The New Alternative to Western Medicine

Medical science has come a long way over the past few hundred years.  Not so long ago leeches were considered the new miracle cure for pretty much all health problems, and yet now we can investigate and treat the human body in many ingenious and complicated ways.  We can use lasers to cure sight problems, we can see inside the human body using microscopic cameras, and if we want to we can even grow a human ear on the back of a living mouse.

The continuous breakthroughs made by medical science are, however, beginning to be met with less reverence as people become accustomed to an age of technological discovery.  The focus appears to be shifting away from what medical science can do, towards what medical science fails to do.  The inability of medical science to adequately deal with certain diseases, such as ME and arthritis for example, has shattered its illusion of infallibility, and has led people to question their dependence on it.

In an age where people have more available time and money, we are beginning to place more emphasis on our health and well being.  We are no longer satisfied to suffer dis-ease and where conventional medicine cannot help us we have begun to search further afield for a solution.

One particular area in which medical science struggles is in the treatment of mental and emotional disorders.  Western Medicine is generally concerned with symptoms of disease and their treatment, and not so well equipped to determine the root cause of a problem.  This is especially true when the symptoms of the disease are non-physical in nature, such as in cases of depression and anxiety.  The apparent inability of medical science to view human beings in their entirety limits its ability to understand and treat mental and emotional disorders.  

Whilst medical science continues to employ a narrow focus towards health, many alternative forms of medicine take a holistic approach, being concerned with the entire person physically, mentally, and emotionally. These forms of treatment offer a way to maintain and improve health, whereas conventional medicine can only really be called upon when a problem has already emerged (and potentially when it is too late).  Rather than wait for health problems to appear, more people nowadays are concerned for their future health and are using alternative medicine as a preventative measure.  In a survey carried out by Radio 5 people were asked what their reasons were for using alternative medicine.  Only a quarter of those questioned were using it to relieve a particular injury/condition.  It appears that people are beginning to take greater responsibility for their own health and are becoming more proactive in this area.

Whilst changing attitudes towards personal health has provided the impetus for change, it is the improved understanding and awareness of alternative forms of treatment that has led to the rapid increase in their use.  Whereas fifteen or twenty years ago many of these forms of treatment had very little exposure and were little understood, they have now been around for a sufficient length of time for our initial preconceptions to have been somewhat overcome.

It is an inherent attribute of mankind to resist change, and most of us tend to do this whether we like to admit it or not.  Alternative medical treatments often originate overseas, involve unusual practices, and are based on foreign philosophies.  Our initial scepticism is forgivable but there comes a point where the evidence supporting change can no longer be denied, and we are forced to accept that it could be in our best interests.  Perhaps we know someone who has experienced alternative treatment and speaks highly of it, or perhaps we have heard of new evidence supporting the effectiveness of alternative medicine.  For whatever the reason there appears to be a growing acceptance and interest in various alternative treatments in the UK, and what is currently considered 'alternative' medicine may well become conventional in the future.

DB