Nursing

Non-Traditional Healthcare Practices

Non-traditional or alternative medicine are medical treatments of healthcare practices different from traditional practices. They play an essential role in healthcare, and many cultures have their own form of alternative medicine that helps in psychological, physical, and spiritual treatment (Ross, 2020). Over half of the United States population, especially adults, engage in alternative medicine and practices as a form of healthcare. There are various forms of non-traditional healthcare practices employed by various cultures, including acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, and energy therapies, among others (Ross, 2020). For instance, acupuncture is a form of non-traditional healthcare practice to stimulate specific points in the human body. The practice entails using needles to pierce the skin and helps the body start the healing process naturally. According to various studies, acupuncture helps the body deal with anxiety, back issues, infertility, and insomnia. In addition, chiropractic medicine is a form of alternative healthcare that deals with the spine and, in general, the body’s structure (Ross, 2020). A chiropractor aligns the spine using different methods to help relieve back pain, deformation, and other body structure anomalies. This essay analyses the benefits of non-traditional medicine and how different cultures apply them in healthcare.

China

China is renowned for its use of the integrations of traditional and non-traditional practices for healing. Through various modern research, while still borrowing ideas from traditional medicine, most Chinese tribes and cultures use acupuncture as a form of healthcare practice (Thirthalli et al., 2016). As mentioned, acupuncture entails using needles injected into the skin on various pressure points within the body to reopen the Qi pathways in the body that facilitate healing. Another method that they employ is the use of cupping, where a flame is inserted inside a cup and placed on various muscles while sanctioning. It helps reopen the body’s Qi pathways and can also be used to massage deep tissue and release fatigue. For instance, during the 2016 Rio Olympics, many athletes received cupping therapies for their deep tissues massages, which were visible on their bodies in the form of red lumps.

Filipino non-traditional practice

The Filipino culture uses a non-traditional practice called the hilot. The hilot is a form of massage, though different in terms of its execution and overall result, that helps the body heal in various ways. The massage is conducted by a manghihilot who uses a combination of massage oils and aromatherapy to help the body attain different objectives (Thirthalli et al., 2016). The hilot massage helps the body heal spiritually and helps relieve anxiety and different stress triggers. It also helps the body in curing obesity, arthritis, heart ailments, and other diseases. The massage is also a form of spiritual session, as the manghihilot creates a stress-free environment, creating the physical and spiritual energies within the body.

Japanese no-traditional practice

The alternative medical practice used by the Japanese is called Reiki. Reiki is a form of energy therapy that uses magnetic and electrical fields to solve musculoskeletal problems (Thirthalli et al., 2016). The Japanese believe that the practice taps into the body’s natural healing and increases the speed of the process. The person in charge of conducting reiki puts their hands close to the body to touch the skin gently. The aim of this practice is to transfer energy from the reiki practitioner to the patient, and energy is transformed to the body’s ailing parts. They also use therapeutic touch to repair the body’s energy levels and imbalances within the patients’ energy fields. This is different from reiki as they are no contact with the patient. The goal is to connect with the patient’s energy field and realign them, and this is effective in healing or reducing anxiety.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of US adults use alternative medicine as a form of healthcare practice (Stussman et al., 2020). The most common non-traditional practice within my area is chiropractic practice. Living in Florida, which is the second state in the Us with the highest population of older adults, many of the residents suffer from back pain and other complications. Choosing not to engage in medicines and other traditional medicine solutions, many residents have found that chiropractic is effective in healing back pains, anxiety, and depression (Stussman et al., 2020). Chiropractic entails biochemical and structural derangement of the spine (Adams et al., 2017). The alignment and derangement of the spine affect the nervous system, which is essential as people grow older. Chiropractic also ensures that the spine’s structural integrity is restored, thereby reducing pressure on the different sensitive neurological tissue in older adults and improving their health in the long haul.

The practice of chiropractic within my area also helps in treating lower back pain, neck pain, headaches, and repetitive strains (Adams et al., 2017). There is also a growing number of people opting to use non-traditional medical practices instead of traditional practices due to various reasons. For instance, one-third of adults opting to use non-traditional medical practices in the United States is due to a lack of trust in traditional medical practices. Many people are becoming increasingly reluctant to either be injected or prescribed various medications that may have adverse effects on their health (Stussman et al., 2020). The opioid crisis across the United States that has had negative repercussions in various ways is one of the reasons for distrust. Many patients often fall into drug addiction once opioid medications are removed from their prescriptions, especially people dealing with pain (chronic cancer patients). The side effects of getting addicted to opioids, a form of traditional medication, have caused many people to look for alternatives while dealing with pain, such as physical therapy and meditations.

Another reason many Americans are engaging in non-traditional medical practices is having a more personal autonomy and control over healthcare decisions (Stussman et al., 2020). Having control over one health and medical decisions gives people a sense of empowerment, unlike dealing with authoritarian doctors and nurses in a conventional hospital setting. Patients believe and feel that they have more control over their healthcare decisions, which can significantly reduce unavoidable consequences, like in the case of the opioid crisis (Stussman et al., 2020). Practices like chiropractic are a personal decision by the patient in the case of reliving back issues, and there are no forms of traditional medication used in the process. The same concept applies in acupuncture, where the needles help open various Qi pathways for the natural healing of the body. The ability of patients to let the body heal themselves by stimulating it using acupuncture gives them a sense of empowerment and control over their own body and free will, which is essential for human survival.

Lastly, non-traditional medical practices are more compatible with patients’ values, spirituality, and worldviews (Stussman et al., 2020). For instance, vegans opposed to animal torture or consumption of animal products may be reluctant to have immunization derived from animal products. Muslims are also reluctant to be injected by bovine products which come from pigs, contrary to their spiritual belief of not consuming swine products. Thus, non-traditional practices give them a variety of options for getting healthcare. Such people with these beliefs and worldviews are no longer limited or forced to go against their beliefs and views but can seek alternatives for better health.

References

Thirthalli, J., Zhou, L., Kumar, K., Gao, J., Vaid, H., Liu, H., … & Nichter, M. (2016). Traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine approaches to mental health care and psychological wellbeing in India and China. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(7), 660-672.

Ross, A. I. (2020). The anthropology of alternative medicine. Routledge.

Adams, J., Peng, W., Cramer, H., Sundberg, T., Moore, C., Amorin-Woods, L., … & Lauche, R. (2017). The prevalence, patterns, and predictors of chiropractic use among US adults. Spine, 42(23), 1810-1816.

Stussman, B. J., Nahin, R. R., Barnes, P. M., & Ward, B. W. (2020). US physician recommendations to their patients about the use of complementary health approaches. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 26(1), 25-33.