History of alternative medicine
The history of alternative medicine (AM) encompasses a diverse array of nontraditional healing practices that prioritize holistic balance within the body, often eschewing conventional drug treatments. Emerging from ancient philosophies, AM practices emphasize the interconnectedness of mental, spiritual, and physical health, contrasting with the conventional medical perspective that defines health largely by the absence of disease. The term "alternative medicine" has been in use since the late 18th century, with various systems evolving over the years, such as homeopathy, osteopathy, and chiropractic medicine.
Despite facing skepticism from traditional medical professionals, particularly until the 1990s, AM has gained traction and recognition, leading to its integration into mainstream healthcare through approaches like integrative medicine. This rise corresponds with a growing public dissatisfaction with conventional medical practices, prompting many patients to seek AM for issues ranging from minor ailments to chronic conditions. However, while AM shows promise, challenges remain in validating its therapeutic effects through scientific methods, as many practices predate contemporary research frameworks and often lack standardized trials. As AM continues to evolve, it remains essential for individuals to approach these therapies with informed caution, recognizing the importance of qualified practitioners and the potential for unregulated products.
History of alternative medicine
DEFINITION: An examination of a broad range of nontraditional healing therapies that rely on a balance of systems within the body and that avoid the use of drugs for treatment.
Overview
Alternative medicine (AM), often coupled with complementary medicine to form complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), is the practice of various healing techniques in place of traditional medicine. AM is not commonly taught in medical schools, and most AM practices are not covered by health insurance in the United States. AM practices are derived from ancient methods and beliefs and from social behaviors, spirituality, and newer approaches. AM bases good health on a balance of body systems (mental, spiritual, and physical), whereas conventional medicine views good health as the absence of disease.
Much of AM, except for herbal supplements, is based on all aspects of the person being intertwined. This principle is called holism. It is believed that disharmony that undermines balance among these aspects can stress the body and lead to illness. Therefore, to alleviate sickness, therapies focus on bolstering the body’s own defenses while restoring balance. Like Western medicine, however, AM emphasizes proper nutrition and preventive practices.
Before the 1990s, AM was dismissed by most American medical professionals, mostly because there was no supporting scientific evidence of its therapeutic effects. With an increasing number of AM practitioners and with health consumer acceptance, it has become more common to integrate alternative therapies into mainstream healthcare. AM journals, organizations, courses of study, websites, and government-supported clinical trials are now common in the US.
Mechanisms of Action
Only theories exist on the mechanisms of action for alternative remedies, so many advocates believe that the scientific method does not apply to this type of practice. Instead, AM advocates rely on anecdotes and theories, including the theory that AM defies biological mechanisms and should be understood as less harmful than conventional methods. In many cases, simply publishing anecdotes in popular books and magazines is enough evidence to support therapeutic claims.
Alternative remedies are often discovered through trial and error. A specific alternative method may work for one person but not for another. Practitioners sometimes must try several approaches for the same issue in different persons. Also, one type of approach could be useful for several health issues.
Language is another obstacle to understanding alternative therapies. For instance, there are no direct translations for the types of energy in Ayurvedic medicine known as vata, pitta, and kapha, making it impossible to integrate these types of components into controlled scientific trials for the purpose of determining a mechanism of action.
Uses
Alternative medicine is commonly used for relatively minor health problems, such as fatigue, insomnia, or back pain. For the most part, AM is utilized for health enhancement in a relatively healthy patient.
An increasingly popular application of alternative therapies is integrative medicine, which is the combination of alternative and conventional remedies. Integrative medicine is emerging into mainstream medical practice because of supporting clinical evidence of its benefits. One example of integrated medicine is the use of aromatherapy to minimize nausea after a course of chemotherapy.
Early History
The term “alternative medicine” has been used since the late eighteenth century. The Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the founder of medicine, introduced this concept during a time when humans were questioning whether the practice of medicine was an art. Furthermore, Hippocrates believed the mind and body both play a role in the healing process. Ironically enough, the mind-body healing process is essentially the basis of many alternative therapies.
Several healing systems existed in the nineteenth century. Treatment procedures ranged from bleeding and purging to folk medicine and quackery. Many of these approaches were dangerous and often fatal, leading people to revolt against these extreme measures of medical practice. By the midcentury, the public had shown its disappointment with standard therapies and began to turn to alternative methods. As a result, the first alternative medicine system in the West was implemented by Samuel Thomson, who used botanicals for healing. The plant drugs, he believed, either evacuated or heated the body. After his death in 1840, the Thomsonianism system fell from use.
