The history of modern medicine development includes many different stages, including traditional medicine. Traditional medicine primarily focuses on using herbs and plants to improve the population’s health status and solve minor health issues. Nowadays, traditional medicine is commonly acknowledged as outdated, as modern medicine with more sophisticated intervention methods has proven itself to be more effective and allows more straightforward treatment of many illnesses and diseases. However, there still are some conditions that modern medicine cannot treat, meaning that both traditional and modern medicine have limits. This essay will compare the primary difference between traditional and modern medicine.
Firstly, in order to determine the core difference between traditional and modern medicine, one needs to define the core principles of both subjects. As mentioned earlier, traditional medicine predominantly focuses on health practices that focus on the use of plant, mineral, or animal-based medicines. Traditional medicine presents a complex of historically developed medical knowledge about the benefits of natural components for health maintenance and prevention of diseases. Therefore, considering the goals of traditional medicine and its studies of herbalism and ethnomedicine, the health practices used in traditional medicine are more focused on health maintenance and prevention methods.
On the other hand, modern medicine was built on the foundation of practical knowledge acquired from tests and detailed examinations. Modern medicine prioritizes the process of defining diagnosis statements and therefore focuses on providing effective treatment of specific diseases. Compared with traditional medicine that utilizes a more complex approach to human health, modern medicine combines knowledge of various intervention health practices to ensure fast recovery for the patient. However, in prioritizing the treatment of biological conditions and abnormalities of human organism’ functions, modern medicine tends to overlook non-physical conditions such as mental health problems.
Next, comparing the differences in how traditional and modern medicine approach health allows defining further valuable distinctions. As medications in modern medicine are tailored for specific health needs to achieve a certain result or effect, the development of medications in traditional medicine requires significant material resources and time. However, even though modern medications are developed for specific goals, the compounds cannot be changed or altered for each individual patient. Furthermore, in order to achieve significant results in a short period, modern medicines often include a substantial dosage of active ingredients. Incorrect dosage, individual reactions, and interactions between different drugs can cause a wide range of side effects. Therefore, the lack of a personal approach to the patient in modern medicine can result in mixed results, where treating one condition can harm the patient’s overall health.
On the contrary, medications in traditional medicine are often made differently for patients with different health needs and consider patients’ individual characteristics. While many mistakenly perceive traditional herbal medication as safer than modern medications, they similarly can cause allergic reactions and different negative effects. However, as medications in traditional medicine imply prolonged use, the dosage of active ingredients tends to be less effective. Instead of using the mix of active ingredients from different plans as in modern medications, traditional herbal medications use the whole plant. Lastly, compared to herbal medications, excessive use of modern medications with various components can eventually cause drug resistance and reduce the efficiency of drug use for the patient.
Lastly, it is important to acknowledge that traditional and modern medicine use different methods for treatments and training forms for the professionals. In modern medicine, the treatment process is predominantly presented by focusing on the initial cause of the disease, and intervention methods can include complex operations such as surgical interventions. Therefore, professionals in modern medicine need a long time to study the functioning of the human body and the connections within the human body system. The training process includes learning the theoretical knowledge basis and practice. Furthermore, as modern medicine develops rapidly with new technologies, professionals need to be aware of discoveries and improvements in the healthcare area.
On the other hand, traditional medicine utilizes less intrusive treatment methods, such as massages and acupuncture. Therefore, the training for health professionals in traditional medicine is mostly presented by the transfer of theoretical knowledge. In some cases, the knowledge is passed to members of the families to preserve the skills and experience. Moreover, there are no significant innovations in traditional medicine found in modern times, and therefore the practitioners do not have to access new knowledge sources.
In conclusion, this essay defined the critical differences between traditional and modern medicine. Modern medicine is developed to solve specific health issues in a short time, while traditional medicine utilizes a holistic approach to health and therefore is mistakenly perceived as less effective. In some cases, traditional medicine can be more helpful than modern medicine. Traditional medicine utilizes less intrusive methods, and herbal medications have fewer side effects than modern medications as they do not have many active ingredients. Thus, while traditional medicine can be more helpful for the population for health maintenance and health issues prevention, modern medicine helps with the effective management of health issues.