Alternative Medical Systems - Essay Sample

Introduction

Alternative medical systems refer to the complete theoretical and practical approaches that have been developed from conventional means. There are various kinds, such as homeopathy, Chinese medicine, naturopathy, and Ayurvedic medicine. These forms of alternative medication are reliant on practices that are energy-based such as Qigong and acupuncture. People apply alternative medical systems for their personal reasons. For instance, cancer patients at least use complementary therapy despite there being no existence of evidence that it cures or prevents cancer (Buckner et al., 2018). People feel better after using these therapies, reduction in side effects and symptoms, regaining control of your body, non-toxic and natural health treatment plans, comfort due to talking from time to time, and finally, the immune is boosted.

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Chiropractic

This approach was invented by Dr. Palmer in 1895. This therapy emphasizes function and structure. Chiropractors have the belief that diseases have the capabilities to develop in the neuromusculoskeletal system and lead to somatic dysfunctions. Chiropractic practice focuses on determining when and where the SMT (Spinal Manipulative Therapy) is most suitable and the number of times to apply it. There are joint restrictions and asymmetry, and the treatment entails thrust joint manipulations. The therapy generally addresses the impairments in the spine. Chiropractic medicine reduces pain, helps your body in self-healing, and general improvement of body functionality.

Acupuncture

Refers to the insertion of long needles that is helpful in pain reduction. There are unproven claims that it functions by creating a balance in vital energy. Other people believe that it is a neurological effect. The sickness results from an imbalance of these forces (Buckner et al., 2018). The acupuncture points are observed at regions where muscles, connective tissues, and nerve endings have a simulation effect. There is an increased flow of blood, where the body, through its natural painkillers, are triggered.

Acupuncture helps in relieving migraines, headaches, and relieving tension. In the following cases- pain in the neck and knees, migraine and headache, lower back pain, and osteoarthritis are sorted by acupuncture. Additionally, human beings enjoy the application of acupuncture in patients with low and high blood pressure, peptic ulcers, chemotherapy, dental and labor pains. Acupuncture is beneficial such that it is very safe when performed carefully, there are very few side effects, it has control over some distress, effective combination with other treatment options, and finally, patients with unsuitable pain medications.

Meditation

It mostly refers to the training of the mind of a person to redirect their thoughts and focus on one thing. It is essential in increasing the awareness of people and their environments. There are stress reduction and the development of high concentration levels (Judson et al., 2017). Meditation reduces levels of stress, controls anxiety through better coping mechanisms, decrease negative thoughts, and increases self-awareness (which acts as a starting point to the establishment of other changes that are positive. Meditation is essential to people with memory loss problems as it deals with this issue by boosting mental and memory clarity. It is always a good idea to try different styles of meditation (focused-attention and open-monitoring) and go with the option that best suits a person's needs.

Among the three alternative medical systems, meditation is the simplest as it can be achieved anywhere without any special gear, and the applicability of meditation at any given point in time is essential in improving the quality of life of a person regardless of the time available in doing it.

References

Buckner, C. A., Lafrenie, R. M., Dénommée, J. A., Caswell, J. M., & Want, D. A. (2018). Complementary and alternative medicine use in patients before and after a cancer diagnosis. Current Oncology, 25(4), e275.

Judson, P. L., Abdallah, R., Xiong, Y., Ebbert, J., & Lancaster, J. M. (2017). Complementary and alternative medicine use in individuals presenting for care at a comprehensive cancer center. Integrative cancer therapies, 16(1), 96-103.