The Power of Perception: Modern Medicine
Around the globe, the lack of modern medicine kills around thirty individuals a day. (Rojo 1) Modern medicine is the pharmaceutical production of health restoring treatments and medications. Since the Age of Enlightenment, the development of treatments for the purpose of healing was a universal priority. Currently, there are still countless countries that do not have access to pharmaceutical medications and primary healthcare. In recent years, the desire for modern medicine has declined significantly. The decline of modern medicine is growing in western civilizations, such as the United States and Germany. Holistic medicine is the preventative healing of the entire body. The rise of holistic treatments and alternative medicines has sparked a new developing controversy. Although some believe modern medicine is essential to preserving the crucial sustainable quality of life, there are others that believe alternative treatments are better than pharmaceutical treatments. There are even some individuals who believe holistic medications should dominate the medical field.
Alternative medicine has always played a key role in diverse, developing societies. According to Castle Craig Hospital, “The history of holistic medicine goes back 5,000 years ago before medicinal treatments came into the picture.” (Yoder 2). The longevity of the alternative medicine scene comforts some patients. “The Digital Health Buzz”, an online blog that focuses on the medical industries controversies, believes holistic treatments are essential to society. In fact, the online platform believes alternative medicines cancel out the reliance on “powerful medications”. (Digital 6) Essentially, the blog is glorifying the abandonment of modern medicine as a whole. With sentences such as, holistic medicine can destroy the need for “… over-the- counter medicines for ailments” (Digital 6), the blog is providing the narrative that alternative medicine is a safe substitution for pharmaceutical medications. Although holistic treatments are supposed to be for preventative care, the blog paints the alternative medicine field on the same platform as the pharmaceutical medication field.
Unlike mainstream medicine, alternative medicine promises to treat the mind, the spirit, and the body. Over the thousands of years, the individuals who practice holistic medicine claim holistic remedies help chronic pains and illnesses. In the United States alone, millions of individuals who were prescribed pharmaceutical pain medications now suffer from opioid addictions. (Reno 25–27) Dr. Robert Bonakdar, a pain management doctor, has adopted several alternative treatments into his practice. Bonakdar “…embraces many non-pharmaceutical options such as electrotherapy, tai chi, meditation, and supplemental therapies.” (Reno 28) The fact that a licensed physician endorses alternative medicine comforts endorsers of holistic treatments. If alternative medicine can heal the entire body and decrease opioid addictions, why is the never-ending improvement of modern medicine still happening?
Without pharmaceutical advancements and modern medications, there are some who believe the world would wither away. As claimed by the American Cancer Society, holistic medicine can display significant dangers to one’s health. (Simon 5) Stacy Simon, a senior editor for the American Cancer Society, believes some non-traditional treatments can cause more harm than good. Holistic healing sounds comforting and straightforward. The thought of healing the entire body without pharmaceutical interference sounds perfect; however, there are often essential details left out of the treatment itself. Britt Marie Hermes, a doctor and accredited author, is well-known for her denouncement of holistic medicine. In fact, Hermes states that alternative treatments such as naturopathy are mostly on “non-science-based” information. (Damania 11) Because the “medicine” is not scientifically based, the dangers of misinformation can be detrimental and even deadly to a patient’s life. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the process of testing and approving a medicine used for prescriptions takes about ten years. (Government 1) Because holistic medicines are not proven to be scientifically based, the dangers of the treatments are more concerning than a tested pharmaceutical treatment. The danger is not solely person to person; the dangers of alternative treatments is a global issue. Based on the rise of holistic medicine, there is a global risk of disease outbreaks. Because of the development of modern medicine and treatments, certain diseases have been eradicated from existence. As of the current year, Smallpox does not exist anymore. Smallpox was a destructive, deadly disease that overtook the world for hundreds of years. Because of modern medicine, the smallpox vaccine was created. Since Smallpox is a disease that no longer exists, the administration of the vaccine has ended. If pharmaceutical medicines such as vaccines keep declining in use, the United States could face a severe series of outbreaks from new diseases and viruses. (ASTHO 1–5)
Modern medicine is, without a doubt, significantly better than holistic medicine. Based on countless research, pharmaceutical innovations have saved “… more than 50 million life-years in the United States alone since 1990.” (Worthy 2) Modern medicine has not only saved countless lives; the ever-growing pharmaceutical medicine industry has preserved the human quality of life. Since the introduction of modern medicine, the life expectancy of a human being has increased significantly. If pharmaceutical medication developments were not around, the life expectancy of an individual would be extremely low. According to research, the global life expectancy was about thirty years of age before the Age of Enlightenment. (Roser 1–5) Although there may be some alternative treatments that can help, there must be more research and scientific studies on holistic treatment claims. Without modern medicines, countless individuals would be deceased from numerous preventable illnesses. The modern world needs the pharmaceutical industries medications to preserve basic human life.
Works Cited
ASTHO, ORG. Press Room. 2018, www.astho.org/Press-Room/Health-Officials-Alarmed-by- Declining-US-Vaccination-Rates/10–25–18/.
Digital, Health. “The Importance of Holistic Treatments.” Digital Health Buzz, 2019, digitalhealthbuzz.com/the-importance-of-holistic-treatments/.
Damania, Zubin. “Naturopathy Is 99.9% Bull$Hit, But Here’s What That 0.1% Can Teach Us.” Medium, Medium, 18 Feb. 2018, medium.com/@ZDoggMD/naturopathy-is-99–9-bull- hit-but-heres-what-that-0–1-can-teach-us-a99de55e1948.
Government, United States. “VA.gov: Veterans Affairs.” How Long Before a Drug Is Approved by the FDA?, 5 Apr. 2007, www.hiv.va.gov/patient/clinical-trials/drug-approval- process.asp.
Reno, Jamie. “Alternative Medicine Finally Becoming More Mainstream.” Healthline, 6 Apr. 2016, www.healthline.com/health-news/alternative-medicine-becoming-mainstream.
Rojo, P. [Access to Essential Drugs in Developing Countries]. 2020, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11858791/.
Roser, Max, et al. Life Expectancy. 23 May 2013, ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy. Simon, Stacy. “The Truth About Alternative Medical Treatments.” American Cancer Society,
American Cancer Society, 30 Jan. 2019, www.cancer.org/latest-news/the-truth-about- alternative-medical-treatments.html.
Worthy, Stacey. “Fifty Million Life-Years Saved through Medical Innovation.” TheHill, 4 Feb. 2016, thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/226042-fifty-million-life-years-saved- through-medical-innovation.
Yoder, Rob. “The History of Holistic Medicine: Castle Craig Hospital.” Castle Craig, 28 Jan. 2020, castlecraig.co.uk/blog/2018/01/24/history-holistic-medicine.
