Medical Speech

* Throughout history, people of various backgrounds and cultures have relied on some form of healing. Such healers are what Western medical doctors call, alternative medicine. What does one mean when referring to alternative medicine? The term alternative medicine encompasses a wide range of ideas, beliefs and practices. It includes therapies not recognized by the medical community as standard or traditional approaches. US healthcare and insurance plans should provide patients with opportunities for treatment using alternative medicine. A new plan should be implemented as the country continues to expand culturally to include other medical practices. Also, many people are looking for alternative treatments that don’t cause harsh side effects. Overall, there are certain political barriers that limit any change from occurring.

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* Treatment various from patient to patient. An alternative treatment administered alone is referred to an alternative; if used in combination with a conventional therapy, it’s known as a complementary. Certain forms of alternative medicine are seen as extreme and practiced outside the comfort zone of Western biomedicine. Other forms, such as chiropractor or acupuncture have established themselves in the medical community.

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* Western biomedicine is very popular around the world especially in places like the United States and Europe. However, there are other forms of medical practices that range from shamans, tribal healers, traditional Chinese medicine, etc. In traditional Chinese Medicine, healers assess one’s tongue to detect any imbalance with eh body as well as their qi. An individual’s qi is their life source, their energy. Any imbalance may throw off one’s qi, leading to illness. Through the use of plants and other herbal products, healers have created an entire medical practice dedicated to promoting balance and overall health. In a 2007 study, there were approximately 3.1 million Americans using acupuncture...