Is there value in alternative medicine? essay sample

 

Despite the controversy regarding the benefits of nontraditional medicine, complementary and alternative practices grow in popularity among patients. An accepted part of healthcare in many countries, homeopathy is famous for the absence of damaging chemical compounds that bring side effects in traditional medicine. Instead, homeopathic pills and solutions are considered “empty” as they contain practically no active substance (usually of a plant origin). For this reason, the UK Department of Health decided to stop paying for homeopathy prescriptions. The efficacy of these remedies is unproven and the effect looks more like a placebo.

 

Taking into account the principle of complementary and alternative practices, their value is mostly subjective. People who have tried this treatment often improve their health, but there is little evidence to support these claims. If there was a reasonable scientific explanation for the phenomenon of homeopathy, it could become an objectively safe and effective treatment. But as long as people do not understand how  “empty” substances work, homeopathy would remain a medical fraud and waste of costs for many.

 

A well-chosen clinically-tested homeopathic treatment may restore patient’s health without dragging side effects of the conventional treatments. Whether empty or not, the treatment is perfect when it helps to recover and gives no damage instead. These benefits are restricted mostly to individuals with chronic conditions. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding kids can take neither homeopathy nor herbal supplements. Homeopathy is also worthless for patients in emergency states who need an urgent medical intervention.