The Extent to which Alternative Medicine May Be Considered a Viable Treatment Option - Coursework Example

THE EXTENT TO WHICH ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE MAY BE CONSIDERED A VIABLE TREATMENT OPTION By Location The Extent to Which Alternative Medicine may be considered a Viable Treatment Option Introduction Since the 1960s, alternative medicine has found a special place in many western societies. Prior to the 1960s, alternative medicine had lost value because of the increasing popularity of conventional medicine. However, the 1960s, registered a change in the attitudes of people. There was an increasing realization that alternative medicine could be used in combination with conventional medicine producing positive outcomes. Alternative medicine is categorized under the complementary and alternative medicine bracket. Complementary and alternative medicine denote practices believed to have positive outcomes in patients, but that does not conform to conventional medicine. Alternative medicine comprises of a wide variety of medical and healthcare systems products and practices that have not been integrated into conventional medicine. Despite the increasing use of alternative medicine, there has been a controversial debate on the value of alternative medicine as a viable substitute or complement to conventional medicine. Many researchers have explored the efficiency of different practices and procedures falling under the alternative medicine category. This paper will discuss the extent to which alternative medicine may serve as a viable treatment option. The first section of the paper will describe the different types of alternative medicine while other sections will critically analyse the value of alternative medicine. There are five distinct categories of alternative medicine. The first category comprises of natural products such as herbs, vitamins, and minerals. Mind and body medicine such as meditation and yoga define the second category of alternative medicine. Body-based approaches such as massages and whole medical systems such as acupuncture define two other categories of complementary and alternative medicine. The fourth category comprises of energy healing practices such as reiki. Although the above define the main categories of alternative medicine, there is still a heated debate concerning a conscience definition of alternative medicine. In addition, some researchers have continued to question the classification of practices and products under alternative medicine. In the recent past, integrative medicine has proven to be a preferred approach for many patients. Notably, the approach involves a combination of conventional medicine and mother procedures falling under the category of alternative medicine (Baarts & Pedersen 2009, p. 730). Research in this field has revealed that integrative medicine is more likely to produce outcomes in patients, which are more positive if conducted well. In the recent past, individuals have opted to include alternative medicine as one of their health strategies. Notably, researchers have explored the benefits of alternative medicine in a socio-cultural perspective. It emerges that many individuals believe in conventional medicine, but opt for alternative medicine, which presents an opportunity for them to gain further control over their illnesses. In many cases, patients with long-term illnesses that need management and that have limited treatment options under conventional medicine are more likely to opt for alternative medicine procedures and products. Patients with conditions such as cancer, masculo-skeletal problems, and back pain give attention to alternative strategies in addition to conventional treatment options. Alternative strategies are also effective for bowel problems, asthma, migraines, anxiety, and depression. The choice of alternative strategies depends on the conditions of the patient. With the increasing popularity of alternative strategies, healthcare providers are more willing to advise patients ton some of the potential alternative strategies that can improve their conditions. However, the decision to combine alternative and conventional medicine remains an individual choice (Cassileth 2012, p. 590). In some cases, patients settled for alternative strategies in an effort to achieve a higher level of relaxation, comfortable sleep, and pain reduction. Many patients opting for complementary and alternative medicine approaches have highlighted that the procedures and products serve to improve bodily awareness. In many cases, conventional medicine does not give patients an opportunity to define their bodily experiences. On the contrary, alternative medicine gives special attention to different body processes in an effort to promote health and wellbeing. Procedures such as massages, yoga, and acupuncture allow patients to register a higher level of connectivity between the mind and the body. Most importantly, the increased body awareness serves to increase individual responsibility for the promotion of health. There are numerous benefits of maintaining an active body, a factor emphasized by many alternative medical procedures. Patients who have gone through alternative medical procedures have highlighted that the procedures registered a higher level of personal awareness and acceptance of the situation. Patients who opt for yoga sessions and massage therapies no longer feel hopeless about their situation (Dogu, Kargi, Tanriverdi, Yaren, Demiray, Taskoylu, & Ergin, 2014, p. 48). Therefore, there are evident psychological effects brought forth by alternative medicine. Researchers have focused on understanding the specific mechanisms involved in bringing about the psychological effects that promote wellbeing. A close analysis of acupuncture as one of the whole body system, alternative medicine procedures reveals that the process registers positive outcomes in patients with chronic back pain. Notably, acupuncture is the process practiced by the Chinese people in the early days. However, the popularity of acupuncture and its effects in reducing pain have made it increasingly popular in different parts of the globe. The traditional acupuncture process involves needling of specific acoupoints (Weiß, Quante, Xue, Muche, & Reuss-Borst 2013, p. 939). Currently, there are modifications of the acupuncture process applied to different patients. Acupuncture has been reported to register both physical and psychological stimuli that result in positive outcomes in patients with chronic back pain. The needling process has special effects of reducing pain through physical stimuli. The relationship established between the patient and the specialist performing the acupuncture serves to register desirable psychological effects. In some studies, acupuncture has proved to be more effective in reducing back pain when compared to conventional healthcare (Garland, Valentine, Desai, Li, Langer, Evans, & Mao 2013, p. 879). For this