New to healthcare

New To health Care

Alternative medicine

According to WHO it is defined as “a variety of therapeutic and preventive health care which does not follow in the sphere of western medicine and involves treatment apart from standard medical practices” it mainly involves homeopath, herbal medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, Aroma therapy, Chiropractic and Chinese herbal medicine. Alternative healthcare is a phenomenon of avoiding medicine in curing or healing processes, rather, using nutrition, exercises and therapies. As per WHO, statistics, around 70% people around the globe use alternative medicine rather than conventional medicine.(WHO, 2012).

History of healthcare

The history of alternative healthcare is as ancient as the existence of mankind over this mother earth. Alternative medicine has always been the science of curing and healing all bodily dysfunctions. The history of alternative healthcare methods can be dated back to 6000 years from today in the Asian region, and almost 3000 years in the developed world. The alternative healthcare practices today are same as centuries ago. In Asia, they principally involve Ayurvedic (Herbal medicine) and Acupuncture. In the western world, they encompass Naturopathy which means treatment through nutritious intake as well as rest and exercise. (Journal of alternative medicine, vol 3).

The most interesting part in the development of alternative healthcare is the development of naturopathy in the European continent. The principal element of this approach is vitalism, which pertains to healing of disease through inborn energy or spark rather than external medicine. Healing regenerates it from correction of physical processes such as metabolism and growth. It involves nutritional counseling, herbal medicine, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, detoxification, spirituality, psychological counseling, Acupuncture and Herbal medicine. (Journal of alternative medicine, vol 3).

The present naturopathy has sprung from the early 18th and 19th century. It is an outcome of the “Nature cure” movement of Scotland in 19thcentury. Hippocrates, the ...