Concepts of Healing

Concepts of Healing
& Models of Care
The Convergence
of Complementary,
Alternative &
Conventional
Health Care:
Educational Resources
for Health
Professionals
This publication is one in a series of educational resource materials on complementary and alternative health care issues
published by the Program on Integrative Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, entitled:
The Convergence of Complementary, Alternative

& Conventional Health Care:
Educational Resources for Health Professionals
Titles in the series include:
Understanding the Convergence of Complementary, Alternative & Conventional Care in the United States
Concepts of Healing & Models of Care
Evidence-Based Medicine & Complementary & Alternative Therapies
Assessing the Effectiveness of Complementary & Alternative Medicine
Safety Issues in Complementary & Alternative Medicine
Evaluating Information Sources for Complementary & Alternative Health Care
Information Sources for Complementary & Alternative Therapies
Integrating Complementary & Alternative Therapies With Conventional Care
Copyright © 2004
The Program on Integrative Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
of the School of Medicine of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
With support from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM),
National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Grant No. 5-R25-AT00540-01
This publication was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
and is thus in the public domain; it may be quoted freely with proper credit. Please cite as follows:
Curtis, PC, and Gaylord, SA. Concepts of Healing & Models of Care. In S. Gaylord, S. Norton, P. Curtis (Eds.), The
Convergence of Complementary, Alternative & Conventional Health Care: Educational Resources for Health Professionals.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Program on Integrative Medicine, 2004.
SERIES EDITORS
Susan Gaylord, PhD, Director, Program on Integrative Medicine & Assistant Professor, Department of
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Sally K. Norton, MPH, Project Manager, Complementary & Alternative Medicine Education Project,
Program on Integrative Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Peter Curtis, MD, Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
SENIOR EDITOR
Sheilah N. Thomas, MS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
John Claydon, MS, Rebecca Coble, BA, Catherine Fogel, PhD, RNC, FAAN, Editorial Assistance
Program on Integrative Medicine

Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, UNC School of Medicine
UNC-CH - CB# 7200, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7200
phone: (919) 966-8586, fax: (919) 843-0164
website: http://pim.med.unc.edu, email: [email protected]
Concepts of
Healing &
Models of Care
Concepts of Healing & Models of Care is
one publication in a series entitled The
Convergence of Complementary, Alternative &
Conventional Health Care, developed as an
educational resource for health pro-
fessionals by the Program on Integrative
Medicine, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, with support from the
Peter Curtis, MD, Professor National Center for Complementary and
Department of Family Medicine Alternative Medicine (NCCAM),
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill National Institutes of Health.
This series responds to the many
Susan Gaylord, PhD, Director
questions raised as conventional health
Program on Integrative Medicine & Assistant Professor
care practitioners encounter widespread
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
and increasing use of complementary and
alternative therapies. Each publication in
the series highlights one or more of the
key issues facing health professionals to-
day—including assessing information,
safety, effectiveness, and the integration
of conventional, complementary, and al-
ternative health care.
Concepts of Healing & Models of
THE CONVERGENCE OF Care examines the historical and cultural
COMPLEMENTARY, ALTERNATIVE & foundations of explanatory concepts of
CONVENTIONAL HEALTH CARE healing and the models of care that have
SERIES EDITORS emerged in our contemporary health care
Susan Gaylord, PhD system. To communicate effectively with
Sally Norton, MPH consumers and other care providers,
Peter Curtis, MD today’s care providers must understand
and appreciate the varied beliefs and
practices that are prevalent in the plural-
istic health care cultures of 21st century
societies.
PROGRAM ON INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE • DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION • SCHOOL OF MEDICINE • UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL • © 2004
Concepts of
Healing &
Models of Care
foreword
Healing and health services are defined and manifested in many ways. Although biomedicine
predominates in the United States, it is only one of many forms of healing. Philosophies and
therapeutic techniques as diverse as Ayur veda,
homeopathy, herbal medicine, chiropractic, and reiki are
CONTENTS
practiced alongside—and sometimes as a complement
to—the medical, pharmaceutical, and surgical approaches Concepts of Illness & Healing: A Cultural
& Historical Overview ................................................... 2
of conventional medicine. This many-faceted complex
The Concept of “Life Force” ............................................. 3
of therapeutic modalities and health services is largely Magico-Religious Concepts of Illness & Healing ............... 4
the result of a dramatic increase over the last 10-15 years The Naturalistic Concept of Illness & Healing .................. 5
in the use of “CAM” (Complementary and Alternative
The Vitalistic Concept of Illness & Healing ...................... 7
Mechanistic Concepts of Health & Illness ....................... 8
Medicine) therapies—a trend that appears to be The Concept of Energy Healing ...................................... 10
continuing.
The Development of Contemporary
The widespread use of CAM services provides Models of Care in the United States ............................... 12
a mandate for health professionals to increase their aware- The Emergence of Alternative Therapeutic
Models in the United States ...................................... 12
ness and appreciation of different traditions of healing.
Expansion of the Mechanistic/Reductionist Conceptual
Understanding is required on three levels. First, it is nec- Paradigm & the Biomedical Model of Care ................ 14
essary to recognize and respect the philosophical ap- Contemporary Models of Care in the United States ............. 15
proaches of those who use different forms of health Conventional Biomedical Models of Care ......................... 16
care as well as those who practice health care differently. Complementary & Alternative Models of Care ................ 19
Integrative Models of Care ............................................ 20
Indeed, a health provider’s patients may be visiting mul-
Summary ...................................................................... 21
tiple providers from varying traditions—a situation in
which ignorance serves no one. Second, it is important References ..................................................................... 22
to understand how different healing approaches and
therapies interact and whether, and under what circumstances, their combined use is helpful or
problematic. Third, it appears that a new approach to delivering health care—integrative medi-
cine—is evolving from the convergence of conventional and alternative modalities. Understand-
ing these different modalities is the first step to understanding the paths that health care may be
taking.
In this publication, readers are invited to explore the fundamental concepts of healing
from which spring different models of care and to understand the connections between them.
Specifically, it is hoped readers will:
• Understand the historical and cultural roots of the beliefs underlying different models
of care and how those beliefs have shaped contemporary healing models;
• Understand the evolution of the dominant biomedical model in contemporary health
care; and
• Become familiar with the emerging integrative model of care and its potential for
bringing together diverse healing methods.
Finally, a note about the terminology used in this publication. In recent years, the term
“CAM” has come into common usage to describe—in the words of the National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine— “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices,
and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine.” Despite its convenient
brevity, the acronym CAM has some unfortunate implications. It suggests, for example, a
homogeneity among the practices included under the umbrella term—something that is not at all
true. It also implies a clear and complete distinction between conventional and CAM systems of
care. That also is inaccurate.
The term CAM is therefore used sparingly here. And, when used, it is shorthand for that
“group of diverse medical and health care systems. . .” where the emphasis is on the word “diverse.”
Susan Gaylord Sally Norton Peter Curtis
Series Editors
CONCEPTS OF HEALING & MODELS OF CARE
1
Concepts of Healing &

