
There are two types of Medicine teaching in the world. They are called Eastern Medicine and Western Medicine. Doctors from both systems are able to diagnose and treat their patients. However, there are significant differences in the approaches they use.
Some doctors are trained and educated in both medical systems and choose to help their patients using the best approaches from Eastern and Western Medicine – integrating different techniques of diagnosis and therapy. This type of Integrative medicine has existed for a long time but has only recently become popular.
In the United States Osteopathic Medical Schools incorporate knowledge of integrative medicine. On the other hand, regular medical schools view Eastern medicine as a pseudoscience and do not teach medical students about Chinese medicine methods.
Conventional or Allopathic Medicine
Western medicine originates in Europe and has a younger history of knowledge. It is practiced by all medical doctors (MD), DOs, PA’s and NP’s. A practitioner will usually base his diagnosis on the patient’s history, physical examination and laboratory findings (xR, blood, urine, etc.) and other studies (molecular imaging, ECG, etc.). The approach is focused on particular symptoms and will mainly focus on the organ that the patient complains of.
The practitioner is trained to treat all symptoms (generally internists or pediatricians) or specific systems (gastroenterologists, cardiologists, psychiatrists, etc.). Treatment is symptom-specific and includes medication (pharmacotherapies), surgery and preventative measures (e.g. weight control, smoking cessation, or drinking cessation).

Holistic Medicine
The practice of Eastern medicine (synonymous with naturopathy, Chinese, alternative medicine) dates back to ancient times and has been part of healing practices for centuries in Asia (Vietnam, Korean, Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese). Eastern medicine views the body as an integrated system with no separation of mind and body diseases. It also reflects the energy that sustains us as a part of the assessment and treatment.
Primary methods of assessment include pulse diagnosis, body energy assessment, iris changes and body signs. History is sometimes asked rather than directly questions about infections exposures and symptoms. The methods of treatment then differ with a focus on bringing deficiencies or excesses of fluids / energy back to balance. These methods are non-invasive and do not require surgical interventions – herbs, acupuncture, medical massage, meditation, breathing techniques, nutritional adjustment.
Traditional Eastern medicine believes that the body will correct most problems if balance is restored and inner peace is attained. Regeneration is imprinted in our body and organs. In the situations when there was an impact of a tragic event, trauma or loss, the inner mechanisms of repair are launched by the brain controls and endocrine control. But sometimes this inner system of repair does not work. Holistic practitioner has tools and knowledge how to fix the problem and re-launch regeneration.
You can choose which methods work for you by finding clinics that provide certain type of medicine. Integrative clinics will let you experience different modalities, and will actually let you choose from available treatments.

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