why i chose medicine essay

why i chose medicine essay

Exploring the Role of Traditional Medicine in Modern Healthcare

1. Introduction to Traditional Medicine

Several factors such as lack of efficacy and adverse effects of non-prescriptional drugs, consumer perception, the increasing burden of lifestyle disease, improved accessibility and affordability of traditional medicinal plants contribute to the rapid growth of traditional medicine. The roles of academic institutions in traditional medicine provide the imprudent knowledge and opportunities for modern society. Moreover, the number of scientists that support traditional medicine has doubled during the last two decades along with the increased number of publications and grant funding, which provides the impetus for both traditional medicine and modern healthcare. In addition, research during the last two decades underscores the potential of traditional medicinal herbs by means of scientific methods, which depict various biologically active properties such as antioxidant, immunomodulation, and antimicrobial properties. However, issues such as lack of medical training, lack of knowledge on the use of traditional medicines, and scarce comprehensive management limit the widespread use of traditional medicine to hasty healthcare services. On the other hand, the use of traditional medicine worldwide is continuously facing unprecedented challenges with potential new sources of traditional medicinal plants and subsequent trade-off problem.

From the beginning of human civilisation, traditional medicine has served as an evolving system in spite of social, religious, cultural, and economic barriers among the culturally diverse human society. The integration of this indigenous healthcare practice in the existing western healthcare system is aspired with a view to providing better service to mankind. Today, traditional systems of medicine are attracted with a nuanced appeal, being inexpensive, long-term care providers, and pellucid about the nature of treatment to address the need of a growing population. Traditional medicine encompasses a variety of approaches such as traditional Chinese, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, homeopathy, yoga, and natural therapies (diet therapy, nutritional therapy, pharmaceutical, and humanistic therapy). With its rich and sound knowledge, traditional medicine provides numerous health benefits, which have stood the test of time for thousands of years and become a proven method to heal countless ailments.

2. Historical Evolution of Traditional Medicine

By World Health Organization (WHO) reported, around 80% of the world’s population are living in developing countries and mainly, they are dependent on traditional medicine. Traditional medicine refers to health practices, approaches, knowledge, and beliefs including herbal, animal, or mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques, and exercise afflicted indigenous and different biophysical therapies, presented in indigenous knowledge systems such as a Capa, traditional birth attendants, aristocrats, and other traditional healers.

The history of traditional medicine dates back to the dawn of human civilization. It was found by the traditional approach that the use of herbs along with their aphrodisiac properties. Similarly, in China, traditionally used nervous system relaxants or anxiolytic properties are found for Mandragora officinalis (Mashroot). The list of members according to plant family found in the study of Pimenov et al family asteraceae, Artemisia, Ajania, and Chrysanthemum. Based on literature traditional use as well as pharmacological data available through web resource and Mapping success a wide range of psycho-pharmacological properties such sage as can be used for the development of CNS drugs. According to the ten anxiolytic like out of seven model presenting studies and three. Other neurological studies are also carried out through sage compounds and Biodynamic, behavioral, and electrophysiological techniques showed the. Anxiolytic like from the root of Afer Mahrany and Kojerp eonniol et al.

3. Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Medicine Practices

Another problem with traditional medicine is the vast amount of variation in practices in different regions. That means a compound produced as a drug after screening undergoes strict tests to verify its composition and content, for example, from Standard Operating Governance. The Controlled Production and Controlled Simultaneous Performance element requires that the production process is always under control. In other words, in this process, the product is produced under strict standard operating governance, based on a validated production process, and [if applicable] with validated manufacturing and monitoring techniques. If an error is detected, the product is put on hold. The chain of verification and validation of each batch of medicines is very strict, and that makes the price of the drug expensive. When drugs from plants are used, a large number of factors could affect the result including the timing, soil conditions, the species of the crop and which part is chosen to utilize, as well as factors such as preparation, boiling time, and boiling method. Variability in practices can originate in all procedures from the selection of medical materials and the production processes to the patient-related medicinal orders. There are differences in medical materials, production, exam, use, and intra-hospital procedures. The previously mentioned GMP practice standard aims to guarantee product requirements and requirements for the business operation. However invalid the decision making, operational, and support systems might be if local knowledge and skills are lacking, that directly relates to the technical, functional, structures, and environmental requirements with the necessity of applying medical logic to deploy medical knowledge. Even if only a few hospitals have performed the GMP certification, the concept of guidelines has been widely accepted in numerous health institutes that have implemented some elements of GMP regardless of their certifications. Data from IMP can directly infer that pharmacopoeia is associated with the therapeutic effectiveness of resources related to regional culture. These differences in local knowledge are directly associated with the specific climate in the place of utilization, the use and management of the gathered medical materials, and even certain preparation methods that result in the loss of some of the compound substances, or can be harmful. The internal-utilization of components and the specification of preparation methods are significant indicators of the drug’s clinical use. There is plenty of data associated with healthcare security and efficacy relationships with drug dosage and preparation. Traditional crafts from different families were implanted in different dialect clusters based on the differences, affected by the differences in activation variables in families or location, in the combinations of the design of the preparation of the crafts and translation and implementation.

