Nostalgic Trend in Health Domain: Secularism and Alternative Medicine Interventions as an Oxymoron

Year 2022, , 272 - 281, 30.05.2022

Hüseyin Demir , Pınar Yalçın Balçık

https://doi.org/10.31020/mutftd.1072065

Abstract

Health has always been at the center of human life in its history. People had gone to the religious and dogma-oriented priests or priests-physicians in order to improve their deteriorated health conditions in the primitive era. Physicians had evaluated patients according to common beliefs and mobilized diagnosis and treatment processes. The impact of beliefs and dogmas on the provision of healthcare in the modern era has been significantly reduced. In addition to the developments in medical knowledge and practice, technological developments have revealed the necessity of presenting healthcare in the light of scientific knowledge and experiences. Diseases have become complex with the modern era which demonstrates the deficiency of primitive methods in the treatment of the diseases. For the sake of different fields of expertise and health technology, secularization has gained strength in health. In recent years, evidence-based medicine, disease-based management, and similar concepts illustrate the experience of secularization in health. However, the number of people applying to complementary and alternative medicine interventions has increased dramatically in recent years. Moreover, they are seeking alternative ways to satisfy the needs they cannot get through modern medicine. Considering this aspect, it can be mentioned that there is a nostalgic tendency which can be expressed as health reversal. This can be understood as an oxymoron where secularity and alternative medicine interventions are at different poles. The oxymoron that created by nostalgic tendency in health has been discussed in the context of the debates of secularity and widespread using of alternative medicine interventions.

Keywords

Health, Medicine, Complementary Therapies

Sağlık Alanında Nostaljik Eğilim: Bir Oksimoron Olarak Sekülerlik ve Alternatif Tıp Uygulamaları

Abstract

Tarihsel yolculuğunda sağlık sürekli olarak insan hayatının merkezinde yer almıştır. İlkel dönemde insanlar bozulan sağlık durumlarını iyileştirmek ve geliştirmek için daha çok dini inanış ve dogma eksenli yetişen rahip veya rahip-hekim kişilere başvurma yoluna gitmiştir. Hekimler de bu hastaları bağlı bulunduğu inanışa göre değerlendirmiş ve tanı ve tedavi süreçlerini bunlara göre harekete geçirmiştir. Modern dönemle birlikte dini inanış ve dogmaların sağlık hizmeti sunumu üzerinde sahip olduğu etkide önemli ölçüde kırılmalar yaşanmıştır. Tıbbi bilgi ve pratikteki gelişmelere ek olarak teknolojik gelişmeler, sağlık hizmetini bilimsel bilgi ve tecrübeler ışığında sunmanın gerekliliğini ortaya koymuştur. Hastalıklar modern dönemle birlikte çok karmaşık bir hale gelmiştir, bu durum ilkel yöntemlerin söz konusu hastalıkların tedavisindeki acziyetini ortaya koymuştur. Farklı uzmanlık alanlarının ve sağlık teknolojisinin gelişimiyle birlikte sağlıkta sekülerleşme akımı güç kazanmıştır. Son yıllarda çokça konuşulan kesin tıp, kanıta dayalı tıp, hastalık bazlı yönetim vb. kavramlar sağlıkta sekülerleşmenin yaşandığını gözler önüne sermektedir. Ancak özellikle son yıllarda modern tıbbın yerine tamamlayıcı ve alternatif tıp uygulamalarına başvuran kişi sayısı çarpıcı biçimde artış göstermiştir. Bunun da ötesinde bu kişiler modern tıp aracılığıyla karşılayamadıkları ihtiyaçlarını tatmin için alternatif yollar aramaktadırlar. Bu yönüyle değerlendirildiğinde, sağlıkta geriye dönüş olarak ifade edilebilecek nostaljik bir eğilimin varlığından söz edilebilir. Bu durum, sekülerlik ve alternatif tıp uygulamalarının farklı kutuplarda olduğu bir oksimoron olarak anlaşılabilir. Bu çalışmada, nostaljik eğilimin sağlık alanında yarattığı oksimoron, sekülerlik tartışmaları ve kullanımı git gide yaygınlık kazanan tamamlayıcı ve alternatif tıp uygulamaları bağlamında irdelenmiştir.

