Conventional and alternative medicine –
which is better?
Conventional medicine
- other names: bio medicine, mainstream medicine, allopathic medicine, orthodox medicine
- definition: it is a type of medicine in which medical doctors, nurses, therapists and pharmacists treat diseases and symptoms using drugs, radiation or surgery. Conventional medicine is based on scientific researches. Then scientists can prepare drugs, create medical equipment. Patients are treated not only in hospitals but also in outpatient clinics and medical center. They can't make research on your own and take medicines without consultation with doctor or pharmacist. Conventional medicine focus on the elimination of physical symptoms.
- diagnostic methods: interview with patient about his health, using the stethoscope, the blood test, the urine test, X-ray examination, ultrasound examination, magnetic resonance, computed tomography...
- methods of treatment: medicines, surgery, radiation, diet, physical therapy, exercises, stress management.
- disadvantages: side effects of medication, some of medicines are really expensive, chemicals are bad influence on our health ( a medicine helps to treat sth but it damages sth different), ineffective in preventing and curing chronic disease.
- advantages: highly therapeutic in treating both acute and life-threatening illness and injuries, conventional medicine is the most effective type of medicine ( it helps when people suffer from cancer).
Alternative medicine
- other names: complementary medicine or unconventional medicine
- definition: it is a type of medicine which isn't based on evidence gathered using the scientific method. Alternative medicine consists of a wide range of health care practises, therapies and products. It exist to promote optimal health to prevent and treat disease.
- methods of treatment: specialists say that alternative medicine is effective when people love their bodies and minds, then they can go on a diet, do exercises to produce more „good energy”. But these methods aren't enough. The most popular treatment methods of alternative medicine are:1. Acupressure – a traditional method of treatment which was known in China several thousand years ago. It involves touching, stroking, or tapping oppressing certain places on the human body.
2. Acupuncture – a technique of treatment based on puncturing body with needles which derived from the East. It is use to reduce pain and restore the body's balance of energy.
Dr Sherman Klump believes that acupuncture makes that he'll be slimmer
3. Aromatherapy – a method of treatment which based on inhalation, bath and massages with using essential oils of vegetable origin. These oils are the concentrated essences taken from the flowers, fruit, seeds, leaves and bark of certain plants.
4. Herbal medicine – a technique of treatment by using herbal medicines and teas. Herbal treatment can help the patient to stop the development of chronic disease and support the immune system.5. Yoga – a method which appeared several years ago in India, but now it is still so popular. It is a whole body philosophy, involving working with breathing, stretching exercises, postures and meditation. These create harmony between your mind, body and spirit and help clear your mind of confusion.
- advantages: alternative medicine teaches patients to take responsibility for their own health, it is effective in treating both acute and chronic illness. It helps to create optimal health.
- disadvantages: it doesn't help if you have serious disease, it takes too much time and isn't effective for every person.
Questions:
- Have you ever used any method of treatment of alternative medicine? Why?
- Which is better conventional or alternative medicine and why?
Sources:
Last year I used herbal medicine when I got a flu because of my grandmother, herbal medicine is her favourite method for all health problems. You know...mint tea is the best for stomachache etc. It's hard to say but in my opinion both conventional and alternative medicine have a lot of advantages. When you use alternative medicine you are not poison your organism by any medicines which included a lot of substances aggravating the liver and stomach. On the orher hand, there are many illneses when alternative medicine is not strong enough and you should go to the GP and use some medicines.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child I was very often sick. Antibiotics destroyed my organism. Now I care for health. I tried yoga. It's boring me. I like sport but it's not for me. I drink a lot of teas and I use harbal medicines. I feel well and it's good for my skin. Sometimes I use aromatherapy or I listen to music after hard work. It helps me relax. I have never tried acupuncture, but some day I want to try it. I'm interesting how it helps our body. Alternative and conventional medicine have a lot of advanteges and disadvantages. I saw a program where people tried alternative medicine when antibiotics and nothing else couldn't help. For me it was disgusting but it helped this people.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion alternative medicine is for people who are healthy. It's a kind of relaxing and calming down. But if you have cancer, this medicine will not help you. So I believe in conventional medicine. If you had running nose or flu, you would use aromatherapy or herbal medicine - it's for 'light' diseases. What's more I hate antibiotics but sometimes I have no choice because conventional medicine only helps me.
