When I hear the words traditional medicine, i am reminded of the native medicine man i spent time with in canada. Traditional medicine in this country however is a stark contrast to what comes to mind when I hear these words. (traditional chinese medicine, native american medicine and medicine people, indigenious peoples of the amazon etc.)
Medicine and/or healing is a mind-body-spirit approach. Each aspect is equally important for dis-ease and healing. However, in this country we have allowed the body to become the primary focus. Western medicine by and large addresses the symptoms of disease, rather than getting to the root of the matter. Of course, as with all things in life this approach to medicine lies on a spectrum.
We must also be critical of alternative medicine. There are many practioners of alternative medicine who make grandeous claims, and push products that are neither potent or effective.
I believe we must each do our homework. Research, read, talk with friends, consult keepers of traditional medicine wisdom, and most importantly tune into your body and intuition.
In conclusion, I believe we must approach wellness from a lifestyle perspective. Emotional, environmental, spiritual, occupational, social, physical and intellectual. We must be critical consumers of information , but we must also be open to learning about healing practices of "traditional" medicine which may or may not be new to us.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of alternative medicine is an old man or woman in a little hut in a small country who is visited by all of the towns people who do not have access to traditional health care. I know that this idea is very skewed since alternative medicine is practiced world wide and the majority of Americans utalize it in some form but it is still the first picture that comes to mind.
I am definately open to alternative medicine. I have always appreciated all things natural and whenever possible, I try to make healthy choices. I believe alternative medicine falls right in line with my lifestyle and I am excited to learn how to utalize it. I use aromatherapy in my daily life when I spray my pillow with lavander every night but I think that is about the extent of my use of alternative medicine.
As a future nurse, I will be giving my patients medicine for the rest of my life. It would be great to be able to offer a more natural method of treatment to my patients!
I guess I differentiate alternatice medicine from traditional medicine by the images that come into my head. When I think traditional medicine, I think of pills, IV bags, shots, and large equiptment. I spend three days a week in hospitals and these are the things I see most that make me think tradition. When I think of alternative medicine, I think of plants, lotions, potions, hot rocks, nature, and massage. I don't usually see any of these in the hospital setting. I also think if my doctor would prescribe it, it is probably traditional.
I am excited to learn what the true differences between the two are and I think I am going to be surprised at how often forms of alternative medicine are actually used right in front of me in the hospitals each week.
Elisa Archer The first thing that comes to mind when I think of alternative medicine is my mom. Quiet literally, she is very much a “natural” sort of person and is always looking for and alternate or different route to go about things. Growing up, we never really went to the doctor. If I or one of my other five siblings were sick, which is very seldom for the most of us, my mom thought going to the pediatrician’s office would probably make us sicker because of the germs ha. If I’m ever around her before she goes to bed I never fail to see her taking her krill oil in apple cider vinegar for digestive health, flax seed to decrease cholesterol, and astragalus if she ever feels nasal congestion coming on. She absolutely swears by arnica gel. If anyone is ever having any sort of ache, pain, skin lesion, or discomfort she can’t seem to get the words arnica gel out of her mouth fast enough. A couple of years ago she had a pretty bad bicycle accident and really messed her face up. She couldn’t believe how miraculous of a job arnica did healing her abrasions. It got to the point were she was recommending it to so many people the little guy at the Amazing Grace store on bardstown road said they were selling out of it ha. To me, alternative medicine is also a way of life and keeping healthy. Whether it be listening to music for therapy, running to clear your mind, or practicing yoga and tai chi to connect with your inner self, in my experience seems to do nothing but better enrich life. Traditional medicine makes me think of my dad and the more typical healthcare system. My dad, would definitely be one to kind of go crazy-eyed over my mom taking her flax seed to reduce cholesterol and say lipitor is definitely the better route. Or take an ambien to go to bed instead of not falling asleep in the chair watching t.v. before hand. My mom gets a kick out of my dad waking up to take his sleeping pill to go to bed as he does all her alternate remedies. I know all things cannot be cured naturally, but do wish our society and hospitals would look more into natural remedies. I feel like it is, as evidence by my mom’s health, a great adjunct or alternative remedy. If your sick, what’s an herb or yoga session to harm!
