• OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAs we have studied this semester, we conclude that health is something holistic, meaning that it is derived from several things such as our lifestyle, the environment in which we reside, and our physiological and psychological health, not only the fact that a pathogen entering our body.
  • After researching the rates of illness and death (including NCD’s) in the country (78 women, 73 men), information that we obtained from graphs researched by the World Health Organization we have seen that is a big problem today that our medical system is based in treatment rather than on prevention. So the medical system taken to Mars would be first and foremost based on prevention.
  • The Ayurveda and Chinese system, both agree on the importance of prevention. However these two do not cover all the needs. If a case becomes serious and cannot be controlled with treatments based on Chinese, Ayurvedic, or any of the alternative therapies that we decide on bringing to de Red planet, the Western System would be the solution. It would be necessary in some cases, so we would need surgical tools and preventing tools.

Medical Systems

There isn’t just one medical system in the whole world. There are different views and different systems. In this document we have investigated on the Occidental System, the Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Ayurvedic Medicine.

Occidental Medical System

Western medical system is based entirely on science, since it always seems logical foundations to prevent and cure diseases. Applies knowledge that is purely scientific.

Both Classical medicine (Indian, Chinese, Greek, Arabic, etc…) as current Western medicine is based on reason, but the first doesn’t require the classical comprobation or demonstration, these knowledge is considered as eternal truths that are unchangeable, while the current western system does, because it uses the scientific method, also the knowledge is considered as relative truths that can be improved over time.

Western medicine bases disease diagnosis and understanding of the functioning of the body in the anatomy, but unlike the Hindu and Chinese medicine, in the Western system the location and function of the body parts is precise, thanks to previous dissections according to Marius Clar in the Article “Enfermería y sistemas de salud”.

Occidental Medicine Characteristics

Oriental medicine and modern Western medicine are two branches of medicine with sufficiently diverse differences in both the origins and in forms that they are practiced, but both pursue the same common good: the human being.

According to the web page Medicina oriental VS Medicina occidental Western Medicine divided the human body into 11 systems: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, neurohumoral, immune lymph, genital, urinary, respiratory, sensory, metabolic and endocrine systems, but does not address the energy. It is based on observation of symptoms through innovative technology and is considered the most widely used worldwide, as it is the medicine we know as traditional.

According to Occidental Medicine History and the article: “Occidental and Oriental eyes” Its main features are:

• It is treated primarily with innovative technology

• Look for the good of mankind.

• Focus more on caring and healing that prevent disease.

• It is considered today’s medicine.

• It covers many aspects of the body, but most physicists.

• No specializes in spiritual or psychological.

From this medical system we should take advantage of the upcoming technological advances, such as nano and bionanotechnology, DNA analyze, biotechnology 3D, robotics, treatment and therapy innovation, and medical software. And there are also new upcoming therapies such as systemic constellations, hypnosis and congnitive and gestal therapies.

This system would be used when need for surgery, diagnosing diseases, and treating communicable diseases when couldn’t be cured with the TCM or alternative treatments.

 

Ayurvedic Medical System or Ayurveda

According to the Chopra Center the hindu medical system, also known as Ayurveda, a system based a sacred book of the same name. Ayurveda means science of life.

This system is based on a speculative anatomy and who did dissections, and therefore is a relative knowledge. Were based on the observation of animals and people hurt or sick. According to the National center for complementary and alternative medicine (NCCAM): “Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world’s oldest medical systems. It originated in India and has evolved there over thousands of years, In the United States, Ayurvedic medicine is considered complementary and alternative medicine”

Characteristics of Ayurveda Medicine.

  • According to the web page Ayurveda Balance it is the first holistic system. This means, in a combination that integrates the body, mind and spirit.
  • It is an ancient method that has over 5000 years of existence.
  • Its virtues have been tested since time immemorial and even today are taught in some universities.
  • Its principles are easy to apply and do on a day to day of every individual who wants to take them forward.
  • Ayurveda acts on the causes of the disease and not just its symptoms.
  • The patient receives a comprehensive treatment that includes your mind and spirit, not just the body.
  • Employs therapeutic resources that people usually neglected but are within the same person.
  • Its specific therapies are based on natural elements.
  • Another of its intentions is to cleanse the body of toxins accumulated through Panchakarma techniques.
  • It aims to achieve rejuvenation and restoring balance to the body.

