What are conventional, alternative, and complementary medicine? How do they differ? Conventional medicine is treatment used by MDs and other health providers. Alternative medicine is used in place of traditional medicine. Complementary medicine is treatment used along with traditional medicine to treat a condition or illness.
What are the different dimensions of health? Describe each dimension. The dimensions of health are physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual health. Physical health is susceptibility to disease, body functioning, ability to recover physical fitness. Intellectual health is an ability to think clearly and effectively reasaon and analyze information. Emotional health is an ability to express/control emotions.
Describe two alternative medical systems. Ayurvedic medicine is an alternative system of medicine that originated in India. It focuses on restoring harmony to a person through the balance of mind, body and spirit. Naturopathy believes that diseases occurs when the body’s natural ways of fighting off disease has been changed or altered in some way.
Many alternative and complementary medicine practices are viewed with skepticism within traditional/mainstream medicine. Why is this the case? What are the advantages and disadvantages to this skepticism? People become skeptical due to too much scientific evidence that backs more proof withcertain treatment. It makes people comfortable if it is more tested. However, too much skepticism may hurt their treatments.
Should the healthcare system in your country incorporate a more holistic approach with emphasis on all dimensions of health? Why or why not? They should incorporate holistic approach with emphasis on all dimensions of health in some degree but not much. Person’s wellness is the best when one’s health reaches the optimal in each of the health dimensions.
Why do some individuals choose to use alternative and complementary practices? Individuals with higher levels of education and those who have been hospitalized in the last year are also more likely to seek alternative or complementary medicine. Individuals who experience chronic neck, back, head, or other pain and those who experience gastrointestinal problems and sleeping issues are also more likely to use alternative or complementary medicine than individuals with other conditions.
