Traditional Medicine vs. Alternative Medicine

by Thomas C. Field, D.O.

This is a subject that has many different facets as to the appropriateness of seeking one style of medicine as compared to the other. Most people will seek a doctor or therapist practicing in accordance with their own particular healing beliefs. What is of most importance is that the client or patient finds a doctor or other health care professional that they like and trust. In general, alternative medicine is considered conservative and leaves more traditional treatment options open. Traditional medicine, also known as allopathic or Western medicine, is more drug and surgery oriented. It is the appropriate choice in life threatening health care situations. It must be remembered that each category of health care has certain limitations and that no one type of doctor has all of the treatment answers. Both allopathic and alternative treatments are valid options and are often complementary.

In general, alternative medicine has focused on a systems approach. What this means is that the doctor of physician tends to look at the whole person when making treatment judgments. They take great pains to figure out how one symptom or body system effects another. Actually, this kind of medicine is really the more traditional form of health care, because it is older. It is usually based on Chinese medicine and the Meridian System. Some of the disciplines of alternative health care are massage, acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic care, applied kinesiology, touch for health, Neuro-Emotional Techniques™ (NET™), homeopathy, diet, and herbal medicine. This type of medicine is a medicine of health and focuses on maintaining that health before it reaches the point of dysfunction.

Allopathic healthcare is often focused on the individual symptom. On the whole, allopathic healthcare focuses on dysfunction. Often the forms of treatment are technologically based and/or invasive such as surgery or drugs. This certainly does not imply that this kind of medicine is not effective. It is often highly effective, especially for emergency or critical situations. Unfortunately, because Western healthcare is often symptom based, one system might well be helped at the expense of another system.

One of the more recent trends of healthcare today is the complementary use of both traditional and alternative healthcare. The challenge is often to decide when one form of medical expertise should be used over another one. If someone is in a life threatening accident the traditional approach is often used first and then alternative healthcare is applied in the roll of vitamins, herbs, diet, etc. The blend of these two disciplines should make healthcare much more effective in the coming years.

Dr. Thomas Field, D.O. began his health care experience as a Respiratory Therapist, from there he became a Registered Nurse. After spending much of his time around physicians and the medical field, he decided that was what he wanted to achieve. He graduated from Osteopathic Medical School as a doctor in 1989 and on to a Family Practice Residency, which he completed in 1992. He then elected to spend a fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Center for Sports Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona, which he completed in 1993. Since that time he has been in Tempe, Arizona where he now is a physician practicing Family and Sports Medicine. His emphasis is in the medical care of athletes from the weekend warrior to the professional, as well as industrial medical injuries. He also does general family medicine from pediatrics to geriatrics. In addition, he volunteer his services as a clinical instructor at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine at 1840 E. Baseline Rd. Ste. C2, Tempe, AZ 85283 - Phone 480-751-3777. He enjoys teaching and feels it keeps his skills sharp and up to date

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