Overview of Complementary & Alternative Medicines and Traditional Medicines Around the World
Due to the emergence of Western globalization, the primary form of healthcare across the world has mainly become biomedicine. The modern healthcare system is characterized by the usage of technology, multi-drug prescriptions, and scientific research-based methods to treat and care for people and disease in an efficient manner. This developed form of medicine has helped save numerous lives via the research done on antibiotics, vaccines, and other forms of medicine. Although this primary form of healthcare has become the mainstream method of treating people, it is not equally accessible to many individuals. Much of biomedicine can be found in urbanized communities throughout the world. On the other hand, most locally isolated individuals turn to the usage of traditional and generational forms of healing/practices. Even with the advent of biomedicine, there are still communities that have a rich history and present usage of various methods of healing based on their cultural background. But one consequence of the technological development in medicine was the loss in the understanding and respect of traditional and indigenous forms of care and even the extinction of some.
The centuries of treatment and bodily cleansing have either been discriminated against or ousted by the globalized takeover of biomedicine, in areas like the U.S, UK, and Europe around the early 19th century to 20th century. People of indigenous or non Anglo American descent needed mechanisms in the contemporary world to preserve their culture. There is an inevitable relationship between "modern" and "traditional" forms of medicine throughout many societies. Ironically, in the early 21st century, many individuals in the West have turned to either completely engaging in or integrating Complementary and Alternative medicines into their treatment. Complementary and Alternative medicines originate from many traditional forms of medicine from indigenous, Asian, African, Indian, and other cultures. But how did this happen and what are the results of it? What are the varying perspectives and studies done to review differences in the meanings of Complementary and Alternative versus Traditional Medicine? Who is most likely to engage in CAM or TM around the world? Does economic status or the availability of conventional medicine affect the usage of CAM? What are the connections between CAM and Traditional Medicine in the 21st century? These are some of the research questions that will be answered throughout the project.