ReplyDelete1. Actually, herbal and alternative therapies can have just as many side effects as conventional medicine. This makes sense because most of our medications are derived from natural sources. I do not think they will overlap nor should they. Some herbal remedies are great but they are no replacement for a doctor's care. (Of course I would say this since my livelihood depends on people going to their doctors) big_smile
ReplyDeleteAnything that involves your health should be thoroughly researched before a decision is made regardless of whether it is alternative or "modern day."
2. Personally, if I am sick, my first move is to figure out why I'm sick / what I've got. If it's just a cold or a flu (or something equally as benign), I do nothing except maybe lay in bed if it's bad and drink lemon honey tea if my throat is sore. If it's worse or if it's persistent or I am troubled by my symptoms in some way, I see a doctor and go from there. I've only been sick enough to require prescription medication twice that I can remember. Once was for a lung infection and the other was for a bad allergic reaction to I don't know what. In those sorts of situations, I would not give alternative therapy a second thought.
I’ve never used any method of alternative medicine separately. It’s not about I don’t believe in its effectiveness but rather I’ve never been very interesting on this. Sure, I’ve heard about many advantages but I’ve also heard it is time-consuming and that is what concern me the most. However, in my family is an example of person who believes in herbal medicine solely and by today this person has only one surgery in her whole life – on cataract (which can’t be treated in other way). I suppose it is also quite expensive alternative, not refunded by the government or medical insurance so it can also be a barrier against it. I think that we can’t say what is better. For some people conventional medicine can be the only way to treat their diseases. Nevertheless, in my opinion this two methods should meet themselves, only sometimes be the only method to treat some sort of diseases.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little boy my mum was buying some herbal treatments. One time she took me to some doctor(who also was herbalist) and he examine me. After that he told that we have to wait few minutes in waiting room. After maybe 4 minutes he left his office and gave me a bottle of his handcrafted medications. It tasted awful but when I was drinking it I wasn`t sick. Also I have tried yoga but I gave up after one week. Which is better? It`s hard to say. I will heal myself by conventional medicine and support immunity by alternative.
ReplyDeleteYou can say that I use a herbal treatment. I drink a lot of tea - green, black, red - couple cups per day. It is hard to say if it has effect on my health because I have drank teas for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to try yoga. I have heard of positive effects, so i think that in a near future i have to try it.
It is hard to say. Both have disadvantages and advantages. I think that we should try to treat ourselves with only natural method like alternative medicine and use conventional medicine only in cases of serious diseases. Like when we have a cold, we shouldn’t have take millions of pills, just try something different like inhalation or tea with honey.
I think in this post was lightened the main ideas and main differences between conventional and unconventional medicines so well. Alternative medicine is good to understand whats going on with your body, it tries to teach you to feel yourself, to understand causes and rezults of your decisions and behavior. But I think that it works only when you consciously started to practice it, without any obvious problems with your health. But what if there is a serious problem with health? We know that conventional medicine can treat a lot of things (at least manifestations of it) fast and succesfully now. It can be a rescue and a chance to change your way of life.
ReplyDeleteI can say that I don't have an expirience of treating by alternative medicine in a common meaning. But when I have runny nose or cough I prefer to drink a cup of herbal tea from my Granny instead of tablets. And to some extent it is also alternative medicine now, I believe our Grannies know a lot of good recepies of treating and lifestyle in general :)
Sometimes I think that some kind of unconvencional theraphy could be a way better then taking medicines full of chemical elements. As lots of people here, I'm also a fan of different kinds of tea, because its good for health overall instead of pills. Also it's really important just to stay fit, making some exercises for our body, and of course eating something better than fast foods. But I'm not quite sure what's better: conventional or alternative medicine, cos it depends on symptoms. If we've got an ordinary illnes I think that we can trust coventions, but when illness is strange and more dangerous I would go for alterntive theraphy.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to use alternative medicine more and more beacuse it needs time but it's healthier and have good influence on our body. I'm drinking green tea, using herbal cosmetics and trying to eat organic food. My sister is physiatrist so she's doing me massages with aromatherapy.
