A New Fad or Steeped in Ancient History?

You may be new to using alternative medicine or perhaps you have already seen the amazing benefits alternative medicine and alternative therapies can bring to your life.    But do you know how long its been practiced and where it originated?  Well let me take you on a journey into the fascinating history of alternative medicine.

The history of Alternative Medicine is an interesting one and has links with many different cultures.  However it’s difficult to say exactly when Alternative Medicine began, in part because up until recently the practices that fall under this term were the conventional medical practices of their time. 

But if we go back in history and trace several of the forms of healing that are now labelled as alternative we find that their origins go back as much as 5000 years.From Eastern Philosophy to Widely used Western Alternatives.

One of the oldest forms of alternative medicine can be traced back through Chinese history.  The ancient Chinese, in much the same way as alternative medicine is used today, based their healing on the importance of the body and spirit being in balance.  Much of the philosophy of Chinese Medicine is based on Taoist and Buddhist principals and the belief that a person and their environment are closely interlinked. 

The widely known principles of Yin and Yang come from Chinese Medicine and are integral to its practice.  Yin and Yang explains how opposing forces are integral to each other and how for harmony within the body to take place, these must be in balance.  When these are out of balance, disease occurs.

Chinese Medicine works at restoring balance in various ways including herbal medicine, acupuncture, breathing and movement (Tai Chi and Qigong) and also through diet.  The practitioner looked at the patient’s health and life in detail to ascertain where their life force or Qi (pronounced Chi) was out of balance.  Various methods would then be used to restore the patient back to health.

Such was the effectiveness of Chinese Traditional Medicine that it still forms a large part of modern health care in the East.  It’s not unusual for these “alternative” practices to be used in hospitals alongside western medicine. 

The other Eastern Culture that has a long history of alternative medicine is India. Ayurvedic medicine dates back as far as 6000 years ago and like Chinese Medicine also has links with Buddhism. 

Ayurveda comes from 2 Sanskrit words – Ayu meaning life and veda meaning knowledge of.  It is a system of medicine that keeps a persons body, mind and spirit in tune with nature in order to maintain good health.

When in Rome …..

In the West, the History of Alternative Medicine goes back around 3000 years.  Treatments such as hydrotherapy were popular with the Romans and Greeks.  The Ancient Greeks who were greatly influenced by the Babylonias and to a lesser extent by India and China brought herbalism into the West.  Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC), a Greek physician commonly referred to as the Father of Medicine, practiced herbal medicine. 

During the Middle Ages, Monks in Europe studied and grew medicinal plants and translated many works on the subject from Arabic.  Folk Healers also passed on their knowledge of healing through word of mouth, from Master to Apprentice.
 
The understanding of the power different plants have is ingrained in many native civilisations and has allowed man to understand and thrive in often challenging environments. When the Europeans settled in America they found that the Native Americans had an extensive knowledge of the healing power of their indigenous herbs.  Likewise the Aborigines in Australia understood the power of plants found in their environment.

Moving forward in time towards the 19th Century, before the rise of Western Medicine, as we now know it, medical practitioners were more like today’s naturopaths.  They would take a detailed medical history paying particular attention to the patient’s lifestyle.  They would then suggest ways to improve this by changes in diet, environment and would also prescribe herbal remedies. 

How a Bit of Mould Turned the Tables on Alternative Medicine

The widespread use of alternative medicine in its various forms decreased during the 20th Century.  Treatment of patients became more focused on the use of hospitals, and developments in modern medicine lead to the widespread use of Pharmaceutical Drugs to treat disease.  The discovery of Penicillin and its development into a drug that could treat bacterial infections in the 1940’s revolutionised health care and alternative medicine lost favour with most medical practitioners. 

Although many Doctors let go of what they considered to be outdated treatments such as homeopathy, herbalism and traditional Chinese Medicine many patients still sort them out, especially when conventional medicine didn’t appear to be working for them.  

No Longer An Alternative, Now Another Choice
for Achieving Better Health

The result now is that Alternative Medicine is on the increase.  Practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, aromatherapy and healing are kept alive by practitioners who specialise in one of more alternative form of treatment.  Frequently alternatives are used alongside modern medical treatments, which have led to alternatives being given the term complimentary medicine.

This brief history of alternative medicine shows that many of the practices used today have been with us for thousands of years.  Given the rising popularity of using alternative medicine to deal with health issues today, it’s likely that these practices will be around for many more.

Technorati Tags: Alternative Medicine, History of Alternative Medicine

thanks

also if you know anything that might help early stage glaucoma, possible retinopathy or worsening visual acuity naturally, please let me know

My mother went nearly blind the last year of her life from glaucoma and I want to try to reverse or stop the worsening.

thanks but what is Forskolin

The herb Coleus Forskohlii (sold as Coleus Forte in Health stores) is supposed to be good for the prevention and treatment of glaucoma as it reduces the pressure in your eyes. You have to ask for it in Health Stores as it is kept behind the counter and although you can buy it without a prescription it is deemed to be prescription medication so they are not permitted to have it on the self service shelves.