Alternative medicine can be a very sensitive subject to me. Sometimes I don’t believe in it because there is no science behind it, but then I hear these amazing success stories attributed to alternative medicine and I can’t help but believe in it. While I was growing up, I was forced to try alternative medicine before traditional anytime I got sick because my mother lost her faith in traditional medicine since I was three months old. When I was 2 weeks old, I was diagnosed with Pertussis and went into a NICU until I was 3 months old. At 3 months, I still weighed 7lbs, didn’t cry or moved and every 30 minutes my mom thought I was going to die because the coughing made my whole body turn a bluish purple. The doctors told my mother it would be a long time before I got better because I was very sick and I was very young. She was desperate to hold me again so she brought in an old Chinese-Cuban lady who practiced alternative medicine along with religious rituals to cure people. According to my mom, a week later I was at home, I started to grow, eat and sleep like a normal baby. If you ask my mother she will say that the lady cured me. I think the disease had run its course and with all the medicine I was on I was going to get better eventually. After this instance I has never been sick again, my mother attributes y health to the protection I still have from the religious rituals performed on me as a child. Regardless, my mother always took us for health checkups twice a year since I can remember and always stayed up to date on our immunizations. In the back of my mind I will always wonder what really happened when I was an infant, I will never absolutely discard the possibility that I was cured by the old lady but I still have my doubts. Due to my experience, and the story that has been told to me by everyone in my family since I was very young, I want to know more about alternative medicine. I also think that people should consider alternative medicine more often for things like the common cold, headaches, sleeping, minor infections, etc. But also should be considered when treating major things like cancer. There are so many success stories out there, that it’s always worth a try.
My reaction to Alternative medicine is complete interest! Between the readings and the speaker I have learned a lot and I like it. I was especially intrigued by the Bach's Flower Essences. I thought the idea of them was really unique and interesting(not sure if I am a believer) but nonetheless I like the idea of an Alternative Medicine that you can take anytime in your life whether you are young, old, pregnant, etc. I know after listening to the speaker this past Monday I am not a complete skeptic and would like to try some of her products. I would be disappointed if they did not work! (Anyone want to join me on a trip to her shop?) I connect Alternative Medicine to Traditional Medicine because a lot of medicine that we use today can be considered Alternative Medicines because they are herbs and plants and such. I differentiate them because I think that our traditional medicine is a lot more complicated with the trials and money issues. I understand why these things have to be done but I admire the simplicity of the alternative approach. It allows you to take your health into your own hands. I cannot wait until we go to Belize, I want to learn as much as possible about the different cultures and their alternative practices. I have a lot of questions that I hope will be answered by our trip. I can't wait for Belize, or to learn more about Alternative Medicine!
When given the subject alternative medicine,I think of old cowboy and indian movies. I have always been interested in the herbs and the medicial healings that you see in the movies with indians after they've been shot. I love the way only one little shack took care of the whole village with the herbs and the way the ill patients sweat the infections out. Even though alternative medicines are here in Kentucky, I can not wait to go out of the U.S. to learn more about them.
I would relate alternative medicine to traditional medicine in the fact that they are all made for one purpose: to heal. Yet they are also different because more work and research is done for traditional medicine. Alternative medicines seem less complicated than traditional medicines. When using alternative medications you can use what is given to us on Earth. While traditional medications have to be tested and observed. There are alot of complications and loop holes that have to be overcomed before patients can use traditional medications.
This week in Belize is going to be such an eye opener for me. Not only learning about the differences in medications but, also learning about taking less for granted and seeking more into what we already have been given on Earth.
i think alternative medicines are very interesting. i never have known much about them. I always just think of using lavender to go to sleep as alternative medicine, but it goes way deeper than that. I have not been exposed to a lot of them. My mom took me to the doctor for every sniffle growing up. But hearing that our speaker has gone years without illness makes me want to incorporate some of her alternative medicine practices in my life.
When i compare alternative medicines to traditional medicines, I still think of using alternative medicines for less severe medical problems. Its hard for me to think that oils or herbs can cure terrible diseases. and i dont typically think of doctors prescribing medicines for smaller ailment, such as trouble sleeping. However I know a lady who had cancer and cured it using alternative medicines. I think over the coming years, alternative medicines will become more popular and i will associate them with actual diseases and not just minor ailments.
