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Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health

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History and Background

Biomedicine is at the height of its success, delivering more health care products and services to more people, at greater expense than ever before (Jonas, 2002). Prior to this, historical events such as The Meiji Restoration in Japan, the Scientific Revolution, and advancement of colonialism emphasized scientific enquiry and empirical thought over traditional healing methods (Mkize, 2009; Nishimura et al., 2009; Twohig, 2008). The introduction of antibiotics, rapid expansion of pharmaceuticals, and improved public health programs further contributed to the decline of traditional medicine (TM), and later complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) especially after World War II (Twohig, 2008). To maintain continuity throughout this entry, we will define traditional medicine (TM) as indigenous health traditions of the world in their original settings, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as health care therapies outside the biomedical mainstream in...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Brenda L. Lovell

  2. Victoria Institute of Clinical Research & Evaluation, Victoria General Hospital, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Jamileh Daneshnia

  3. Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Christopher J. Fries

Authors
  1. Brenda L. Lovell
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  2. Jamileh Daneshnia
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  3. Christopher J. Fries
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Sana Loue

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Martha Sajatovic

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Lovell, B.L., Daneshnia, J., Fries, C.J. (2012). Alternative and Complementary Medicine. In: Loue, S., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_3

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