A discussion on alternative medicine always has people being on the extremes- they are either staunch supporters or aggressive naysayers. The only thing that’s common between those who agree and those who don’t is the fact that almost everyone has misunderstood it. This article attempts to explain the differences between alternative and conventional medicine.
The concept of alternative medicine as an ‘alternative’ is native only to those western minds that have not been introduced to any other field of medicine, except the one’s taught in medical schools. For more than 80% of the world’s population, this is not an alternative medicine, but a basic part of their health system. The term encompasses a wide array of systems that ranges from Ayurveda to Accupuncture and even Bee Sting Therapy.
But if you’re looking for some instant action, these systems aren’t the right choice. For trauma and emergency care, allopathic medicine is the right choice. If you’re looking to first get rid of the symptoms that occur due the illness, then it’s best that you choose from conventional therapy, because alternative medicines take time to heal. But the relief is long lasting; in fact permanent in some cases. The focus is to prevent the problem from occurring again.
When practitioners of alternative medicine prescribe a treatment, they do so by evaluating the patients’ needs and choose a treatment plan that ‘they’ think is correct as opposed to the strict ‘symptom-treatment’ rule of conventional physicians.
Also, don’t be surprised if you were to go for a headache and the practitioner were to examine your feet. This may come as a surprise for many who are accustomed to the conventional practitioner’s ‘organ specific’ treatment approach. The ancient Indian system of Ayurveda for instance believes in the balance of Pitha (represented by fire and water), Kapha(water and earth) and Vatta (air and ether). An imbalance in these three doshas causes problems in the body, the symptoms of which can be varied.
Alternative or conventional, at the end of the day what matters is the effectiveness of the treatment to help you cure your illness and prevent its recurrence. So long as it works without causing other side effects, nothing is alternative. The problem however arises when people try and sell voodoo and other mumbo jumbo as alternative medicine. There are some that try and sell concepts that are beyond the purview of their practice. A massage therapist claiming to cure back aches is one thing; his claim of curing polio is completely different.
Before you choose on a treatment plan, make sure you understand what you are using and decide if it will work for you.