In Medicine, East Is Meeting West

More and more people are turning to alternative medicine (herbs, mineral supplements, acupuncture, yoga, and so on), and quite a few are finding relief for their diseases. Many of the treatments have their roots in centuries-old cures, the majority of which come from Asia. Physicians have come to realize that there is room for both Eastern and Western approaches in treating patients, but they’re still setting standards of proof of effectiveness before they are willing to recommend certain alternative treatments.

Recently there have been some setbacks for alternative medicine: echinacea for treating the common cold, acupuncture for tension headache, gingko for memory improvement, and homeopathy (though this is European rather than Asian in origin).

On the other hand, quite a few remedies have moved into the ‘win column’: saw palmetto for prostatism, butterbur for allergies, soy food to prevent fractures and maintain low blood pressure in women, cranberries for urinary infections, soluble fiber to lower cholesterol, probiotics for IBS, rosemary for ‘healthy’ burgers; the list goes on, and will grow even more.

It’s getting clearer. Ancient medicine supplies the possible treatments, and modern medicine provides the testing methods. Hopefully everyone benefits. But there’s still need for caution. If you are taking an alternative medicine remedy, make sure your doctor knows about it before he prescribes a drug that may interact with it, producing unwanted, even serious, results.