Alternative Medicine vs Conventional Medicine - Essay Example

Alternative Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine” Melissa House Over the last few years a major trend in medicine has developed: alternative medicine has become a big business. There are now lots of pharmacies and clinics that provide alternative medical services and there are whole organizations out there that certify such products and procedures. Countless magazines articles have written about alternative medicine, and celebrities have gushed about their experiences with it. But many questions remain unasked. Is it more effective than conventional medicine? The truth is that when deciding to use alternative or conventional medicines, one must first do extensive research , make a list of pros and cons for each, and make a decision on which to use or combining the two. There are many people who a potential patient can discuss such thing with, among them practitioners, family members. The most important thing, however, is to make an informed decision. When starting research about different medical and alternative therapies, most people start looking on the internet, then speak with different health practitioners. Definitions are an important place to start when doing any sort of research. Dictionary.com defines alternative medicine as “healthcare and treatment practices, including traditional Chinese medicine, chiropractic, folk medicine, and naturopathy, that minimize or eschew the use of surgery and drugs” (“Alternative medicine,” 2010). Medicinenet.com defines conventional medicine as “medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses” (“Conventional medicine,” 2010). Evidence shows that medicine is becoming integrated, using alternative treatments along with conventional medicine,” to treat the whole person and not just the disease” (Kam, 2009, p. 1). Nevertheless, the medical marketplace is full of complications. Few people are medically literate and many people are vulnerable to those who would sell them poor products or quackery. On issues as important as health, one would hope that we could trust our government to properly regulate the market. That is not always the case though. Some people believe that conventional medicine is more regulated than alternative medicine, but this is not necessarily true either. The history of conventional pharmaceuticals for example is instructive. The 19th century saw a large expansion in the sale and use of drugs. The only problem was many of these drugs were very harmful and easy to get. At this time there was no real health insurance available and very few social benefits at all. It would be hard to say people thought they had a right to prescription medicine or healthcare at all. Another important point: there was virtually no oversight; the government, the people’s representatives, had no role in the production, distribution, or advertising of such products.. There were few instructions on how to use them. Cocaine for example was prescribed as a cure for any number of things. It was also present in Coca Cola, the popular soft drink. This was the situation for many years, almost until half-way through the twentieth century. But that all changed with a famous case when a huge problem emerged in 1937. A popular drug resulted in a mass poisoning and forced the authorities to begin to act. The mass poisoning was related to the use of Elixir Sulfanilamide. Up until this time there had been no regulatory control. But in this case, the anger that was prompted by the death of more than 100 people led to much stricter controls. The government was forced to act, was forced to realize there was a responsibility on the part of the drug companies to provide a safe product, and a responsibility on their own part to ensure that this was done. This led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Over the next few years, these regulations were expanded to require people to get certain drugs by prescription only and also that before new drugs could be sold they would have to pass clinical trials (Finkelstein, 24). Suddenly, the cost of researching new drugs and complying with safety standards skyrocketed. A huge proportion of what a drug company spends is spent on meeting safety standards and maintaining a kind of social contract with society that their drugs will be safe and effective. A good indication of this now is the listing of side effects in pharmaceutical companies advertisements. All possible side effects must be read out to the audience. This often makes for awkward ads that show happy, smiling people picnicking while a voice intones: “May cause swelling of the tongue…” The truth is that the conventional medical market is so enormous that it wield more regulatory power than the alternative market. This is not necessarily a good thing. It is important for consumers to keep in this in mind when they are considering their options. It is popular idea that one market is safer than another, but this is not necessarily the case. Decisions about which form of medicine to pursue should be thoroughly evaluated to make sure the best possible medical solution is chosen. It is important for people to make a list of all options. A doctor can provide one or more possibilities. Research will provide more. Consider asking other patients with the same diagnosis what their choices were. Choices may include surgery, drugs, physical therapies, even complementary or alternative therapies (Torrey, 2007). According to an about.com article on patient empowerment, patients “understand that their participation on their own healthcare team, in collaboration with others, is a vital aspect of finding their best medical outcomes” (Patient empowerment, 2010, p. 1). There are 4 goals of medical treatment: preventative, curative, disease and pain management, and palliative (Torrey, 2010, p.1). The truth is that patients need to feel that there is a place for them in the doctors office. Part of the problem is clearly the overloading of the healthcare system. Doctors in conventional medicine see too many patients everyday for them to empathize properly with every individual’s problem. This is not good—patients need to feel as if they are cared for. They open themselves up in a doctor’s office—both physically and emotionally—and they require that the response they receive from medical people is measured and appropriate. In the end, however, being busy is no excuse we must all take the time to understand the position people are put in in a doctor’s office: a position of vulnerability, and they need to feel they can trust their medical practitioner. This is something a patient must take into consideration when choosing between different systems of medicine. After you have gathered all of your information, sit down and speak to family members, if necessary, and choose the best option for the treatment of your condition. “Open and honest communication among your providers, your family, and yourself is the first step in deciding what’s best for you or someone in your care.” (Making Informed Medical Decisions, 2010. p. 2). Patients and their families’ choices must be included with professional opinion in the process of making a good decision (Hallenbeck, 2003). Once a decision has been made, it should be followed through in order to obtain the best outcome (Torrey, 2009). It is not enough to hope that you will be treated effective, you must take a proactive stance on your own health. The world is changing and medicine is changing. There have never been more options for patients and information about those options has never been more available. In many cases it is only a mouse click away. It’s in patient’s best interest to do extensive research in order to determine all viable treatments applicable to condition or disease. Patient can feel good about decision if all options are known. References Alternative medicine. (2010). Dictionary.com unabridged. Retrieved September 29, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/alternative medicine Conventional medicine. (1996-2010). Medicinenet.com. Retrieved September 29, 2010, from http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=33527 Barnes P, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, &Nahin R. (2002).CDC Advance Data Report #343. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United States. Retrieved Wong, C. (2004, June 3). Alternative medicine use on the rise in the U.S.. Retrieved September 29, 2010 from http://altmedicine.about.com/od/alternativemedicinebasics/a/CAMuse_2.htm Finkelstein S, Temin P (2008). Reasonable Rx: Solving the drug price crisis. FT Press, 24-26 Kam, K. (2009, April 16). What is integrated medicine? Retrieved September 29, 2010 from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/alternative-medicine-integrative- medicine?rdserver=www.integrativemed.webmd.com \ Torrey, T. (2007, December 28). How to make an objective medical treatment decision. Retrieved September 29, 2010 from http://patients.about.com/od/decisionmaking/ss/decisionmaking.htm Torrey, T. (2010, March 6). Your patient role as a partner on your healthcare team. Retrieved September 29, 2010 from http://patients.about.com/od/researchtreatmentoptions/a/hcteam.htm Torrey, T. (2010, April 8). The Four Goals of Medical Treatment: Managing Your Own Expectations. Retrieved September 29, 2010 from http://patients.about.com/od/researchtreatmentoptions/ss/treatmentgoals.htm Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare Ethics Committee (2004). Making informed medical decisions: thinking them through. Retrieved September 29, 2010 from http://www.gillettechildrens.org/fileUpload/Making%20Informed%20Medical%20Decisions.pdf. Hallenbeck, J.L. (2003). Palliative care perspectives. [chapter 7, 1st edition]. Oxford University Press, New York City, NY. (Kindle Version). Torre, T. (2009, August 1). Compliance: following through on treatment decisions. Retrieved September 29, 2010 from http://patients.about.com/od/researchtreatmentoptions/a/compliance.htm. Read More