Current Status of Alternative Medicine

Chun, Sae Il

Abstract

The ultimum goal of eliminating diseases and maintaining normal health is same both in western medicine, oriental medicine and alternative medicine. At the present time, the western medicine tends to take more scientific technological approach in their practice while the oriental medicine still maintain more humanistic approach. 5000 year old traditional medicine still challenges the 21 century scientific modern medicine in the field of clinical practices. The "disease-oriented" western medicine classify the human condition as "diseased and non-diseased" states. In the mean time the "health-oriented" oriental medicine classify it into "healthy and unhealthy" states. For the maintenance of normal health, five principles are emphasized. They are (1) eat right, (2) move right, (3) sleep right, (4) breathe right, and (5) mind right. To reverse an unhealthy condition back to normal healthy state, the methods of (1) natural substance therapy, (2) exercise therapy, and (3) stimulation therapies including acupuncture, moxibustion, finger pressure, and cupping techniques. In order to eliminate the diseases, four distinct approaches namely (1) chemical, (2) physical, (3) psychological, and (4) surgical treatments are utilized. Recent international trend of globalization has brought an information explosion and transcultural exchange of science, technology, arts and medicine. There are so many different kinds f traditional medicine, hidden popular folk medicine, and various less recognized techniques and theories of healing arts. Some are originated in oriental culture while others are originated in western culture. Experts of western medicine claim that only those informations clarified or proven by the objective and scientific methodology can be recognized as a part of western (orthodox or conventional) medicine. All kinds of traditional medicines, folk medicines, and many other fragments of medical techniques and theories are collectively labelled as "alternative medicine or complementary medicine". In western countries, the oriental medicine is included in the alternative medicine, but in Korea the oriental medicine is not included in the alternative medicine since both western medicine and traditional Korean medicine are considered to be the official conventional medicine. There are clear evidence that the western medicine, oriental medicine, and alternative medicine all are complimentary to each other. If and when all the complimentary components existing in various healing arts together in one medicine, a new integrated comprehensive wholistic medicine can be produced.