Models of Care
World travelers who have had to see a doctor in a foreign country have usually discovered
that medicine is not quite the international science that the medical profession would like
us to believe. Not only do ways of delivering medical care differ from country to country;
so does the medicine that is delivered. The differences are so great that one country’s
treatment of choice may be considered malpractice across the border.
Lynn Payer, Medicine & Culture
F undamental beliefs about health, illness, and healing influence individuals’ health care behav-
iors and shape various models of care (Kleinman, 1978). Beliefs also can exert powerful influ-
ences through mind-body interactions (see box, right). These beliefs and their therapeutic manifesta-
tions, often culturally based,
have existed in various forms
in every society throughout THE POWER OF HEALTH BELIEFS
history.
Health beliefs are powerful predictors of future health status and mortality. An extensive analy-
All healing models
sis of data on self-perceived health found that this variable is a robust predictor of survival over
seek to address the varied
maladies of the human condi-
five to ten years, even when controlling for health problems, disabilities, and physicians’ objec-
tion and, in general, they all tive assessments, as well as internal-resources factors such as depression, optimism, and reli-
treat the same health problems giousness (Idler & Kasl, 1991). Another study found that the medico-astrological beliefs of
and conditions—for example, Chinese-Americans concerning years in which they were vulnerable to death were significantly
back pain, headache, or toe in- related to their early demise from chronic conditions (Phillips, Ruth, & Wagner, 1993). There is
fection. But there are also evidence for some degree of personal control over the timing of death, and beliefs seem to play
unique illness syndromes,
a role. Case reports describe persons who have become ill or died on the anniversary of important
rooted in particular cultures.
Susto, for example, is a folk ill-
life events (Birtchnell, 1981; Fischer & Dlin, 1971; Weisman & Hackett, 1961). Population-
ness with strong psychological based studies have found significant increases in death surrounding birthdays and other sym-
overtones that is experienced bolically meaningful occasions (Phillips & Smith, 1990; Phillips, Van Voorhees, & Ruth, 1992).
in many Latin American cul- While the mechanisms by which beliefs affect health outcomes have not been well defined, it is
tures. It is defined as a “fright clear that health beliefs influence health-related behaviors, which may result in better or worse
sickness” and a “loss of soul health (Mathews, Lannin, & Mitchell, 1994).
from the body” (“Susto,”
2004).
THE CONVERGENCE OF COMPLEMENTARY , ALTERNATIVE & CONVENTIONAL HEALTH CARE
2
Each model has its own perspective, approach, and vocabulary for explaining and treating
illness. One clinician may speak in terms of blood counts or viruses; another may refer to a distur-
bance of qi energy. Eliminating or reducing symptoms may satisfy the conventional practitioner’s
definition of success; the homeopathic physician may regard more or new symptoms as a sign that
the body is responding and as an indication of progress or impending cure.
a multicultural health care “system”

Despite the economic and cultural dominance of biomedicine, the U. S. health care system
includes many different models of care, reflecting American society’s rich cultural diversity. Each
model of care can be described as a distinct “healing culture.” For each person and ethnic or
cultural group, fundamental beliefs (concepts) about health and healing form the basis of an orga-
nized way of approaching the healing process (model of care).
Population-based surveys show that a large majority of U.S. health-care consumers use
both conventional and complementary therapies (Eisenberg, et al., 1993; Eisenberg, et al., 1998).
Varying beliefs about healing may influence an individual to choose either a conventional health-
care treatment, an alternative treatment, or a combination of both for a particular illness-event. As
a result, alternative and conventional healing practices do not simply coexist within U.S. society, but
interact continually—often without the knowledge of the clinicians involved. Such pluralistic health-
care use provides an especially strong argument for educating today’s health care providers—
conventional and otherwise—about the philosophies and practices of the many diverse healing
systems in use today. Such understanding may lead to better communication and, ultimately, better
health care. Understanding different models of care means acquiring a degree of clinical “multilin-
gualism” and an appreciation for the founding concepts of each one.
Conventionally trained health professionals are reported to be quite ready to acquire these
skills (Corbin Winslow & Shapiro, 2002; Sohn & Loveland Cook, 2002). Their continued atten-
dance at CAM and integrative medicine conferences attests to their interest. Moreover, increased
referrals by conventional practitioners to complementary and alternative practitioners, and growing
numbers and varieties of integrative health care practices, suggest an openness on the part of
conventional clinicians to explore new models of care that draw on strengths of many healing
traditions.
concepts of illness & healing: a cultural & historical overview

Throughout the world—including the U.S.—there exists a wide variety of beliefs and practices about
health, illness, and healing, which shape the various contemporary models of care (Kleinman, 1978).
Many of these beliefs and practices trace their roots to the ancient healing systems of Egypt, China,
India, Greece, and Rome. Others originated in indigenous cultures worldwide, systems that are still the
primary source of care for the majority of people in the world (Ernst, 2001; Ernst & Cassileth, 1998).
Many of these traditional healing systems have much in common, for example, the use of local plants
for medicinal purposes as well as spiritual healing beliefs (Gaylord & Williams, 1994). Others are
unique to an individual culture.
Some healing systems combine several beliefs or concepts. Traditional Chinese Medicine,
3
for example, is based on belief in the existence of a vital force (the qi, or chi) that animates the
body and flows through the meridian system. This concept of energy flow is supplemented and
modified by another concept, the Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, water, and metal) believed to
interact with each other in cycles of generation and decay. Yet another concept embraced by Tradi-
tional Chinese Medicine is that of the opposing, interactive forces of yin and yang, derived from
the contrasts and harmonies of the natural world (e.g., light and dark; expansion and contraction;
feminine and masculine). In the human body the correct balance of yin and yang is said to result in
happiness and health (Kaptchuk, 1983). In the biomedical model of care, this idea of balance is
reflected in the way the human body continuously adjusts physiologic function, adapting to chang-
ing conditions.
Described below are some fundamental concepts of healing contributing to today’s health
care systems, including concepts such as the life force, magical power, naturalism, and vitalism,
found in many CAM systems of care, as well as concepts found in western biomedicine.
the concept of the “life force”