Some traditional medicine practices were discussed in the previous section. Although the practices might sound acceptable after listening, when scientifically determining if they are safe and efficacious, they are another story. Many plants that grow in the wild can easily be identified by locals and have been used as medicines by them. However, many of these contain toxins or might be harmful to the body. Some might cause diarrhea and nausea, some might make the skin photosensitive, and some might stimulate the function of the muscles in digestion systems, hair loss, irritated urination, and painful menstruation. Some contain insecticides that can kill insects. There are plants containing compounds that are of interest to the pharmaceutical industry, and it has been shown that traditional medicine practices are important sources of new drugs.

4. Integration of Traditional Medicine into Conventional Healthcare Systems

Scientific practice in traditional Western concepts related to health and the need to demonstrate clinically the health results of treatments could do much to advance acceptance of traditional treatment within the medical and official health professions. For this to happen, there is a need for a methodical and systematic approach in the observation and evaluation of techniques that exist and that have been carried out within traditional frameworks. The distinction between traditional medicine viewed according to traditional concepts and traditional medicine viewed according to scientific studies carried out is crucial.

A greater understanding of traditional healthcare practices will reduce misperceptions about whole systems that involve theories of the origins of the universe and of the natural order conducted systematically for over 2,000 years. Scientific understanding of traditional healthcare techniques could lead to their integration into the primary healthcare systems, reducing unnecessary demand on trained workers and the hazards of using techniques that are sensitive to the human psyche. Acupuncture is one example of traditional medicine that has been introduced into healthcare systems in several countries, even though its oriented traditional theory, based on the human as a balance between yin and yang and an unblocking of flow along ‘meridians’, has not been demonstrated scientifically.

5. Case Studies and Examples of Successful Traditional Medicine Integration

In the Amazon Forest, Iguaíllo traditional medicine practitioners are using particular plants in a form that is known to grow within a given radius, and such plants are increasingly being used to treat illnesses in Manaus and other cities. This offers empirical evidence showing that such medicine can be applied to modern urban healthcare. The Iqaraya Shamana Ismoa Rua exhibits how traditional medicine—that emphasizes a biopsychosocial approach that can be used both for treating illnesses and for seeking a diagnosis from healthy individuals—delivers treatment in a manner that sets an example for the rest of society.

Research conducted with rainforest plants revealed that the Curcuma longa L. is a member of the Zingiberaceae family and boasts antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory substances. As a result, traditional medicine practitioners use Curcuma longa L. to prevent cancer and other illnesses. Upon discontinuing breastfeeding, the babies no longer consume the antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory substances that they would have been exposed to when they had continued breastfeeding, and they become susceptible to infections and illnesses. The treatment lasts for three months in such a way that the people who consume the plants no longer have infants with skin rashes and that the rashes that they have acquired in the meantime heal more quickly. Upon the discovery that there was no treatment that would have a similar effect on the babies in traditional Amazon medicine, the researchers in question decided to follow the practices of the traditional practitioners and apply them to modern medicine. Research that has taken place with the Chlebophyllum research has allowed the rash to heal in only three days. The possibility of discovering new substances and integrating traditional medicine has allowed some patients to experience good fortune.

In Juquitiba Municipality, São Paulo, Brazil until 1983, a significant percentage of the population had infantile acne due to the fact that the population, using traditional Amazon medicinal plants to cope with cancer, passed away before they were able to finish breastfeeding their children. A series of interviews conducted in the area revealed the fact that the infants suddenly fell ill and developed a rash on their skin, which spread to both their faces and the skin across their bodies. Once the babies stopped breastfeeding, the skin rash healed within a week.

A look at some important cases that chronicle the successful integration of traditional medicine offers a window into the value of traditional medical practices. In 1970, before the arrival of Western medicine in Benin, the life expectancy was 40, while it became 55-60 in 2001 upon adequate supply of Western medicine. Meanwhile, the life expectancy of the village nine kilometers away, where traditional medicine continued to be practiced, was 60-65. This example shows that traditional medicine allows people from developing countries to escape illnesses that blindly follow in the wake of Western medicine.