- Both officials were in favor of traditional medicine and stated that it should be applied in health units.
- This category includes new and old practices such as homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, energy healing, ozone therapy, radiesthesia, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.
- To date, they are all considered pseudosciences because there is no scientific evidence to support their effectiveness.
Within the field of health there are different issues that are quite controversial because they divide opinions. The traditional medicine it is one of the clearest examples because to date it is impossible to reach a consensus on its usefulness or ineffectiveness. The reality is that after thousands of years it is a method used by millions of people around the planet.
A form of healing that remains in force?
In this sense, one of the main arguments used by its defenders is that it is the most common remedy of ancient civilizations. Through natural remedies they managed to recover sick people.
On the other hand, among the detractors it is mentioned that one should stop believing in ancestral methods that lack scientific evidence. Part of its success was due to the fact that it was the only option available as a form of healing. Although with the development and professionalization of the pharmaceutical industry everything changed.
This topic resurfaced as a result of a statement today by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Directly it declared in favor of traditional medicine and assured that it is a method that must continue because it works to cure different diseases.
“I agree, all kinds of medicines and treatments and health measures must be applied, all of them, even traditional medicine and it is applied, in medical units, in hospitals there is traditional medicine and it has to continue to be promoted.”
What was said by the president was complemented by the head of the Ministry of Health (SSa), Jorge Alcocer. The official added that all actions that are born from the culture of the people are welcome.
#LaMañaneraDeAMLO The Secretary of Health reaffirms López Obrador’s statements about traditional medicine and gives the example of “the digital leaf”, a plant that was used in teas for “heart failure” https://t.co/n1cBV1ods7 pic.twitter.com/vopA5ut58D
– The Universal (@El_Universal_Mx) July 5, 2022
The highest health representative in the country gave the “digital sheet” as an example. He pointed out that it is a plant that has been used for thousands of years to combat diseases such as heart failure. Therefore, it was shown in favor of natural remedies.
What is alternative medicine?
In its summary definition it is about any practice that uses plants, teas or natural remedies as a form of healing. To date it is considered a pseudoscience because its effectiveness has not been proven beyond the occasional placebo effect.
This type of treatment lacks biological plausibility because it has no evidence to support it. It also has arguments that are impossible to prove or have been shown to be ineffective.
New and traditional practices such as homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, energy healing, ozone therapy, radiesthesia, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine are included within this denomination.