The Use of Alternative Medicine in the United States - Essay Example

? The Availability of Nontraditional Health Care in the Philadelphia, PA Area The Availability of Nontraditional Health Care in the Philadelphia, PA Area Introduction Most people have a basic understanding of how modern medicine works. Accordingly, many people tend to have a yearly checkup in order to understand their health status. However, in case they are diagnosed of a disease, doctors prescribe drugs for use. At the same time, for those who happen to break their bones, a cast is often provided and all these are good as new. Nevertheless, other approaches to healing have emerged in recent times. Micozzi (2010) reported that many Americans are increasingly embracing the use of nontraditional medicines commonly referred to us ‘alternative’ medicines. According to Micozzi (2010), more than 50% of Americans use either complimentary or alternative form of medicine as their preferred approach to medication. The new government survey report indicated that 36% of American adults aged 18 years and above use nontraditional forms of medications. Philadelphia is one among the states that have registered high number of people using nontraditional forms of medication according to Metz and Jones (2008). Some of the nontraditional medicines commonly used by the residents of Philadelphia include homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, folk remedies, massage, meditation, spiritual healing, aromatherapy, herbal and ayurvedic Medicine just to name but a few. The aim of this paper is to examine the extent of availability of nontraditional healthcare in Philadelphia state. The use of nontraditional medicine has been on the rise in America in the recent past. According to a survey conducted recently by the U.S. government, it was discovered that more than a half of American population are using nontraditional medicines for treatments (Metz and Jones, 2008). Nontraditional medicines in this case refer to health care approaches, which originated from outside Western or conventional that are used for treatments and well-being. “Alternative and ‘complementary’ medicines are terms commonly used interchangeably when referring to nontraditional health care approaches. “ Alternative” medicines refer to a healthcare practice that is not compatible with the conventional medicines of the Western countries, according to Metz and Jones (2008). In this regard, alternative medicine involves total replacement of conventional Western medicines with the non-mainstream forms of medications. “Complementary’ medicine, on the other hand, is a health care approach that is incompatible with the conventional medicines of the West, but, unlike ‘alternative’ medicines, is used together with the conventional medicines. As earlier mentioned, the use of alternative medicine in the United States is widespread and the numbers continue to rise. In Philadelphia, for example, the numbers of patients resorting to the use of nontraditional medicine is on the rise, according to Michelfelder (2007). This is based on the belief that the nontraditional healthcare medicines are very effective in treating diseases or relieving patients from pain. Acupuncture is one of the most commonly used non-mainstream forms of medication used by many residents of Philadelphia, notes Michelfelder (2007). This form of medication is widely used in homes and hospitals across the state as a pain reliever. Acupuncture as a healthcare medicine involves the stimulation of certain joints of the body using different techniques such as the insertion of thin needles in the skin Michelfelder (2007). The main objecting of doing this is to remove in the qi flow, restore, as well as to maintain health. To discover the extent of its use in Philadelphia, I interviewed one of the doctors in Philadelphia’s pain management center. According to the doctor, acupuncture is widely in use in hospitals as back pain and headache reliever. The doctor also stated that in most cases, acupuncture is used as a complementary with other conventional Western medicines. In addition, the doctor revealed that hospitals are also using acupuncture medicines as a pain reliever for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and those suffering from diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and women undergoing labor pain. Hypnosis is another type of alternative medicine widely in use in homes and hospitals throughout the state of Philadelphia, according to Gurgevich (2007). Just like acupuncture, hypnosis is also used as a pain reliever medicine. Hypnosis is a nontraditional medical technique, which involves making a patient repeat positive statements repeatedly or using guided imagery to make patients relax their minds, notes Gurgevich (2007). According to the doctor interviewed many hospitals in the country, especially in Philadelphia, use hypnosis healthcare technique to relieve pain following surgery or during labor pain. The doctor was also quick to state that the healthcare technique is also used in m any hospitals throughout the country to relieve pain in patients suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, tension headaches, cancer, Migraine headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome. Homeopathy is another nontraditional medicine widely used in Philadelphia today. The medicine originated from Europe and has been in use in America since 19th century. The medicine is used to trigger the body’s natural healing process using small doses of highly diluted substances that are dangerous for health in their concreted states. Szabo (2013) indicates that most homeopathic medicines are obtained from natural substances derived from minerals, plants, and animals. This type of medicine is used in the treatment of diseases such as ADHD and allergic patients, just to name but a few. Massage therapy is another form of nontraditional healthcare approach that has been received well by Americans, according to Metz and Jones (2008). A survey conducted in the state of Philadelphia revealed that many people adopts this approach as a pain reliever. Massage therapy is used in many places including homes, hospitals and during sporting activities. Massage therapy is a treatment technique, which involves manual manipulation of soft tissues of the body (Metz and Jones, 2008). For instance, when somebody is tired, a massage therapy is performed on the painful areas to relax the body. The research conducted showed that many residents of Philadelphia nowadays like going for massage therapy to keep their body healthy and relaxed. In addition, I also noted that massage therapy is also widely used during sporting activities to treat the injured players. In this regard, I discovered that in case a player is injured during a game, the first aid normally performed is the massage therapy on the soft tissues injured. Naturopathy is another non-mainstream healthcare technique widely in use today in America and Philadelphia in particular. This form of medication originated in Europe in the 18th century with its roots traced back to the Greek medical philosophy (Micozzi, 2010). Naturopathy holds that the body is capable of healing itself if put in the right condition and circumstances. As a result, the medical approach involves the use of a variety of therapies or treatments to trigger the body’s natural healing process. In Philadelphia, this form of treatment is performed using nutritional medicine, herbal medicine, dietetics, and homoeopathy among others. The research I conducted in Philadelphia showed that Naturopathy is commonly used a healthcare approach in homes as opposed to hospitals. According to Micozzi (2010), naturopathy is used in the treatment of several disorders such as fatigue, digestive complaints, allergies, endocrine disturbance, fertility problems, behavioral problems mood and depressive disorders just to name but a few. Spiritual healing is also commonly used in the state of Philadelphia as treatment methods. The state of Philadelphia has many religious people who believe that only spiritual healing powers. This was noted mainly with people of Asian and African descent living in the Philadelphia. As such, when someone falls sick, the patient is subjected to spiritual healking, which involves prayers. However, this is still done a complement of the conventional Western medicines. Other non-mainstream medicines widely in use in Philadelphia and the U.S. as a whole include herbal medicines, moxibustion, Ayurvedic medicine, meditation, and aromatherapy. Conclusion Nontraditional medicine is widely in use in America today, especially in Philadelphia. The findings revealed that more than 50% of Americans currently use nontraditional medicine for treatments. The number is also likely to increase due to the globalization effects. References Gurgevich, S. (2007). Self-hypnosis techniques. In: Rakel D, ed. Integrative Medicine (2nd edn). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier. Metz, J.M., & Jones, H. (2008). Complementary and alternative medicine. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage J.O, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKenna WG, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology (4th edn). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Michelfelder, A.J. (2007). Acupuncture for headaches. In: Rakel D, ed. Integrative Medicine (2nd edn). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier. Micozzi, M.S. (2010). Fundamentals of complementary and alternative medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Health Sciences. Szabo, L. (2013). “Book raises alarms about alternative medicine.” USA Today. 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