A brand new Fad or Steeped in Ancient History?
You could be new to using alternative medicine or perhaps you have already seen the spectacular benefits alternative medicine and alternative therapies brings to your life. But have you any idea how long its been practiced and where it originated? Well i want to take you on a journey into the fascinating history of alternative treatment.
The history of Alternative Prescription medication is an interesting one and possesses links with many different cultures. Nevertheless it’s difficult to say exactly when Complementary medicine began, in part because until recently the practices that come under this term were the standard medical practices time. But if we go back in history and trace a lot of the forms of healing which can be now labelled as alternative we find that their origins return as much as 5000 years.
From Eastern Philosophy to Trusted Western Alternatives
One of the oldest forms of alternative healthcare can be traced back through Chinese history. The ancient Chinese, in like as alternative medicine is employed today, based their healing about the importance of the body and spirit being in balance. Much of the philosophy of Kinesiology is based on Taoist and Buddhist principals along with the belief that a person and their environment are closely interlinked. The reputed principles of Yin and Yang originate from Chinese Medicine and are integral to its practice. Yin and Yang explains how opposing forces are integral together and how for harmony within the body to take place, these must be in balance. When these are generally out of balance, disease occurs.
Homeopathy works at restoring balance in various ways including herbal medicine, acupuncture, breathing and movement (Tai Chi and Qigong) and also through diet. The practitioner looked at the patient’s health and life in detail to ascertain where their life force or Qi (pronounced Chi) was uneven. Various methods would then be familiar with restore the patient back to health. Such was the potency of Chinese Traditional Medicine it still forms a large part of modern health care from the East. It’s not unusual for these “alternative” practices to be used in hospitals alongside western medicine.
The opposite Eastern Culture that has a long history of alternative treatment is India. Ayurvedic medicine goes back as far as 6000 in years past and like Chinese Medicine also has links with Buddhism. Ayurveda originates from 2 Sanskrit words – Ayu meaning life and veda meaning knowledge of. It is a system of medication that keeps a persons body, mind and spirit in tune with nature to be able to maintain good health.
When in Rome …..
In the western world, the History of Alternative Medicine starts back around 3000 years. Treatments for example hydrotherapy were popular with the Romans and Greeks. The Ancient Greeks who were greatly affected by the Babylonians and to a smaller extent by China and india brought herbalism into the West. Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC), a Greek physician known as the Father of Medicine, practiced herbal medicine.
In the Middle Ages, Monks in Europe studied and grew medicinal plants and translated many utilizes a subject from Arabic. Folk Healers also offered their knowledge of healing through recommendations, from Master to Apprentice. The understanding of the power different plants have is ingrained in several native civilisations and has allowed man to be aware of and thrive in often challenging environments. If the Europeans settled in America they discovered that the Native Americans had a thorough knowledge of the healing energy their indigenous herbs. Likewise the Aborigines in Australia understood the power of plants found in their environment.
Advancing in time towards the Nineteenth century, before the rise of Western Medicine, as we now know it, medical professionals were more like today’s naturopaths. They would take a detailed track record paying particular focus on the patient’s lifestyle. They would then suggest solutions to improve this by modifications in diet, environment and would also prescribe herbal products.
How a Bit of Mould Turned the Tables on Alternative healthcare
The widespread using alternative medicine in its great shape decreased during the 20th Century. Treatment of patients became more tightly focused on the use of hospitals, and developments in powerful weight loss products lead to the widespread using Pharmaceutical Drugs to treat disease. The invention of Penicillin and its development in to a drug that could treat attacks in the 1940’s revolutionised health care and alternative medicine lost favour with most medical practitioners.
Although many Doctors rid yourself of what they considered to be outdated treatments such as homeopathy, herbalism and traditional Chinese Medicine many patients still sort them out, especially when conventional medicine didn’t look like working for them.
Will no longer An Alternative, Now Another Choice for Achieving Better Health
The result now is that Alternative treatment is on the increase. Practices for example acupuncture, herbal medicine, aromatherapy and healing are kept alive by practitioners who concentrate on one of more alternative type of treatment. Frequently alternatives are employed alongside modern topical treatments, which have led to alternatives being given the term complimentary medicine.
This brief reputation alternative medicine shows that most of the practices used today have already been with us for thousands of years. Because of the rising popularity of using alternative treatment to deal with health issues today, it’s likely that these practices is going to be around for many more.