Traditional medicine has a long and rich history. Traditional medicine refers to healing systems that have been used by various ethnic populations and countries for thousands of years—long before the arrival of allopathic, or contemporary, Western medicine (also called biomedicine or scientific medicine). Traditional medicine evolved from the specific and unique characteristics of the culture, history, philosophy, and availability of resources in different parts of the world. It involves a combination of health practices, approaches, knowledge, and beliefs that address healing and wellness while using ceremonies, plants, animal, or mineral-based medicines, energetic therapies, and/or physical/hands-on techniques (First Nations Health Authority, 2017; Washington State University, 2017). Ancient Mesopotamia, which is the modern-day Middle East, is where the oldest texts about traditional medicine were found in 2100 BCE. There is evidence in clay tablets that sorcery, prayer, and medicinal plants as well as more conventional forms of medicine (such as bandaging and washing) were used (National Center for Farmworker Health [NCFH], 2011).
EXTENT OF USE
Today, approximately 65% to 85% of the world’s population relies on traditional medicine as their primary form of health care (Ahlberg, 2017; Center for Health and Healing, 2013; NCFH, 2011; World Health Organization [WHO], 2001). According to the WHO (2013), traditional medicine is defined as the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not. Traditional medicine is used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.
Globally, traditional medicine is either the mainstay of healthcare delivery for billions of people, or it serves as a complement to it. In some countries, traditional medicine or nonconventional medicine may also be called folk medicine, holistic medicine, or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) (NCFH, 2011; WHO, 2013).
Traditional medicine is found in almost every country in the world and includes the following for treating, diagnosing, or preventing illness (NCFH, 2011; WHO, 2001):
- diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge, and beliefs incorporating plant, animal, and/or mineral-based medicines
- spiritual therapies
- manual techniques
- exercises (applied singly or in combination)
According to the WHO (2001), traditional medicine and the incredibly diverse range of practices it encompasses makes it difficult to describe, especially in a global context. Often, the extensive knowledge of traditional medicine practitioners is passed down orally from generation to generation, it can be located within families specializing in specific treatments, or it can be taught in officially recognized universities. It can be very restricted (geographically), or it can be found in diverse regions of the world. Most commonly, a medical system is called “traditional” when it is practiced within the country of origin.