Alternative medicine is still a new concept to me. The extent of our first couple of classes covers my knowledge on alternative care and treatments. When I think of alternative medicine, I think of a natural way to cure or treat. It looks to me that anything you can cure or treat naturally would be better than anything developed in a lab. I would think there would be little to no side effects with home remedies. In minor cases, I think the person should use solely alternative medicine if possible. I would say the more a person can avoid putting man made substances into their body, the healthier and happier they will feel. On the other hand, I think with severe illnesses or accidents are best cured with a mix of alternative and traditional medicine. I think traditional medicine is best used to cure or fix severe problems where alternative medicine is best used to relieve and maintain symptoms. In cultures where they only use alternative medicine, I do think that is well within their right to decide and I support their decision. Treatments exclusively based on alternative medicine may not work for me, but I still understand where a culture can be completely content basing all of their trust in alternative care. I am interested in using alternative medicine to give me a little extra boost to stay healthy. I do believe that the key to a happy and fulfilling life is to have a healthy mind, body, and spirit. From what I’ve learned so far, alternative medicine can help the person become healthy as a whole. Hopefully, next time I go to reach for a quick traditional cure, I can look through our book and find a cheaper, holistic cure.
Before taking this class I never really knew what alternative medicine was. I had an idea of it, but did not think twice about it because it was “alternative” and not the traditional I have been use to since I was born. Since the start of this semester I have really gotten to understand it and discovered it can be a lot more helpful for our body now and in the future. When the lady, who I cannot remember her name, came and talked about herbs and oils on Monday, it was really interesting. I did not know oils could cure so many common bodily functions or prevent problems from occurring. It is a shame that alternative medicine like this is not known more in society, especially in our country. When so many people are sick but can’t afford proper medical attention they just continue to get sick. If only they knew about different oils, which are quite inexpensive, that could help prevent illnesses or everyday annoyances that our body produces; such as menstrual cramps, tight/sore muscles, headaches, sore gums, being tired, etc.
Traditional medicine is good, but it only comes into affect when the person is already sick and needs something, and in so, so many cases they need a pill of some kind, which also can produce adverse side effects. For instance, I get a lot of headaches which causes me to take a lot of advil or something similar, which I know is not good for me. If I knew there was some kind of alternative medicine out there that would help prevent or decrease the amount of number of headaches I get I would most certainly try it.
I guess I don’t really connect traditional with alternative medicine that much, probably because I still don’t know all the different types of alternative medicine. I try to keep my body healthy and think I am most of the time, but because a doctor or healthcare provider does not mention a treatment that is free and easy, as opposed to taking a pill, I probably do not hear about it. For example, you will never hear a doctor tell a patient to drink tea to help their sore throat, at least I haven’t. I am going to be a Respiratory Therapist and I know that when a patient asks for what will help their symptoms I immediately think of a drug or a traditional medical solution. Many doctors are the same, they think of a drug first as a treatment source. Therefore, a lot of people think this certain treatment will help, as apposed to alternative methods.
Up until recently, I had never given alternative medicine much thought. I knew there were many people in the world who practiced and relied solely on alternative medicine, but it had never really had much influence in my life. Now, I believe that alternative medicine can have great benefits to those who use it. However, I do think that alternative medicine, to some degree, relies on a placebo effect. While I think the herbs, oils, and essences do elicit changes in the body, I also think that the person using these things has to believe whole-heartedly in them. I think alternative medicine has a greater effect on those who are educated in the field. In relation to traditional medicine, I think alternative medicine requires more work for the person receiving treatment. Like I mentioned before, I think the recipient has to truly believe in the treatment for it to be more effective, whereas in traditional medicine, the drugs and treatments they use are more consistently effective regardless of the recipient's attitude. I think that the most effective treatment would be a combination of the two styles. Especially for someone who is knowledgeable in alternative practices, I think those types of treatments could be very beneficial when used in conjunction with traditional medicine.
(Elaine) Traditional medicine takes my mind back to pioneer days or back to the Navajo Reservation. One thing I believe has been forgotten in our consumerist society driven by health insurance that modern medicine started with traditional medicine as its foundation. Some of my beliefs are that maybe our world has become too complex and we have forgotten our roots, such as our roots in traditional medicine. My views are very open to traditional medicine. I am open, but like most people in the Western World, I am also apprehensive about some of traditional medicine. I believe this apprehension stems from lack of knowledge. Knowledge in that a majority of medical professional s have little or no knowledge of traditional medicine and are not able to endorse it. Medical professionals stick with modern medicine by writing prescriptions that can treat almost every symptom. I as a consumer am suppose to trust this medical professional that has had years of training in the subject that what modern medicine is prescribed. Or, insurance will not pay for traditional medicine. I am more willing to try traditional medicine on myself before trying some of it on my own children. When it comes to my children, I would rather go with what I am told to trust. I also don't see why there can not be a coexistace between modern and traditional practices. With traditional medicine, I find that the more I know, the more I care.
