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Medicine and the need for Alternative Medicine, an exurb.
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The allopathic and holistic definitions of health differ greatly in regard to the diagnosis and treatment of illness. This difference is based on the different view of man, of the world, of life, and because of that of what health is.
Standard, conventional, orthodox, or also called allopathic medicine, defines health as the absence of disease. This definition is based on a negative. In contrast, natural, alternative, or holistic medicine has as definition of health that it is a state of complete physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being.
People who use conventional medicine usually do not seek treatment until they become ill; there is little emphasis on preventive treatment. The main causes of illness are considered to be pathogens-bacteria or viruses-or biochemical imbalances, and accidents. Drugs, surgery, and radiation are among the key tools for dealing with the problems.
Holistic medicine, in contrast, focuses on preventing illness and maintaining health. It views health as a balance of body systems - mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and social. It views illness and disease as imbalances of the mind and body, and the world around it. All aspects of a person are seen as interrelated -a state of wholeness called holism is searched for. Any disharmony is thought to stress the body and perhaps lead to sickness. To fight disease, alternative medicine uses a wide range of therapies to bolster the body's own defenses and restore balance. The best illustration of this approach is the fact that ancient Chinese doctors were paid only when their patients were healthy, not if they became ill.
Alternative medicine is any form of practice that is outside the realm of what is called "mainstream conventional modern medicine" in U.S. and most of the Western world. It covers a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies. Most of these treatments and health care practices are not taught at all or at least not widely in medical schools. It is any of the various systems of healing or treating disease in the list we have (as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing) click at the bottom of page to go back to list. It is worth noting that practitioners of some treatments and techniques (for example, hypnosis, acupuncture) often described as 'alternative' are, in fact, accepted by the mainstream in the U.S. and are not regarded as alternative by many in the mainstream in the U.S. Likewise in many of the European countries (example Belgium) Homeopathy is now excepted by mainstream. Scientific interest in herbal medicine in the United States has lagged behind than in the countries of Asia and W Europe; in Germany, for example, one third of graduating physicians have studied herbal medicine. In fact one can state that in most States in the U.S., as well as in most other countries it is a fact that as soon as government excepts a form of alternative Medicine one can be assured that many MD's dare to come out of the closet and OK it, any many even practice it. The often bitter conflict between the more extreme partisans on both sides does not reflect the reality of a modern health system. Also, the definition of what is and isn't 'alternative' constantly changes, generally as result of research. It is not a fixed category.
While with many natural thinkers alternative medicine is usually supposed to replace conventional treatments, the combination of alternative and conventional medicine is referred to as complimentary medicine The term Integrative medicine was invented by Andrew Weil, MD and is said to refer to "the best of both conventional and complementary medicine". A little confusing, but none less true, is that collectively all theses variations on alternative medicine are often referred to as complementary and alternative medicine also
See next page for actual description of alternative medicine and doctors click here
| Here follow two exurbs from Ronda Behnke, RN, BSN. ( I have included a link a the end of the 2 quotes). She surveyed 50 Physicians in a new hospital nearby her. The buzz word was that they were "sensitive to those who want natural care.... more informed, more aware" She however found out that even then the, "sample of physicians didn’t take the healing abilities of natural treatments seriously, and some outright condemned the use of them, as well as discouraged their patients from seeking natural care. A natural treatment was considered to be anything that they didn’t prescribe. When asked why they didn’t believe in natural treatments, the common reply was that they weren’t "scientifically proven to work". Many of the improvements in a person’s health through the use of natural supplements and other treatments were the result of either the placebo effect, or it was just a coincidence-they were about to heal anyway, so it happened now. The biggest concerns about their patient’s using natural care were that they would delay medical treatment by using natural methods, and that herbs were not proven to be safe. They saw the absence of symptoms as being "cured", and most physicians believed that most medications were a cure to a given disease or illness. Vitamins and minerals were the only "natural" products the surveyed physicians felt were warranted, but only in certain circumstances. Many believed we can get all the nutrients we need from our diets"........ Rhonda continues, "So where does that leave us today? The mind-set of the population surveyed was that they felt they could not tell their medical doctor that they used natural supplements or care, and also felt they could not tell their natural health practitioner about the medications they took. They were afraid. People are starting to return to nature, and to begin taking responsibility of their own health needs. Deep down, however, they still believe they need their medical doctor, so they don’t tell him the supplements they are taking, or that they see a chiropractor for fear of what their physician would say. These same people don’t tell their natural practitioner the medications they take because they need this access to natural treatments, and are also afraid of what the practitioner would say. Where does this leave the learning? How can people learn to take care of themselves when they are afraid of being shunned? In the surveys from the medical doctors, they admitted feeling their patients took supplements but do not tell them. In my personal experience, I have told my medical doctor about the herbs I took, and that I saw a chiropractor. The information was noted, the physicians told me their beliefs in the matter, and that was that. I was not sent away, nor was I ridiculed. The physicians knew little about the benefits of the herbs I was taking. However, one doctor began to study herbs because of the changes she saw in my health status through the use of herbs. Yes, physicians may not condone what you do, but they won’t push you out of their care either. And if they do, it may be time to find another medical doctor. Care of one’s health is the responsibility of the person, not of their physician. Another important reason to inform all your practitioners about the drugs and natural treatments you are engaged in is for safety. As mentioned earlier, most drugs are derived from herbs. There are some herbs and drugs that do not mix well, and some that are deadly. Pharmacists know much about drugs, and are beginning to learn more about herbs. There are also many books now available about herb-drug interactions. Still, the best person to consult is someone who knows both drugs and herbs. When one considers the safety of herbs vs. drugs, we have to ask-how safe are drugs? Anyone taking a medication knows about side effects. Some side effects are very obvious. For example, ibuprofen may lead to stomach upset and ulcers. But what about the unseen effects, such as liver and kidney damage? The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) estimates that 140,000 people in the United States die each year due to drug reactions, and about 28% of hospitalizations were the result of drug-related problems (Mindell & Hopkins, 1999, p. 3-4). The FDA releases new drugs to the market every year; and many are removed from the shelves due to too many complications or fatalities. How many drugs have caused birth defects, premature deaths, and irreversible changes to one’s health? How many prescriptions does a person take to stop the side effects of a drug they are already taking? When working at the nursing home, I was introduced to what I call the "snowball effect" of medicine. A patient took a medication for arthritis. A side effect of that medication was upset stomach, so she was prescribed another medication for this. But this new medication caused her to have constipation, so a stool softener was added to her daily medication regimen. On occasion, she had boughs of loose stools due to taking a stool softener, so she had available a medication to stop the loose stools. The "snowball effect". I often wondered what types of unseen problems all these medications did to her body." Link to Rhonda's page; It should be noted that America is the only country that uses almost exclusively synthetic medicines for the treatment of illnesses. It should also be noted that, America ranks only the 24th in longevity, according to the findings from WHO released June 4, 2000(contrary to what many MD's would have you believe, with statements like: "America has the best healthcare system"). Of course the Medical community tries to blame it on pollution and a high suicide rate. But just remember that even if you could blame it mostly on these, that many suicides are, directly or indirectly related to the taking of medication. And that It is the same pharmaceuticals owners that are polluting the air, ground and water. So lets get back to more natural Health. |
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