Keywords

Sağlık, Tıp, Tamamlayıcı Terapiler

References

• 1. Dobbelaere K. Secularization: An analysis at three levels. Belgium: P.I.E.-Peter Lang; 2002.
• 2. Wilson BR. Religion in secular society. Bruce S, editor. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 2016.
• 3. Hamilton M. Sekülerlik var mı yok mu? İçinde: Giddens A, editor. Sosyoloji. İstanbul: Say Yayınları; 2015. pp:455-464.
• 4. Bauman Z. Akışkan modernite. Çavuş SO, çeviren. İstanbul: Can Sanat Yayınları; 2017.
• 5. Bauman Z. Retrotopya. Karatay A, çeviren. İstanbul: Sel Yayıncılık; 2018.
• 6. Kotler P, Kartajaya H, Setiawan I. Pazarlama 4.0: Gelenekselden dijitale geçiş. Özata N, çeviren. İstanbul: Optimist Yayınları; 2017.
• 7. Erasmus D. Deliliğe övgü. Sivri Y, çeviren. İstanbul: Türkiye İş Bankası Yayınları; 2018.
• 8. Laiyemo MA, et al. Characteristics and health perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine users in the United States. Am J Med Sci 2015;349(2):140-144.
• 9. Abuelgasim KA, et al. The use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cancer: A cross-sectional survey in Saudi Arabia. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):88.
• 10. AlBedah AMN, et al. The use of and out-of-pocket spending on complementary and alternative medicine in Qassim province, Saudi Arabia. Ann Saudi Med 2013;33(3):282-289.
• 11. Ali A, et al. Massage therapy and quality of life in osteoarthritis of the knee: A qualitative study. Pain Med 2017;18(6):1168-1175.
• 12. Sharpe PA, et al. Association of complementary and alternative medicine use with symptoms and physical functional performance among adults with arthritis. Disabil Health J 2016;9(1):37-45.
• 13. Eisenberg DM, et al. Trends in alternative medicine use in United States: Results of a follow-up national survey. JAMA 1998;280(18):1569-1575.
• 14. Thaler R, Sunstein CR. Dürtme: Sağlık, zenginlik ve mutlulukla ilgili kararları uygulamak. Günsel E, çeviren. İstanbul: Pegasus Yayınları; 2017.
• 15. Dizon DS. What’s the harm? The Oncologist 2017;22:1006-1007.
• 16. Williamson EM, Rankin-Box D. Complementary therapies, the placebo effect and the pharmacist. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2009;15(3):172-179.
• 17. Zhang Y, et al. Effects of a Delphi consensus acupuncture treatment protocol on the levels of stress and vascular tone in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization: A randomized clinical trial protocol. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):197.
• 18. Buck AK, et al. Economic evaluation of pet and pet/ct in oncology: Evidence and methodologic approaches. J Nucl Med Technol 2010;51(3):401-412.
• 19. Ehman EC, et al. Intrinsic retroviral reactivation in human preimplantation embryos and pluripotent cells. Nature 2017;46(5):1247-1262.
• 20. Applbaum K. Sağlıkta küresel pazarlama: İlaç entrikaları. İçinde: Haskan U, çeviren. Kapitalizmde sağlık sağlıksızlık semptomları. İstanbul: Yordam Kitap, 2014. pp:99-118.
• 21. Chen Y, et al. Wrist-ankle acupuncture App (WAA) for primary dysmenorrhea (PD) of young females: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):421.
• 22. Lee H, et al. A randomized, open phase IV exploratory clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on the outcome of induction of ovulation in women with poor ovarian response A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Medicine 2018;97(34):1-6.
• 23. Naumann J, et al. Effects of hyperthermic baths on depression, sleep and heart rate variability in patients with depressive disorder: A randomized clinical pilot trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):172.
• 24. Kim M, et al. Electroacupuncture plus moxibustion therapy for patients with major depressive disorder: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2017;18(1):1-10.
• 25. Suzuki M, et al. Effects of acupuncture on nutritional state of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Re-analysis of COPD acupuncture trial, a randomized controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):287.
• 26. Yeung WF, et al. Electroacupuncture for tapering off long-term benzodiazepine use: Study protocol of randomized controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):183.
• 27. Leem J, et al. Efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in acute decompensated heart failure: a study protocol for a randomized, patient- and assessor-blinded, sham controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):361.