ReplyDeleteWhich is better conventional or alternative medicine and why? I think that we should reconcile it together because when we are seriously sick we need to use conventional medicine and alternative medicine can improve the effect and can obveite new illnesses.
My mom used to make an onion syrup when I was a kid and I got over a cold very quickly. Can't think about any other alternative remedy I would try when I was younger. The thing is I hardly ever get sick, so I don't have much experience with long medical treatment whatsoever. I Suppose both methods have merits, there isn't just one good solution.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that it is hard to decide which type of medicine is better. I think it depends on the type of disease. With some diseases, such as runny nose or sore throat we can cope with the help of alternative medicine, but when it comes to serious matters it is needed constant medical care, thorough research, medication, etc. I believe that alternative medicine has a slightly different task than conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is to satisfy all spiritual needs as peace, relaxation while conventional medicine mainly treat the symptoms.
ReplyDeleteI suffer from migraine and two years ago I was trying to use herbal medicine, especially I was drinking various kind of tea. I thought that it was helpful for my ailment but it was only illusion. After 2 weeks pains came back so for me it is an example of mental action alternative medicine. We may relieve the pain in some degree but conventional methods are more efficient in these cases. Despite of side effects which are strongly connected with conventional medicine, I think it is better. Unfortunately, chemical substances improve condition of our organism faster but we have to remember that if we choose only traditional methods, we are exposed to many side effects. So, in my opinion, we sometimes shouldn't apply everything which is prescribed by the doctor, only think if we really need these pills or antibiotics. Alternative medicine is certainly milder and maybe proper if we suffer from less serious disease.
ReplyDeleteI have never used any method of treatment of alternative medicine. I just never had to use it. Well both methods have both advantages and disadvantages. It's hard to say which one is better, but I prefer conventional medicine.
ReplyDelete1. I have never used alternative medicine. I'don know why. Probably becasue my parents don't trust this kind of treatment. But they prefer using less pils it is possible. They think that the best methods of treatment is lying in bed and drinking a lot of tea with honey.
ReplyDelete2. According to my parents I don't trust alternative medicine. Beter then this is no medecine and waiting. The most important in treatment is to belive in. Maybe when someone belive in alternative medicine It probably could give him health. It's a placebo effect.
I have tried some methods of alternative medicine.When I was younger,I was suffering from terrible headache.I had been trying almost everything since my parents make me appointment to see bioenergy therapist.I had no idea how does it works but it was really helpful to me and what is more important my headache stopped.After that I went to the normal doctor,who examine me earlier and he couldn't explain what was happened.From time to time,I make an appointment to see with that bioenergy therapist.
ReplyDeleteWhat is more,especially when I was younger,my mum tried to fix me by herbal medicine,because I was very sickly child and antibiotics are not healthy for anyone.It usually works on me and get over with my sickness.
For me,alternative medicine is very helpful in treatment,sometimes more than conventional.
I have never used any methods of alternative medicine but when I was younger my mum gave me onion syrup when I have a cough. In my opinion alternative medicine gives many possibilities to fight with disease but it doesn't change fact that methods of alternative medicine help to be in good condition. In the other hand when person who is really sick and has a cancer can believe that methods of alternative medicine save his life. When there no possibilities people should try everything.
ReplyDeleteAs many of you I tired only herbal methods. but I'm thinking about yoga, because my "aunt" who is abount 89 years old, is practising yoga and she looks like 60. I think that it works as anti-ageing way as well. As I said I tired herbal treatment, when e.g I got flu, but it's not really often. Unfortunatly I would like to take some pills insted of drinking that really disgusting beverages.