Before this class, I never really put much thought into alternative medicine. I’ve been so accustomed to going to the doctor for absolutely every problem I have had, especially for my recurring sinus infections. Of course, the only drug the doctor can prescribe me is antibiotics. I have learned through my nursing classes that using antibiotics frequently will eventually lead to my body getting so used to them to the point where they won’t work anymore. This would be very bad if I got sick with something much more serious.
After being in this class for only a few weeks, I am very interested in learning about what I can do to treat my sinus infections from remedies made at home. This is why I chose to do my research paper on sinusitis. Once I have my research paper completed, I should know just about everything I can do to avoid going to the doctor! I feel like there are so many simple home remedies and herbs I could be using to both prevent getting sick and to cure me when I am sick. I am hoping to make less trips to the doctor from here on out.
Alternative medicine is much more conservative and there is a wide range of options to treat different ailments; whereas, traditional medicine is drug oriented and leaves fewer options to choose from. Alternative medicine offers an approach that’s based on the entire body. The doctor will look at the whole person and how one symptom or system is affecting another. Its goal is to focus on maintaining the health of a person, before that person can become sick or dysfunctional.
Traditional medicine (Western medicine) is focused on the individual’s one symptom or one system that’s being affected. It doesn’t look at the body as a whole, but looks at in pieces. It is drug oriented and surgery oriented. This type of medicine is highly effective when it comes to critical care and emergencies, but only fixes the one part of the body leaving the rest of the body to possible suffer at its expense.
I think it would be great if the two types of medicine could be combined more into the healthcare we have today. Traditional medicine will always take precedence in emergency or life and death situations and alternative medicine will be put into use after. Alternative medicine can be used every day as a great prevention tool to help our bodies stay healthy and in balance. If people used alternative medicine in their everyday life, I highly believe we would have less people in this world getting sick. Alternative medicine should replace traditional medicine when it comes to things like the flu, cold, sinus infections…
When I finally can get the chance to sit down and figure out a plan for integrating alternative medicine into my life, I think I will be sick less and will live a much healthier life. I plan on taking vitamin C starting now to prevent me from getting sick prior to Belize! I am already on my path of being a healthier person!
When I think alternative medicine I seem to always remember back to when I was playing basketball around 7th or 8th grade. I kept getting athletes foot and it was an extreme annoyance. My mom didn't like the traditional sprays like "tough actin Tinactin" but there was a method her mother had taught her about. She would cut a potato into slices resembling a chip shape and would rub the potato juices on my foot. And wouldn't you know it, my feet would clear up in about 3 days and stay clear as long as i used the potatoes once or twice a week. The itching would go away almost instantly. I still couldn't explain to you why it works but it does! But, growing up my mom would rather try her own "home remedies" first; mostly to save money on the small things.
Other than my mother using the occasional home method I really hadn't known or even thought about alternative medicine. I just always thought you went to the doctor for any and every ailment. After going through just the first half of this class I have really taken interest in alternative medicine. It has opened my eyes to a more natural way to treat myself and loved ones. I really hope to take some methods from this class and apply to my own life and hopefully become more informed for when I do have children I can use these practices on them before seeing a doctor.
As far as modern medicine goes I have mixed feelings. I feel that with some of today's pharmaceuticals and pills there seems to be more adverse affects than healing or helpful ones. With that said, I don't have anything against the healthcare professionals or those who aid in our healing. I just think that things have gotten to be out of hand in the medical world as far as just writing a prescription for everything. I feel like we need to really get to know our doctors and make sure they know about you and your health. It just needs to be more personal so that both the patient and doctor are on the same page.
Although I may have seemed negative towards modernized medical practices, there have been a lot of great and vital advances in medicine and its practices. I think that modern medicine and the labs that create and come up with these new drugs are doing a great thing and helping a lot of people out. I hope that one day there is that "miracle drug" that can safely cure cancer or even the common cold. I think that modern medicine plays an important role in all aspects of our lives.
from hannah neumann:
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear the words traditional medicine, i am reminded of the native medicine man i spent time with in canada. Traditional medicine in this country however is a stark contrast to what comes to mind when I hear these words. (traditional chinese medicine, native american medicine and medicine people, indigenious peoples of the amazon etc.)
