Alternative Medicine Revisited
Alternative Medicine Revisited
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Positive article with valid concerns about the lack of quality and authenticity in alternative circles. Part of the reason for that is that in the West, at least, ancient healing knowledge has not been supported and practitioners have had to re-educate themselves 'autodidacticly' (self-taught).
In countries like China and Taiwan the 'New Medicine' is a promising development, where the synthesis of modern diagnostic and research methods followed by natural healing techniques is being blended together. 'Acute' conditions still require modern methods but 'chronic' and 'degenerative' (90% of human afflictions) are dealt with far more effectively, safely and permanently by TCM than Western methods. Prevention is also a basic foundation of natural systems.
While integrative medicine is taking root outside the U.S. and to a lesser extent the U.K., these countries run the risk of being left behind since Drs are not being adequately prepared to meet the growing demand.
"Many patients and, increasingly, physicians, are being turned off by Conventional Medicine, because it does not deliver the health it promises. It's taken away our power and control, it's costing us a fortune, it hasn't made us feel any better, and often it creates more diseases than it resolves. . . .The field of alternatives to drug- and scalpel-based medical care is rapidly growing. In the long run, we think the issue isn't whether somebody practices conventional or alternative therapies; it's about offering what is best of everything to our patients."
Samuel Benjamin, M.D.
The inter-disciplinarian approach has seen spectacular success in hospitals in Taiwan where practitioners are dedicated to public health and longevity rather than personal pride and profit.
In countries like China and Taiwan the 'New Medicine' is a promising development, where the synthesis of modern diagnostic and research methods followed by natural healing techniques is being blended together. 'Acute' conditions still require modern methods but 'chronic' and 'degenerative' (90% of human afflictions) are dealt with far more effectively, safely and permanently by TCM than Western methods. Prevention is also a basic foundation of natural systems.
While integrative medicine is taking root outside the U.S. and to a lesser extent the U.K., these countries run the risk of being left behind since Drs are not being adequately prepared to meet the growing demand.
"Many patients and, increasingly, physicians, are being turned off by Conventional Medicine, because it does not deliver the health it promises. It's taken away our power and control, it's costing us a fortune, it hasn't made us feel any better, and often it creates more diseases than it resolves. . . .The field of alternatives to drug- and scalpel-based medical care is rapidly growing. In the long run, we think the issue isn't whether somebody practices conventional or alternative therapies; it's about offering what is best of everything to our patients."
Samuel Benjamin, M.D.
The inter-disciplinarian approach has seen spectacular success in hospitals in Taiwan where practitioners are dedicated to public health and longevity rather than personal pride and profit.
With regard to what Allopathic (Orthodox) medicine can and cannot do, I found this description by Dr Andrew Weil to be informative...
CAN:
"Manage trauma better than any other system of medicine; diagnose and treat many medical and surgical emergencies; treat acute bacterial infections with modern antibiotics; treat some parasitic and fungal infections; prevent many infectious diseases by immunization; diagnose complex medical problems; replace damaged hips and knees; get good results with cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, and it can diagnose and correct hormonal deficiencies.
Allopaths CANNOT:
Treat viral infections; cure most chronic degenerative diseases; effectively manage most kinds of mental illness; cure most forms of allergy or autoimmune disease; effectively manage psychosomatic illnesses, or cure most forms of cancer."
Doctor Weil's candid, yet diplomatic, second opinion:
"Do not seek help from a conventional doctor for a condition that conventional medicine cannot treat, and do not rely on an alternative provider for a condition that conventional medicine can manage well."
Sounds like a common sense approach.
CAN:
"Manage trauma better than any other system of medicine; diagnose and treat many medical and surgical emergencies; treat acute bacterial infections with modern antibiotics; treat some parasitic and fungal infections; prevent many infectious diseases by immunization; diagnose complex medical problems; replace damaged hips and knees; get good results with cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, and it can diagnose and correct hormonal deficiencies.
Allopaths CANNOT:
Treat viral infections; cure most chronic degenerative diseases; effectively manage most kinds of mental illness; cure most forms of allergy or autoimmune disease; effectively manage psychosomatic illnesses, or cure most forms of cancer."
Doctor Weil's candid, yet diplomatic, second opinion:
"Do not seek help from a conventional doctor for a condition that conventional medicine cannot treat, and do not rely on an alternative provider for a condition that conventional medicine can manage well."
Sounds like a common sense approach.
I'd be curious to know what the success (cure and recovery rates) are in other (those natural medicine) countries vs the U.S..
America may have some of the most expensive health care in the world but it seems funny to me that people with money go there from all over the world to get treated.
