Alternative medicine Vs conventional medicine

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Practices not generally recognized by the medical community as standard or conventional medical approaches and used instead of standard treatments are known as Alternative medicine.

Treatment systems like chiropractic, herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, and spiritual devotions and culturally based healing traditions like Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Christian Science come under the ambit of Alternative medicine.

Scientific community define alternative medicine as any treatment, the efficacy and safety of which has not been verified through peer reviewed controlled studies.

US. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine(NCCAM) defines complementary and alternative medicine as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine". Complementary medicine is used in conjunction with conventional medicine whereas alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine.

Alternative medicine and modern society.

In a study published in Medical Journal of Australia , Edzard Ernest found that about half the general population in developed countries use complimentary and alternative medicine. Similarly, a survey released by NCCAM in May 2004 found that in 2002, 36% of Americans used some form of alternative therapy in the past 12 months - a category that included yoga, meditation, herbal treatments and the Atkins diet. A telephonic survey conducted by BBC in 1998 found that around 20% of adults in Britain had used alternative medicine in the past 12 months. A lot of medical colleges have begun offering courses in alternative medicine

Difference between conventional and Alternative medicine

The difference starts from the definiton of health itself. Conventional medicine defines health as the absense of diseases. This is a negative definition. But alternative medicine defines it as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.

Bernie S. Siegel, M.D criticizes this approach of conventional medicine in his book "Love, Medicine and Miracles," "Despite the insights of some eminent doctors, medicine still focuses on disease, giving it a failure orientation. Its practitioners still act as though disease catches people, rather than understanding that people catch disease by becoming susceptible to the seeds of illness to which we are all constantly exposed. Although the best physicians have always known better, medicine as a whole has rarely studied the people who don't get sick. Most doctors seldom consider how a patient's attitude towards life shapes that life's quantity and quality."

Those who use conventional medicine seek treatment only when they are ill. They don't focus on preventive treatment. But alternative medicine focuses on preventive treatment. According to alternative medicine, health is a balance of body system-mental, emotional, and spiritual, as well as physical. It uses therapies to strengthen body's own defenses and restore balance.

One cannot feel the result of alternative medicine overnight. But it is a slow process. Result will not be at the expense of side effects. Alternative medicine recognizes human body's resistance. When diseases occur, it seeks the ways to strengthen this natural resistance.

Alternative treatment methods are very effective in treating both major and minor medical conditions. It empowers patients.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.