The History of Alternative Medicine

Sometimes “alternative medicine” is viewed as something that is “new age” or a passing fad. We wanted to present this history of alternative medicine to illustrate that nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, alternative medical practices have been used safely and effectively by cultures all around the world for thousands of years.

A brief history of alternative medicine around the world...

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been around for 5,000 years. It includes such practices as herbal medicine, acupuncture/acupressure, massage, energy work, and dietary therapy.

“TCM theory is extremely complex and originated thousands of years ago through meticulous observation of nature, the cosmos, and the human body. Major theories include those of Yin-yang, the Five Phases, the human body Channel system, Zang Fu organ theory, six confirmations, four layers, etc. ” -Wikipedia

India is the birth place of Ayurvedic medicine, which has been practiced for over 2,000 years. There is a lot of information on the web if you are interested in learning more about Ayurvedic history and practices. For the purposes of this site, it is important to note that Ayurvedic practitioners have extensive knowledge of the healing properties of plants (herbal medicine), and the body’s energy systems (chakra).

The history of alternative medicine is not confined to Asia either. Europe has also contributed to modern alternative medicine practices.

Naturopathy, which was developed during the Natural Cure Movement in Europe, has been widely used for at least a hundred years, and is based on herbs and natural food cures that have been practiced for at least 2,000 years.

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary -
Main Entry: al•ter•na•tive medicine
Pronunciation: ol-'t&r-n&-tiv- also al-
Function: noun
: any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as homeopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, Ayurveda, or faith healing) that are not included in the traditional curricula taught in medical schools of the U.S. and Britain

So, the question that you may be asking is, “If these ‘alternative medicine’ practices have been around for thousands of years, what is so ‘traditional’ about modern medicine?”

It’s a good question.

The fact is modern medicine is based on technological advances that have only been around for the last hundred years (or less). What is now considered “traditional curricula taught in medical schools of the U.S. and Britain” is still in its infancy when compared to other “alternative” medical practices.

Please don’t misunderstand what we are saying here. Modern medicine certainly has its place and we are grateful for the advances that allow us to live the lives that we do. And we are certainly not telling you to ignore the advice of your doctor. We are just presenting some alternatives for you to choose from.

Please let us know if you have any other questions we can answer by using our Contact Us Form.

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