When it comes to medicine and treatment, we often live in a bubble, thinking that traditional medicine is the only way. Because of global communication and the openness of the internet, however, more and more people are becoming aware that there are alternatives to traditional medicines.

Some doctors are strictly traditional practitioners, others are strictly alternative, but some practice both together.

The main difference between traditional medicine and alternative medicine is the approach. Whereas traditional medicine treats symptoms and problems of a certain given area, alternative medicine focuses on cause and prevention, overall health, and non-traditional, often natural treatments.

There is an emphasis to strengthen the immune system to ward off disease. Treatment is individualized to meet specific needs.

Features of Alternative Medicine

There are a variety of alternative medicines: Unani, Osteopath, herbal medicine, massage, acupuncture, homeopath, ayurveda and chiropractic.

Some people are hesitant to try alternative medicine, but this is because our society has been bred from the start to suspect anything different from the status quo, or that hasn’t been approved by the FDA.

We are slowly emerging from the dark ages when it comes to embracing alternative ways to stay healthy.

Alternative medicine isn’t less effective or less reliable — sometimes it works when nothing else will — it’s simply misunderstood, and those that question it are likely to be uninformed or misinformed. Alternative medicine is widely accepted and used throughout the world. The US is beginning to catch up.

One advantage to alternative medicine is cost. It’s less expensive to seek and to use natural or alternative remedies. But you should ask yourself, why does medicine have to be expensive to work?

Gaining Popularity

Many employers offer healthcare packages with alternative medicine. The trend to seek alternative treatments is growing. Many alternative products can be found on shelves next to traditional medicines.

Conventional Medicine

When it comes to traditional medicine, symptoms are addressed with drugs or surgery. If your liver is giving you trouble, it’s your liver that becomes the focus, not the entire body. Think of all the specialists who focus on one organ of the body. A cardiologist focuses on the heart. A neurologist focuses on the brain. A lung specialist focuses on the lungs. With all the focus being in one area, one can see why traditional medicine sometimes falls short in addressing the entire health of the patient.

Traditional medicine is based on research, lab experiments, and trials.

While this is the accepted approach, it may not be the best approach for the individual. Individuals have individual needs that traditional medicine may not address.

The Best of Both Worlds

Today it’s becoming more common for doctors to incorporate both traditional and alternative medicine together.

Often, it isn’t just the latest state-of-the-art machine that will help a patient, it’s using alternative medicine along with it — methods that have been used successfully for centuries in other cultures and countries.