Nontraditional health care practices

Nontraditional health care practices

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Nontraditional health care practices

Nontraditional healthcare practices commonly referred to as complementary and alternative medicine is made of different practices which may overlap in their application. Nontraditional health care practices include:

• Traditional alternative medicine like acupuncture, Ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy, and Chinese or oriental medicine.
• Body therapies, such as chiropractic and osteopathic medicine, massage, body movement therapies, tai chi, and yoga.
• Dietary and herbal approaches including dietary supplements, herbal medicines, and nutrition or diet.
• External energy therapies like qigong, electromagnetic therapy, and reiki.
• Mind therapies like biofeedback, meditation, and hypnosis.
• Sense therapies like art, music, dance, and visualization and guided imagery

One of the oldest nontraditional health care practice is Ayurvedic medicine practiced by the Indians. For many centuries, the knowledge and understanding of this practice was shared through word of mouth. The foundation of ayurvedic medicine is the interconnection of thee universe; that is, there is some form of connection between people to each other, a connection to an individual’s health, the world, and the surrounding universe (Oyebode et al., (2016). Ayurvedic medicine depends on a mixture of herbal treatments, lifestyle recommendations, exercise, and diet to promote health.

Another culture that relies on traditional medicine is the Chinese culture. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice is still offering an alternative health care practice that is used in china and other parts of the world. TCM views the human body as a small replica of the universe. TCM focuses on balance, especially the balance between light and darkness, the yang and yin (Dong et al., (2018).

Treatment options in traditional Chinese medicine include herbal medicines; acupressure and acupuncture using pressure points and needles for opening the body’s Qi pathways; and Cupping, a practice using suction cup flames, placing them on different body parts to help open Qi pathways in the body and for deep tissue massage to loosen knots on overused muscles (Dong et al., (2018).

The people of New Zealand practice the Rongoa or traditional Maori medicine, an alternative to conventional medical practices in health care. Maori medicine women and men, also known as tohunga are responsible for this practice. Traditional Maori medicine relies on massages, herbal medicines, blood-letting, use of heat, and rituals or incantations to manage the people’s spiritual and physical health (McGowan (2015).

The knowledge of traditional Maori medicine is sacred, and is passed to a selected few. Internal herbal treatments are given for a variety of ailments such as menstrual and birth difficulties, respiratory ailments, and urinary tract infections. Besides, Maori traditional medicine aided in relieving supernatural afflictions and ailments (McGowan (2015).

Nontraditional health care practices are important for various reasons. Firstly, complimentary and alternative medicines address therapeutic gaps existing in several health care practices. There are therapeutic gaps existing in areas dealing with chronic disease management and psychological trauma (Singer et al., (2014). Body based therapies like chiropractic and osteopathic medicine, massage, body movement therapies, tai chi, and yoga are useful in many disease managements to reduce pain, and manage the side effects of some conventional medical practices.

Services like massage, acupressure and acupuncture also offer relief to many patients who find conventional medical practices stressful and harmful. Moreover, patients who have strict cultural beliefs are resistant to conventional health care practices, a gap that can be filled by nontraditional practices. As the clients are more familiar with thee nontraditional health care practices, they are more receptive to them, allowing them to gain access to health care services.

Furthermore, nontraditional health care practices increase the health care choices of patients.  Nontraditional health care practices are locally available; hence they are readily available. Although expensive, complimentary and alternative medicine practices offer numerous choices that patients can choose from, in addition to conventional practices ((Singer et al., (2014).

Also, nontraditional health care practices are vital because they treat the whole person. Many conventional medical practices focus on alleviating the physical health of the patients, while neglecting several aspects like the mental and spiritual health, and diet and lifestyle choices ((Singer et al., (2014). Besides, conventional health care practices focus on one part of the body, that is the part that is unwell.

Another feature of treating the whole person involves case history. Nontraditional health care practices require extensive history of the patient. Thus, it can identify vital issues on the client’s health that is undetectable during clinical assessments in conventional practices. Nontraditional health care practices have a more holistic approach to healing and wellbeing ((Singer et al., (2014).

In my area, the available nontraditional health care practices include chiropractic and osteopathic medicine, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, herbal medicines, hypnosis, and meditation. The services are available in some health care facilities, while others are offered privately by specialists in the area. Others like massage and acupuncture are available in spas and centers that allow their practice. Several experts also have home visits to offer the services they provide.

The number of people choosing nontraditional health care practice is on the rise due to several reasons. Firstly, nontraditional therapies focus on relaxation and reducing stress that help relieve anxiety, calm emotions, and improve the overall wellbeing and sense of health, helping an individual feel better (Barcan (2020).

Also, complimentary and alternative medicine relieve some of the symptoms and side effects of traditional health care practices. Acupuncture can assist in relieving pain; herbal remedies ease symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Many people also choose nontraditional health care practices as they are natural and less toxic compared to traditional practices (Barcan (2020).

Moreover, many people feel that nontraditional health care practices allow them to feel more in control of their treatment. In partnership with the therapist, they work together towards recovery and healing. The comfort and satisfaction that comes from touch, talk, and time offered by complimentary therapists also provides support to patients, making them feel cared for; hence improving the quality of life (Barcan (2020).

In conclusion, there is a growing need for combination of complementary and alternative health care practices with traditional practices to provide holistic care for patients. Nontraditional health care practices provide additional relief that may not be found in traditional mechanisms improving the overall health and wellbeing of individuals.

References

Barcan, R. (2020). Complementary and alternative medicine: bodies, therapies, senses. Routledge.

Dong, J., Lu, L., Le, J., Yan, C., Zhang, H., & Li, L. (2018). Philosophical thinking of Chinese traditional medicine. Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine, 1(01), 1-10.

Lindquist, R., Tracy, M. F., & Snyder, M. (Eds.). (2018). Complementary and alternative therapies in nursing. Springer Publishing Company.

McGowan, R. (2015). Keeping alive the practice of traditional Maori medicine in an Urbanised World. In International Workshop on Colonisation, Indigenous Health and History. Available from: http://oranewzea land. com/shop/rongoa-maori-1/keeping-alive-the-prac tice-of-traditional-maori-medicine-in-an-urbanisedworld. html [Accessed 14 September 2017].

Oyebode, O., Kandala, N. B., Chilton, P. J., & Lilford, R. J. (2016). Use of traditional medicine in middle-income countries: a WHO-SAGE study. Health policy and planning, 31(8), 984-991.

Singer, J., & Adams, J. (2014). Integrating complementary and alternative medicine into mainstream healthcare services: the perspectives of health service managers. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 14(1), 167.