Medicine and/or healing is a mind-body-spirit approach. Each aspect is equally important for dis-ease and healing. However, in this country we have allowed the body to become the primary focus. Western medicine by and large addresses the symptoms of disease, rather than getting to the root of the matter. Of course, as with all things in life this approach to medicine lies on a spectrum.
We must also be critical of alternative medicine. There are many practioners of alternative medicine who make grandeous claims, and push products that are neither potent or effective.
I believe we must each do our homework. Research, read, talk with friends, consult keepers of traditional medicine wisdom, and most importantly tune into your body and intuition.
In conclusion, I believe we must approach wellness from a lifestyle perspective. Emotional, environmental, spiritual, occupational, social, physical and intellectual. We must be critical consumers of information , but we must also be open to learning about healing practices of "traditional" medicine which may or may not be new to us.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of alternative medicine is an old man or woman in a little hut in a small country who is visited by all of the towns people who do not have access to traditional health care. I know that this idea is very skewed since alternative medicine is practiced world wide and the majority of Americans utalize it in some form but it is still the first picture that comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteI am definately open to alternative medicine. I have always appreciated all things natural and whenever possible, I try to make healthy choices. I believe alternative medicine falls right in line with my lifestyle and I am excited to learn how to utalize it. I use aromatherapy in my daily life when I spray my pillow with lavander every night but I think that is about the extent of my use of alternative medicine.
As a future nurse, I will be giving my patients medicine for the rest of my life. It would be great to be able to offer a more natural method of treatment to my patients!
I guess I differentiate alternatice medicine from traditional medicine by the images that come into my head. When I think traditional medicine, I think of pills, IV bags, shots, and large equiptment. I spend three days a week in hospitals and these are the things I see most that make me think tradition. When I think of alternative medicine, I think of plants, lotions, potions, hot rocks, nature, and massage. I don't usually see any of these in the hospital setting. I also think if my doctor would prescribe it, it is probably traditional.
I am excited to learn what the true differences between the two are and I think I am going to be surprised at how often forms of alternative medicine are actually used right in front of me in the hospitals each week.
Elisa Archer
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind when I think of alternative medicine is my mom. Quiet literally, she is very much a “natural” sort of person and is always looking for and alternate or different route to go about things. Growing up, we never really went to the doctor. If I or one of my other five siblings were sick, which is very seldom for the most of us, my mom thought going to the pediatrician’s office would probably make us sicker because of the germs ha.
If I’m ever around her before she goes to bed I never fail to see her taking her krill oil in apple cider vinegar for digestive health, flax seed to decrease cholesterol, and astragalus if she ever feels nasal congestion coming on. She absolutely swears by arnica gel. If anyone is ever having any sort of ache, pain, skin lesion, or discomfort she can’t seem to get the words arnica gel out of her mouth fast enough. A couple of years ago she had a pretty bad bicycle accident and really messed her face up. She couldn’t believe how miraculous of a job arnica did healing her abrasions. It got to the point were she was recommending it to so many people the little guy at the Amazing Grace store on bardstown road said they were selling out of it ha.
To me, alternative medicine is also a way of life and keeping healthy. Whether it be listening to music for therapy, running to clear your mind, or practicing yoga and tai chi to connect with your inner self, in my experience seems to do nothing but better enrich life.
Traditional medicine makes me think of my dad and the more typical healthcare system. My dad, would definitely be one to kind of go crazy-eyed over my mom taking her flax seed to reduce cholesterol and say lipitor is definitely the better route. Or take an ambien to go to bed instead of not falling asleep in the chair watching t.v. before hand. My mom gets a kick out of my dad waking up to take his sleeping pill to go to bed as he does all her alternate remedies.
I know all things cannot be cured naturally, but do wish our society and hospitals would look more into natural remedies. I feel like it is, as evidence by my mom’s health, a great adjunct or alternative remedy. If your sick, what’s an herb or yoga session to harm!
