Alternative
medicine is not new. It is accepted that it pre-dates conventional medicine and
it is still used by many people all over the world. I am unconvinced that it is
dangerous, and feel that both alternative and conventional medicine can be
useful.
There
are several reasons why the conventional medical community is often dismissive
of alternatives. Firstly, there has been little scientific research into
such medicine, so there is a scarcity of evidence to support the claims of
their supporters. Furthermore, people often try such treatment because of
recommendations from friends, and therefore come to the therapist with a very
positive attitude, which may be part of the reason for the cure. Moreover,
these therapies are usually only useful for long-term, chronic conditions.
Acute medical problems, such as accidental injury, often require more
conventional methods.
On
the other hand, there remain strong arguments for the use of
alternatives. Despite the lack of scientific proof, there is a lot of
anecdotal evidence to suggest that these therapies work. In addition, far from
being dangerous, they often have few or no side effects, so the worst outcome
would be no change. One of the strongest arguments for the effectiveness of
alternative therapies in the West is that, whilst conventional medicine is
available without charge, many people are prepared to pay considerable sums for
alternatives. If they were totally unhelpful, it would be surprising if this
continued.
I
strongly believe that conventional medicine and alternative therapies can and
should coexist. They have different strengths, and can both be used effectively
to target particular medical problems. The best situation would be for
alternative therapies to be used to support and complement conventional
medicine.
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