A Short History of Medicine

Holistic Medicine

Definitions

Holistic Medicine: Approach to medicine using a variety of therapy excluding conventional/drug therapies.  The term was coined in the 1960s by a doctor who felt conventional therapies only suppressed symptoms not fixed the problem, thus leading to chronic disease processes.  Therapies used in this approach include: Nutritional therapy, herbs, homeopathy, flower essence, aroma therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, life energy therapy, crystals, magnet therapies, astromedicine, among others.  Important to remember this is an approach without using conventional modalities.  

Naturopathy: Approach to medicine focusing on the importance of vitamin/mineral and diet in the treatment.  Some naturopaths also use amino acid therapies.  Main focus is on diet change and supplements to enhance bodies ability to heal.  Most Naturopaths will consider other modalities- ie don't look down there nose at conventional therapies but stress the importance of having basic "building blocks" present to allow body to heal faster with or without medicines.  Most conventional doctors use naturopathy to a certain degree in their practice.  This is relative new term though this therapy has been around awhile.  May also be called Orthomolecular medicine.  

Homeopathy: Approach to medicine - less is more or treatment by similars!  This approach was used since in US since 1799, i.e., using mercury and cathartics.  More mainstream in 1830 when dilutions became important in treatments.  Thought to be used first in Peru in 1630-one of the first documentations.  Uses Law of Potentization: the idea that homeopathic medicines grow stronger as they become more dilute.  This type of therapy address symptom and constitution of patient.  The constitution is determined by "test" given by homeopath practitioner.  Is basically the treatment of disease with a substance with the power to produce, in a healthy body, symptoms similar to those displayed by the patient.  

Isopathy: Treatments of disease by the identical agent of the disease.  The concept of vaccination has similarities.  (Nosode falls into this category)

Nosode: Homeopathic remedies prepared from the infected tissue, disease discharges, or casusal organism.  

Allopathic: This is traditional/conventional therapy used by medical doctors/veterinarians.  This system of medicine uses agents to treat sypmtoms of a disease, not necessarily the disease itself.  For example, antibiotics which target the bacteria and not the underlying cause (this may nevertheless have a beneficial effect in the course of the disease).   May be used in combination with holistic medicine!  This form of medicine is barely 200 years old.  Also called heteropathy.  

Antiopathy: System of medicine using agents whose actions is opposite of the symptoms.  Modern conventional medicines are often used this way.  This is a palliative and suppressive in its action on signs and symptoms.  

Herbal Medicine: Approach to medicine using plants- roots/stems/leaves - whether herbs or spices to treat illness/ disease.  Herbal medicine is used in many different countries and cultures and has been around as long as 3000 years.  It is important to realize the are different types of herbal medicine as listed below.  Aroma therapy is a branch of herbal medicine using essential oils, consider by some as a complete therapy by itself, usually used in conjunction with herbal medicine.  Types of herbal medicine include include Traditional Chinese, Indian/American, Ayurvedic (East Indian)

Comparing Conventional and Natural Medicine

What's the difference between conventional and natural medicine? A whole world of philosophy and outlook. Here are some examples.

Conventional Medicine	Natural Medicine
Emphasizes diagnosis and treatment	Emphasizes disease prevention
Views the body as essentially a machine with disease a result when parts break	Views the body as a living microcosm, with disease resulting when it is unbalanced
Views the body as the passive recipient of treatments that fix it	Views the body as capable of self repair and administers treatments to support self healing

It is important to note that acupuncture is the only form of alternative therapy recognized by the AVMA as a valid mode of treatment.  Herbal medicine, homeopathic, chiropractic, and energy therapies are classified as unconventional medicine and experimental.  

Acupuncture

Studies have been published on acupuncture used in treating various conditions.  In horses, acupuncture was used to treat cases of back pain, paralysis/paresis, lameness due to rheumatism and lameness due to muscular atrophy, to name a few.  In other research to map mechanism of action - pigs, rabbits and mice were used.  Numerous studies show the anatomic and physiological differences between acupuncture and non-acupuncture sites.  Acupoints are located in the areas with a higher concentration of mast cell and free nerve endings.  Acupoints and meridians were found with characteristics of lower skin electric resistance and higher percussion sound.  The chemical changes found in the body have also been studied using acupuncture and non-acupuncture points.  Acupuncture points affect the following hormones: seritonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, endorphins, among others.  Studies have also shown analgesia induced by acupuncture stimulation is naloxone reversible.