Traditional Medicines

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your oncologist before trying any complementary therapy.

Allopathic medicine sometimes referred to as Modern or Western medicine owing to its origin in developed nations, has taken over the world today. Big Pharma is a several billion-dollar industry today, and as such is identified with cutting-edge research and massive investment in developing new-age treatment options. Consequently, there has been a lot of improvement in this field including the discovery of treatments for previously incurable diseases like Tuberculosis and Malaria. So, there is no surprise that development of Cancer medicines and improved radiation therapies has been primarily attributed to Modern Medicine.

However, in this jest to prove the superiority of Western Medicine, the Traditional medicine has been lost to the pages of history. Even though Traditional medicine practices like Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and Tibetan medicine have been used by our ancestors for many common as well as rare conditions since humans dwelled around the pyramids, they are all but forgotten. Infact nowadays Traditional Therapies are known by the name of Alternative Medicines posing them as an alternate for Western Medicine. Alternative Medicine Therapies especially fully fledged and independent practices like Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, and Ancient Tibetan medicine may support wellbeing alongside standard treatment; they are not a cure for cancer.

Instead of focusing on the superficial problem, traditional medicine focuses on the human body as a whole and not only treats the immediate disease but also makes sure that the source of the infection is eliminated in the long run. They make sure that the ailment doesn’t return and gets completely eradicated from the body. The concept of viewing the body as various organ systems connected with each other is quite old and has been proven to be superior to allopathic medicine’s approach of focusing on the immediate problem. 

Key Points

• Ayurvedic medicine’s key concepts include universal interconnectedness, the body’s constitution, and life forces and biologic factors.
• Ayurvedic physicians prescribe individualized treatments comprised of compounds of herbs or proprietary ingredients and  lifestyle recommendations for diet, exercise and other aspects.
• Traditional Tibetan medicine methods include balancing the body and mind using herbal pills and spiritual practice.
• Homeopathy is based on the theory that “like cures like”—a very small dose of a substance that causes a symptom in a healthy person may support wellbeing; it is not a cure.
• Very limited evidence supports the effectiveness of homeopathic therapies in relieving a small number of symptoms from radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

We would urge our visitors to visit the links below to know more about how these practices impact our body’s well-being and how they can be utilised to fight a disease like Cancer. 

1. Ayurveda
2. Acupuncture & Acupressure
3. Homeopathy
4. Naturopathy
5. Tibetan Medicine
6. Traditional Chinese Medicine

References

1. Credit: Beyond Conventional Care Therapies
2. ZenOnco.io Integrative Oncology Cancer Care
3. Ayurveda and cancer
   1. 1. Cancer Research UK: Ayurvedic medicine
      2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth
   2. Chauhan A, Semwal DK, Mishra SP, Semwal RB. Ayurvedic concept of Shatkriyakala: a traditional knowledge of cancer pathogenesis and therapy. Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2017 Mar;15(2):88-94. (purchase required)
   3. Dhruva, A.   “Ayurveda and yoga for cancer supportive care” in Abrams DI, Weil AT. Integrative Oncology. 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2014.
   4. Narayana DB. Evidence for Ayurvedic products’ efficacy: the devil is in details. Ancient Science of Life. 2016 Apr-Jun;35(4):193-4. (not specific to cancer)
   5. Abrams DI, Weil AT. Integrative Oncology. 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2014. pp. 552-559.
4. Tibetan medicine
   1. Men-Tsee-Khang: Tibetan Medicine
   2. Bauer-Wu S, Lhundup T et al. Tibetan medicine for cancer: an overview and review of case studies. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2014 Nov;13(6):502-12.
5. Homeopathic medicine and cancer
   1. Cancer Research UK: Homeopathy
   2. WebMD: Homeopathy—Topic Overview
6. CAM-Cancer Collaboration: CAM-Cancer
7. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products
8. National Cancer Institute: Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine
9. Michael Lerner: Choices In Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer
10. Carole O’Toole and Carolyn B. Hendricks: Healing outside the Margins: The Survivor’s Guide to Integrative Cancer Care
11. Cancer Research UK
12. Neil McKinney, BSc, ND: Naturopathic Oncology, 3rd Edition
13. Donald I. Abrams, MD, and Andrew T. Weil, MD: Integrative Oncology, 2nd Edition
14. University of Arizona: Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine Online Courses