Western Medicine Vs. Alternative Eastern Medicines

The shift from traditional to current methods in treating diseases has improved the quality of many services, products, and processes. However, many regions worldwide are still applying traditional medicines (Stefanov et al., 2020). Therefore, conventional western medicine and alternative Eastern medicine are two recognized approaches to treating multiple diseases. Researchers have developed the foundational differences between these two approaches that have helped establish the pros and cons of each. Each approach has advantages and drawbacks. There have been debates on which approach is cheaper in terms of time and cost of treatment. Also, there is ongoing concern on which approach is safer than the other. The debate about which approach is superior to the other, each proving practical, demand research to fill these gaps.

Western medicine focuses on the causative agents of diseases and tries to remedy the symptoms. Therefore, abnormality creates a gap between an individual’s personality and their environment (Stefanov et al., 2020). By implication, when someone is ailing, their personality is not the real ones they ought to exhibit when they are in a healthy state. On the other hand, alternative medicine treats the body as the equilibrium that occurs through interrelations between the person’s body and the environment (Ozioma et al., 2019). From this perspective, the cause of the disease is the imbalance that occurs between the body and the environment. Therefore, the alternative medicine goal is to treat the whole system of the patient instead of cleansing elements of the body (Stefanov et al., 2020). Therefore, critics argue that alternative medicine has better outcomes than western medicine regarding the individual goals that each attains. The alternative medicine focusing on treating the entire system appears to be a more practical approach since it focuses on treating the whole body.

The two approaches differ regarding the cost and time required for treatments. Alternative medicine assumes that a person exhibits life-long health that can sustain the body, while Western medicine mainly relies on surgery and drugs to maintain health. Therefore, alternative medicine focuses on supporting the body through a daily routine, proper nutrition, mind exercises, good body maintenance, and so on (Ozioma et al., 2019). Conventional western medicine relying on drugs and surgery appears to be more suitable for treating critical conditions, but it’s not the best for dealing with chronic diseases (Grossman et al., 2018). Also, it is more expensive compared to the alternative medicine procedure. Alternative medicine minimizes the overreliance on medication. Therefore, it is economical. It is also more affordable and guarantees stable outcomes that offer consistent approaches to dealing with a given health issue, especially chronic disease (Stefanov et al., 2020). The patient can establish the progress when using alternative medicine, thus adjusting conditions that can impact their health. The primary cos with alternative medicine is that it demands time to monitor the healing process; therefore, it is not more appropriate where the patient wants quick healing.

The treatment method that each approach utilizes has pros and cons. Alternative medicine relies on natural components, whereas western medicine relies on chemical drugs. The prolonged use of chemicals in the body is destructive to the body’s innate immunity in the long run. Therefore, while western medicine acts as a quick fix, it is can adversely affect the patient’s immune system by destroying natural immunity (Stefanov et al., 2020). The alternative medicine minimizes the use of chemical drugs; thus, the patient is not at high risk of concentrating chemicals in the body system. Also, alternative medicine uses traditional approaches to treat diseases, such as yoga, massage, meditation, deep breaths, and so on (Stefanov et al., 2020). These techniques act as preventive methods for health complications implying it reduces the chances of getting some diseases. Western medicine relies on scientifically generated drugs, treatments, and diagnoses of health issues. Although expensive and risky to immunity, the approach, in the long run, study shows that when used as a ‘quick fix, it gives better outcomes within a shorter time and is therefore helpful in assisting patients in critical situations.

Conclusively, alternative and conventional western medicines are two different approaches to treating diseases based on their unique interpretation of various health issues. Western medicine focuses on a ‘quick fix’ for diseases by treating diseases as independent clauses and avoids systematic approaches (Stefanov et al., 2020). On the other hand, alternative medicine takes patients’ bodies and their environment as an interrelated and holistic system where a disease occurs because of an imbalance between the body and the environment. Therefore, alternative medicine tries to rectify the imbalance to treat the disease. Conventional western medicine is advantageous in treating diseases requiring immediate interventions and other critical situations, but it is less effective in treating chronic diseases like diabetes. Alternative medicines are effective in treating chronic diseases, and they have long-lasting results, although they tend to be more gradual than western medicine (Stefanov et al., 2020). Also, they are economical and pose a minor threat to the immune since they rely on traditional techniques and natural components instead of Western medicine, which relies on drugs with chemical elements. Therefore, alternative medicine has numerous benefits despite being a conventional approach.

Therefore, the current topic is critical in scientific debates. The only problem is that it attracts different views regarding a better approach. Both western and alternative medicines have pros and cons. Therefore, it has been challenging to agree on which is more effective than the other. The Europeans and Asian countries embrace natural and more holistic approaches compared to the Western world, which delves much into chemical drugs. The study of the current topic gives insights into the scientific approach ’s impacts on our health. Also, it educates on the methods to develop correct perception, thus preventing one from perceiving either in a bad light. Therefore, one can change some opinions about the types of medicine they believe to be true growing up. I knew that there was a gap between western medicine and alternative medicine. I knew that some of the practices, such as drinking ginger instead of taking medication, were an example of alternative medicine. Therefore, I was curious about whether Western medicine is any better if one can still heal using alternative medicine. By carrying out the research through scholarly articles about the study and physicians ’ perceptions of the two types of treatment and comparing with the physicians ’ opinions I am acquainted with, I hoped to answer these questions.

References

1. Grossman, L. D., Roscoe, R., & Shack, R. (2018). Complementary and alternative medicine for diabetes. Canadian Journal of diabetes, 42, S154-S161.
2. Ozioma, E. O. J., & Chinwe, O. N. (2019). Herbal medicines in African traditional medicine. Herbal medicine, 10, 191-214.
3. Stefanov, M., Stoev, S., Kim, J., & Kim, S. (2020). Western medicine versus eastern medicine: Do both have a common root, scientific background, and worldwide recognition. Alternative Therapies, Health and Medicine, 26(2), 38-44.