2023-12-15 20:35:00
Many believe that alternative medicine is only the domain of scammers. Although it is undeniable that there are unscrupulous people who claim to sell remedies that work for everything, the reality today is that so-called alternative medicine has a niche within the academies of allopathic medicine (which is the “standard” medicine that we all know). Proof of this is that those interested in this field must first graduate as doctors and then obtain the degree that accredits them in these practices before having the right to practice them. There are universities in Colombia and in the rest of the world that offer courses, diplomas and even master’s degrees in alternative medicine.
A practitioner’s perspective
“Alternative medicines are a group of therapies and a lifestyle that looks at the human being as a whole. The person is looked at in all their relationships and aspects with what surrounds them. Your own defense mechanisms are enhanced so that the healing process comes naturally and is not limited to treating a symptom, but rather addresses the patient in a comprehensive manner,” says Francisco Prins, a doctor trained in non-pharmacological therapies.
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Prins explains that the group of alternative medicines includes schools such as “homeopathy, neural therapeutic medicine or neural therapy, functional medicine and different adjuvant therapies, such as ozone therapies and magnetotherapy in which we have pulsating magnetic fields.” Others include chiropractic, reiki, energy therapy, and so-called “traditional Chinese medicine” and “ayurveda medicine” (which could be called “traditional Indian medicine”).
According to Prins, these treatments “offer great contributions in the management of pain, degenerative processes, digestive diseases, emotional imbalances, allergies, autoimmune and metabolic diseases; They are also adjuvants in cancer. It is a holistic and integrative medicine that takes into account all aspects of the patient’s life, which includes the toxic load to which they are exposed in the environment, their diet, their digestion, the state of their flora and permeability. intestinal, its neurovegetative balance or if it is exposed to glucotoxicity or insulin resistance, among other factors.”
Real help or not?
Since it is a topic that sometimes sparks strong discussions, it is clear that the consensus of the medical community is the following: there are aspects of alternative medicine that are commendable, such as its interest in giving emotional or spiritual relief to the patient and offering times of relaxation. longer queries. It is also true that the placebo effect can help and that some practices do have benefits that have been shown in studies.
“Research shows that acupuncture, for example, can help reduce the intensity of pain and could even be prescribed as a complementary therapy for illnesses where these discomforts become chronic, such as autoimmune diseases. The problem with many of the options offered by alternative medicine is that they have not been exhaustively addressed in the research literature,” says Rita Sierra, internist and rheumatologist. In other words, there are several procedures that have not been subjected to the rigor of medical studies, so their possible benefits or harms have not yet been determined.
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“A doctor must be conciliatory. There are many things that do not kill, but do overwhelm (such as anxiety, lack of sleep or pain) and alternative medicine tends to help a lot with them, whether due to the placebo effect or due to its own effectiveness. If the patient takes or does something that improves his psychological well-being, and that we know does not harm him, we cannot say ‘don’t do that’, we would not be helping him,” comments Edinson García, cardiologist.
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However, and this is very important, alternative medicine is only complementary to the treatment: homeopathic pills, yoga classes, herbal infusions and even healing rituals can give you security and calm, but they cannot be the first option or replace blood tests, insulin doses, vaccines, surgeries, chemotherapy and more. To paraphrase the American Cancer Society, be very wary of anyone who claims to have miracle cures, especially for chronic and difficult-to-treat diseases.
In general, some observations you should keep in mind are:
– Make sure the practitioner has their degrees in order, both in general medicine and the type of alternative medicine they practice.
– Be wary of anyone who suggests you stop an allopathic treatment or medication without first asking you to consult with your doctor.
– What is “natural” is not always the “healthiest”. Do not trust treatments or products that have not been subjected to international safety standards. In 2008, for example, a study revealed that, on average, 20% of “natural” Ayurvedic medicine products exported from India to the United States contained lead, cyanide or arsenic, substances toxic to humans.
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