Quack Doctors

The second reason for standing with alternative medicine is that there are many choices such as, homeopathy and naturopath, which

Many traditional Native medicines and healing practices were discouraged with the advent of Western medicine, but now there is a movement to return to traditional ways (Zubek, 1994, p. 1924). Modern Western medicine treats the symptoms to cure a diseased state when the body is out of homeostasis. Native American healing traditions do this as well with herbs and plants suited to the purpose. These Native healing traditions also include sacred rituals, chants, and purification rites to help bring the spirit and mind of the afflicted back into balance. In effect, treating the whole person, not only the disease. A blending of these two healing practices could bring about better prognoses for today's patients. The purpose of this paper is

Throughout the years there have been two traditions within the practice of medicine. One is the 'art of healing ' which involves its own specialised brand of training. The art of healing is dependent on the prescriber 's foreknowledge and the clients’ viewpoint of the prosperous results. The 'Science of healing ' is based on scientific and technological ideas. This tradition results in a lower liability for practitioners regarding the showing of an original approach to medicine, however the results of this method are more calculable (Kayne 2002). It is believed that the tradition of the ‘art of healing’ is increasing in popularity. The World Health Organisation states ' 'that the terms ' 'complementary medicine ' ' or ' 'alternative medicine’ ' are used interchangeably with traditional medicine in some countries. They refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country 's own tradition and are not integrated into the dominant health care system” (World Health Organization 2000). This type of treatment, is commonly known as ‘Complementary and alternative medicine’ (CAM). The word complementary derives from the meaning ‘together with’ established practices and the word alternative refers to ‘in place’ of established practices. Some patients choose to participate in complementary therapies along with the medication prescribed by their general practitioner whilst others prefer complementary therapies as opposed to the medications

It could be considered that conventional medicine has indirectly contributed to the rise of complementary and alternative medicine. A broad definition of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is “a 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” (The World Health Organisation, n.d.). Expanding on this definition it is important to address the variable similarities of CAM modalities. CAM therapies across the various modalities have in common a shared, in varying degrees, holistic approach and subscribe to some form of vitality - a contrast from the science-based view point of conventional medicine prevalent in western society. In spite of CAM therapies empirical nature and efficacies, it is suggested that dissatisfaction of conventional medicine underpins the popularity it has garnered, thus, it will be examined further as to how and why. A further discussion will be made to related dangers of both alternative and science-based medicine; providing an opportunity to constructively educate the public on the differences between the two systems.

An increasing number of medical schools are now offering courses in alternative medicine for their students, and some hospitals already have alternative medicine departments. The availability of healers and doctors practicing holistic medicine has also increased in recent years, and more and more people are educating themselves in these new fields. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that between 65 and 80 percent of the world’s population (about 3 billion people) rely on traditional medicine as their primary form of health care.

The healthcare system has come under heavy criticism from experts from all over the world. According to Schroder, 44% of the population has no access to the healthcare system. (Schroder, 2003) There are many clinics which charge are free of cost or are charging lesser fees, but all of these are burdened and do not have the capability to meet the requirements. There are certain ethnic communities that are by enlarge poor who are of the opinion that they have been deliberately been left out of the healthcare system. These have led to the

It hasn’t changed that the average person doesn’t like to feel pain or be ill. The evolution of medicine from 1776 to 1938 in the United States depended on the knowledge of current diseases and treatment at that time. The major diseases during this time were pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal infections, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease.1 Ironically, much of those diseases still exist today. Over time, the world’s demand for drugs for any type of illness or disease drastically skyrocketed. Was the medicine really working or were people psyched into believing they had an illness? The diagnosis and treatment was incorrect many times, resulting in “shoulda, coulda, and wouldas” when dealing with diagnosis and medicine. Without a scientific basis, medical doctors, such as Benjamin Rush were ineffective with proper treatment, and quacks promoted strange treatments as to say: Yackedy Quack, Don’t Talk Back. By the end of the 20th Century, one could say American medicine was on the rise and researchers and physician were much more respected.

