1. Alternative Medicine Its popularity and rise

2. 2000BC “You’re ill? Here, eat this root…” 1000AD “That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.” 1850AD “Prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.” 1940AD “That potion doesn’t work. Here, swallow this pill.” 1985AD “That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.” 2000AD “That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root…”

3. Alternative Medicine  On your mini-whiteboards, list as many different forms of alternative medicine as you can.

4. The Popularity of Alternative Medicine  It is estimated that 1 in 5 British people use some form of alternative medicine each year, spending up to £450m between them.  Mainstream supermarkets and pharmacists now stock alternative treatments.  There are over 100 different forms of treatment in the UK, offered by over 90,000 practitioners.  Over 50% of medical practices in England offer some form of CAM (complementary/alternative medicine).

5. The Ten Most Popular (Sharma; 1992) 1. Herbalism 2. Osteopathy 3. Homeopathy 4. Acupuncture 5. Chiropractic 6. Spiritual Healing 7. Hypnotherapy 8. Reflexology 9. Naturopathy 10. Aromatherapy

6. Terminology Alternative medicine Medicine that differs from ‘accepted’ forms Holistic medicine An approach that takes into the account the physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual and social aspects of the client.

7. Terminology Complementary Medicine Treatments that are used alongside more orthodox measures. Orthodox Medicine The biomedical model of health.

8. Terminology  The biomedical model is the most powerful and dominant model…  …Therefore, other treatments are deemed ‘alternative’ and considered primitive or unscientific…  …Even though they are used by over 80% of the world’s population (Bivins, 2007)

9. Discuss  On your whiteboards, identity three reasons why alternative medicine continues to grow in popularity?

10. Explaining the growth (Hunt & Lightly; 1999) 1. People have high expectations of orthodox medicine and struggle to accept when it fails, or that it can’t cure everything. They therefore resort to an alternative.

11. Explaining the growth (Hunt & Lightly; 1999) 2. Iatrogenesis: People are worried about the side-effects of pharmaceuticals, or the way that some doctors treat them. They therefore seek alternatives.

12. Explaining the growth (Hunt & Lightly; 1999) 3. Biomedicine was essential when we were constantly threatened with devastating diseases (Bivins,2007)…nowadays, we’re not. Therefore, we’re less likely to put up with things like waiting lists, lack of orthodox cures for chronic illnesses or doctors who just see us as ‘patients’. We seek practices where we are respected as individuals…

13. Explaining the growth (Hunt & Lightly; 1999) 4. Some people seek out ‘alternative’ practices that fit in with their own religious or philosophical views. For example, the biomedical model separates body from mind, whereas some people have a philosophical or religious belief in a more holistic approach.

14. Explaining the growth (Hunt & Lightly; 1999) 5. Some people just like to be different. This can be seen in the rise of the ‘New Age’ movement and the quest for more natural diets and therapies.

15. Written Activity Identify and explain two reasons for the increased use of alternative medicine in society [17]