
Traditional medicine
Today, in the field of healthcare, doctors most often use evidence-based medicine approaches, which involve making decisions about patient management tactics based on data obtained in clinical trials.
Nevertheless, there are alternative approaches, enshrined in the legislation of the Russian Federation. Thus, Federal Law No. 323 "On the Basics of protecting the health of Citizens in the Russian Federation" establishes the concept of "traditional medicine" (Article 50, paragraph 1):
Traditional medicine is a method of healing, established in the national experience, which is based on the use of knowledge, skills and practical skills to assess and restore health. Traditional medicine does not include the provision of services of an occult and magical nature, as well as the performance of religious rituals.
A citizen who has received an appropriate permit has the right to practice traditional medicine. To obtain permission, a specialist must provide a list of methods and activities for rehabilitation, prevention, treatment, as well as information that these methods and activities are based on the experience of many generations of people, have established themselves in folk traditions and are not registered in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
Differences between traditional medicine and evidence-based medicine (M.M. Dobrotvorsky and N.V. Kirilov):
- Traditional medicine does not separate the objective (pathophysiological processes) and the subjective (symptoms – sensations).
- In traditional medicine, diseases are classified according to secondary, insignificant signs. This leads to an imperfect diagnosis.
- Representatives of traditional medicine keep their methods of treatment secret from the uninitiated.
- In the treatment of diseases, traditional medicine uses a holistic approach that combines two types of knowledge – rational (in this case, empirical) and irrational (magical and religious).
According to researchers, scientific medicine should study traditional medicine in order to:
- Find out the reasons for its prosperity and counteract it;
- Assess the harm caused to the population;
- Identify really useful traditional remedies and teach people how to use them more rationally.
References:
- Federal Law No. 323-FZ of 11/21/2011 (as amended on 08.08.2024) "On the Basics of protecting the health of Citizens in the Russian Federation" (with amendments and additions, intro. effective from 09/01/2024)
- Tarasenko D. B. On the history of the study of traditional medicine in Russia (M. M. Dobrotvorsky and N. V. Kirillov) // Scientific works of Dalrybvtuz. 2008. No. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/k-istorii-izucheniya-narodnoy-meditsiny-v-rossii-m-m-dobrotvorskiy-i-n-v-kirilov (date of application: 09/08/2024).