The herb Forskolin is actually the same as Coleus Forskohlii (Coleus Forte).

You can purchase either or both:
- a good sulphur (sulfur) soap; use at least twice per day or as recommended; and/ OR
- yellow sulphur (sulfur) powder and mix some with any grease (e.g. petroleum jelly/ olive oil) just to make it adhere to the skin – wear a sock to prevent paste from smearing on your sheet etc.

Even if it’s not scabies, sulphur (sulfur) will address most skin problems (incl. fungus).

Wash those socks separately from other laundry (eg. laundry load, add 1/4 cup white vinegar); so you can average for your socks.

Good luck.

Keep in mind, the "alternative treatment" for the #1 preventable condition in the USA (obesity & related ailments like diabetes), is DIET AND EXCERCISE, and doesn’t cost a dime.

My problem is that I can’t "talk". Everything I say I am self concious of. I struggle making conversation and exercise self backlash on every awkward occasion such as this. I worry when I am out and about that everybody in their cars is watching me, that people sitting down outside cafes are watching me, that people sitting in the seats behind me in buses are staring at me. I’ve had a few recent near-panic attacks on buses just because of this. I wish to enjoy life, talk freely, be social and in the end, be the most successful person out of my highschool class next year. I finished school last year in New Zealand and moved to Australia soon after, where my sisters live nearby. I had a bad time at school with bullying and not fitting in. I felt I was always judged so now I judge all of them and want to be the most successful our of them.

I am gay and out to most people. After I moved to Australia in February this year, I then moved to live independently in another city just a week ago. I also joined dating sites and found an amazing friend. We have dated twice, but he still considers us just dating and says a relationship would be weeks away – if ever. He is getting over a recent breakup. However, I continue to destroy my self esteem and hope by being paranoid that he is still having other dates on the side and probably won’t choose me in the end, even though he is honest and well mannered and looking for long term like me. And he probably won’t choose me. After all why should he? I’ve barely talked in person so we hardly know each other. And unless I get help it might always be that way. I don’t want to tell him what is going on in my life as he might feel pressured and back out. But part of me does want him to understand because he might support me.

This dilemma of dating has made the high point in the last few days. All my worries about the uncertainty of our future collided with other worries last night, and I had an emotional breakdown. It involved me uncontrollably crying loudly for ages, feeling so alone, like there’s no hope whatsoever and wanting to kill myself. During this I SMSd him and am now really scared he is disturbed by it, as he hardly ever contacts me now.

I can’t afford a psychologist or anything. IS there any free services that give similar help for healing mental problems? I will not take meds as I only use alternative medicine which is also what I want to study next year. I would like it if somebody wants to message me and form a chat setup as well. I NEED HELP :’(

an 18 year old guy should be enjoying life as it is . based from your notes your self esteem continues to be lowering down . and come up to the point of making you sad so severely . it sounds that pschoneurosis is also attacking your personalty as you have some emotional breakdowns and anxiety attack is obviuosly sensed , you know these things happening to you should be brought up to your trusted friends and relatives , expressing verbally your fears , anxieties will surely be easen . the professional counselor could help you too . a religious clergy are with open arms to listen of what you will talk to them . meanwhile it is more helpful and encouraging if you indulge yourself to your favorite sports . and regular hobbies to divert your attentions making yourself active and be more optimistic . you will be thinking of positve things to regain lost self worth and self esteem .

http://www.infowars.com/mccains-dietary-supplement-bill-an-attempt-to-implement-codex-alimentarius/

i would like to ask mr sparky and ratz above if he/they ever been treated by alternative doctors/homeopaths.
i would like to ask him if he ever sat in the hospital for 6 days being pumped full of pain killers so much that his vein in his arm collapsed….has he ever witnessed how the doctors have attractive lady assistants come into the hospital and try to sell surgeries and epidurals to patients in pain and under the influence of hard core opiates….

And then has he ever left that hospital in a paralyzed state in a daze from painkillers and steroids….been carried into his homeopath…and 10 minutes later stand up…bend down and touch his toes….and after 2 more treatments been virtually pain free even though his disc in his spine ruptured and he was told by "traditional" doctors he needed surgery or else he would not be able to walk…??

well thats my story and anyone against alternative medicine i guarantee has no personal experience with it. they are brainwashed and their ego makes them have immature judgments against things they do not understand.

Put that term into Google, you won’t get any results apart from your question here. Maybe it’s because it’s a role that doesn’t actually exist?

Any advice

Apple cider vinegar worked well for my husband and he hasn’t had it come back.

http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/athletes_foot.html

That is a page on natural cures and all the feedback is from people who have used it themselves and are reporting whether it worked for them or not. It could be emotionally based, do you have Doreen Virtue’s book about that? It’s really good for getting to the root of emotional issues in your physical conditions. I can’t remember the title of the book but if you google her name, you’ll find it. This website is a good place to start and has tons of great info on just about everything you can think of health-wise. Good luck to you.