Traditional Medicine And Complementary And Alternative Medicine

The knowledge of massage spread to Japan, where Japanese monks developed a technique incorporating massage with pressure therapy, which was developed into Shiatsu. Moving onto India, the Hindu book AyurVeda (Art of life) was written, which described how massage could be incorporated with exercise, which can be dated back to 1800 BC. Most massage in India relates more to its sensual use rather than its physiological effect on the body.

The Chinese culture is rooted around the medical tradition that illness is a state of cacophony clashing with the natural and social environment. This tradition is called systematic correspondence and it sums up the Chinese medical model with a goal of reinstating harmony and balance. Solutions are to return patients to a previously healthy state using herbal medicine, moxibustion, acupuncture and massage therapy. Moxibustion uses dried plant leaves ignited and held close to the skin to bring about the flow of Qi. The terms caring and curing are used interchangeably and represent the unmistakable mandate that the person as a whole is to be cared for, not only the ailment.

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

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

Before we get into what exactly African Traditional Medicine is we have to talk about what exactly Traditional Medicine is in general. Traditional Medicine is often referred to as folk medicine or alternative medicine. Folk Medicine is one of the oldest and most traditional forms of a health care system in Africa and has been tested time and time again. This method is an ancient form of healing that humans have used to cope and deal with many diseases that have threatened human existence. Which explains why Traditional Medicine is so broad and diverse. Different cultures have developed different forms of homegrown healing methods which explains why there is no universally accepted definition to the term of Traditional Medicine (Traditional Medicine). “According to the World Health Organization, Traditional Medicine is “the sum total of the knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health, as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illnesses.” Traditional healer, on the other hand, is “a person who is recognized by the community where he or she lives as someone competent to provide health care by using plant, animal and mineral substances and other methods based on social, cultural and religious practices”” (Traditional Medicine).

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for over twenty-three centuries and is based on a very traditional belief of yin and yang, where everything is balanced. In this type of medicine it is believed that illnesses, injuries, pain, etc. are caused by an imbalance of some sort. For diagnoses the outer body reflects the inner body therefore Chinese medicine practitioners will look at certain parts of the outer body to find what is wrong in the inner body. Practitioners also take into consideration ones diet,

In addition, Huo Tuo developed traditional Chinese acupuncture that involves inserting very fine needles on specific parts of the body to relieve physical and emotional distress by triggering the body’s natural healing response (Ye et al., 2015). Finally, Hua Tuo developed Doa Yin Qigong exercises that focused on the holistic nature of the human body and the link to mind, body and the environment in achieving wellness. The exercises involve carefully crafted physical movement, regulated breathing and mental awareness with the aim of promoting the free flow of energy in the body (Ye et al., 2015). The use of acupuncture in medicine has also been used particularly in addressing pain in a number of conditions such as a variety of cancers. According to Wang and Litscher (2015) acupuncture is used to address symptoms particularly in regards to cancer as nausea, fatigue and vomiting. It is always important to respect patient’s choices of alternative care but as advocates our responsibility is to educate the patient that a treatment may not be covered by their medical insurance and can be very expensive for the patient. We want to prevent any additional economic distress added to their physical problems. “Holistic health care is an important foundational concept in nursing and medicine” (Conroy & Taggart, 2016). Chinese patients classify medication and food as “Yin/cold” or “Yang/hot”. Yin is the female, negative

The balancing of yin and yang is an integral and fundamental aspect of Chinese medicine as well. It believes that everything in the universe can be classified into yin or yang. When a person becomes ill, physically or mentally, Chinese medicine looks for imbalance of yin and yang within the person. After those are established they use treatments aimed at replenishing what is missing. If a practitioner diagnoses a yin deficiency, they will prescribe yin treatments to bring the body back into balance. This is a minimal explanation as this medical practice is highly complex and

The most powerful traditional asthma medications can be obtained easily turn out to be an alternative to modern medicine, or used alongside modern medicine. Although the current type of modern medicine or chemical drugs are often under-united to cure the disease, but without us realize it in our environment there are many other types of natural medicine or herbal medicines that can help you heal, alleviate or prevent you from various diseases, one of which included asthma or shortness of breath.

One important aspect of Chinese culture is Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM. Chinese medicine has been around for quite awhile, and is still around today. In the United States, we see it as acupuncture and massage. TCM is still widely popular in its home country where it is still practiced as it was a few centuries ago. Chinese medicine is evolving to our modern day times, but it is keeping close ties to its roots. Chinese medicine is also becoming more affluent in different parts of the globe. It is a major part of Chinese history and culture, and the people who participate in it do so with great respect. With Chinese medicine, there is great history, procedures, risks, and how it lives in the modern world.

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.

The practice of traditional medicine among the people of Nigeria in the Western region of Africa transcends the advent of Bio-Medicine and occupies a prominent position in the delivery of health care.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a collection of theories and practices that work together to restore harmony to the body. The two main ideas are a holistic view and treatment based on a differential diagnosis. To utilise those principles there are a number of theories to understand how the body functions so we can understand its pathology. Theories such as yin yang theory, five element theory, vital substance theory, and basic knowledge of qi are the basis for the treatments in TCM. Treatments including acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion,

Western medicine has four different areas: clinical, preventive, rehabilitation and general health care. Western and Chinese medicine each has its own strengths in clinical and preventive medicine. However, Chinese medicine has more advantages in rehabilitation and health care. Not all physicians will agree with the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM. Even though Chinese medicine is not effective for all illnesses and disease, Chinese medicine should be recognized more around the world because it focuses on holism, maintenance and low-cost therapeutic treatments which will be further discussed in this essay.

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