Homeopathic Medicine

Homeopathic medicine has been a controversial practice since its creation. Although no system of proof exists, homeopathic medicine practitioners swear by its results. Modern medicine aggressively disputes all claims that homeopathic medicine provides any positive effects on a patient beyond a placebo effect. If a patient receives homeopathic medicine for bacterial or viral infection, without acceptable pharmaceutical medicine or vaccines, the patient faces the same level of risk as before. Beyond these instances, homeopathic medicine poses little inherent risk.

* Homeopathic medicine is based on the idea that sickness is more a representation of self than an outside entity causing the symptoms. Rather than give patients medicine, advocates of homeopathic medicine produce remedies that contain a substance known for causing similar symptoms that the patient claims.

* These remedies are created by a system of dilution that causes the final product to most likely contain no traces of the original substance. In the presence of actual disease, modern medicine continues to exclaim that homeopathic medicine provides no benefit to a patient.

* Since the final remedy or medicine contains trace amounts, if any, of the original substance, it does not threaten the health of the patient. Advocates of conventional medicine state, however, that the risk does not lie in the remedy, but in the belief that the remedy will function as medicine for the patient. If a person contracts a bacterial infection, modern medicine suggests the usage of antibiotics which will likely cure any sickness before bodily damage occurs. Now, if the same individual takes a homeopathic medicine instead of medically recommended medicine, they could easily be putting themselves at a grave risk. Thus, some argue that this belief in just homeopathic forms of medicine can be fatally dangerous.

* Homeopathy utilizes some general ingredients to create their some 3000 different types of medicine. Some ingredients include; poison ivy, quartz, oyster shell, calcium sulfide, and many others that in active form, would cause significant medical concern. Homeopathic medicine witnessed a late 20th century resurgence, most likely due to money-making potential foreseen by opportunistic businesses. The plausibility for homeopathic medicine to help an individual lacks empirical evidence, but studies do note the potential for placebo effect.

Like many forms of alternative medicine, Homeopathy claims proof to the effectiveness of its medicine. This makes doctors and health officials weary of advocating any potential for homeopathic medicine to address sickness. Beyond placebo effect, which can be undeniably strong, homeopathic medicine lacks the scientific findings to grant true feasibility as a health option.

Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine holds a holistic philosophy on the treatment of medicine. Practitioners argue that a patient requires their entire body analyzed as a whole in order to reach any diagnosis. Naturopathic medicine discourages the use of synthetic medicine and invasive surgery, instead favoring the idea that the human body maintains intrinsic healing ability. As with many forms of alternative medicine, the medical community discredits the ability of naturopathic medicine to aid against sickness.

* After the great strides that modern medicine took during the mid-20th century, naturopathic medicine practices lacked a certain credulity. Prior to this, many schools and systems of accreditation accepted naturopathic medicine as a prominent form of medicine practice. Although practitioners of naturopathic medicine continued to exist, the federal government, as well as several state governments, started to limit their practice of medicine.

* Even though the community of medicine seems to discourage the practice of naturopathic medicine, many of its core components were adopted as commonplace in modern medicine. These include preventative care and an overall sense of keeping the body in good shape. The overarching principles of naturopathic medicine are included in an oath not unlike a common medicine practitioner. The main point of naturopathic medicine, as set-forth in the oath, include; doing no harm in providing the best care with the least patient risk, understand the healing power of nature that exists in every person, treat the entire illness rather than attempting to reduce individual symptoms, encourage an individual responsibility towards health, diagnose patients in consideration of all underlying issues, and encourage a world-wide understanding of medicine.

* Since the advent of modern medicine, naturopathic practice declined due to the inherent problems in attempting to make a uniform system of accreditation. In response to this role-back in naturopathic education, individuals began claiming a certain level of knowledge while lacking any proper training in medicine. Recently, many states have again permitted naturopathic education and allow several institutions to offer degrees.

* Similar problems exist between supporters of naturopathic medicine and the larger medical field as the case with most forms of alternative medicine. The treatment practices of naturopathic medicine fail to comply with modern views of medicine and can theoretically cause further damage to an individual who refuses antibiotics or similarly important medications to treat disease.

Naturopathic medicine encourages individuals to treat their bodies with respect and care. Understandably, modern forms of medicine agree with these and many other views for the study of naturopathic medicine, however, many note the lack of uniformity and scientific findings. The role of naturopathic medicine will likely continue but an overarching shift to naturopathic practices remains unlikely.