reason, there is a salient need for researchers to understand the mechanisms that make acupuncture so effective. Although there is limited scientific evidence supporting the benefits of acupuncture, many patients experiencing painful conditions are opting to combine conventional and acupuncture procedures. In addition, herbs have become a common aspect of alternative medicine used to treat different conditions. Some herbs have been characterized to have the potential to prevent certain conditions. For example, the Chinese herbal medicine is comprised of a variety of herbs such as green tea, ginseng, and ginkgo. In many cases, the Chinese herbal medicine combines different herbs in an effort to treat different conditions. With the increasing prevalence of cancer, the Chinese herbs have gained popularity in helping cancer patients register an improved immune system and a remarkably higher quality of life. Notably, the herbs play preventive roles in some situations while they may serve as remedies for some cancer side effects. In other parts of the world, herbs have also become increasingly popular in the prevention of different types of cancer. Cancer patients combine conventional medical procedures as well as herbal remedies in an effort to manage their conditions (Goldstein 2008, p. 29). Some scientific researchers have revealed that some of the herbs have exhibited activity against cancer cells. However, there is a salient need for further research in this field. Massage therapy is a common alternative medicine procedure. Notably, massage therapy comprises of more than 80 different types of massages. Therapists performing massage therapy rely on different techniques in an effort to manipulate different body parts. The purpose of massage therapy is to ensure that the patient experiences a high level of relaxation, registers remarkable oxygen supply, and experiences less pain. Patients with different conditions may opt for massage therapy in combination with conventional medical procedures. However, there are certain side effects of massage therapy in patients with conditions such as damaged blood vessels, bleeding disorders, weakened bones, or damaged nerves. With the increasing popularity of massage therapy, patients have to consult their healthcare providers before opting for this kind of therapy (MacDonald 2014, p. 21). Healthcare providers are in a position to determine the potential impact of massage therapy for certain patients. As highlighted above, many patients are opting for integrative medicine, which combines both conventional medical procedures and alternative strategies. Healthcare providers focus on evidence-based practice when determining the best treatment options for patients. Therefore, when patients seek for guidelines on how to combine conventional and alternative medicine from healthcare providers, it becomes difficult to advise such patients. Currently, there is limited scientific research that has provided evidence on the efficiency of some alternative strategies (Roy, Gupta, & Ghosh 2015, p. 139). In such situations, healthcare providers lack the capacity of determining the outcomes of combining conventional medicine and alternative strategies. The lack of sufficient evidence compels healthcare providers to let patients make a personal choice depending on their convictions. People with some conditions should be more cautious when selecting alternative strategies. There are challenges in combining conventional and alternative medicines (Marchand 2011, p. 206). In some cases, drug interactions may occur because of combining herbal products and conventional drugs. For this reason, individuals have to be careful before they can select the most effective alternative medicine strategy that can be combined with conventional medical procedures. Although alternative medical procedures have the potential to reduce pain and help the patient manage their conditions more effectively, many patients have a false conviction of the positive benefits of alternative medicine. Some studies have highlighted that alternative medicine strategies may present positive outcomes simply because the patient believes that they will work. Patients exhibit high levels of confidence in some of the alternative strategies and do not consider any potential side effect. The perceptions of patients towards certain alternative medical procedures determine the kind of outcomes that results. The body experiences associated with alternative medical procedures may present some positive outcomes that do not have any scientific backing (Robotin & Olver 2012, p. 56). However, alternative medicine procedures promote a high level of body awareness and self-reflection, factors that may contribute to a higher level of control over one’s wellbeing. In many cases, patients combine alternative medicine and conventional procedures in order to gain a higher level of control over their bodies. Although such procedures may not have any direct impact on the causative agent of the condition, they help patients successfully manage the conditions (Ross 2009, p. 17). Further research will ascertain the potential physical and psychological impacts of alternative medicine procedures and products. Before then, patients will still need to be keen as they strive to combine alternative strategies with conventional medicine. Conclusion Evidently, alternative medicine has gained popularity in the recent past as a potential complement or substitute for conventional medicine. Many patients are opting for alternative strategies because they have the conviction that such strategies have the capacity to present positive outcomes. Notably, integrative medicine, which combines both conventional and alternative medicine has gained popularity in the recent past. Researchers have sought to analyse the mechanisms involved in different alternative medicine strategies. Some strategies such as acupuncture have presented desirable outcomes when compared to conventional healthcare in the cure of chronic back pain. However, there is still limited evidence on how such procedures work. Available evidence highlights that alternative medicine procedures are associated with desirable psychological effects that promote the wellbeing of patients. Although some alternative medicine strategies have registered efficiency in different conditions, there is a salient need for further scientific research in order to understand the mechanisms of action. Bibliography Baarts, C, & Pedersen, I 2009, Derivative benefits: exploring the body through complementary and alternative medicine, Sociology of Health & Illness, 31, 5, pp. 719-733, SocINDEX with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 24 April 2015. Cassileth, BR 2012, Alternative therapies: learning from patients who choose them, The Oncologist, 17, 5, pp. 590-591, MEDLINE with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 24 April 2015. 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