Several treatment methods have been used by humans for cure diseases over the centuries. Two of the treatment methods are traditional medicine and modern medicine. In fact, these two types of treatment methods share the same objective from different approaches. Traditional medicine can be defined as health practices based on the use of plants, plants extracts and animals. It is a theory with a non-scientific approach used to treat illness in the contrary of modern medicine which is a health practices based on the use of pharmaceutical drugs. It is a scientific approach used to diagnose, prevent and treat illness. Although traditional and modern medicine are similar in some ways, the differ in cost, side effects and availability.
Traditional and modern medicine share the same curative objective which implies that they have similarities from a general point of view. Both medicine is using plants extracts but in different aspects. Though traditional medicine is based on the use of plants and herbs, modern medicine uses many herbs and plant derivative based on biological and chemical aspect as well. Many common drugs are derived from plant-based sources directly or indirectly. Moreover, traditional and modern medicine have both side effects. They could be harmful or ineffective for a human body if the dosage is not well calculated, in this case we run the risk of over or under dose. Also, many side effects can occur from the interaction of both medicine. Traditional and
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
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.
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.
From the dawn of time healing has been influenced by many different issues, such as religion, politics of the time, different philosophies, and vested interest such as money. There had been conflicts between Eastern and Western medicine for a long time. Eastern medicine is viewed by many people in the West as having no validity and makes little sense to those who view the body in parts and pieces. Eastern medicine has long viewed the body as mind, body and spirit as one entity. To understand the ideas of each Eastern and Western medicine its history has to be taken into consideration
Today we have alternative medicine which was developed thousands of years ago and have a long-standing historical value of effectiveness, advantages, and some drawbacks. Diagnosis was the first approach to any illness. Alternative medicine looks at the factors of equilibrium and the environment in which one lives and the disease is considered an imbalance between the two; cleansing the whole body than on a particular problem to get the balance back in sync. Very much the description of the Buddhist and the Greek cultures of medicine and healing the
For example, herbalist claim that moxibustion is a great solution for poor circulation. Another example is milk thistle seed extract. Milk thistle seed extract benefits include liver support and gallbladder support. The Université of Montréal in Quebec assessed that milk thistle extract has great protective potential in liver transplantation injury. These are two noted examples that have become popular around the world and cited by many patients as legitimate treatment for their
Roman medicine can be viewed as primitive according to today’s standards, however physicians during this time did contribute to the field. Rome also had similar issues that occurs in modern day society, such as physicians conjuring up magical remedies in profiteering scams. Back then one could purchase a cure for digestive problems that consisted of grounded up horse heals, whereas today people in society will purchase natural brain boosters with the intention of ascending to geniuses through a magic pill. This essay will compare and contrast the issues with medical access, the moral code, and pain management for surgery between Roman and modern medicine.
Although alternative healing methods have been historically practiced longer than biomedicine, the culture of biomedicine has in the past few centuries worked to assert itself as a more legitimate form of healing. These claims in part come from the assertion that science has proven the legitimacy and effectiveness of biomedicine and the same cannot be said for alternative healing methods. These differences in healing relate to the fact that they have different views of what causes illness. Additionally the two ideologies often cannot coexist with each other which only leads to more disagreement. The differences between the culture of biomedicine and alternative healing methods stem from different understandings of where illness comes from and therefore how it can be healed. In this day and age, a culture of compromise and understanding from both sides, biomedical and traditional, is necessary for effective treatments.
Health is a field of science that is constantly changing, whether it’s referring to what we believe to be healthy or what we do to improve our own health. The way we treat illnesses is a good example to show how health has changed throughout history. Traditional medical practices did not rely on the advanced technology that our practices rely on today. Traditional medicinal practices relied on herbalism, or the use of herbs that were found in the nearby area. Herbs were used to make products that were used to cure illnesses or for therapeutic purposes. According to a 2007 survey, the use of herbal medicines is still seen today in about forty
Herbal medicine has been used for many, many years and is a great natural alternative to modern medicine.
The complex structure and foreign nature of Tibetan medicine makes it difficult to relate its practices to Western medicine, making it difficult to determine the clinical efficacy of Eastern medical practice. Several clinical analysis studies have recently been performed in order to determine the efficacy of the “holistic” practices of Eastern cultures. Whether the studies show Eastern or Western practices to be more effective, I believe that the most effective treatment should be a combination of both practices.
Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, is one of the oldest systems of medicine to exist among humans, and it is extremely prominent to this day. According to legend, the system has been in use since the third millennium BCE. The views of such an old system differ greatly from those found in modern western medicine. Perhaps most prominent is the fact that TCM focuses more on the patient than the illness. The system considers the human to be a microcosm of the universe, implying that the body is affected by the traditional Taoist forces of yin and yang, the five elements, and Qi in the same way the cosmos are. Each of these forces act upon the “zang fu,” or organ system, directly influencing a patient’s health. Healers use qigong to assist in the restoration of stability in the body. Achieving balance, both internally and externally, is the most important aspect of healing in TCM.
Traditional medicine, also known as conventional medicine, relies on scientific principles, contemporary technologies as well as scientifically proved methodologies for purposes of preventing, diagnosing, and treating adverse medical conditions (Treweek &Heller, 2006). Health care professionals within conventional medicine believe that diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses
Herbalism or phytotherapy has many definitions but in essence is the interaction between humans and the plant kingdom (Hoffmann, 2003). Herbalism is based on three principles: 1. The correlation of the herb to the disease or disease picture, 2. The harmony the herb has to an organ system, and 3. The ability of the herb to assist healing in the body (Wood, 2018). Herbalism contains many different branches of which there is Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan and Ayurvedic branches, and is used to treat a wide variety of symptoms. Herbalists make their medication from plants and are dispensed in many
Modern medicine and healthcare system have categorized herbal medicine as a natural remedy used when people can’t afford to purchase conventional drugs. They are perceived inferior because they cost less but the health benefits are endless. However, there have been various situations and instances that prove that herbal medicine is good for health.