Alternative Medicine

The term alternative medicine refers to any type of medicine practice that falls outside of conventional and widely accepted views of medicine. Although alternative medicine has been in practice for centuries, recent studies have shown a sharp increase in usage over the past decade. Oftentimes, doctors may suggest alternative medicine to supplement more conventional medicine practices. Issues surrounding alternative medicine stem from the lack of standardization that inherently exists with medicine of this type.

* Alternative medicine is a non-linear grouping of anything established to be outside of normal medicine practice. The problem here rests in the fact that several of the medicine practices that fall under this umbrella are used in everyday life by millions of people without any recognition that it is actually known as an alternative medicine.

* Generally, alternative medicine is used for ailments that have remained elusive to modern medicine. Problems like arthritis, chronic pain, and back pain contain no inherent cure or treatment that is accepted by the world of medicine. Some doctors will prescribe narcotic pain killers and/or muscle relaxers to treat the symptoms while others suggest invasive surgery, but the only consensus surrounding many of these problems is a lack of consensus. Supporters of alternative medicine often cite testimonials that prove the ability to cure these ailments with routes contrary to the normal practice of medicine.

* Many hospitals and health treatment centers offer several forms of alternative medicine to their patients either instead of, or in addition to, common medicine. Statistics have shown a yearly increase in hospitals offering these types of services for nearly a decade and they include; therapeutic massage, chiropractic services, and acupuncture.

* Federal and state health agencies have had trouble with the increase in alternative medicine. Since many of these practitioners receive little to no licensing for their unproven techniques, they pose a possiblethreat to the well-being of patients and the larger population. Certain officials have suggested creating some type of licensing technique for specific medicine practices, but incorporating an umbrella term like alternative medicine under a comprehensive law seems unlikely.

* People considering alternative medicine should be wary of false promises and quick fixes. Always consult with a licensed physician before changing or adding any currently prescribed medicine, as this could have possible fatal consequences.

Many medical doctors harbor mixed opinions about the current practice of alternative medicine. In general, physicians will offer a ‘why not try it’ technique to patients but not suggest an overhaul in current, widely-accepted treatment techniques. Still, many practitioners of alternative medicine make persuasive displays and arguments for the benefits of utilizing these techniques.

Internal Medicine

Often confused with general physicians, practitioners of internal medicine are generally known as one of the more specialized members in the field of medicine. Internal medicine refers to a complex web of specializations in medicine that allows an internal medicine physician, or internist, to diagnose several ailments or chronic diseases at once. Internal medicine physicians often work in hospitals or on a referral basis because of their ability to detect any disease known in modern medicine.

* To become a practicing internist several years of specialized training, in addition to the general medicine practice training, is required to insure the highest degree of ability. After the basic and specialized training in medicine is over, a physician practicing internal medicine has generally studied for at least twelve years. The field of internal medicine includes general study and also refers to 13 recognized subsections, among which include; cardiology, rheumatology, pulmonology, nephrology, sports medicine, adolescent medicine, allergy and immunology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, geriatrics, oncology, hematology, and endocrinology.

* Whereas children see pediatricians as their general physician, adults will often choose to see an internal medicine specialist as they can address a myriad of medical issues. Physicians can choose to practice general internal medicine or receive further training to specialize in one of the aforementioned fields of medicine.

* Another purview of practicing internal medicine is the ability to combine several fields of medicine to diagnose a patient. This can aid in situations when a patient requires knowledge on preventative medicine, indicates possible psychological issues or drug and alcohol addiction. Internal medicine doctors are equipped to identify the gambit of possible ailments known in modern medicine.

* When a patient visits a more generic type of physician and shows inconclusive symptoms, they will often be referred to a general internal medicine practitioner. If the ailments seem contained to a specific body part or system, they will usually be referred to an internist with specialization in that field of medicine.

* Due to their cross-specialization in various fields of medicine, hospitals generally employ several internists to address patients that show indication of multiple diseases or inconclusive symptoms. Although they focus on non-surgical medicine, internal medicine physicians are still equipped to identify any possible route to addressing the underlying ailment.

Internal medicine crosses all fields of modern medicine. These doctors posses special skills and training that allows them to look at a medical situation from any angle. Older adults are often recommended to see an internist to learn preventative measures and learn of possible medical situations before they arise.