The World Health Organization has defined three types of health systems to describe the degree to which traditional medicine/complementary and alternative medicine is an officially recognized element of health care. "In an integrative system, TM/CAM [traditional medicine/complementary and alternative medicine] is officially recognized and incorporated into all areas of health care provision.... An inclusive system recognizes TM/CAM, but has not yet fully integrated it into all aspects of health care, be this health care delivery, education and training, or regulation.... With a tolerant system, the national health care system is based entirely on allopathic medicine, but some TM/CAM practices are tolerated by law." …show more content…
While Western medicine has a strong scientific basis, Traditional Chinese Medicine developed gradually through China’s long history, and is very strongly influenced by Taoist beliefs. For example, in TCM there are twelve major organs, six “yin” and six “yang”. Each of these organs are then associated with one of the Five Elements, water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. For a Chinese medicinal practitioner, a disease would be caused by an imbalance of these twelve organs, and would say something like, “too much Fire in the Lungs” as a problem of imbalance. Straightforward interactions between doctor and patient would thus be more common in TCM in order to identify where the imbalance arose through life choices and the environment. The doctor is not limited to treating only physical illnesses, but also illnesses of the mind. The symptoms and differentiating the issue would arise during this step of communication with the patient, which is bolstered by examining the patient’s qi. A fundamental of TCM is “qi”, which includes Yin and Yang, as qi is believed to be spiritual energy and is a part of all movement, such like “the flow of the cosmos” (Kaptchuk). Qi itself can be divided into many different categories, with Meridian qi being the most important for medicine. TCM views the body as a collective whole where “qi” flows through body, with an imbalance of qi leading to the disease in question. The more fixed or chronic the condition, the more
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.
When caring for Taoist’s patients, the most important thing to remember is their need to restore balance. For them, this may not be achieved through traditional medical practice; however, this does not mean that we should do nothing. Taoists do not believe in artificial or arbitrary healing. Healing must be natural and spontaneous (Tai, 2009). If we try to force medical treatments on them, it may in turn do more harm than good and cause great suffering. Taoists see artificial treatment as a source of evil; however, if the treatment follows the flow of Tao, it is regarded as natural and therefore allowed (Tai, 2009). For example, if a Taoist patient is in need of mechanical ventilation to sustain life, it is no longer natural. The only way to natural care for that patient, without disrupting the Tao, is to provide palliative care and ultimately let the
CAMS are divided into five different categories: biological, manipulative-body, mind-body, energy, and alternative medicine. For example, dance therapy would fall under the manipulative-body based interventions, while mind-body interventions encompass alternatives like poetry, art, or music, and yoga would be an example of mind-body interventions and manipulative-body. Participants in music therapy have reported improved quality of life, and yoga therapy has been shown to lead individuals towards motivation to health improvement. As well, dance therapy has been proven to improve body image, coordination, body awareness, depression, anxiety, and stress relief; as well, sexual abuse survivors have used dance therapy to reconnect with their body by coping and processing, as well as give them a sense of freedom from their trauma (Complementary and Integrative, n.d.).
Australians have embraced the use of complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) with two out of three individuals in Australia accessing such services yearly (The National Institute of Complementary Medicine, 2010). CAMs are treatments that lie outside of typical mainstream medicine such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and western massage therapy. The general population commonly uses these services to assist in relieving pain caused by chronic illnesses (Manya, Champion, & Dunning, 2012; Okoro, Zhao, Li, & Balluz, 2013) or other medical ailments (Gottschling et al., 2013; Nissen, Lunde, Pedersen, & Johannessen, 2014). However, due to the lack of rigorous scientific testing on CAMs, many medical professionals are hesitant to suggest their use
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,
Thirdly, the treatment of Chinese medicine and Western medicine is different. Chinese medicine is based on the overall concept and dialectical diagnosis and treatment as the basic characteristics, while Western medicine is to clear the local lesions for the purpose. Chinese medicine believes that the human body is an organic whole, the organs, tissues and organs are physically interrelated, interactively in pathology, interact in pharmacology, so only a disease caused by all diseases, and no disease caused by a disease of the theoretical roots. So it is clear that their treatment is not the
A block or disruption of energy flow is what is believed to create illnesses. This exemplifies a strong belief in the abilities of wholesome nature. Unlike western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine is not based on chemistry. It is very simplistic, focused on the power of the body’s innate energy. To utilize the power of chi, one has to find the balance within their body and become centered with their own energy.
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.
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
In the early 1900’s antibiotic medications appeared thus decreasing the use of complementary and alternative therapies, however their popularity was regained in the 1970’s (Kramlich, 2014). The use of complementary and alternative therapies is an increasing trend that individuals seek out if they need relief from other medical approaches, if they feel they are missing something from Canada’s health care system, to increase over health and to prevent further illness. These therapies are a trend that has increased in the last two decades in Canada (Miller, 2001). A cross-sectional study was conducted by a Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) nationally, directing 400,055 Canadian’s ages thirteen and older in 2001 to 2007 to participate. The CCHS established that around 12% of Canadians used some form of complementary or alternative therapy aid in the past 12 months (Metcalfe et al, 2001). Debra Kramlich wrote an article titled “Introduction to Complementary, Alternative and Traditional Therapies” (2001) and compared statistics across numerous studies that were performed on complementary and alternative therapies. One study showed the rates of disclosure by individuals using complementary and alternative therapies. Two-thirds reported that they did not disclose their use of these therapies to their physicians. A cross-sectional survey discussed the increasing lack of disclosure rates in pregnant women that went from 1% in 2006 to 50% in 2013. A systematic review was briefly
TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, can be traced as far back as 1000 BC, where stone acupuncture needles were believed to be used. Texts from that period also talked of Yin and Yang and other concepts. The first written work on TCM is titled the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, Huangdi Newijing (Gascoigne 11). This book was written in 300 BC, but entries date back to the early 2700’s BC. The book is still used in universities of Chinese Medicine around the world and is often called the bible of TCM. Today, TCM is still thriving in China and all of Asia. In recent years, information on TCM has become available to people in the United States. The United States has several schools of TCM, and it is now much easier to buy the necessary
In the United States alone, the Nation Alliance on Mental Illness stated that 16 million adults deal with depression each year (“Mental”). Depression is a common mental health disorder that people can acquire in today’s society. There are many forms of depression that exist ranging from mild to very severe. Some of those forms include major depression, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum depression, psychotic depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. Many individuals with depression try to treat their illness by relying on antidepressants. Antidepressants are a popular form of treatment of depression because they can be easily obtained and require little effort from the person using them. However, there are many other natural,
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.
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