Western and alternative medicine approaches are both related to each other however, have been separated for decades. Imagine a set of twins being separated at birth. The two were meant to go hand in hand with each other; however society has separated them for profitable gains. Western medicine typically uses lifestyle changes, counseling, medication, physical therapy or surgery to help prevent and treat disease (Goodman, 2010). The alternative approach uses aromatherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga, hypnosis, homeopathy, meditation, chiropractic and exercise.
Western medicine provides healing for intense medical problems and certainly does save lives. Alternative medicine offers several approaches and therapies that promote health and teach an individual to get to know their body in which helps an individual stay healthy and prevent illness from taking over. Points to consider Western medicine is known to save lives especially when an organ transplant is needed, a blood transfusion is required, and a patient is suffering from heart failure.
The question that we must ask ourselves is “Could this person in need of these services and surgical procedures prevented the need for these intense measures if they would’ve incorporated alternative approaches to their lifestyle? ” Alternative medicine can help an individual relax the mind, educate the patient on mind and body connections, and also provide relief for some chronic ailments with or without the use of pharmaceutical medications that are packaged with side effects.
Studies indicate that individuals who utilize alternative medicine approaches become more aware and conscious of their health over individuals who seek only the care of a general practitioner of Western medicine (Furnham and Forey, 1994). Western medicine has a good side as well. Because of Western medicine technology, blood pressures can be checked, the rhythms of the heart and blood flow can be monitored, surgery techniques can save lives, and vaccinations can be administered in times when no other cure or prevention is available.
The downside to Western medicine, proven accurate through studies, indicates that patients switch from general practitioners to Holistic practitioners because they feel dissatisfaction due to the hurried approach and the fact that the doctors treat the patients in a fashion that is not on a personal level which leaves the patient feeling that the doctor doesn’t have time for them (Block and Schwarcz, 2008). In an alternative approach, the practitioners start from the roots instead of starting with the symptoms, as Western medicine does.
Holistic and alternative practitioners take the time to explain the connection between organs, functions of the body, and how they relate to dysfunction. Individuals who seek the care of an alternative practitioner have a greater knowledge of the biological and physiological functioning because of this education that is placed upon them during a session (Furnham and Forey, 1994). Western medicine is well known and widely accepted because of the evidence that comes with conventional medicine; the efficacy is there to back up treatments.
Alternative approaches lack some of these findings because no one has placed the money into the research (Block and Schwarcz, 2008). In a fast paced society, immediate results are desired when an individual is sick. With the pharmaceutical companies supplying a very large variety of medications that can help cure people of certain ailments, individuals are drawn to Western medicine more so than alternative approaches. You can walk into a doctor’s office and receive medication that will help with your “symptoms” and the results will be seen without losing time after swallowing a few pills.
The downfall of Western medicine, in this aspect, is the fact that patients are falling victim now days to a medical society that profits off of writing these prescriptions and rushing the patient out of the office (“Modern Medicine and Herbal Remedies Debate,” 2009). When individuals are not feeling well, the last thing they need on their plate is to be treated like a number and a dollar sign. Another downfall in Western medicine is the spread of MRSA and e. coli that have been found infecting the hospitals (Furnham and Forey, 1994).
This is primarily due to the abuse of writing antibiotic prescriptions anytime a patient feels sick. Antibiotic resistance occurs, the bacteria changes into another strain and when a patient is infected, it remains difficult to treat the infection, thus causing the infection to spread from one person to the next. This is something that can be prevented. If individuals seek alternative medicine for their not so serious illnesses, their bodies will not be flooded with antibiotics, and this resistance would not be an epidemic.
On another note, research indicates that patients who seek alternative practitioners live life with a more optimistic outlook on health and believe that they hold a degree of control over their bodies and no matter how bad the illness is there are always measures to take to improve the health of the body (Furnham and Forey, 1994). Alternative and holistic medicine’s goal is to offer help to patients so that they will need to visit the doctor less.
Unlike Western medicine where they have a “pill for every ill” and don’t mind how many times you keep coming in (Block and Schwarcz, 2008). As you can clearly see, these two types of medicines cannot work without the other. To answer the question “Which approach is better? ” the answer is neither (“Modern Medicine and Herbal Remedies Debate,” 2009). By combining both, which is known as Integrative medicine, the patient is offered the best of both worlds in which the individual greatly deserves (Goodman, 2010).
If these two practices are mashed together, the field of modern medicine can be changed for the better. References Block, Moshe Daniel, ND & Schwarcz, Joe PhD. (2008, November 19). The Great Health Debate: Conventional Medicine Vs. Alternative Medicine – Which is more effective? Retrieved from http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=-1124203879797151317 On August 10, 2012. Disabled Worlds Towards Tomorrow. (2009).
Modern Medicine and Herbal Remedies Debate. Retrieved from http://www.disabled-world. com/medical/alternative/herbal/natural. php , On August 10, 2012. Furnham, A. , & Forey, J. (1994). The attitudes, behaviors and beliefs of patients of conventional vs. complementary (alternative) medicine. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 50(3), 458-469. Goodman, David. (2010). Alternative Medicine Vs. Traditional, Western Medicine. Retrieved from http://www. experthomecare. com/blog/2010/03/alternative-medicine-vs-traditional-western-medicine/ On August 10, 2012.