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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 ] conventional medical practice. The term refers to alternatives to conventional medical/surgical treatment. Alternative medicine that has been accepted by some parts of |
'''Alternative medicine''' is a broad term for any method that seeks to prevent or ] ] through methods outside of the practices of mainstream ] conventional medical practice. The term refers to alternatives to conventional medical / surgical treatment. Alternative medicine that has been accepted by some parts of ] goes by the preferred term of complementary medicine, in order to highlight their desire to offer alternative treatment methods in order to complement, rather than replace, their allopathic practices. | ||
| It should be noted that the term alternative medicine itself implies that all these methods see themselves as alternatives to |
It should be noted that the term alternative medicine itself implies that all these methods see themselves as alternatives to ]. In fact some see themselves as promoting ], rather than treating disease, and refuse to be categorized within the allopathic framework. Alternative ] are said to heal people because they work with the body's innate ability to heal itself, called ]. While allopaths reject the power of nature to heal and believe that only their ] art prolongs life. Hence, allopathy is said to only treat people externally. | ||
| Allopaths 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 ] arguments. But, allopathy once strongly advocated the use of ]. In reality, allopathy which places great value upon clinical experience suffers from the same defect. Clinical experience is currently considered to have lower evidentiary value than published research studies about population evidence. But, the facts are that the correct application of population evidence to a specific patient requires a great deal of clinical experience. Eclectic branches of alternative medicine place greater value upon the clinical experience of the practitioner than on their science. This hardly seems to be a defect of alternative medicine, as experienced older successful conventional allopaths likewise are in greater demand by the consuming public and thereby command higher fees for their services. | |||
| ] (EBM) did not actually appear until the 1970s with the McMaster Medical School in Canada that used a clinical learning strategy that would eventually developed into Evidence-Based Medicine as we know it today. EBM further came into vogue in the 1980s at University of Harvard. But, the real boost to EBM and its formal acceptance by allopathy 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 allopaths relied upon the scientific method for their results. Prior to 1995, conventional allopathic practice was mostly about following tradition. After all, there would be no need for EBM to begin with, if allopathy indeed relied on 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 measurable results. Alternative medicine was yesterday's ], is today's complementary medicine, and will be tomorrow's new branch of ]. For example, ] developed in America at the turn of the twentieth century. It was originally attacked as ] by |
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 measurable results. Alternative medicine was yesterday's ], is today's complementary medicine, and will be tomorrow's new branch of ]. For example, ] developed in America at the turn of the twentieth century. It was originally attacked as ] by allopathy, but today is considered completely mainstream and just as scientific by the public. | ||
| Public interest in alternative medicine is significant. Since |
Public interest in alternative medicine is significant. Since ] is still in a relatively early stage of development and is not yet able to treat many diseases and injuries, some turn to alternative ]s in the hope that cures which cannot be found through conventional medicine might somehow be found with an alternative method of treatment. Others are coming from the new movement of ] where users of the health care system are viewed as consumers capable of deciding where they want to spend their own money. | ||
| Published health research is continually proving that some alternative |
Published health research is continually proving that some alternative methods are indeed effective. Many alternative medicine healers, do in fact believe in the ]. Many eclectic branches of alternative medicine explore scientifically valid alternatives to current medical treatments. Most commonly, a patient seeks alternative methods only after allopathic care has already been tried, but was found to be ineffective, too brutal, or allopaths were lacking in proper bedside manners. | ||
| The boundary lines between |
The boundary lines between ] and allopaths change over time. Methods considered alternative at one time may later be adopted by allopathy. Alternative methods of treatment that achieve scientific support and are offered by allopaths eventually will end up being claimed by allopathy as having been developed by them directly from pure science. | ||
| == |
==Branches of Alternative Medicine== | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
Revision as of 18:59, 30 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 conventional medical practice. The term refers to alternatives to conventional medical / surgical treatment. Alternative medicine that has been accepted by some parts of allopathy goes by the preferred term of complementary medicine, in order to highlight their desire to offer alternative treatment methods in order to complement, rather than replace, their allopathic practices.
It should be noted that the term alternative medicine itself implies that all these methods see themselves as alternatives to allopathy. In fact some see themselves as promoting wellness, rather than treating disease, and refuse to be categorized within the allopathic framework. Alternative healers are said to heal people because they work with the body's innate ability to heal itself, called vitalism. While allopaths reject the power of nature to heal and believe that only their Materia Medica art prolongs life. Hence, allopathy is said to only treat people externally.
Allopaths 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 mystical arguments. But, allopathy once strongly advocated the use of blood-letting. In reality, allopathy which places great value upon clinical experience suffers from the same defect. Clinical experience is currently considered to have lower evidentiary value than published research studies about population evidence. But, the facts are that the correct application of population evidence to a specific patient requires a great deal of clinical experience. Eclectic branches of alternative medicine place greater value upon the clinical experience of the practitioner than on their science. This hardly seems to be a defect of alternative medicine, as experienced older successful conventional allopaths likewise are in greater demand by the consuming public and thereby command higher fees for their services.
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 would eventually developed into Evidence-Based Medicine as we know it today. EBM further came into vogue in the 1980s at University of Harvard. But, the real boost to EBM and its formal acceptance by allopathy 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 allopaths relied upon the scientific method for their results. Prior to 1995, conventional allopathic practice was mostly about following tradition. After all, there would be no need for EBM to begin with, if allopathy indeed relied on 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 measurable 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 allopathy, but today is considered completely mainstream and just as scientific by the public.
Public interest in alternative medicine is significant. Since allopathy is still in a relatively early stage of development and is not yet able to treat many diseases and injuries, some turn to alternative healers in the hope that cures which cannot be found through conventional 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 deciding where they want to spend their own money.
Published health research is continually proving that some alternative methods are indeed effective. Many alternative medicine healers, do in fact believe in the scientific method. Many eclectic branches of alternative medicine explore scientifically valid alternatives to current medical treatments. Most commonly, a patient seeks alternative methods only after allopathic care has already been tried, but was found to be ineffective, too brutal, or allopaths were lacking in proper bedside manners.
The boundary lines between healers and allopaths change over time. Methods considered alternative at one time may later be adopted by allopathy. Alternative methods of treatment that achieve scientific support and are offered by allopaths eventually will end up being claimed by allopathy as having been developed by them directly from pure science.
Branches of Alternative Medicine
- Ayurveda
- Acupuncture
- Alexander Technique
- Aromatherapy
- Bach Flower Therapy
- Bowen Technique
- Chinese medicine
- Chinese Qigong
- Chiropractic
- Colon Hydrotherapy (Colonics)
- Healing Touch
- Herbal Therapy
- Homeopathy
- Magnetic healing
- Mind-Body medicine
- Natural Health
- Naturopathic Medicine
- Rebirthing-Breathwork
- Reiki
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