Alternative medicine can be a very sensitive subject to me. Sometimes I don’t believe in it because there is no science behind it, but then I hear these amazing success stories attributed to alternative medicine and I can’t help but believe in it. While I was growing up, I was forced to try alternative medicine before traditional anytime I got sick because my mother lost her faith in traditional medicine since I was three months old.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 2 weeks old, I was diagnosed with Pertussis and went into a NICU until I was 3 months old. At 3 months, I still weighed 7lbs, didn’t cry or moved and every 30 minutes my mom thought I was going to die because the coughing made my whole body turn a bluish purple. The doctors told my mother it would be a long time before I got better because I was very sick and I was very young. She was desperate to hold me again so she brought in an old Chinese-Cuban lady who practiced alternative medicine along with religious rituals to cure people. According to my mom, a week later I was at home, I started to grow, eat and sleep like a normal baby.
If you ask my mother she will say that the lady cured me. I think the disease had run its course and with all the medicine I was on I was going to get better eventually. After this instance I has never been sick again, my mother attributes y health to the protection I still have from the religious rituals performed on me as a child. Regardless, my mother always took us for health checkups twice a year since I can remember and always stayed up to date on our immunizations. In the back of my mind I will always wonder what really happened when I was an infant, I will never absolutely discard the possibility that I was cured by the old lady but I still have my doubts.
Due to my experience, and the story that has been told to me by everyone in my family since I was very young, I want to know more about alternative medicine. I also think that people should consider alternative medicine more often for things like the common cold, headaches, sleeping, minor infections, etc. But also should be considered when treating major things like cancer. There are so many success stories out there, that it’s always worth a try.
My reaction to Alternative medicine is complete interest! Between the readings and the speaker I have learned a lot and I like it. I was especially intrigued by the Bach's Flower Essences. I thought the idea of them was really unique and interesting(not sure if I am a believer) but nonetheless I like the idea of an Alternative Medicine that you can take anytime in your life whether you are young, old, pregnant, etc. I know after listening to the speaker this past Monday I am not a complete skeptic and would like to try some of her products. I would be disappointed if they did not work! (Anyone want to join me on a trip to her shop?)
ReplyDeleteI connect Alternative Medicine to Traditional Medicine because a lot of medicine that we use today can be considered Alternative Medicines because they are herbs and plants and such. I differentiate them because I think that our traditional medicine is a lot more complicated with the trials and money issues. I understand why these things have to be done but I admire the simplicity of the alternative approach. It allows you to take your health into your own hands.
I cannot wait until we go to Belize, I want to learn as much as possible about the different cultures and their alternative practices. I have a lot of questions that I hope will be answered by our trip. I can't wait for Belize, or to learn more about Alternative Medicine!
Post by Erika:
ReplyDeleteWhen given the subject alternative medicine,I think of old cowboy and indian movies. I have always been interested in the herbs and the medicial healings that you see in the movies with indians after they've been shot. I love the way only one little shack took care of the whole village with the herbs and the way the ill patients sweat the infections out. Even though alternative medicines are here in Kentucky, I can not wait to go out of the U.S. to learn more about them.
I would relate alternative medicine to traditional medicine in the fact that they are all made for one purpose: to heal. Yet they are also different because more work and research is done for traditional medicine. Alternative medicines seem less complicated than traditional medicines. When using alternative medications you can use what is given to us on Earth. While traditional medications have to be tested and observed. There are alot of complications and loop holes that have to be overcomed before patients can use traditional medications.
This week in Belize is going to be such an eye opener for me. Not only learning about the differences in medications but, also learning about taking less for granted and seeking more into what we already have been given on Earth.
chelsea
ReplyDeletei think alternative medicines are very interesting. i never have known much about them. I always just think of using lavender to go to sleep as alternative medicine, but it goes way deeper than that. I have not been exposed to a lot of them. My mom took me to the doctor for every sniffle growing up. But hearing that our speaker has gone years without illness makes me want to incorporate some of her alternative medicine practices in my life.
When i compare alternative medicines to traditional medicines, I still think of using alternative medicines for less severe medical problems. Its hard for me to think that oils or herbs can cure terrible diseases. and i dont typically think of doctors prescribing medicines for smaller ailment, such as trouble sleeping. However I know a lady who had cancer and cured it using alternative medicines. I think over the coming years, alternative medicines will become more popular and i will associate them with actual diseases and not just minor ailments.
