Lina Mohamed-Assignment 5
Lina Mohamed October 31, 2016
Effectiveness of Homeopathy: CAM-Complementary and Alternative Medicine
MHC 20301-Paper Assignment 5
Professor Glen Kowach
Holistic medicine is gaining popularity due to raising awareness of side effects of pharmaceuticals. In 2007, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) was used by 38% of adults and 12% of children. Hopefully, there has been an increase in these numbers since then. People of all backgrounds use CAM however it is not equally distributed. For example, women use CAM more along with people with higher levels of education and higher incomes. CAM therapies need to become more advertised and accessible to people so that not only the privileged in America hear about it. CAM therapies include acupuncture, types of physical therapies, deep breathing exercises, diet-based therapies, meditation and so much more. These therapies have increased drastically from 2002 to 2007.
Prescription painkiller overdoses are a public health epidemic that needs to be solved because painkillers are being sold more than ever. Quantity of prescription painkillers sold to pharmacies was 4 times larger in 2010 than in 1999. There is so much that can be done to reduce the supply and intake of these pills and to decrease the overdoses that occur in the United States. States can improve monitoring programs, advertise natural alternatives, educate the public and ensure people do not take more than they need.
Conventional medicine/drugs is valuable but also has its problems. Prescription drugs and painkillers just treat symptoms temporarily without fixing the real problem. Also drugs become dangerous if there is more than one drug taken at a single time. Homeopathic remedies offer a solution. For example, if someone is sick and has many symptoms, instead of prescribing them many drugs, homeopathic physicians can prescribe a remedy that will stimulate their immune system and then provide an overall improvement in the person’s health rather than just target one symptom of one illness. Homeopathy embodies a system that combines the scientific aspects with the art of healing which is more successful than just the science and masking symptoms.
Natural practices will emerge because people will realize that it is necessary for physical and mental health. Homeopathic remedies target the person’s overall health by doing things like stimulating the immune system and overall health thereby preventing future diseases/illnesses. People may argue that homeopath and alternative medicine cannot cure everything. This is true. However, it can cure a lot and instead of harming our bodies when there are alternatives, we should resort to natural antidotes.
-(NCCIH, 2008). Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved from:
https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/2007/camsurvey_fs1.htm
-Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (2nd Edition)– June 6, 2002 Retrieved from Google Scholars: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OyrhatOdk9gC&oi=fnd&pg=PA270&dq=natural+alternatives+to+painkillers&ots=68fhOAE58y&sig=-malo2jqTO8ylS5N_CVlAN-PFSo#v=onepage&q=natural%20alternatives%20to%20painkillers&f=false
-(Dahlgreen, 2015) Many believe Alternatives are effective. YouGovUK. Retrieved from:
https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/03/06/many-believe-alternative-medicine-effective/
-(2011) Prescription Painkiller Overdoses in the US. CDC. Retreived from:
http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/painkilleroverdoses/
–(Ullman, 1988) Homeopathy Medicine For The 21st Century. The Futurist. Retrieved from:
