Alternative medical practices across many disciplines only continued to be sought after throughout history. By the mid to late 1800’s the topic of mental health began to come to the forefront of medicine. Fuller (2004) talks about the advancement of mental health in medicine when introducing Mary Baker Eddy. After Mary Baker Eddy had suffered great physical and emotional distress, she sought help. Eddy arrived on the doorstep of Phineas P. Quimby. Quimby's whose treatments not only gradually cured her of her ailments, they also gave her a new outlook on life. Although after Quimby's death, Eddy transformed his teachings into the foundational principles of Christian Science. Her principal text, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (1875), reveals her intention to concentrate on bring mental healing towards Christian Scripture. The basic theological postulate of Christian Science is that God creates all that is, and all that God creates is good. Sickness, pain, and evil are not creations of God, and therefore they do not truly exist. They are simply the delusions produced in an erring, mortal mind that has lost a firm hold on the belief that only those things created by God have true existence. For Christian Scientists the universe is spiritual. What we call matter (e.g., bacteria, viruses, etc.) consequently does not really exist and therefore has no causal power. Christian Science healers, known as practitioners, help individuals to overcome their faulty thinking and to elevate their mental attitudes above the delusions of the senses. Healing occurs as the individual learns to function on a metaphysical, rather than a physical plane. Healings are understood not as miracles or faith healings but as the lawful consequence of exchanging false conceptions for true ones, which center solely on the higher laws of God's spiritual presence. (p. 153) The beliefs of Christian Science held many of the similar beliefs which were put into place in holistic medicine. Fuller looks at the relationship when bringing up, Both Christian Science and the "holistic health" philosophies that emerged from the mind-cure tradition teach that our thoughts control the degree to which we avail ourselves of the higher spiritual source from which health proceeds. (p. 153) Christian Science continued the idea of the importance of the minds effect on disease and health which holistic health ideals taught, yet holistic medicine continued to develop with the introductions of osteopathic and chiropractic medicine.
Osteopathic medicine or the healing practice of manipulating vertebrae along the spine was started by Andrew Taylor Still. According to Fuller (2004), Still developed techniques for manipulating vertebrae along the spine in ways that he thought removed obstructions to the free flow of "the life-giving current" that promotes health throughout the body. Still explained the healing principles of osteopathy (a term derived from two Greek words meaning "suffering of the bones") in overtly metaphysical terms that described the origin and nature of "the life-giving current" ultimately responsible for human well-being. His followers largely discarded the occult-sounding dimensions of Still's philosophy and instead insisted that osteopathic medical education be grounded in anatomy and scientific physiology. Thus, although osteopaths originally relied only upon manual manipulations of the spine as a means of restoring health, they soon added surgery and eventually drug therapy to their medical practice. (p. 154) By the 1950s, so few differences existed in the training or practice of osteopaths and M.D.s that their two national organizations agreed to cease the rivalry that had existed for several decades and to cooperate in such matters as access to hospitals, residency programs, and professional recognition. Their commitment to osteopathy's historical concern with enhancing the body's natural powers for recuperation made them champions of holistic medicine long before the term holistic became commonplace among alternative healers. As of 1990, over 24,000 physicians practiced osteopathic medicine, collectively treating over 20 million patients per year. (p. 154) Fuller (2004) explains that, chiropractic medicine is more complex than that of osteopathy. Chiropractic originated in the work of Daniel David Palmer (1845–1913). Palmer, who knew of Still's osteopathic techniques, theorized that dislocations of the spine are able to block the free flow of the life force, which he called Innate. Palmer and his son, B. J. Palmer, explained that Innate is a part of the Divine Intelligence that fills the universe, bringing full physical health whenever it flows freely through the human body. Chiropractic medicine represents the Palmers' art and science of adjusting the spine in ways that remove obstructions to the free flow of Innate within the body. Over the years, chiropractic physicians began downplaying the movement's metaphysical origins and emphasized its scientific approach to the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. In this way, they minimized their theoretical unorthodoxy and identified an area of medical practice largely ignored by most medical doctors. Chiropractic physicians' sustained attention to this void in the "orthodox" medical system has earned them a viable niche in the medical marketplace; as of 1990, more than 19,000 chiropractic physicians were treating more than 3 million patients annually. Even though most medical insurance companies have come to recognize the medical functions performed by chiropractic medicine, M.D.s are still largely wary of chiropractic medicine leading to still be considered apart from orthodox medical practice. This professional tension provides a fascinating example of a continuing theme in the history of alternative medicine: the clash between orthodox medicine's rationalism (its insistence on an acceptable scientific explanation for all methods) and alternative medicine's pragmatism (discovery of therapies that produce results regardless of whether they are "proved" with rational theories). (p. 155) Holistic healing and medical practice have continued to develop over the ages yet are still looked at as unorthodox by many medical practitioners. Despite the failure of acceptance by most of the medical community much research has been done in support of holistic medicine being a valid practice and the benefits it has for health.
