Complementary medicine: is it really a solution?
There are two forms of medicine mentioned in the article:
- Conventional medicine
- Complementary medicine
Forms of complementary medicine mentioned in the article:
- Acupuncture
- Homoeopathy
- Herbal remedy
The perception of complementary medicine has changed over time due to:
- many family doctors study complementary medicine alongside conventional treatments many complementary medicine consultants also have medical degrees.
- Doctors nowadays recognize that conventional medicine may not always be the only way to treat an ailment.
At a surgery in London, 70% of patients preferred herbal remedy to conventional medicine for common complaints such as:
- Insomnia
- Arthritis
- Migraines
Complementary medicine may be possible to treat many medical conditions including:
- Insomnia
- Arthritis
- Migraines
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Certain allergies
Complementary medicine cannot be used for all medical treatments.
Examples of medical conditions that cannot be treated by complementary medicine are:
- It can never replace immunization so it cannot protect or treat childhood diseases.
- It cannot protect against or treat malaria
Immunisation cannot be replaced by complementary medicine because it cannot produce the antibodies needed to protect against childhood diseases.
The idea of complementary medicine is no longer a strange idea in treatment.
One doctor stated that it should work alongside modern medicine as long as it is helping in treating people.
Keywords
word |
meaning |
acupuncture |
a system of complementary medicine in which fine needles are inserted in the skin at specific points |
ailment |
illness |
allergy |
a reaction of the immune system when it is sensitive to something; this reaction comes in the form of sneezing, itchy eyes or a skin rash |
arthritis |
a disease causing painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints |
Herbal remedy |
an extract or mixture of a plant used to prevent, alleviate, or cure disease |
homoeopathy |
a system of complementary medicine in which illnesses are treated by minute doses of herbs and other natural substances |
immunisation |
the process by which an individual’s immune system becomes protected against an illness |
malaria |
a dangerous disease transmitted by mosquitoes |
migraine |
a very bad headache which often comes with a feeling of sickness and problems with vision |
Viable |
effective and able to be successful |
conventional |
having been used for a long time and is considered usual |
antibody |
a substance produced by the body to fight disease |
option |
something that is or may be chosen |
practitioner |
someone who is qualified or registered to practise a particular occupation or profession |
Pronoun Reference |
||
The pronoun |
The line |
The reference |
they |
5 |
patients |
who |
6 |
a private practitioner |
who |
21 |
patients |
It |
30 |
homoeopathy |
It x3 |
34/35/37 |
Complementary medicine |
it |
44 |
Complementary medicine |
it |
45 |
Modern medicine |
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++