Alternative Medicine - Essay Example

Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine refers to forms of treatment either physical or methodological, which is out of the scientific conventional medicine. It is a healing procedure that has not been generally accepted in the medical scientific world. Most alternative medicine originates from cultural, historic, or traditional backgrounds. Their use has not been standardized by any scientific means and its use is open to regulation by government and human health bodies. Examples of alternative medicine include herbs, acupuncture and acupressure chiropractic, and aromatherapy.

Alternative medicine is very important in healthcare delivery especially to the financially challenged. Unlike conventional medicine, it is very cheap and affordable. For instance, herbs can be easily collected from within the locality. This makes it very important for communities with no access to hospitals.

Alternative medicine is mostly obtained from nature and as such users have a more natural connection to them which helps them in quick recovery and healing. According to Indian Board on Alternative Medicine (I.B.A.M), some types of alternative medicine such as yoga are of health benefit through body exercise thus offering a double solution (I.B.A.M 1).

Most alternative medicine is based on people’s cultures, traditions and beliefs, and hence users have more confidence in them. This makes it more appealing to them hence encouraging their use. This way, people can find methods of treatment with which they can associate with.

Conclusion

Alternative medicine is any form of treatment or therapy outside the realms of conventional scientific medicine. It plays a noble role in healthcare delivery due to its availability and natural connection with users.