One of the distinguishing features of Eastern medicine is that it is also known as Oriental Medicine or Traditional Medicine.
It is believed to be thousands of years old, as opposed to hundreds of years for Western medicine. Another important aspect of Eastern Medicine is that it focuses on the individual rather than just the symptoms. Most people are familiar with Western medicine. While it is a well-planned, scientific approach, it is not as old as Eastern Medicine. Western medicine has also introduced many new healthcare technologies, medicines, and cures. Just like eastern medicine, western also treats the body, but in different ways.
What is Eastern Medicine?
The oldest organized system of medicine in the world is known as Eastern medicine, commonly referred to as Oriental medicine or traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to a variety of medical procedures that have their roots in Asia. A good analogy used to describe how eastern medicine treats people is that it focuses on treating the body’s software rather than just the body’s hardware. This basically means that eastern medicine is more concerned with the mind-body connection. It also investigates how your energy flows and how it connects to your mind, body, and soul. Treating the full person, encouraging a healthy body to avoid sickness and hasten recovery is the fundamental tenet of practitioners of Eastern medicine.
There are numerous names for eastern medicine. You might also hear the following:
● Acupuncture ● Chinese herbal medicine ● Oriental nutrition and dietary therapy ● Tuina or oriental bodywork ● Tai chi and qi gong (mind-body-spirit practice)
What is Western Medicine
Western medicines can be defined as: “A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery.” It’s also known as mainstream medicine or allopathic medicine. The main goals of Western medicine are to diagnose and heal particular illnesses so that the patient can recover.
Western medicine goes by different names. You may also hear these terms:
● Allopathic medicine. ● Biomedicine. ● Conventional medicine. ● Mainstream medicine. ● Orthodox medicine. ● Traditional medicine.
Can eastern and western medicine work
together?
Western medicine tends to focus on diagnosing and treating a disease or illness based on a patient’s symptoms. Medicine considers both a patient’s symptoms and an individualized diagnosis of a patient based on various diagnostic procedures like checking the pulse and tongue, Traditional Chinese Medicine uses complex patterns of disharmony or imbalance within the body to determine a diagnosis usually as it relates to the whole person.
In contrast to Western medicine practitioners, who frequently suggest pharmaceuticals, physical therapy, surgery, psychological counseling, and other treatments, Eastern medicine practitioners use natural forms of treatment that frequently include herbs, acupuncture, nutrition, and mind/body exercise such as tai chi, yoga, or massage.
How is Eastern medicine impacting the Western Hemisphere.
Many medicine principles and techniques have become commonplace in practices, such as treating the “whole person” rather than a symptom or disease or using techniques such as meditation as part of treatment for mental health issues. Emerging research indicates that certain eastern medicine therapies, such as meditation, Chinese herbal medicine, and acupuncture, may be effective for a variety of health conditions, and that the two schools of thought can be complementary in some cases.
Western medicine is very effective for disorders that pose a threat to life, such as infectious infections, because treatment often has immediate or quick results. Despite the fact that this is a life-saving technique or operation, the main problem with these medications is the potential harm they may do to other bodily components. There is a chance that some contemporary medications will permanently harm other bodily components.
Eastern medicine is intended to both treat illnesses and avoid their negative effects. Compared to Western medicine, drug efficacy takes longer to start, but it is safer to use because it accounts for probable side effects. It can also stop the side effects and aftereffects of treatments employed in Western medicine
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