Advancement in medical science has greatly helped to improve the life span of an average human being over the course of years. Scientists all across the globe have developed ways to treat the same illness.
Medical science divides the types of medicines into two branches: conventional medicines and alternative medicines.
Alternative medicine denotes all kinds of methods that exclude regular medication for instance, acupressure, ayurveda, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, reiki, acupuncture etc.
Most of the alternative medicines are based on historical or cultural traditions. They work on the principle of balancing the energy which helps to restore health. It is important to keep this principle in mind while considering the option of alternative medicine.
Research conducted by BBC has shown that alternative medicines are becoming increasingly popular though their efficacy is very much debated.
Dr. Pradip Shah, well known Physician from Fortis hospital says, “Alternative medicines should be considered only when conventional medicines fail to deliver results. For instance, they can be tried for chronic ailments that have no curative ends. Alternative medicines work on the psychological factors and are sometime effective but there are no scientific results to prove it.”
Like many, if you are confused whether it is worth considering an alternative medicine or therapy to complement the conventional one, it's a good idea to consider the pros and cons of alternative medicine.
Alternative Medicine: Pros
Alternative therapies are based on treating the whole person. They focus on healing the cause of the disease and address not just the physical body but also the patient’s spiritual and emotional health. Many therapies encourage individuals to lead a healthy life and have treatments to prevent diseases before it occurs, in addition to being helpful when sick.
Conventional medicines are produced for the global consumption whereas alternative medicines are personalized to suit the needs of the individual patient. Alternative medicines are unique by nature and hence designed as per the needs of the individual patient.
Stress is an important factor that reduces the immunity and makes a person weak. Modern medicines accounts for stress as a part of life and hence does not consider stress when curing any ailment. Alternative therapies like pranayam, meditation, yoga etc helps to reduce stress and combat illness such as hyper tension, diabetes etc.
Alternative therapies use various herbs to treat the ailments. The herbs are naturally available and do not need any research to develop and hence are quite cheaper than the modern medicines.
Conventional medicines or antibiotics cannot distinguish between the beneficial bacteria and the virus and bacteria that can cause damage as a result eradicate the beneficial bacteria from the body. Alternative therapies are structured to destroy the damage causing bacteria and viruses.
Alternative Medicine: Cons
Alternative therapies can be used to complement your conventional treatment when serious illnesses are considered however; attempts to treat serious illness with alternative therapies can aggravate the ailment. It is important to educate yourself with all the options available and accordingly make decisions that are right for you.
Conventional medicines generally show immediate results. Most Alternative therapies work on the principle of eradicating the problem from its root, hence takes a longer time to heal the problem.
Alternative therapies not only take longer time to heal but also require serious dedication and disciple to change eating or lifestyle habits to show positive results.
Most alternative therapies have not been scientifically tested and approved by any governing body.
To sum up, alternative therapies are effective but it should be used in conjunction with the modern medicines to avoid delays in getting the right treatment.
