ALLOPATHY: A SYSTEM OF MEDICAL PRACTICE. Dr. Noel M Isaac, PharmD
Allopathy is defined as a system of medical practice which treats disease by the use of remedies and ailments that produce effects which are different from those produced by the disease under treatment (In contrast to Homeopathy).1 Allopathy is also known as: traditional western medicine, regular medicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, modern medicine and conventional medicine. 2 Generally, allopathic approach uses the concept of “body as a machine”, as such, early allopath’s were called “mechanics”. In this approach, human body was split into components and each part of the body was, and still is, treated in isolation. Hence, today we have a physician’s specializing in a specific organ of the human body, eg. heart specialists, neurologist, ENT doctors and so on. 3 In this practice the main objective is to relieve the patient symptomatically from the disease, and therefore, the treatment is mainly focused on providing a symptomatic relief to the patient and less attention is given upon finding the actual cause of the symptoms, the priority of which depends of the severity of the disease.4 However, allapthic system of medicine is still considered as a type of holistic medicine as the successful completion of the whole process eventually leads to the wellness of the whole person- body, mind and spirit.3 Benefits of Allopathy3,5 1.
Very effective, quick results.
2.
Researched and tested medicines are used.
3.
Easily available.
4.
Standards for quality maintained strictly.
5.
Best used for emergency medical conditions, also to manage acute and chronic illness.
Drawbacks of Allopathy6,7 1. Invasive procedures are sometimes involved and the use of potent drugs with narrow therapeutic window can cause serious consequence including death.
2. Body is split into components rather taken as a whole. One part of the body could be called for attention at the moment, but there are chances that the problem is more global, and that particular part involved is just showing the vulnerability. 3. In the allopathic medicine system, drugs or surgery are primary treatments for health conditions. Since drugs do not usually cure, but suppress and change the way the body functions, this covers up the condition instead of curing it. Sometimes this is helpful (like with severe pain), but when little or nothing is done to regain health, the condition worsens over time. 4. Most of the times pharmacological interventions are preferred over non pharmacological modalities such as lifestyle and diet changes as compared to alternative system of medicine. 5. Expensive in comparison to other systems.
REFERENCES: 1. Definition of allopathy [homepage on the internet]. c2015 [cited 2015 July 31]. Available from: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10981 2. Definition of conventional medicine [homepage on the internet]. c2015 [cited 2015 July 31]. Available from: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=33527 3. Holistic mindbody healing. [homepage on the internet]. c2015 [cited 2015 July 31]. Available from: http://www.holistic- mindbody-healing.com/benefits-ofallopathy.html 4. Siamak F. Allaopathic medicine vs holistic medicine. Accupunture today [homepage on the internet]. c2015 [cited 2015 July 31]. Available from: http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=32630 5. If ayurvedic medicine is good then why not allopathic. [homepage on the internet]. c2015 [cited 2015 July 31]. Available from: https://storify.com/poal/if-ayurvedicmedicine-is-good-then-why-not-allopat
6. Holistic mindbody healing. [homepage on the internet]. c2015 [cited 2015 July 31]. Available from: http://www.holistic- mindbody-healing.com/allopathic-medicine.html 7. Disadvantages of allopathy. Newscentral [homepage on the internet]. c2015 [cited 2015 July 31]. Available from: http://newscentral.exsees.com/item/356c9bed4d7bb699a4ac6644c4da53941021e990c14eaaf96393dd261c4bb7b6