Alternative Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine

Alternative medicine vs. conventional medicine

Benefits of alternative medicine vs. conventional medicine from an economic perspective

Alternative medicine vs. conventional medicine: An economic perspective

Alternative medicine: Pro

One common contention in favor of alternative medicine is that it is not so 'alternative' after all -- for hundreds of years, many forms of alternative medicine have been proven effective, such as acupuncture and yoga. For a fraction of the cost of drugs with debilitating side effects (which often results in the need for more drugs to treat the side effects) individuals can use time-tested methods to heal themselves. Many legitimate health organizations have recognized this fact. For example, the highly respected World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the technique of acupuncture for treatment of various health problems, such as arthritis, sinus problems, and even chronic fatigue (Benefits of acupuncture, 2009)

Alternative medicine is holistic -- it treats the whole person and stresses preventative care. Proper diet, exercise, and leading a balanced and relaxed life are important to prevent diseases that result in a loss of social and economic productivity as well as a loss of quality of life. Ayurvedic medicine, macrobiotic diets, and raw foods are all examples of using alternative means to promote health. Alternative medicinal practitioners stress: "the body needs the support of some basic dietary and lifestyle good health habits, such as a full body detox and a proper understanding and application of nutrition" (Health benefits of acupuncture, 2009, all4naturalhealth) Conventional medicine merely treats the symptoms of an unhealthy lifestyle. Preventative care is also less costly than treating chronic disease or providing acute care.

Alternative medicine can be used in conjunction with conventional medicine, while conventional medicine often strives to deny any use for alternative methods, despite the proven health benefits of once 'quirky' methods as acupuncture, a vegetarian diet, and yoga. In this form, alternative medicine is usually called complementary or integrative medicine. Through stress reduction and reducing one's exposure to highly processed foods and toxins, the need for more extreme interventions through conventional means is likely to be reduced, a development welcomed by many medical doctors as well as alternative medicine practitioners (What is CAM, 2009, NCCAM)

Conventional medicine

Advocates of conventional medicine would point out that while many alternative medicinal techniques may be older than conventional medicine, people had far shorter lifespans hundreds of years ago! Healers may have used Ayurvedic medicine and homeopathy because they were the best techniques at healer's disposal in the past, but that is no longer the case. Antibiotics and vaccines have saved countless numbers of lives. Despite claims about the dangers of such substances, most of these have been 'scare'-related, with no real supportive data. Consider the current vaccine debate: "The CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine and other prestigious medical organizations maintain there is no known link between vaccines and autism. Studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and elsewhere also have found no link. Even after thimerosal [the alleged, offending substance] was removed from infant vaccines, the autism rate has continued to climb" (Vaccine, 2008, CNN). Attributing illnesses to conventional medicine is often based upon anecdotal and emotional evidence, little else.

Conventional medicine takes a preventive perspective as well, stressing proper diet and nutrition, but a more realistic fashion and thus yield more appreciable results. Furthermore, studies suggest that eating real food, as opposed to alternative supplements or following fad diets, elimination diets, or diets that do not contain an entire group of food (such as meat or carbohydrate) are more health-promoting and sustainable over the long-term (Parker-Pope 2009).