One extensive research study that has been performed using a holistic or integrative medical approach is the “Okinawa Centenarian Study”. This study has been performed over the course of 25 years studying the health and longevity of the Okinawa people. As stated by Willcox in regards to the study, Dr. Suzuki started the study through the research center at the University of Ryukyus. He looked at medical records, age verification documents, performed comprehensive biochemical tests, dementia screens, activity of daily living assessments (ADLs), nutritional surveys of over six hundred Okinawa centenarians. (p. 15) Willcox brings up some great connection of how medicine has become more integrated since the beginning of the study. One great example he gives of growth is in the field of nutrition and it’s effect on health. Willcox states, nutritional research was generally considered unscientific and unproductive, not much of a contribution to science or medicine. (p.14) In fact, when we mentioned the low rate of heart disease among the Japanese to our medical and graduate teachers, we were told, “It’s all about genetics. Nutrition has nothing to do with heart disease.” An entire discipline is now devoted to the study of connections between nutrition and disease, called nutritional epidemiology. (p.15) This research has been able to shed light on the importance of the integration of many disciplines in the health field. The Japanese have been able to share some of their holistic health practices in their everyday lives, to shed light on the importance of integrative health for health and disease prevention throughout the course of this study. Willcox talks about the effect Japanese open-minded philosophy to medicine has helped Western medicine. The philosophy [of herbal medicines] is finally taking root in the United States, where the National Institutes of Health have established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to create evidence based approaches for evaluating alternative medical practices. (p.16) Throughout the course of this research American medicine has obviously shown more of a push towards incorporating more or an interdisciplinary look at health and disease prevention than previously.
Coronary heart disease is the number one cause of death in America. In 2006, 425,425 lives where lost to coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis or narrowing of the arteries due to a fatty build up called plaque. There are many different treatments ranging from drug therapies, surgical therapies and lifestyle changes. All of these treatments are used in Western or American medicine. Although, despite all of these treatments being used some are used more readily than others. One treatment that is readily used in Western medicine is a coronary angiogram. This diagnostic test is used on more than a million US patients each year and cost about $10,000 each. In this test a catheter is threaded into the heart and with an X-ray movie is taken to look for obstructions, which can cause chest pain or increase the risk of a heart attack. When a significant obstruction is found this test can help a cardiologist decide if the patient should undergo a coronary bypass procedure or if a stent should be implanted to help alleviate the problem. Although, according a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, around 20% of people referred for angiograms were not previously diagnosed with heart disease yet end up receiving the test based purely on family history, possible symptoms and other nonspecific reasons. In this study it was found that 62% of patients did not have any evidence of significant obstructions. Overall, of these 39% were determined to not have coronary-artery disease. Yet during this study doctors stand behind the procedure claiming that “a “normal” test doesn’t automatically indicate an angiogram wasn’t necessary”. They further say “A finding of an absence of disease can be important information for both doctors and patients.” Despite the coaxing of doctors that the procedure can be helpful especially if symptoms are present, it is known that chest pain symptoms can be caused by a number of other problems such as indigestion, a stomach ulcer, muscle pain or spasms among many other health issues. With procedures such as coronary angiograms being used with little evidence of necessity, it seems reasonable to look at other options before performing invasive procedures. Cardiologist Chet Rihal of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota seems to also agree “We’ve got to get much smarter about how we’re ordering and interpreting tests.”. Integrating more complementary and alternative treatments into American medicine may help some of these more invasive procedures be avoided.
One of the treatments that are used in Western medicine to help coronary heart disease is lifestyle change. Lifestyle change programs are a large part of helping coronary heart disease patients in America. In Western medicine lifestyle change programs often come in to form of cardiac rehabilitation programs, which are usually put into effect after a procedure such as coronary bypass surgery, balloon angioplasty, pacemaker and those who has had a recent heart attack. These lifestyle change programs are often referred to as secondary prevention program. Secondary prevention programs have shown to be successful for reducing further heart issues. Secondary prevention programs incorporate, smoking cessation, dietary counseling, exercise program and other prevention advice. Primary prevention programs could be just as successful if implement when risk factors are recognize as apposed to unnecessary procedures such as coronary angiograms.