ReplyDeleteI think that alternative medicine works because "placebo" effect. Maybe I'm wrong, but for me putting lot of neddles can't work. Of course when you abuse conventional medicine it can make more bad things than you think. Because nowadays, doctors (i mean e.g mine) it giving me antibiotic for everything, which is not good, because then you get more immune for it.
I have never been very sick so I didn't look for alternative medicine and I don't think that it is working. For me it's something for your spirit not for your body. I think that conventional medicine is better, I know that there might be side effects of medications or treatment but it is working, it is better then trying everything in alternative medicine and get no effects.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried alternative medicine, other than drinkig herbal brews. I actually think that trying some new diets can be somewhat icluded in "alternative treatment" methods too as it's sometimes only "supposed" to work. I never really had a reason to try a specific alternative method of treatment, I simply try to live in a healthy way, do sport, not stress too much and think positively even in difficult situations.
ReplyDeleteI can't really say which method is better, I don't really think the question makes sense. My friend had an accident while skiing and half of his nose was almost torn off- doctors said it would rot before it is healed. So he tried homeopathy- he took some pills and in a month everything was ok beside a little scar I wouldn't even notice. So it worked but I can't really say it always works. For him and his family however, it started a new episode- they only use homeopathy and say it's much more effective, works quicker and it doesn't damage your organism. I don't think they would avoid a surgery in case of a broken leg or arm though, so... There are different situations demanding different solutions- so you can't say which one is better.
I've never used the alternative treatments, but this summer my mom did. She had several acupuncture treatments, made by active doctor, who was a great enthusiast of this method. In fact, it worked, The doctor mittigated pain, gave relief, but unfortunately not beat a chronic disease.
ReplyDeleteI think that conventional drugs are expensive and often simply don't work. I believe that most of our health is in our heads, and we can do a lot by good attitude to life. : )
I don't remember using any special type of alternative medicine. Fortunately I'm not sick very often and when I am I can use conventional medicine because I know it will not have to use it for a long time. But I think that there are some situations where using alternative medicine could be better but I find it hard to believe and still prefer taking a pill than drinking tea because I know that this pill will help for sure. As it was written in that text - the main idea of using alternative medicine is taking care of yourself by exercising and a good diet and I think most of the good effects come rather from that than from e.g. aromatherapy.
ReplyDeleteI think that alternative medicine is worth trying but at the same time we shouldn't reject conventional medicine entirely. Complementary treatments can help with majority of common illnesses but may not be very effective in case of serious, life threatening diseases. There is also a place for unconventional ways of treating serious health problems when the mainstream medicine fails to help. I'm myself a huge fan of the idea that our body can naturally heal itself when we help it and support the healing process by good nutrition, exercises and relaxation (yoga may be very helpful here because it combines both). However, everyone should do what seems right for them, because both conventional and alternative medicine can work for one person and fail to help another.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I have never tried alternative medicine. But I've heard statements it is really great and everyone should try it. And I think all the opinions influenced on me and now I really belive in alternative medicine. If it helps, why do we have to deny its curative properties?
ReplyDeleteOf course, I am not a new fan of this type of treatment, however I see it influences on people in very good way.
To be honest I have to say that a couple year ago I have problems with my stomach and then I tried some “experiments” with alternative medicine. It meant herbs. Firstly I read two short books about it and matched symptoms with appriopriate herbs. I have tried this methods for more than a month and saw no improvement. I think that I hadn’t got enough knowledge to use this herbs. After that I didn’t use herbs any more.
ReplyDeleteI think that conventional medicine is better because is more foreseeable – that’s huge advantage.
I always use a conventional medicine. I must say that I really don’t like visit doctors. When I must swallow the tablet I have a high resistance but I do that. I think conventional medicine is safe. People trust doctors. Their methods are proven in scientific studies. I agree with this. Sometimes I use alternative “medicine” I use the traditional methods e.g. when I’m cold.
ReplyDeleteI never use yoga or acupuncture I have no knowledge on the subject but maybe someday I will find out more.