Health Culture
What is complementary/alternative medicine and how does it differ from the traditional Western approach?
Complementary medicine and alternative medicine include any treatment interventions that do not fall within the accepted rubric of the American Medical Association and related institutions. The term complementary medicine suggests that such interventions can be used in conjunction with allopathic interventions, whereas alternative medicine suggests that some patients prefer to eschew pharmacological and related allopathic interventions in favor of other forms of treatment. Mistakenly called Western medicine, allopathic medicine is practices as much in Asia and the East as it is in the West.
However, many cultures around the world including Western societies acknowledge the relevance and role that homeopathic medicine, acupuncture, herbs, and other treatments play in healing. Many so-called alternative medicine and complementary medicine treatments have been scientifically studied. The main difference between complementary and alternative medicine...
In contrast to other work in this field, this book views alternative health as a social movement, and shows commonalities between the cultural left and the religious right that can help form a new healthcare paradigm. National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine 2000 Expanding Horizons of Healthcare: Five-year Strategic Plan, 2001-2005. National Institute of Health Publication No. 01-5001. Gaithersburg, Maryland: National Institutes of Health. In this report, the National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine CAM refers to complementary, alternative, or integrative medicine. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, but they actually mean different things to practitioners. The term complementary "generally refers to using a non-mainstream approach together with conventional medicine (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). The term alternative "refers to using a non-mainstream approach in place of conventional medicine" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Integrative medicine is
Complementary and alternative medicine is difficult to describe because it incorporates a very broad and continually changing field. However, this field is defined as a group of distinct medical and health care systems, products, and practices that are not generally regarded as part of traditional or conventional medicine ("What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?" 2012). In this case, the conventional or traditional medicine is medical practices by clinical doctors, holders
The latter, performed by chiropractors, some conventional medical doctors, and other health care professionals involves applying force to a joint of the spine and moving it beyond its normal range of motion. This serve to alleviate back pain. Movement therapies, another CAM category, are movement-based approaches intended to promote holistic well-being. Examples include the Feldenkrais method, Pilates, Alexander technique, Rolfing Structural Integration, and Trager psychophysical integration. Manipulation of energy fields is
There are a variety of approaches to diagnosis and treatment in American acupuncture that incorporates medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, and France. " (2002) The American Medical Association additionally reports: "Acupuncture has been used by millions of American patients and performed by over 5,000 U.S. physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners for relief or prevention of pain and for a variety of health conditions. After reviewing the
Overview of Africa’s Post-Conflict History Historical Formal Institutions Colonial legacies persist in Africa in spite of a post-colonial era (Austin, 2010). These legacies have continued in post-conflict Africa’s history. In Africa, there has been no real unifying factor bringing individuals together, primarily because of the communal aspect of society throughout the continent. Community exists and can be found everywhere in Africa. Structural, dramaturgic and institutional factors in formal institutionalization in Africa of
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