Synthesis of Traditional and Modern Medicine

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From: lisarellis@live.com Saved: Wed 5/18/11 12:03 PM To: anthro; final Continue writing | Delete Final The Integration of Traditional Medicine in the United States Lisa Ellis CSUSM Anthropology 301 Professor Godde May 18, 2011 It is possible and necessary to integrate traditional medicine into western medicine. With the growing demand for health care and the increasing amount of illness that require psychological and psychological treatment, it makes sense to incorporate practices that will address the human body as a whole, mind and body, as well as a part of the collective society. We must examine the ties that bind social groups, families and clan like units. Bridging these cultural gaps will require understanding, trust and returning to the basics of what constitutes a healthy individual and society. Traditional medicine is the cornerstone of modern medicine. Traditional medicine was developed over centuries and has been effective at maintaining the health of or species. The knowledge is so vast that much of it is still not documented and if our culture continues to dismiss it might the applications could be lost forever. When I watched healers of Ghana my perspective on it applying it to the integration, in the United States ,was that we are the equivalent of the people of Ghana and the change facilitated by the western doctors in the film would be the equivalent of traditional and alternative healers here. Just as they did in Ghana, we need to maintain our social structure of healing but implement new practices through that system. Doctors need to accept the help and wisdom of alternative healers. There is a new generation of questions being asked buy the medical field. Technologies have become more advanced and sophisticated, the tools in science and research that are being developed will help

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