America may have some of the most expensive health care in the world but it seems funny to me that people with money go there from all over the world to get treated.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
This is true but the converse is also true, you just hear less about it. It also depends on the condition being treated. There are hospitals in Taiwan for instance that practice integrative medicine with considerable success. The China Medical College in Taichung opened a 220-bed hospital which was so successful at curing every sort of ailment, they've opened three more. Nobody over here has ever heard of it, so of course you wouldn't make the effort to go there. I mentioned my own experience of natural healing systems in India which drew me to learn more about them. Modern Ayurvedic Drs in India have the same orthodox education as Allopathic. They then go on to specialize in Ayurveda. Obviously that's an integrative approach. In the clinic I attended they had both modern and ancient. You were free to choose either. Many westerners go to India seeking Ayurvedic cures.hhfarang wrote:I'd be curious to know what the success (cure and recovery rates) are in other (those natural medicine) countries vs the U.S..
America may have some of the most expensive health care in the world but it seems funny to me that people with money go there from all over the world to get treated.
If the highly profitable diseases were generally known to be curable there would be a stampede away from them. Western media do not as far as I can tell publish cure rates for natural methods. There is no incentive to do so and they may suffer by comparison. Can you imagine what would happen to the whole allopathic system if it were widely known that cure rates were better in 'undeveloped' countries? It would collapse. You could argue that they aren't curing so there's nothing to publish but if they weren't curing then why do these systems still dominate in much of the world? The Chinese can afford western medicine yet still opt for TCM.
I am disappointed that there isn't something similar here but have mentioned previously there are over 40,000 natural doctors practicing in Thailand and Mahidol University has a comprehensive herbal database in Thai which isn't accessible to the linguistically-challenged. I'm sure there are great healers out there. It's trying to find them that's the challenge.
You can find a number of articles on the pubmed site from Drs in other countries supporting natural treatments. For instance, I'm studying natural cures for Cancer, for the stoney-broke. There is a claimed cure in folklore for Cancer using aqueous extracts (decoction) of Papaya leaves. This folklore is supported by western-style studies. Now, if you believe the studies are valid you can go to the nearest Papaya tree, grab a bunch of leaves, chop them up and boil them for two hours until reduced by half and drink 3 cups per day or until it comes out of your ears. In 6 weeks you will know if it's cured you or working (and not just for cancer). Cheap as chips and harmless. It is claimed to reduce the damage caused by chemo so you can take it alongside.
'Aqueous extract of Carica papaya leaves exhibits anti-tumor activity and immunomodulatory effects.'
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1996 ... dinalpos=1
Papaya and Breast Cancer
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1946 ... dinalpos=5
There are ample studies on the anti-cancer effects of Turmeric. Do a search for 'turmeric cancer'
This one is on the anti-cancer effects of 'Phyllanthus' a common weed found in Thailand called 'Lewk Tai Bai'
'Anti-Angiogenic and Cytotoxicity Studies of Some Medicinal Plants.'
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2011 ... dinalpos=1
There are many more if you look. You don't hear about these studies in the Western Media. They don't want to upset their biggest advertisers.
Many natural experts believe the first step for anyone seeking to recover their health is to properly clean the body. This allows herbs to work much better but it's not a pre-requisite. I advocate it since that's how I was treated in India and it's common sense. A toxin-laden body will not heal as quickly as a clean one. If you have meat putrefying in your colon or in bowel pockets for days or even years how can it not be affecting you?
'Cure rates' are open to manipulation. Cancer, as I understand it, is considered to be 'cured' if you are still alive after 5 years. What sort of nonsense is that? Cancer often comes back after 5 years, that's why. Because they haven't resolved the underlying cause.
'Cure rates' abroad may be available, I haven't looked but if 90% of illnesses are not curable by western medicine, then alternatives can hardly be worse.
Cure rates in the west would improve massively if Drs ended their emphasis on the germ theory of medicine and studied nutrition. The difficulty for western doctors when trying to get people to adopt healthier lifestyles is they don't have sufficient knowledge about how to do it, can't spend the time and the patients don't want to listen anyway. They have become slaves to the instant fix. 'Just give me a pill'. Self-discipline is for others. Ok. Stay sick then.
I think medicine will advance in leaps and bounds once Drs apply integrative medicine and patients start taking responsibility for their own health. I believe that day is coming but there is huge resistance from the pharmaceuticals who are trying to kill the movement through efforts such as Codex Alimentarius, where herbs and vitamins will be tightly regulated and so watered down they are useless.
Re: Alternative Medicine Revisited
Touch of synchronicity here. Only two weeks after I posted about this remedy and the Bangkok Post offers support...
'Researchers back cancer-fighting properties of papaya'
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/ ... -of-papaya
'Researchers back cancer-fighting properties of papaya'
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/ ... -of-papaya
Re: Alternative Medicine Revisited
A new article about Thai traditional treatments. Pete
http://www.bangkokpost.com/life/family/ ... kaya-house
http://www.bangkokpost.com/life/family/ ... kaya-house
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source