Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies - Assignment Example

CAM Therapies Complementary And Alternative Medicine Theories There are various complementary and alternative medicines and practices which are used as measures to curb human diseases or conditions. These complementary and alternative medicines are outside the scope of the allopathic and mainstream treatments and health care. They are usually used alongside the allopathic mainstream treatment methods. Complementary medical care is used in a manner that causes the pleasant feeling to the patient. Complementary treatments can be used alongside the mainstream treatments. However, alternative treatments are those which are applied in place of the conventional medicine and the intention behind their use is a treatment or curing of a health related condition which would still be achieved using the mainstream medicine. The difference between complementary treatment and alternative treatment is that in complementary treatment, medicine may be used while in alternative treatment, mainstream medicine is not used. Conventional and alternative treatment methods are many and are usually even administered by highly trained persons. These methods include: acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, aromatherapy, massage therapy, meditation, and yoga. Conventional medical practices or allopathic medicine is a term which is usually used by supporters of alternative treatment methods to denote mainstream use of manufactured agents or interventions to cure or to overwhelm symptoms or pathophysiological developments or even disorders. This treatment approach is a wide subdivision in the medical practice field which is used to refer to western medicine and medical practices. This method is also referred to as biomedicine or evidence based medicine or sometimes, modern medicine. These modern medical treatment practices have various importances: they are best when it comes to the treatment of traumatic conditions such as accident cases which would otherwise be hectic to treat using the alternative methods of treatment. These methods are also very flexible, they are flexible in that they can be administered online, where patients say their symptoms and then trained personnel can recommend the drugs to be taken. This is not available to most alternative treatment methods which majorly need strict observance by a trained instructor. However, this practice also has their drawbacks in that they are costly to access and requires training of the doctors. As pointed out earlier, acupuncture is one of the convectional and alternative methods of treatment. This method of treatment involves injecting the patients with thin needles via the skin at specific points on their bodies and at various depths. This method is used to alleviate pain and also have some therapeutic benefits of the patient. Based on a research by the world health organization, this method has proven to be successful in treatment of twenty eight different conditions. Sufficient evidence also shows that the practice has positive therapeutic effects for other many conditions on patients. For example, research have shown that Acupuncture, done twice a week may reduce symptoms of mouth drying among patients who have been treated using radiations for cancers of the head and the neck. Another benefit of acupuncture is that it may help pregnant women who experiences indigestion problems. Acupuncture is also important I that patients who do not want to take pain medications can use it instead. This practice is also effective when used as a combinative treatment to enhance faster recovery of patients after treatment with modern drugs. This practice has an added advantage that it is usually safe when performed by qualified persons. Traditional Chinese medicine is also another alternative treatment method. This is an unscientific ascertained treatment method which has for ages been practiced in China. This practice has various theories and immense preventive and therapeutic modes of approaching human diseases. This practice is largely grounded on anecdotal data, often explained as experience from life itself by the natives. (Novella, 2015). Traditional Chinese medicine practices have various advantages as well as drawbacks. Among the merits is that the practice may help in the treatment of psychological defects using the basic psychological realignment techniques. However, there are various disadvantages of this practice. This practice however has several drawbacks; it may lead to aggravated symptoms and diseases becoming uncontrollable if administered without careful consideration. Some practices in the Chinese Traditional Medicine have no scientific back up and when administered to patients may lead to poor performance and deterioration of the patients health conditions. Another form of alternative medicine is aromatherapy. This form involves the use of oils which are usually scented for therapeutic purposes. The main purpose is to assist relieve patients stress as well as tension. Like many other alternative medicine methods, this practice does not have much clinical information evidencing its effectiveness. Besides failure to have any clinical backup, this practice has its advantages. Firstly, it is very easy to use since starting aromatherapy is fairly cheap where one can for example use cheap scented candles and diffusers to produce eliciting scents in the air. Secondly, the method has a wide range of emotional as well as physical benefits. For this reason it has been used effectively to suppress depression and headaches, it is also being applied to cancer patients to face nausea, stress and pain. Another alternative therapy practice is naturopathy. This practice is based on modalities of herbal medicine and nutrition. It advocates that a person’s life should be looked at holistically and treatment of whole lifestyles instead of focusing on just one disease. This practice has various advantages, but it also has its drawbacks. It is advantageous in that counselling on lifestyles is done enhancing body health and avoiding lifestyle diseases. It may be disadvantageous in that some herbs may cause serious allergies when administered to patients Another form of alternative medicine is massage therapy. This is a practice where patients are massaged by masseurs to relax them. This method of alternative has no medical backing as to its ability to heal some illnesses. The only importance is that it is very relaxing and soothing which may reduce stress. Massage therapy has its drawbacks, also. For example, it may lead to uncalled for intimacy, requires a lot of time and it may be expensive. Another type of conventional therapy is chiropractic care. This practice is employed for neuromusculoskeletal complications. This is a highly specialized field and chiropractors go through thorough training before they are qualified. This practice is employed for patients before they choose to go for surgery. As a practice, this method has advantages in that patients do not have to go for surgeries if they are successful. Chiropractic care is also medically acceptable and yes, it is a cheaper method compared to surgery. Its disadvantages include that it may be risky if administered by an untrained chiropractor leading to serious complications. Meditation therapy is also another alternative and conventional therapy. Meditation has been found to lessen some body functions by reducing brain activity. For example, meditation has been found to lower blood pressure in patients as well as improvements in blood circulations. It has also led to reduced stress and anxiety. Some of the disadvantages of this method are that it may not have fast results compared with modern medicine. Last of the conventional and alternative therapy practices is yoga. Yoga is an ancient practice which is a form of moving meditation. This method is very effective when it comes to treating lifestyle complications since besides meditation, the participants also carry out body workouts which burn calories in their bodies leading to better health. This method cannot, however cure any disease, though it may correct some anatomical defects. It also requires strict discipline which most people are not willing to follow. All in all, conventional medical practices and alternative practices are by far outdone by modern medicine. This is because, despite their use over a long time, they lack scientific evidence. Modern medicine is the best since it is readily available and the results can be experienced in a short time besides its having wide evidence of its effectiveness. Reference Novella, S. (2015, January 5). Science Based Medicine. Retrieved from What is Traditional Chinese Medicine: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-is-traditional-chinese-medicine/ Read More