Under the term alternative medicine one understands any diagnostic method and treatment that is not taught in medical school. It is a collective term, behind which various approaches are hidden. Alternative medicine sees itself as a supplement to conventional and apparatus medicine and offers gentler treatment methods.
What is alternative medicine?
A definition of the term alternative medicine is not that easy. In this respect, it has not yet been possible to agree on a conclusive and generally recognized description of the content.
The WHO defines alternative medicine as a medical discipline that is not integrated into the conventional medical system of a country because its methods neither belong in the national medical tradition nor make use of the means that conventional medicine regards as the scientific standard.
The alternative medicine that is practiced in Germany originates from China (e.g. acupuncture), Japan (Shiatsu) or the USA (chiropractic) or from naturopathic traditions.
Function, application, effect & goals
The areas of application and application methods of the Alternative medicine are diverse. The term "alternative medicine" sums up such different approaches as homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, the diverse forms of naturopathy, nutritional medicine, various breathing techniques and relaxation therapies, various body therapies such as osteopathy, craniosacral therapy or Shiatsu as well as Kneipp's hydrology and the like, to name but a few to name some approaches.
In many cases, alternative medicine is about harmonizing the malfunctioning body and the soul that affects it and stimulating the self-healing powers. Whether one directs the chi through needling and frees it from blockages, tries to remove the imbalances in the body with medicinal teas or stimulates a healing process with homeopathic dilutions, depends on the alternative medicine method used.
Alternative medicine essentially assumes that body, soul and spirit must be in harmony with one another. Compared to alternative medicine, conventional medicine is a pure repair medicine that is symptom-based instead of researching the cause. Alternative medicine, on the other hand, has developed various approaches to explaining the causes of a disorder and eliminates them through certain therapies and applications. Conventional medicine has always viewed alternative medicine as competition instead of integrating it.
In recent times, alternative medicine has become increasingly important because the patients demand it. In addition, more and more drugs are falling into disrepute because they have too strong side effects and cannot be dosed individually enough. For this reason, alternative medicine is moving more to the fore. It is often free of side effects and there are no dangerous interactions when different preparations are administered.
In many cases, doctors are now acquiring appropriate additional qualifications and adding alternative medicine to the portfolio of their practice. In view of the side effects and interactions of many therapeutic agents, many diseases and disorders can be treated more gently through alternative medicine and naturopathy. Compared to other diseases, however, alternative medicine remains at a disadvantage and can at best be used as a supplement.
Risks & dangers
Those who turn their backs on conventional medicine permanently and only rely on the alternative medicine puts his health at risk in the event of severe and serious illnesses.
In addition to conventional therapies in orthodox medicine or in the case of minor everyday illnesses, alternative medicine can achieve considerable healing successes. However, it remains controversial due to empirical gaps and incomprehensible evidence of effectiveness and is particularly hostile to the pharmaceutical industry. Many scientists claim that alternative medicine can only produce a placebo effect, or that it is pure fraud.
The effectiveness of many alternative healing methods has long been proven by experience. It is possible that detection methods developed in the future will be able to prove the effectiveness of alternative medicine beyond any doubt. The increasingly soulless medical device means that more and more people prefer gentle healing methods to alternative medicine. However, this carries the risk that important medical diagnostic procedures will not be used.
It is therefore possible that symptoms that seem harmless are misinterpreted by alternative medicine and not treated in time. In case of doubt, a patient with complaints that cannot be improved by alternative medicine in a foreseeable period of time should consult a conventional doctor.
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