East Meets West: Expanding Our Definition of Good Medicine
By Eunsoo Hyun
For centuries, many Eastern cultures have used herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, and yoga for health benefits — therapies that are disparagingly dubbed “alternative medicine” by the West.
Generally speaking, Eastern medicine emphasizes the importance of the body’s natural healing processes and views disease as a result of imbalances or blockages within the body. This philosophy differs from Western allopathic medicine, which relies on pharmaceutical interventions to treat diseases. While some Asian countries embrace traditional practices and integrate them into hospitals and other medical systems, European and American researchers have historically dismissed such practices as “unscientific.”
Factors such as cultural traditions, historical experiences, and access to healthcare all influence social attitudes toward medicine in both the East and the West. Traditional Eastern medicine practices are often deeply rooted in their originating culture and are viewed as an important part of maintaining health and well-being. In countries such as China and Korea, healthcare systems integrate traditional medicine practices in hospitals alongside Western medicine. In the United States, researchers prioritize evidence-based medicine, favoring Western allopathic medicine. Alternative medicine practices, including those from Eastern cultures, are often viewed with skepticism and are sometimes dismissed as illogical or even dangerous.
However, there is not always a clear distinction between the two, as an article in the New York Times points out. For instance, physicians in the U.S. often recommend dietary changes and exercise in addition to pharmaceutical treatments. Growing numbers of Americans have turned to practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and yoga as a complement or alternative to Western medicine.
Anecdotal evidence and clinical trials have shown that these alternative practices can lead to positive health outcomes for patients. For example, acupuncture has proven effective in treating chronic pain, nausea, and other conditions. Similarly, studies have found that massage therapy reduces stress and improves circulation, while yoga improves flexibility, balance, and mental well-being.
Even while remaining skeptical about the scientific value of alternative medicine in some cases, Western manufacturers capitalize upon drugs developed from medicinal herbs. Often, this involves taking the chemically active part of various herbal treatments from indigenous cultures and converting them into commercialized pharmaceuticals. For instance, a group of drugs named artemisinin has saved countless lives worldwide as the most important treatment against malaria. Artemisinin, in fact, was derived from a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever and malaria, also known as Qinghaosu.
Rather than dismissing one approach entirely in favor of the other, we can learn from both Eastern and Western medicine to achieve a more holistic understanding of health and well-being. There is no denying that alternative medicine has been used successfully for centuries in Eastern cultures. It is important to approach alternative medicine with an open mind, to seek the advice of qualified practitioners, and to use critical thinking when evaluating the evidence supporting a particular treatment. We can also learn from the differences between Eastern and Western medicine to develop a more comprehensive approach to healthcare that addresses the physical, mental, and emotional needs of patients.
Citations
Carroll, A. E. (2015, August 10). Labels Like ‘Alternative Medicine’ Don’t Matter. The Science Does. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/upshot/labels-like-alternative-medicine-dont-matter-the-science-does.html
Park, H.-L., Lee, H.-S., Shin, B.-C., Liu, J.-P., Shang, Q., Yamashita, H., & Lim, B. (2012). Traditional Medicine in China, Korea, and Japan: A Brief Introduction and Comparison. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012, e429103. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/429103
Tabish, S. A. (2008). Complementary and Alternative Healthcare: Is it Evidence-based? International Journal of Health Sciences, 2(1), V–IX.
Vickers, A. J., Cronin, A. M., Maschino, A. C., Lewith, G., MacPherson, H., Foster, N. E., Sherman, K. J., Witt, C. M., Linde, K., & Acupuncture Trialists’ Collaboration, for the. (2012). Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(19), 1444–1453. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.3654
Wang, J., Xu, C., Wong, Y. K., Li, Y., Liao, F., Jiang, T., & Tu, Y. (2019). Artemisinin, the Magic Drug Discovered from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Engineering, 5(1), 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2018.11.011
