A Glance at Different Medicines

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In a survey done in 2007 by the National Health Interview Survey revealed that 38 percent of Americans use complementary or alternative medicine. These patients turn to CAM (complementary or alternative medicine) in order to become more healthy – they were in some way failed by conventional medicine.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a very large group of medical and health practices and products that are not used in traditional Western medicine. Western medicine, or allopathic medicine (or traditional or conventional medicine – all names refer to the same thing) is usually the kind of medicine taught in medical schools and practiced by physicians who hold degrees as M.D.s (medical doctors) or D.O.s (doctor of osteopathy), and the myriad of assistant practitioners that go with them, such as physical therapists and registered nurses. The field of CAM is actually so broad that the boundaries between various treatments are not always clear. Additionally many traditional doctors have found treatments and remedies that work in the fields of CAM, and so use these therapies on their patients in addition to some traditional therapies.

Generally, “Alternative Medicine” means that the treatments are used instead of using conventional medical treatments. And “Complementary Medicine” refers to practices that are not strictly conventional, but are used along with conventional medicine. An example would be using acupuncture to help lessen pain, but also using pain killing drugs. Sometimes using both traditional and alternative medicine is referred to as “Integrative Medicine.”

CAM practices are often grouped into broad categories, such as natural products, mind-body medicine and manipulative and body-based practices. Although these categories are not formally defined, they are useful for discussing CAM practices. Some CAM practices may fit into more than one category. Generally, people who practice alternative medicine have only two categories – medicine that works and medicine that doesn’t work.

Some alternative medicine has crept into traditional medicine and become standard practice. For example, taking multivitamins or taking calcium for bone strength are now generally accepted as a good idea by doctors. Eating a healthy diet is recommended by almost all conventional doctors, and especially those who deal with heart disease. Alternative practitioners may take the recommended use of natural supplements much further.

Another practice that used to be alternative medicine and is now generally accepted is the use of probiotics. Probiotics are foods that contain live microorganisms (bacteria) that are naturally found in a human digestive system. Foods such as yogurt contain these organisms and are often recommended by traditional doctors. Another category of natural supplements is called prebiotics – these are ingredients found in particular foods that help with the growth and activity of the bacteria that are found in the digestive tract.

Herbal or botanical medicine has a very long history. There were thousands of botanical products categorized and labeled for their medicinal value by the time the Middle Ages rolled around. The “ice man” found in the Italian Alps in 1991 carried medicinal herbs with him. This fellow was thousands of years old.

Physicians who were trained in conventional medicine now often turn to alternative medicine or at least complementary medicine in an attempt to make their patients well and healthy. Too much harm has been caused by side effects of drugs and surgery. These doctors feel that if they can get a better result from a natural therapy, without causing the patient harm, that’s why they went to medical school in the first place – to help people.

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Tags: alternative, alternative medicine, cam, complementary or alternative medicine, conventional medical treatments, health practices, health products, locate source of problem, medical practices, medical products, modern medicine, Natural, prescriptions

Article Citation
MLA Style Citation:
Minton, Michael "A Glance at Different Medicines." A Glance at Different Medicines. 17 Jul. 2011. uberarticles.com. 18 Apr 2012 <http://uberarticles.com/health-and-fitness/natural/a-glance-at-different-medicines/>.

APA Style Citation:
Minton, M (2011, July 17). A Glance at Different Medicines. Retrieved April 18, 2012, from http://uberarticles.com/health-and-fitness/natural/a-glance-at-different-medicines/

Chicago Style Citation:
Minton, Michael "A Glance at Different Medicines" uberarticles.com. http://uberarticles.com/health-and-fitness/natural/a-glance-at-different-medicines/

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