Nowadays, medicine is tested and approved before it hits the market. Back in the days a person would pass treatments through word of mouth and could seriously injure or make the disease worse. People in historical times would believe that illnesses involved certain spiritual, psychological and social aspects of a person. This was back in the time where there was no scientific evidence that traditional medicine could aid an affected person. Traditional medicine has been around much longer than modern medicine and they were an important part of recorded history. People back in the old days had to dispel and challenge folklore with scientific evidence. Doctors back in the old days had to not only find a way to dispel folklore, but also get ordinary people to listen to them and to help them believe in their practices. Without all of these people, medicine would be nowhere near as it is

In modern medicine, alternative therapies are poorly understood and studied. The preference for alternative therapies, and herbal medicine were indicated, and the fear of relinquishing information regarding these practices were almost paralyzing. It seemed as though they were ashamed to admit to cultural healing practices, and did not divulge information to practitioners regarding their usage. The cultural disconnect was present as alternative/complimentary medicines are valued as a culture, and “modern” practitioners cast judgment on their usage. This perceived stigma additionally limited the information shared by the cultural participants with modern medical treatments, potentially causing additional harm, as some herbals are potentially toxic.

In the world that we live in today, many people would find it difficult to imagine living in a world where medicine and treatment are not readily available. The replacement of religious explanations to medical and scientific explanations has become a means of social control. If a person is in pain, they can easily set up an appointment with a doctor and receive some sort of medical diagnosis. However, there are certain instances where a problem has not been medicalized, or recognized as a medical problem, and their issue will be dismissed completely. The movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest delves into the idea of medicalization and how it can be used for the good, or for the bad, in terms of the “sick role.” Medicalization in the

Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, Fellowship Director, Arizona Center For Integrative Medicine explains how we want to expose clinicians to a broader way of seeing the patient a deeper understanding of healing and a larger toolbox from which to choose for therapies. She talks about how if patients were treated with different procedures such as acupuncture or holistic healing, we as consumers would not have to pay out so much on treatment. Procedures such as these would actually benefit us because we would not need to see doctors nearly as much as we do now, because we would not be “treating” the diseases with chemicals (pharmaceutical drugs) which have many side effects. Also, the pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies would never let this happen because then they would be out of money because people would not have to see their doctors nearly as much in hence means that these “cattle runners” would not be making the money they are.

Indeed, “Social determinants are relevant to communicable and non-communicable disease alike”¹. The healthcare system work and is different among the countries and some parameters that help to maintain these inequalities are the poor control of major diseases which influenced directly on the life of expectancy. Second poverty which is linked to infectious diseases and third the poor conditions where people live and work which contribute to the mental, physical and violent deaths¹.

The vast majority of poor people are unable to afford any type of health care. “The United States is one of the few developed nations that does not provide universal health care” (Rank). Due to having low income and being forced to pay for other necessities, many poor people are living

Their social structure is built on a caste system or social stratification where people are categorized based on their socioeconomic status. There is an upper, middle, and lower class which are all subdivided into stratum. Gender also plays a part in social order and role expectations. The caste system can even go as far as interfering with the healthcare system. Those of lower socioeconomic status and/or women have the most difficulty getting their health needs met. India still has an ongoing issue of healthcare inequality. The National Center for Biotechnology Information says, “…there are marked variations in general hospitalization rates by gender, wealth, and urban-rural residence. Some of this variation may be due to differences in actual and perceived need and health seeking behavior; indeed, there is evidence of gender inequalities in untreated morbidity with the likely underreporting of illness among women.” There is low government spending, lack of insurance, and most bills are paid out-of-pocket. India has top quality healthcare facilities located in the cities, but with lack of transportation, people living in rural areas are unable to gain access.

Although "Alternative" or "Complementary" medicine has been kept on the fringes of the medical sciences in the past, it is becoming increasingly more popular, and more reputable. Alternative medicines are those medical systems which are not taught to or practiced by most conventional medical doctors. Alternative medicines seemingly have always existed, changing and conforming to the current climate of society. There seems to be an almost endless number of alternative medicines, each with their own method of gaining perfect health. Often people who are dissatisfied with conventional medicine turn to alternative medicine for their medical needs. Many similarities link the diverse extremities of alternative medicine.