Alternative medicine: overview

A history of medicine

2000 BC AD "here, eats this root."

1000 A.D."that root is heathen. Say this prayer. »

1850 A.D. "that prayer is superstition. Drink this potion."

1940 A.D. "this potion is snake oil. Swallow this pill."

1985 A.D. "This pill is ineffective. Take this antibiotics. »

2000 A.D.' this antibiotics work liked. Eat here, this root.

-Author unknown

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) defines complementary medicine and alternative as a collection of methods of health care and considered treatment as distinct from those used in conventional medicine. If used in place of conventional medicine. Therapy is called 'alternative medicine '. If used with conventional medicine, therapy is regarded as 'complementary medicine '. NCCAM has divided the CAM in five distinct areas: alternative medical systems, mind-body interventions, biological basis of energy therapies and therapies, the manipulative and body-based methods. Historically, there has been a struggle to define and make acceptor CAM, in particular in the medical field.

Meditating Hindu

For thousands of years, ancient cultures have used therapeutic treatments that are considered "alternative" by today's standards. For example, Egyptians, Romans and ancient Greeks used massage for the cure of disease. Similarly, Hindu practitioners have used meditation for healing for thousands of years. Alternative medicine in America has its roots in the early 1800s. This period saw the dramatic rise of alternative medicine, including mesmerism, homeopathy, hydropathy, physiotherapy and medicinal plants. During this period, alternative medicine is often called 'restructuring' medicine because it was very different from 'regular' medicine who conducted doctors. Illusion of practitioners focused on prevention, listen to patients instead of focusing on the disease and prescribed conventional drugs. This differs considerably from the practices of physicians trained in officially, which tended to focus on the disease and prescribe drugs to correct the disease.

Because of the marked difference in their philosophies, "irregular" doctors he their medical practices in the United States as an alternative to the established medicine. This establishment has taken several forms, including the publication of magazines, to promote their views. For example, in 1834, Samuel Thomson developed a practice of healing herbal called Thomsonian medicine and published The Botanical Thomsonian Watchman to publicize. Practitioners of alternative medicine have also established schools for their new healers old techniques in. In the 1820s, immigrant German Constantin Hering popularized homeopathy in America and in 1835, has created the North American Academy of homeopathic healing art. In 1892, Andrew Taylor Still developed osteopathy and one opened the American School d 'osteopathy in which students could get a doctor's diploma d' osteopathy. Promoters can also underline the weakness of many alternative treatments. L ' homeopathy became popular in America because C ' was cheaper than regular medical treatment; medications also had tasted best. Another alternative medicine, hydropathy or water-cure, was also an inexpensive treatment for healing. With this practice, patients drank water the coldest possible, took cold baths and were wrapped in wet sheets.

Acupuncture

The years 1900, 'ordinary' doctors sought to limit the influence of other practitioners in the healing field. Doctors regular leaflet two major concerns about alternative medicine. First, they felt that it was quackery. Located, they were concerned with the rise in popularity of medicines affecting the legitimacy and authority of conventional medicine. A way they reached limiting the influence of alternative medicine was for a medical license by L 'l broker' medical education, except primarily of healers to practice alternative medicine. In 1910, a reform effort was underway to reform everything medical, pts (Orthodox) and irregular (complementary) medicine faculties. This reform began with the Flexner report, a research paper that analyzed the quality of medical training in the United States and Canada. It considers that the orthodox medical schools were unable to educate students orthodox medicine, fr and that the curricula of the faculties of alternative medicine has been dubious at best.

In response to the Flexner report, orthodox medical schools have increased their requirements and many non-Orthodox medicine faculties were cellar. Adding to the difficulties encountered by non-traditional healers, in the 1920s Orthodox doctors made campaign successfully for a new law, the law on basic science, which required any practitioner, Orthodox and heterodox, to submit to a review of anatomy and physiology. In response to this new law, alternative medicine schools have increased the level of education. Since the 1950s, the Association American healing began to approve the programs of study offered in some alternative medicine faculties. In the 1960s, same osteopathic medical schools received state funds, often making alongside the faculties of medicine in major universities and a summer reimbursed under the sickness insurance scheme.

Echinacea

In the 1960s, the struggle for the acceptor to cam practitioners has waned. This was partly due to the fact that President Richard Nixon has warned that the country was facing a crisis of medical care in 1969. Among the complaints about care medical Orthodox at the time were the increased costs, decreased perception of quality of care, and of the political wrangling over national health insurance plans. Dissatisfaction gave birth to the holistic philosophy, in which he put an emphasis on treating the patient as a whole and not just the disease. By the mid-1970s, have been implemented holistic health that combines orthodox medicine alternative medicine. In the 1980s, the popularity of alternative medicine in a Meissnerianis air. Homeopathic medicines have been sold at conventional pharmacies.

Help of the holistic movement and after a century and a half of efforts at legitimacy, complementary and alternative medicine are increasingly becoming more accepted by traditional medicine. The orthodox medical system admitted in the 1990s that many complementary medicines were effective. In fact, in some cases they may even be preferable to conventional drugs owing to their side effects lack. These conclusions come partly from research conducted by researchers on the effectiveness of complementary medicine. Due to these studies, the medical community has begun to embrace the idea of complementary medicine, using complementary therapies to complement the exercise of orthodox medicine. This approach got a place for unconventional treatments in modern conventional medicine and their significance is likely to grow.

Other References

Helms, Jennifer E. "a new frontier for nursing education? Journal of Nursing Education, 45, 3 (2006): 117-123. ; Johnston, Robert D. The politics of healing: a history of the Alternative Medicine in 20th century North America. New York: Routledge, 2003; Spencer, John w. and Joseph J. Jacobs. Complementary and alternative medicine: an evidence-based approach. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, 2003; Whorton, James C. Nature juxtaposed: the history of American Alternative Medicine. Oxford University Press: New York, 2002.