Becca Roy
ReplyDeleteAlternative medicine is still a new concept to me. The extent of our first couple of classes covers my knowledge on alternative care and treatments. When I think of alternative medicine, I think of a natural way to cure or treat. It looks to me that anything you can cure or treat naturally would be better than anything developed in a lab. I would think there would be little to no side effects with home remedies. In minor cases, I think the person should use solely alternative medicine if possible. I would say the more a person can avoid putting man made substances into their body, the healthier and happier they will feel. On the other hand, I think with severe illnesses or accidents are best cured with a mix of alternative and traditional medicine. I think traditional medicine is best used to cure or fix severe problems where alternative medicine is best used to relieve and maintain symptoms. In cultures where they only use alternative medicine, I do think that is well within their right to decide and I support their decision. Treatments exclusively based on alternative medicine may not work for me, but I still understand where a culture can be completely content basing all of their trust in alternative care. I am interested in using alternative medicine to give me a little extra boost to stay healthy. I do believe that the key to a happy and fulfilling life is to have a healthy mind, body, and spirit. From what I’ve learned so far, alternative medicine can help the person become healthy as a whole. Hopefully, next time I go to reach for a quick traditional cure, I can look through our book and find a cheaper, holistic cure.
Before taking this class I never really knew what alternative medicine was. I had an idea of it, but did not think twice about it because it was “alternative” and not the traditional I have been use to since I was born. Since the start of this semester I have really gotten to understand it and discovered it can be a lot more helpful for our body now and in the future. When the lady, who I cannot remember her name, came and talked about herbs and oils on Monday, it was really interesting. I did not know oils could cure so many common bodily functions or prevent problems from occurring. It is a shame that alternative medicine like this is not known more in society, especially in our country. When so many people are sick but can’t afford proper medical attention they just continue to get sick. If only they knew about different oils, which are quite inexpensive, that could help prevent illnesses or everyday annoyances that our body produces; such as menstrual cramps, tight/sore muscles, headaches, sore gums, being tired, etc.
ReplyDeleteTraditional medicine is good, but it only comes into affect when the person is already sick and needs something, and in so, so many cases they need a pill of some kind, which also can produce adverse side effects. For instance, I get a lot of headaches which causes me to take a lot of advil or something similar, which I know is not good for me. If I knew there was some kind of alternative medicine out there that would help prevent or decrease the amount of number of headaches I get I would most certainly try it.
I guess I don’t really connect traditional with alternative medicine that much, probably because I still don’t know all the different types of alternative medicine. I try to keep my body healthy and think I am most of the time, but because a doctor or healthcare provider does not mention a treatment that is free and easy, as opposed to taking a pill, I probably do not hear about it. For example, you will never hear a doctor tell a patient to drink tea to help their sore throat, at least I haven’t. I am going to be a Respiratory Therapist and I know that when a patient asks for what will help their symptoms I immediately think of a drug or a traditional medical solution. Many doctors are the same, they think of a drug first as a treatment source. Therefore, a lot of people think this certain treatment will help, as apposed to alternative methods.
Post from Lindsay Heister:
ReplyDeleteUp until recently, I had never given alternative medicine much thought. I knew there were many people in the world who practiced and relied solely on alternative medicine, but it had never really had much influence in my life.
Now, I believe that alternative medicine can have great benefits to those who use it. However, I do think that alternative medicine, to some degree, relies on a placebo effect. While I think the herbs, oils, and essences do elicit changes in the body, I also think that the person using these things has to believe whole-heartedly in them. I think alternative medicine has a greater effect on those who are educated in the field.
In relation to traditional medicine, I think alternative medicine requires more work for the person receiving treatment. Like I mentioned before, I think the recipient has to truly believe in the treatment for it to be more effective, whereas in traditional medicine, the drugs and treatments they use are more consistently effective regardless of the recipient's attitude.
I think that the most effective treatment would be a combination of the two styles. Especially for someone who is knowledgeable in alternative practices, I think those types of treatments could be very beneficial when used in conjunction with traditional medicine.
(Elaine) Traditional medicine takes my mind back to pioneer days or back to the Navajo Reservation. One thing I believe has been forgotten in our consumerist society driven by health insurance that modern medicine started with traditional medicine as its foundation. Some of my beliefs are that maybe our world has become too complex and we have forgotten our roots, such as our roots in traditional medicine. My views are very open to traditional medicine. I am open, but like most people in the Western World, I am also apprehensive about some of traditional medicine. I believe this apprehension stems from lack of knowledge. Knowledge in that a majority of medical professional s have little or no knowledge of traditional medicine and are not able to endorse it. Medical professionals stick with modern medicine by writing prescriptions that can treat almost every symptom. I as a consumer am suppose to trust this medical professional that has had years of training in the subject that what modern medicine is prescribed. Or, insurance will not pay for traditional medicine. I am more willing to try traditional medicine on myself before trying some of it on my own children. When it comes to my children, I would rather go with what I am told to trust. I also don't see why there can not be a coexistace between modern and traditional practices. With traditional medicine, I find that the more I know, the more I care.
