Conventional Medicine vs. Alternative Medicine

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The dictionary states that conventional medicine is offered by hospitals and practiced by those who have a medical doctor degree; it is also called western medicine. The opposite of conventional medicine is called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Complementary and Alternative medicine can be considered holistic medicine, which is usually not prescribed by physicians a part of hospitals. There has been an increase in those that have an aversion to conventional medicine that is offered by hospitals (Astin, 1998). There are multiple reasons as to why people dislike conventional medicine. Some reasons for this increase is that “alternative treatments are thought to offer more control over health care decisions, and alternatives are seen as more compatible with the patient’s values, worldview, beliefs regarding the nature and meaning of illness and health” or a person truly believes that they can be cured of their ailment by the use of only CAM treatments (Astin, 1998). Another reason as to why people turn toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is that one might have an aversion to doctors. Some CAM treatments include; therapies, herbal medicine, and acupuncture (Collinge, 1996).

In the early life of medicine, what is now thought of as complementary and alternative medicine was all that there was for healing. The history of complementary and alternative medical treatments can be traced back centuries ago. The first written documents of it start during the Han Dynasty in China; this is why people believe that the Chinese started complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments but, there is no definite proof (Collinge 1996). The very first type of CAM treatment that was known was herbal medicines. Herbal...

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Niggemann, B. and Grüber, C. (2003), Side-effects of complementary and alternative medicine. Allergy, 58: 707–716. doi: 10.1034/j.1398-9995.2003.00219.

Robotin, M. (2010). Enquiring about cancer patients' use of complementary and alternative medicines: Is our job done?. Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, 6: 245–247. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-7563.2010.01361.x

Schoenstadt, A. Clinaero Inc. (2006, Oct 14). Uterine Caner Alternative Treatment. In EMedTV Health Information brought to Life. Retrieved 9 Sep 2011, from http://cancer.emedtv.com/uterine-cancer/uterine-cancer-alternative-treatment.html

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