Alternative medicine shuns the use of conventional standard methods of treatment. Instead of prescription drugs, its practitioners use natural herbs or other natural healthcare treatments—medical products and practices that are not part of standard care.
Career Information
For those interested in pursuing higher education in healthcare, the choice of alternative medicine is an equally viable option. The field of alternative medicine does not require its professionals to hold a medical degree. However, obtaining one is a worthwhile consideration, especially if you want to establish a reputation in the field.
Unlike their Western counterparts, Eastern countries have long-standing traditions of teaching alternative medicine. As a result of growing global consciousness, patients in the West are becoming more receptive to trying alternative medical techniques. Because of this, many Western medical schools have been forced to teach alternative-treatment techniques and theories. The upshot is that some U.S. hospitals and medical practitioners in the U.S. and other Western nations supplement their regular medical care with alternative techniques.
Obtaining a Degree or Certificate in Alternative Medicine
If you are armed with a degree or certificate in alternative medicine, you can explore career fields such as homeopathy and alternative healthcare. Therapies in these fields do not involve prescription drugs, but they can be quite effective and relatively inexpensive. Certified practitioners of alternative medicine have taken classes in anatomy, science, and doctor-patient relationships. However, unlike in the conventional mode, math and chemistry studies are not required.
The Controversy
The value of alternative medicine is often debated in medical circles. These debates may even have spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings. Since practices and treatments are not necessarily developed through controlled, empirical studies, their validity is open to question. Some of alternative medicine's many forms are explained below:
- Acupuncture: a method of healing developed in China at least 2,000 years ago involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. Sharp, metal needles are used to penetrate the skin manually or by electrical stimulation.
- Aromatherapy: a method involving the use of essential oils extracted from flowers, herbs, and trees.
- Ayurveda: a method that includes diet and herbal remedies and has been practiced on the Indian subcontinent for more than 5,000 years. It stresses the use of the body, mind, and spirit in the prevention and cure of disease.
- Chiropractic: a method that concentrates on the relationship between the structure of the spine and its function using manipulative therapy as a vital treatment tool.
- Homeopathy: a method wherein small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms.
- Massage: a method by which therapists manipulate muscle and connective tissue to improve its function while inducing relaxation.
- Naturopathy: a method that states that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health.
- Osteopathy: a method of conventional medicine that emphasizes the belief that diseases arise in the musculoskeletal system.
- Reiki: a Japanese term denoting universal life energy. Spiritual energy is believed to be guided through the practitioner to the patient's spirit, which in turn heals the physical body.
Reference:
Collinge, William. The American Holistic Health Association Complete Guide to Alternative Medicine. New York: Warner Books, 1996.
