Non-traditional Health Care Practices

Nontraditional Healthcare Practices
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Nontraditional Healthcare Practices
In a highly diverse world, people have different cultural and healthcare beliefs that influence their approach to healthcare. According to Ray (2016), people from different cultures have different healthcare models and use these models to meet their healthcare needs. Such models of healthcare include nontraditional healthcare practices. There has been a shift towards nontraditional healthcare practices in recent years, and more people are now using nontraditional healthcare options. This paper aims to discuss Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Acupuncture as the traditional practices among the Indians, Germans, and Chinese, respectively, and their importance in providing holistic and quality care. In addition, the paper will identify the nontraditional healthcare options in my area and propose reasons why more people are using these options.
Nontraditional Healthcare Practices in Different Cultures
Nontraditional healthcare practices have gained prominence in recent years as people are using these practices to support conventional medicine (Ray, 2016). Different cultures have different nontraditional healthcare practices. Ayurveda is a nontraditional practice practiced for centuries by the Indians. According to Scrimshaw et al. (2022), Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine that focuses on how a person relates with their body, mind, spirit, and the natural world. This system of medicine is based on the belief that illness stems from a lack of balance between a person's body, mind, spirit, and the natural world. As such, achieving good health is dependent on restoring this balance. To achieve this, Ayurveda incorporates herbal remedies, diet, and meditation, among other lifestyle changes.
Homeopathy is also a nontraditional healthcare practice developed by the Germans more than 200 years ago (Scrimshaw et al., 2022). It is a medical system informed by the theory of "like cures like" and the belief that the body can cure itself. In Homeopathy, small doses of natural substances are introduced into the body to activate its self-healing ability (Scrimshaw et al., 2022). The belief is that a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people can be used to treat a disease characterized by those symptoms.
Acupuncture is a common healthcare practice among the Chinese. According to Scrimshaw et al. (2022), acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine and is based on the belief that a person's health depends on the flow of energy (qi) through different meridians. When this flow of energy is disrupted, a person becomes ill. However, the energy flow can be restored when acupuncture is applied to the acupuncture points. Acupuncture involves needling certain points to restore energy flow along the meridians.
While these three practices are nontraditional, they apply different concepts and belief systems to achieve good health. Ayurveda mostly involves lifestyle changes, homeopathy involves the use of natural substances in small quantities, while acupuncture involves needling to restore/improve health. These three practices are increasingly being incorporated into c...