Homeopathy was promoted by Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician who treated many disease symptoms with a series of drug dilutions. The term “allopathy” was coined by Hahnemann while he was in the United States. Mainstream medicine adopted allopathy as a standard medical term, and it has remained a part of healthcare terminology.
Also, in the mid-century, Americans were introduced to hydropathy. This Austrian treatment involves various baths (usually cold) to eliminate toxins and strict lifestyle changes, such as diet, exercise, and sleep. Other popular remedies during this time were magnetism and hypnosis healing, which Franz Mesmer introduced.
Because of so many AM options, New York-based Wooster Beach combined the various treatment approaches based on clinical expertise, calling his new approach eclectic medicine. Eclectic medicine advocated for care that incorporates more than one type of therapy or method. A modern form of eclectic medicine is acupuncture with chiropractic or osteopathic care. Eclectic medicine was widely practiced from 1820 through the 1930s.
The second generation of alternative medical systems began in the second half of the nineteenth century. In the 1870s, Andrew Taylor Still pioneered the technique of musculoskeletal manipulation, better known as osteopathy. Following closely was Daniel David Palmer, who introduced chiropractic medicine. By the late nineteenth century, osteopathic and chiropractic schools offered formal training. Naturopathy, using the body’s natural healing powers, also became increasingly popular near the end of this century.
The Twentieth Century
By 1900, about 20 percent of all practitioners were AM physicians. Upon the discovery of novel drugs, such as antibiotics, in the 1930s and 1940s, the once highly acclaimed alternative therapies became nearly obsolete. Even doctors of osteopathic and chiropractic medicine were forced not to treat patients, and schools that once offered training in these disciples had to close their doors. With immigration on the rise, especially in the 1970s, American physicians began to discover acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and Ayurvedic medicine.
The philosophy of healing is now faced much questioning by American physicians. Controversy erupted between medical doctors and AM practitioners. AM was denounced as unscientific, and AM practice was considered unethical. The American Medical Association’s code of ethics even prohibited medical doctors from consulting with persons who used alternative remedies.
By the late twentieth century, physicians were again allowed to consult with AM practitioners, and osteopathy and chiropractic were increasingly accepted by the medical mainstream. The public had become dissatisfied with traditional medicine. Americans felt that healthcare was impersonal, that pharmaceuticals caused harm, and that medical care was costly.
In 1992, the National Institutes of Health established the Office of Alternative Medicine (renamed the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2015) to examine and report on the efficacy of alternative methods. By 1995, the first journal dedicated to alternative therapies and health was in circulation. The notion of mind-body healing was regaining respect in mainstream medical practice.
A 1998 government report documented that four out of every ten American adults had used some type of alternative therapy in 1997. In addition, more than $20 billion was spent by Americans on alternative healthcare. By the early 2020s, three out of four American adults used some type of alternative remedy at a cost of more than $30 billion. With alternative medicine on the rise in the US, the need for evidence-based alternative methods became clear.
Scientific Evidence
Testing alternative therapies for scientific relevance presents several challenges. First, many therapies existed long before the development of Western scientific and analytical methods. For instance, chiropractic procedures were discovered before scientific understanding of the nervous system. Second, the mechanisms of action and proposed outcomes of alternative therapies are not clearly understood. Third, interventions may be a combination of treatments. For example, an Ayurvedic practitioner may prescribe herbal supplements, yoga, and dietary restrictions. The problem is determining which intervention cured a certain problem. Finally, designing standardized placebo-controlled clinical trials is difficult. An example of this is the challenge of trying to create artificial yoga, chiropractic, or Tai Chi procedures. New methods and study designs are needed to investigate alternative therapies for scientific support.
While scientific evidence is lacking in many areas of alternative medicine, American physicians increasingly embrace alternative medicine techniques and practices for patients with cancer, obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, and many chronic illnesses. Using alternative medicine with traditional Western medicine, sometimes called integrative medicine, has shown benefits for patients in many studies, but the lack of confirmatory evidence limits its support.
Conclusions
The combination of limited knowledge of the effects of AM and its increased use by health consumers produces a dangerous situation. Many products and procedures are not regulated, leading to potential risks. Herb-drug interactions may occur because of contamination or because of the poor quality of ingredients. Finally, not all AM practitioners are licensed or formally trained. Many professional organizations offer lists of licensed and trained practitioners.
It is essential to use alternative medicine or complementary and alternative medicine techniques as an additional treatment method that supports necessary medical treatments.
Bibliography
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