| Before we can understand the term: Alternative | | | | has been practiced for over three thousand |
| Medicine, it is necessary for us to first understand | | | | years. Alternative medicine believes in the body's |
| what Conventional Medicine is. Now Conventional | | | | natural ability to heal itself, and just helps in the |
| Medicine is the current medical system of | | | | process. In addition to that, most alternative |
| hospitals, doctors, medicine and chemists. In short, | | | | medicines are natural and non toxic. |
| the general accepted health care system of any | | | | By further comparison we see that alternative |
| country. Doctors go to university, study for | | | | medicine excels in the treatment of chronic |
| seven or more years, do an internship at a | | | | diseases. It strives to find the cause for the |
| hospital, and then join or start a medical practice. | | | | disease and is also more focussed on prevention. |
| When you are sick, you go to a doctor, who will | | | | Conventional medicine, by contrast, focuses on |
| prescribe some medicine, send you to a hospital, | | | | the relief of symptoms, and rarely looks at |
| and/or do an operation. | | | | prevention or the cause of the disorder. |
| Under the term: Alternative Medicine, we | | | | Alternative medicine sees the person as unique |
| understand that it contains practices and medicine | | | | and focuses on a holistic approach to healing him. |
| not recognized by conventional medicine. This is | | | | Conventional medicine focuses on the organ that |
| medicine that is not taught at universities and not | | | | has a problem; hence you get cardiologists, |
| available at hospitals. Sometimes they are used | | | | neurologists, etc. |
| together with conventional medicine. We then call | | | | Alternative medicine concentrates on gentle, long |
| it: Complimentary Medicine. Alternative medicines | | | | term support. Contrast this with the aggressive |
| include some of the following: acupuncture, | | | | intervention of conventional medicine. |
| Chinese medicine, chiropractic medicine, folk | | | | Alternative medicine views the body as energy, |
| medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, faith | | | | and an imbalance in energy causes illness. |
| healing, naturopathy, new age healing, massage, | | | | Conventional medicine views the body as a |
| and music therapy. | | | | mechanical system, and any illness is a chemical |
| Why do people visit Alternative Medicine | | | | imbalance, to be treated with chemical drugs. |
| practitioners? | | | | With alternative medicine, patients work with the |
| Statistics show that more people visit Alternative | | | | practitioner in the healing process. Conventional |
| Medicine Practitioners than visit Conventional | | | | medicine, by contrast, prefers that the patient |
| Practitioners, preferring to pay out of their own | | | | takes a passive role in his healing. |
| pockets rather than use the healthcare system. | | | | Alternative medicine concentrates on gentle, |
| Why is that? It is perhaps because Alternative | | | | herbal remedies, whereas conventional medicine is |
| Medicine is more traditional, for example, | | | | tied in with the whole pharmaceutical system |
| Ayurvedic medicine, which is traditional Indian | | | | which concentrates on making a profit. |
| medicine, has been practiced for the past five | | | | Alternative or conventional medicine? Or a |
| thousand years and traditional Chinese medicine | | | | mixture of both? You decide. |