Alternative Medicine
Although "Alternative" or "Complementary" medicine has been kept on the fringes of the medical sciences in the past, it is becoming increasingly more popular, and more reputable. Alternative medicines are those medical systems which are not taught to or practiced by most conventional medical doctors. Alternative medicines seemingly have always existed, changing and conforming to the current climate of society. There seems to be an almost endless number of alternative medicines, each with their own method of gaining perfect health. Often people who are dissatisfied with conventional medicine turn to alternative medicine for their medical needs. Many similarities link the diverse extremities of alternative medicine. These links define alternative medicine, but also help explain why they remain so controversial. They are characterized by a lack of unbiased, scientific testing, the belief in a vital force that cannot be explained scientifically, and a lack of strict regulation ensuring competency and consistency among practitioners.
Although these similarities exist a distinct separation must also be made between two types of alternative medical systems. The first type includes those that have "strong intellectual foundations and time tested methods of maintaining health and curing diseases" (Micozzi A48). These have established training and practice procedures and large numbers of practitioners and patients. Micozzi includes homeopathy, herbal treatment, chiropractic medicine, traditional osteopathy, and traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture) in this first type of alternative medical systems. These are contrasted with what he refers to as "magic bullet" treatments which are usually for a specific dise...
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In today’s world, many people assume that the latest medical technology and treatments are always the best option. However, all over the world, different techniques for curing diseases and aliments are being used. These methods fall under the category of complementary and alternative medicine.
There are many different uses of alternative medicine and that can be used in a variety of situations. Some people may be skeptical of alternative medicine since they are not aware of the facts and statistics. By homeopathy becoming more popular people will not be as skeptical. “Despite the successes of many alternative therapies, the phrase "alternative medicine" has not acquired a completely respectable air. To many, especially doctors trained in conventional medicine, "alternative therapies" seem unscientific and dangerous” (Badertscher). As the author shows that although alternative medicine may seem skeptical to people, there are many reasons to prove that alternative medicine is an overall better solution. Badertscher also explains the many benefits to his view of alternative medicine of seeking to work with the body 's own natural healing processes” (Badertscher). For example, a person may suffer from chronic back pain may decide to go to a chiropractor instead of using medication such as oxycodone. In this Badertscher shows the benefit that using the body’s natural healing does and that it puts the person in control of their
For many centuries, humanity has been on an eternal quest for cures and treatments for many chronic conditions. At the present time, conventional medicine is mostly performed by doctors and other health care professionals, with the extensive use of pharmaceutical drugs, surgery or radiation treatments for disease treatment. Conversely, even though not as popular, complementary and alternative medicine and treatment options are slowly gaining popularity and becoming an addition to traditional medicine.
Alternative medicine can also be defined as the result of a series of important changes occurring within the American health care system today. For example, health care practitioners are coming to the realization that conventional biomedicine cannot solve many of America’s health problems. Therefore many doctors have begun to accept the idea that Holistic Medicine is based on, that is, that health involves more than just the physical body. They have also found many alternative medical treat...
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Alternative medicine has long been scoffed at by the mainstream medical community. People who use it, or at least believe in its benefits, are termed “wacky.” Physicians even go so far as to tell curious patients not to bother with the alternative “insanity,” claiming only hippies and desperados use it. Doctors are trusted daily with the lives of their patients, and if a doctor insists on a specific treatment, and advises against another, patients will be more than likely to do as they are told. But if a natural therapy has a positive effect on disease, then why not use it? Why not keep patients informed on all fronts: offer the details on every treatment that has shown promise, whether it pads the pharmaceutical companies’ pockets or not.
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The majority of the population gets sick or gets some medical condition and will head straight to the doctor for a prescription; prescriptions that will have a long list of side effects that sometimes seem worse than the original problem. They will buy pricey visits with specialists, when after visiting ten doctors the problem just keeps coming back, if it even ever went away at all. There has to be a simpler way. Something that doesn't come with a large price tag and doesn't have side effects; it fixes the illness and doesn't just mask the symptoms. Alternative medicine is becoming more and more popular because it attempts to find the underlying cause of the patient’s condition rather than focusing solely on symptomatic treatment. With many conditions there are simple, natural, and effective cures that could be considered next time as an alternative to traditional medicine or used with traditional medicine to reach optimal health.
The increased role of women in the workforce has changed in the last decade and will continue to change into the decades to follow. Because of this organizations will need to evaluate the factors of women in the workplace, flexibility, and pay. To theorize what may change for women in the next ten years, is one of optimism. Historically, women have been treated differently in the workforce, long hours, less pay and limitations in advancement compared to male co-workers. With today’s economic strife more women need to work outside of the home and coupled with family responsibilities women want flexible work hours and good pay. In this paper, one will understand the value of flexibility in the workplace as well as the pay gap between men, women and what the next decade holds for women in the workplace.
As increasing rates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are becoming intertwined within traditional western practice, it has begun to present itself as a social conundrum. It is believed that the first practices of alternative medicine date back to the mid eighteenth century where as ancient Egyptians were using forms of traditional medicine in the early 5th century BCE. Because it has not been practiced as long as traditional western medicine, it has been framed as a social phenomenon. Its growth is curious in that it is beginning to surface in “countries were Western science and scientific method generally are accepted as the major foundations for healthcare, and “evidence-based” practice is the dominant paradigm” (Coulter & Willis 2004). Current US policy and government regulations, like the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, have allowed for CAM to become an integrative part of modernity. This paper examines how the defining of CAM has influenced past and present societal reforms and how the lack of a singular, all encompassing definition was once problematic in CAM’s ability to converge with traditional western medicine. However, due to the growing appeal of CAM’s treatment methods, economic and political factors have paved a path a successful integration into modern medicine.