The main ayurvedic therapies include herbal remedies, the abhiangam massage, the Pinda-Sueda, Abhyanga which is a synchronized massage with four hands, Shirodhara, specifically working on balance and balance mental activity Svedana which is a treatment using herbal steam.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

It is a medicine that originated in ancient China according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and has evolved over thousands of years. It is an ancient medical system that takes a deep understanding of the laws and patterns of nature of nature and applies them to the human body.

“Traditional Chinese Medicine is a unique view of the world and the human body that is different from Western medicine concept” says the Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Page.

Characteristics TCM:

  • The view is based on the ancient Chinese perception of humans as microcosms of the larger, surrounding universe interconnected with nature and subject to its forces.
  • According to the US Department of Health and Human Services the human body is regarded as an organic entity in which the various organs, tissues, and other parts have distinct functions but are all interdependent. In this view, health and disease relate to balance of the functions.
  • The TCM approach uses eight principles to analyze symptoms and categorize conditions: five elements—fire, earth, metal, water, and wood—to explain how the body works.
  • According to the web page Healthinsite, a health-direct Australian information service, the aim of Chinese traditional medicine is to maintain and/or restore harmony in the body and the balance of the two types of energy (Yin and Yang), using acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage and the practice of Qigong.
  • Other TCM practices include moxibustion, cupping, massage, mind-body therapy (qi gong and Thai chi), and dietary therapy.
  • TCM emphasizes individualized treatment.

In Chinese we will consider as the main therapies for Mars digitopuncture, electropuncture, reflexology and herbology (with its own restrictions).

Comparison

 All three medical systems focus on the well being of the human, but with different methods and approaches. Ayurvedic and Chinese medical systems treat the aspects of the wellbeing like physical, spiritual and psychological.

They are more likely to prevent diseases than to wait until they happen and heal them, but their methods don’t necessarily heal disease. The Occidental medicine is more focused on healing diseases, but they aren’t as concerned on the preventive part. Then, when disease has already appeared the Occidental System is the one that uses drugs and pharmaceutics to treat them while Chinese tends to use herbs, acupuncture, and therapies, so does the Ayurvedic System. Both Chinese and Ayurvedic Systems are Holistic Systems, which makes them quite alike yet not the same, while they both differ greatly from the Western System.

circle

After our research we consider that Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine follow a similar system and the Occidental is something completely different. Things change everyday, and maybe after some years the Occidental System will be more like a Holistic System. We also consider that the three systems have pros and cons, and that keeping the pros and getting rid of the cons can lead to a better Holistic Health System that is more beneficial for more people.

References:

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ed. “Traditional Chinese Medicine.” US. http://nccam.nih.gov
  • National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Traditional Chinese Medicine: An introduction. NCCAM. Turning Discovery into Health.
  • http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm
  • “Ayurveda – the science of life” The Chopra Center. 2012. Balance. Heal. Transform. Miércoles 6, febrero 2013.<<http://www.chopra.com/ayurveda>&gt;
  • “Research Profiles – Alternative Medicine: It’s the Impact That Counts.” Government of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Corporate Affairs,. N.p., n.d. Web.  Feb. 2013.
  • Lewith, George, Marja Verhoef, Mary Koithan, and Suzanna M. Zick. “Abstract.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 05 Apr. 2006. Web. Feb. 2013
  • “The Ten Best Ways to Prevent Disease.” Suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. Feb. 2013.
  • “Preventing Disease through Healthy Environments: Towards an Estimate of the Environmental Burden of Disease.” WHO.  Web.  Feb. 2013.
  • “How alternative therapies impact medical care: Complementary and alternative medicine”. Alternativether.pdf  Web. Feb. 2013.
  • “Occidental Medicine History (2/2) – Being and Health.” OverBlog. Web.  Feb. 2013.
  • “Ayurveda balance” 7. Nov. 2011 Balanace. Heal. 16. Feb. 2012 http://ayurbalance.weebly.com/7/post/2010/11/caractersticas-fundamentales-de-la-medicina-ayurvdica.html
  • “ Medicina Oriental VS Medicina Occidental” 12. July. 2012. Sheyla Soler, Karina Espaillat, Roxiny Araujo y Víctor Oviedo. 2013. http://medicinaorientalvsoccidental.blogspot.mx/
  • “Introduction to Chinese Medicine/TCM.” Introduction to Chinese Medicine/TCM. .<http://www.tcmpage.com/&gt;.
  • “Ayurveda – the science of life” The Chopra Center. 2012. Balance. Heal. Transform. Miércoles 6, febrero 2013.<<http://www.chopra.com/ayurveda>&gt;