• 28. Au KY, et al. Sinew acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: Study protocol for a randomized sham-controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):133.
• 29. Razavy S, et al. Psychophysical responses in patients receiving a mock laser within context of an acupuncture clinical trial: An interoceptive perspective. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):348.
• 30. Albracht-Schulte K, Robert-McComb J. The effects of yoga and quiet rest on subjective levels of anxiety and physiological correlates: A 2-way crossover randomized trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):280.
• 31. Hewett ZL, et al. Effect of a 16-week Bikram yoga program on heart rate variability and associated cardiovascular disease risk factors in stressed and sedentary adults: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):226.
• 32. Ghazali WSW, Romli AC, Mohamed M. Effects of honey supplementation on inflammatory markers among chronic smokers: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):175.
• 33. Rabiei K, et al. Effects of a hydroalcoholic extract of Juglans regia (walnut) leaves on blood glucose and major cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetic patients: A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):206.
• 34. Cheng HM, et al. Clinical efficacy and IL-17 targeting mechanism of Indigo naturalis as a topical agent in moderate psoriasis. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):439.
• 35. Parekh M, et al. A pilot single centre, double blind, placebo controlled, randomized, parallel study of Calmagen(R) dermaceutical cream and lotion for the topical treatment of tinea and onychomycosis. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):464.
• 36. Haroyan A, et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin and its combination with boswellic acid in osteoarthritis: A comparative, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):7.
• 37. Gay C, et al. Efficacy of self-management exercise program with spa therapy for behavioral management of knee osteoarthritis: research protocol for a quasi-randomized controlled trial (GEET one). BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):279.
• 38. Lopresti AL, Gupta H, Smith SJ. A poly-herbal blend (Herbagut(R)) on adults presenting with gastrointestinal complaints: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):98.
• 39. Cho YG, et al. Effect of a herbal extract powder (YY-312) from imperata cylindrica beauvois, citrus unshiu markovich, and evodia officinalis dode on body fat mass in overweight adults: A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):375.
• 40. Kheiri A, et al. The effects of Alkanna tinctoria Tausch on split-thickness skin graft donor site management: A randomized, blinded placebo-controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):253.
• 41. Chusak C, et al. Acute effect of Clitoria ternatea flower beverage on glycemic response and antioxidant capacity in healthy subjects: A randomized crossover trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):6.
• 42. Aghasi M, et al. The effects of green cardamom supplementation on blood glucose, lipids profile, oxidative stress, sirtuin-1 and irisin in type 2 diabetic patients: A study protocol for a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):18.
• 43. Shen CL, et al. A 12-week evaluation of annatto tocotrienol supplementation for postmenopausal women: Safety, quality of life, body composition, physical activity, and nutrient intake. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18(1):198.
• 44. Reule CA, Goyvaerts B, Schoen C. Effects of an L-arginine-based multi ingredient product on endothelial function in subjects with mild to moderate hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia - a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):92.
• 45. Lopez HL, et al. Effects of dietary supplementation with a standardized aqueous extract of Terminalia chebula fruit (AyuFlex((R))) on joint mobility, comfort, and functional capacity in healthy overweight subjects: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):475.
• 46. Pinheiro I, et al. A yeast fermentate improves gastrointestinal discomfort and constipation by modulation of the gut microbiome: Results from a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17(1):441.