mean we know whether one variable causes the other to occur. This is why we commonly say ‘correlation does not imply causation’. A correlation might denote causality, but still does not signify that one variable is the cause of another. There are always explanations that can be made for this relationship, for example, it may be the result of random chance, where the variables appear to be related, but there is no true underlying relationship. And there may be a third, lurking variable that that makes the relationship appear stronger (or weaker) than it actually is.

Cupping therapists and cupping proponents are quick to jump to the conclusion that cupping causes the treatments of skin conditions, diseases and infection. Nonetheless, the relationship between the two variables is most likely a correlation rather than a causation. When people go to cupping practitioners to have cupping therapy, a massage is usually accompanied with the method. Often a massage occurs both before and after cupping therapy has taken place. Information gathered from scientists deduced that massage actually has a mechanism by which it provides relief. A study was conducted at McMaster University in Canada, which established that the mechanism caused by having a massage is actually proven to treat anxiety, stress, a variety of pains, injuries to muscles. It is scientifically upheld that massage significantly improves the healing of muscle because it reduces tissue inflammation and promotes cell growth (Dunning, 2013). Consequently, the results of cupping therapy are a correlation to both the benefits of a massage, and the apparent benefits that are still unknown of cupping therapy. Cupping practitioners are mixing the effects of a massage with the effects of cupping and are concluding that cupping is the cause of the medical benefits. Likewise, the source (Science Direct, 2019) state that having cupping therapy “with a healthy diet and psychotherapy, [will] cure or prevent disease completely”. Cupping therapists have clearly not completed their research properly, made assumptions, and definitely haven’t taken into consideration the quote ‘correlation does not imply causation’.

Cupping therapy is a pseudoscience. It’s a type of medical therapeutic method that claims to cure and treat many serious health conditions, however cupping “masquerades as a science in an attempt to claim a legitimacy which it would not otherwise be able to achieve on its own terms” (Lower, 2013). Proponents of cupping conclude that the benefits have a direct relationship with cupping. While they propose that it treats many medical conditions, the people who claim it works do not back up their claims with scientific evidence, rather their personal stories or testimonies to prove that the method effectively works. Cupping therapists are continuously trying to confirm the science behind cupping and are constantly trying to prove that the effects of cupping are real. However, a proper scientist would try to disconfirm cupping therapy and its medical effects by finding evidence that can disprove that cupping is a treatment for a variety of disease and conditions. Cupping is a clear example of people confusing the terms causation and correlation. Correlations of cupping might imply or significantly appear to be the cause, however, correlation does not imply causation. While cupping proclaims to be a medical method, that treats a multitude of conditions and diseases, its benefits aren’t directly related. Other medical methods can also be responsible for some of the benefits that cupping claim to have.

While cupping therapy does show some evidence of healing, it cannot take full responsibility for its benefits when it is completed in conjunction with other scientifically proven medical methods such as massage. It lacks scientific justification and cannot be properly verified without results gathered from experiments. Rather than cupping proponents implying and assuming relationships between cause and effect, it should base its hypothesis off of accurate reproducible data. Therefore, cupping therapy can be placed under the category of pseudoscience.