Alternative and Complementary
Modern vs. Traditional Medicine
By: Richard L. Stieg, M.D., M.H.S.
Modern medicine has made incredible advances in the detection and treatment of many diseases, particularly those caused by infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria. In our lifetime, we have witnessed the worldwide elimination of smallpox, which killed millions of people. Other killer diseases, such as diphtheria and whooping cough, are now rare in modern countries.
It is helpful to remember as we consider the wonders of modern medicine that it has been with us for less than 100 years. On the other hand, traditional healing practices have been a part of our human experience in one way or another throughout recorded history. Phrases such as alternative therapy, holistic medicine or "new-age healing" are nothing more than modern expressions of healing practices that have their beginnings over many centuries. These include a tremendous variety of healing practices that are offered – or the most part – by people who are not trained as modern physicians, nurses or related health care practitioners.
Rather than simply list the many kinds of traditional practices, let's take a look at some major differences between modern and traditional medicine. Notice again that traditional refers to those practices that generally do not involve modern medical practice, which is in contrast to the many modern physicians who describe their practices as "traditional" while referring to everything else as "non-traditional" (or much worse, depending on who is doing the talking).
One major difference between traditional medicine and modern medicine is the way in which we look at disease and health. Dr. Arthur Kleinman, a noted medical anthropologist, distinguishes disease from illness as follows:
In modern countries, widespread dissatisfaction with modern medicine has led to increasing interest in traditional therapies. In one large recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, sick people in the United States were just as likely to turn first to traditional practitioners as they were to modern physicians. Interestingly, the source of people's dissatisfaction is not due to any knowledge on patients' parts about the outcome of modern versus traditional treatment. Indeed, most people do not realize that there is little sound scientific evidence about outcomes for most types of treatment, but what do we mean by "outcomes?" Modern physicians rely on studies comparing one type of treatment with another, with outcomes usually measured in terms of control or elimination of disease. For example, studies indicate that one type of drug is better than another in keeping patients with AIDS alive. But this leaves us with the notion that health, illness and dying have no other meaning beyond the biomedical reality as determined by such studies. People dying from AIDS have concerns other than how many days of life they may have remaining. These kinds of issues have been popularized and discussed in non-medical fictional works such as HBO's recent miniseries Angels in America and the motion picture Philadelphia.
In modern societies, many individuals find themselves lonely and out of touch with their inner selves or with the spiritual dimension of their existence. By "spiritual," I mean the idea that there is something we can connect to that is greater than our bodies or the time we have to spend in them. This may or may not be associated with a religious tradition. A person can be quite spiritual and find great meaning to his or her life without participating in any particular religion. When they get sick they may long for healers who can care about all the dimensions of their lives. My own experience tells me that modern medicine practitioners who have been able to retain some traditional thinking, and who can bring that to the care of their patients, are tremendously popular. Maintenance of health and wellness may or may not be associated with successful elimination of disease in the body. I remember some years ago, Dr. Larry Dossey, a well-known physician who was interested in both modern and traditional healing practices, told an audience that he had just attended the funeral of one of his patients. He said that while she had died from cancer and experienced cancer-related pain, she had lived the remaining days of her life in peace and with a feeling of well being. He must have been of great comfort to his patients during that difficult time.
In future columns we will talk more about some of the traditional kinds of healing that can be found in modern societies and how some may be of benefit to people in pain. There is much information about modern medical techniques on The National Pain Foundation's web site. These are important, but one should remember the distinction between disease and illness. We cannot always totally eradicate physical pain the way we once did smallpox. Pain and disease are part of human life. We can, however, learn to better appreciate what to do to bring some comfort and a feeling of well being to those whom modern medicine does not offer a complete answer.
It is helpful to remember as we consider the wonders of modern medicine that it has been with us for less than 100 years. On the other hand, traditional healing practices have been a part of our human experience in one way or another throughout recorded history. Phrases such as alternative therapy, holistic medicine or "new-age healing" are nothing more than modern expressions of healing practices that have their beginnings over many centuries. These include a tremendous variety of healing practices that are offered – or the most part – by people who are not trained as modern physicians, nurses or related health care practitioners.
Rather than simply list the many kinds of traditional practices, let's take a look at some major differences between modern and traditional medicine. Notice again that traditional refers to those practices that generally do not involve modern medical practice, which is in contrast to the many modern physicians who describe their practices as "traditional" while referring to everything else as "non-traditional" (or much worse, depending on who is doing the talking).
One major difference between traditional medicine and modern medicine is the way in which we look at disease and health. Dr. Arthur Kleinman, a noted medical anthropologist, distinguishes disease from illness as follows:
- Disease refers to abnormalities in the structure and/or function of organs and organ systems.
- Illness refers to a person's perceptions and experiences of certain socially disvalued states, including, but not limited to, disease.
In modern countries, widespread dissatisfaction with modern medicine has led to increasing interest in traditional therapies. In one large recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, sick people in the United States were just as likely to turn first to traditional practitioners as they were to modern physicians. Interestingly, the source of people's dissatisfaction is not due to any knowledge on patients' parts about the outcome of modern versus traditional treatment. Indeed, most people do not realize that there is little sound scientific evidence about outcomes for most types of treatment, but what do we mean by "outcomes?" Modern physicians rely on studies comparing one type of treatment with another, with outcomes usually measured in terms of control or elimination of disease. For example, studies indicate that one type of drug is better than another in keeping patients with AIDS alive. But this leaves us with the notion that health, illness and dying have no other meaning beyond the biomedical reality as determined by such studies. People dying from AIDS have concerns other than how many days of life they may have remaining. These kinds of issues have been popularized and discussed in non-medical fictional works such as HBO's recent miniseries Angels in America and the motion picture Philadelphia.
In modern societies, many individuals find themselves lonely and out of touch with their inner selves or with the spiritual dimension of their existence. By "spiritual," I mean the idea that there is something we can connect to that is greater than our bodies or the time we have to spend in them. This may or may not be associated with a religious tradition. A person can be quite spiritual and find great meaning to his or her life without participating in any particular religion. When they get sick they may long for healers who can care about all the dimensions of their lives. My own experience tells me that modern medicine practitioners who have been able to retain some traditional thinking, and who can bring that to the care of their patients, are tremendously popular. Maintenance of health and wellness may or may not be associated with successful elimination of disease in the body. I remember some years ago, Dr. Larry Dossey, a well-known physician who was interested in both modern and traditional healing practices, told an audience that he had just attended the funeral of one of his patients. He said that while she had died from cancer and experienced cancer-related pain, she had lived the remaining days of her life in peace and with a feeling of well being. He must have been of great comfort to his patients during that difficult time.
In future columns we will talk more about some of the traditional kinds of healing that can be found in modern societies and how some may be of benefit to people in pain. There is much information about modern medical techniques on The National Pain Foundation's web site. These are important, but one should remember the distinction between disease and illness. We cannot always totally eradicate physical pain the way we once did smallpox. Pain and disease are part of human life. We can, however, learn to better appreciate what to do to bring some comfort and a feeling of well being to those whom modern medicine does not offer a complete answer.