How Alternative Medicine Started - From Past to Present by Emma Deangela

When it began, practitioners of alternative medicine considered both the emotional and physical state of the person before they came up with a diagnosis. This is because this type of healing considered an illness or ailment as something brought about by several different factors generated by the body as a whole. Hence, alternative medicine is also known as holistic medicine - something that gives emphasis to the importance of the whole body and the interdependence of its parts.



What Sets Alternative Medicine Apart




This holistic-approach aspect of traditional medicine is something that greatly sets it apart from medicine as we know it today. Many doctors focus on assessing the signs and symptoms of a sick person in order to point out what ails him or her. But the truth is these assessments are mainly based on what is evident physically - either the person tells the doctor about it, or the doctor can directly tell so through telltale signs.



Alternative medicine, on the other hand, aside from just considering the physical indications of an illness or ailment, also takes into account the emotional state of the person being assessed. Again, because of its holistic view, it is regarded that the emotional state of a person may also very well bring about - even aggravate - several different sicknesses. Some may have their eyebrows raised upon hearing this notion; however, alternative medicine would have never survived many, many years if was not based on foundations that bring about healing.



However, alternative medicine and traditional medicine are two different methods. You see, traditional medicine started out as something carried out by folk healers in the poorer sectors of the society many, many years ago. Folk healers incorporated religion and philosophy, in the pursuit of strengthening the sick person's psyche and faith. This, as believed, could help the person achieve healing. With the passing of time, folk medicine evolved into what is known today as traditional medicine.



Alternative Medicine Today



You may not just be aware, but many forms of alternative medicine are all around you. For instance, if you are doing your grocery shopping and you come across aisles and aisles of products containing all-natural ingredients that promote therapeutic effects to the body, they are a form of alternative medicine. Herbal and all-natural remedies use the potency of medicinal plants and other natural ingredients in the treatment of a wide-array of illnesses or ailments.



Another form of alternative medicine is massage therapy. It goes without saying that massages are popular these days - one can get massages in health spas or through practitioners doing home service. Many people benefit from receiving massages because it is an effective means of getting rid of stress, removal of toxins in the body, improving blood circulation, as well as treatment for body aches and pains.



Other forms of alternative medicine include aromatherapy, acupuncture, meditation and the likes. Many medical professionals incorporate alternative medicine nowadays with their usual course of treatment to accelerate the restoration of a person's overall health.