ReplyDeleteBefore this class, I never really put much thought into alternative medicine. I’ve been so accustomed to going to the doctor for absolutely every problem I have had, especially for my recurring sinus infections. Of course, the only drug the doctor can prescribe me is antibiotics. I have learned through my nursing classes that using antibiotics frequently will eventually lead to my body getting so used to them to the point where they won’t work anymore. This would be very bad if I got sick with something much more serious.
ReplyDeleteAfter being in this class for only a few weeks, I am very interested in learning about what I can do to treat my sinus infections from remedies made at home. This is why I chose to do my research paper on sinusitis. Once I have my research paper completed, I should know just about everything I can do to avoid going to the doctor! I feel like there are so many simple home remedies and herbs I could be using to both prevent getting sick and to cure me when I am sick. I am hoping to make less trips to the doctor from here on out.
Alternative medicine is much more conservative and there is a wide range of options to treat different ailments; whereas, traditional medicine is drug oriented and leaves fewer options to choose from. Alternative medicine offers an approach that’s based on the entire body. The doctor will look at the whole person and how one symptom or system is affecting another. Its goal is to focus on maintaining the health of a person, before that person can become sick or dysfunctional.
Traditional medicine (Western medicine) is focused on the individual’s one symptom or one system that’s being affected. It doesn’t look at the body as a whole, but looks at in pieces. It is drug oriented and surgery oriented. This type of medicine is highly effective when it comes to critical care and emergencies, but only fixes the one part of the body leaving the rest of the body to possible suffer at its expense.
I think it would be great if the two types of medicine could be combined more into the healthcare we have today. Traditional medicine will always take precedence in emergency or life and death situations and alternative medicine will be put into use after. Alternative medicine can be used every day as a great prevention tool to help our bodies stay healthy and in balance. If people used alternative medicine in their everyday life, I highly believe we would have less people in this world getting sick. Alternative medicine should replace traditional medicine when it comes to things like the flu, cold, sinus infections…
When I finally can get the chance to sit down and figure out a plan for integrating alternative medicine into my life, I think I will be sick less and will live a much healthier life. I plan on taking vitamin C starting now to prevent me from getting sick prior to Belize! I am already on my path of being a healthier person!
JCotton:
ReplyDeleteWhen I think alternative medicine I seem to always remember back to when I was playing basketball around 7th or 8th grade. I kept getting athletes foot and it was an extreme annoyance. My mom didn't like the traditional sprays like "tough actin Tinactin" but there was a method her mother had taught her about. She would cut a potato into slices resembling a chip shape and would rub the potato juices on my foot. And wouldn't you know it, my feet would clear up in about 3 days and stay clear as long as i used the potatoes once or twice a week. The itching would go away almost instantly. I still couldn't explain to you why it works but it does! But, growing up my mom would rather try her own "home remedies" first; mostly to save money on the small things.
Other than my mother using the occasional home method I really hadn't known or even thought about alternative medicine. I just always thought you went to the doctor for any and every ailment. After going through just the first half of this class I have really taken interest in alternative medicine. It has opened my eyes to a more natural way to treat myself and loved ones. I really hope to take some methods from this class and apply to my own life and hopefully become more informed for when I do have children I can use these practices on them before seeing a doctor.
As far as modern medicine goes I have mixed feelings. I feel that with some of today's pharmaceuticals and pills there seems to be more adverse affects than healing or helpful ones. With that said, I don't have anything against the healthcare professionals or those who aid in our healing. I just think that things have gotten to be out of hand in the medical world as far as just writing a prescription for everything. I feel like we need to really get to know our doctors and make sure they know about you and your health. It just needs to be more personal so that both the patient and doctor are on the same page.
Although I may have seemed negative towards modernized medical practices, there have been a lot of great and vital advances in medicine and its practices. I think that modern medicine and the labs that create and come up with these new drugs are doing a great thing and helping a lot of people out. I hope that one day there is that "miracle drug" that can safely cure cancer or even the common cold. I think that modern medicine plays an important role in all aspects of our lives.