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| '''Alternative medicine''' is a broad term for any method that seeks to prevent or heal ] through methods outside of the practices of mainstream "]" medical practice. The term refers to ''alternatives'' to western medical/surgical treatment. Those who make use of both alternative and mainstream ] often prefer the term '''complementary medicine''', in order to highlight the desire to use alternative practices in order to complement, rather than replace, mainstream medical practice. | '''Alternative medicine''' is a broad term for any method that seeks to prevent or heal ] through methods outside of the practices of mainstream "]" medical practice. The term refers to ''alternatives'' to western medical/surgical treatment. Those who make use of both alternative and mainstream ] often prefer the term '''complementary medicine''', in order to highlight the desire to use alternative practices in order to complement, rather than replace, mainstream medical practice. | ||
| In ], the alternative medicine system from India, the idea is to use the mind-body connection to improve one's immune system and, consequently, one's health. Ayurveda may thus be seen to offer something in addition to symptomatic treatment of disease. | In ], the alternative medicine system from India, the idea is to use the mind-body connection to improve one's immune system and, consequently, one's health. Ayurveda may thus be seen to offer something in addition to symptomatic treatment of disease. | ||
| It should be noted that the term "alternative medicine" itself implies that all these methods see themselves as alternatives to conventional medicine. In fact some see themselves as promoting ], not as healing disease, and refuse to be categorized within another system's framework. Alternative practitioners are said to heal people because they work with the body's innate ability to heal itself, called ]. While physicians reject the power of nature to heal and believe that only their ] art prolongs life. Hence, Western medicine is said to only treat people externally. | It should be noted that the term "alternative medicine" itself implies that all these methods see themselves as alternatives to conventional medicine. In fact some see themselves as promoting ], not as healing disease, and refuse to be categorized within another system's framework. Alternative practitioners are said to heal people because they work with the body's innate ability to heal itself, called ]. While physicians reject the power of nature to heal and believe that only their ] art prolongs life. Hence, Western medicine is said to only treat people externally. | ||
| Practitioners of mainstream Western medicine try to give the impression that they rely on the ] for results. They try to point out that it is impossible to make and interpret claims based upon testimonials, ] and religious arguments. But, traditional medicine which places great value on clinical experience suffers from the same defect. | Practitioners of mainstream Western medicine try to give the impression that they rely on the ] for results. They try to point out that it is impossible to make and interpret claims based upon testimonials, ] and religious arguments. But, traditional medicine which places great value on clinical experience suffers from the same defect. | ||
Revision as of 06:42, 28 November 2003
Alternative medicine is a broad term for any method that seeks to prevent or heal disease through methods outside of the practices of mainstream "Western" medical practice. The term refers to alternatives to western medical/surgical treatment. Those who make use of both alternative and mainstream medicine often prefer the term complementary medicine, in order to highlight the desire to use alternative practices in order to complement, rather than replace, mainstream medical practice.
In Ayurveda, the alternative medicine system from India, the idea is to use the mind-body connection to improve one's immune system and, consequently, one's health. Ayurveda may thus be seen to offer something in addition to symptomatic treatment of disease.
It should be noted that the term "alternative medicine" itself implies that all these methods see themselves as alternatives to conventional medicine. In fact some see themselves as promoting wellness, not as healing disease, and refuse to be categorized within another system's framework. Alternative practitioners are said to heal people because they work with the body's innate ability to heal itself, called vitalism. While physicians reject the power of nature to heal and believe that only their Materia Medica art prolongs life. Hence, Western medicine is said to only treat people externally.
Practitioners of mainstream Western medicine try to give the impression that they rely on the scientific method for results. They try to point out that it is impossible to make and interpret claims based upon testimonials, hearsay and religious arguments. But, traditional medicine which places great value on clinical experience suffers from the same defect.
Evidence-based medicine (EBM) did not actually appear until the 1970s with the McMaster Medical School in Canada that used a clinical learning strategy that eventually developed into Evidence-Based Medicine. EBM further came into vogue in the 1980s at University of Harvard. But, the real boost to EBM and its formal acceptance by conventional medicine did not come until 1995 when the Center for Evidence-based Medicine at Oxford, UK was first established. So, prior to 1995 it cannot be truly claimed that conventional medicine relies upon the scientific method for results.
As previously stated alternative medicine is simply about using an alternative method of treatment. There is nothing innately anti-scientific or anti-intellectual about using some method of treatment other than medicine or surgery to achieve results. Alternative medicine was yesterday's quackery, is today's complementary medicine, and will be tomorrow's new branch of medicine. For example, Osteopathy developed in America at the turn of the twentieth century. It was originally attacked as quackery by conventional medicine, but today is considered completely mainstream and just as scientific as Western medicine is.
Public interest in alternative medicine is significant. Since traditional medicine is still in a relatively early stage of development and is not yet able to treat many diseases and injuries, some turn to alternative medicine in the hope that cures which can't be found through traditional medicine might somehow be found with an alternative method of treatment. Others are coming from the new movement of patient empowerment where users of the health care system are viewed as consumers capable of desiding where they want to spend their money.
Published health research is continually proving that some alternative treatments are indeed effective. Most commonly a patient seeks alternative treatment after conventional medical care has already been tried, but was found to be ineffective or too brutal.
Many practitioners of alternative medicine, do believe in the scientific method. They explore scientifically valid alternatives to current medical treatments. This is true for those who advocate herbal remedies, for example, or those who emphasize improving bodily health over the use of powerful medication.
Sometimes, the boundary line between alternative and mainstream medicine changes over time. Some of the methods considered alternative at one time may later be adopted by western medicine. Other methods may never achieve any scientific support and are thus rejected as useless by the mainstream medical practitioners.
See also: Ayurveda -- Acupuncture -- Alexander Technique -- Aromatherapy -- Bach Flower Therapy -- Bowen Technique -- Chinese medicine -- Chinese Qigong -- Magnetic healing -- Natural Health
- Mind-Body medicine
- Chiropractic (controversial: many chiropractors consider themselves part of mainstream scientific medicine. Medical doctors do not share this view.)
- Healing Touch -- Herbal Therapy -- Homeopathy -- Naturopathic Medicine -- Rebirthing-Breathwork -- Reiki -- Blood letting
References
- Planer, Felix E. 1988 Superstition Revised ed. Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books
- Hand, Wayland D. 1980 Folk Magical Medicine and Symbolism in the West in Magical Medicine Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 305-319.
- Phillips Stevens Jr. Nov./Dec. 2001 Magical Thinking in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Skeptical Inquier Magazine, Nov.Dec/2001