Many ancient cultures subscribed to the belief in a life force that operates through a universal
design or purpose of nature. This belief continues to be held today by many individuals and
cultures and is fundamental to such healing traditions as reiki, homeopathy, and Native American
medicine (See Table 1). It proposes that the human mind, spirit, and body function inseparably and
purposefully together in interaction with the environment. This life force animates not only hu-
mans but also all living organisms. Over
the centuries, this belief in a governing
life force, often called “vitalism,” has TABLE 1
been described and interpreted in many EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL
ways. INTERPRETATIONS OF “LIFE FORCE”
Most early societies linked the
concept of a life force to religious and AGENT OF LIFE FORCE CULTURAL SOURCE
CULTURAL
magical beliefs. Health and illness often
were connected to deities and the super- ANCIENT Sungod Ra Egypt
natural. Thus, in ancient Egypt, the life SOCIETIES Jehovah Biblical Israel
force was Ra, Seth was the god of ill- qi China
ness, and Isis was the goddess of health pneuma Greece
and fertility. Healers such as Imhotep (c. prana India
2980 BC) were magician-priests who
practiced a model of medical care that CONTEMPORARY Christian God Christianity
included magical divination. The latter SOCIETIES Allah Islam
included diagnosis and prognosis based biochemistry/the genome western science
on the detailed examination of the or- electromagnetism physics/energy theory
gans of sacrificed animals (Lyons &
nature itself philosophy & indigenous beliefs
Petrucelli, 1978). Egyptian healing was
a complete system of established clini-
cal knowledge, involving an extensive
4
pharmacopoeia, worship of the appropriate gods and goddesses, and magical beliefs, with recom-
mended treatment strategies based on a system of data collection and interpretation (Ebbell, 1937).
magico-religious concepts of illness & healing

In this group of concepts, illness is considered a curse, bad luck, or an affliction brought on by a
deity, the life force, an evil spirit, or a magical event. Illness may be perceived as the result of the
individual’s or group’s transgressions, sins, or lack of adherence to religious norms (Ehrenreich &
English, 1973). In societies throughout history, many people have held the belief that ill health is
directed by an unknown or known entity possibly as punishment for not behaving correctly or not
adhering to religious practices (Becerra & Inglehart, 1995).
Magico-religious healers have included shamans, high priests and priestesses, curanderos
(Latin America), and faith healers, and an individual’s power or social status has often been linked
with the presumed ability to heal or harm. For ex-
ample, in the 17th and 18th centuries, royalty in some
HEALTH-RELATED CONCEPTS OF European countries were thought to have special heal-
ELDERLY PEOPLE IN RURAL ing powers through their divine regal position, and
NORTH CAROLINA thousands of supplicants made their way to the royal
courts for the “laying on of hands” by the king or
A recent qualitative research study of health practices and emperor (Lyons & Petrucelli, 1978).
health beliefs among mostly poor Native American, black, Treatment in magico-religious modesl in-
and white elderly people in rural North Carolina found that volves first identifying the cause (often with the help
almost all viewed being healthy in terms of the ability to of the healer and the use of prayer). Cure is achieved
work or to carry out normal activities of daily life, and by lifting the curse through charms, trances, or ritu-
als. Preventive strategies include regular propitiation
sickness as being unable to do so.
of and maintaining connection with ancestors and
Unfortunately, many suffered a disproportionate burden deities, and the adherence to religious norms and
of illness and disability, and often delayed seeking help rituals.
until well after what may be judged optimal intervention Magico-religious healing finds its contem-
points. Beliefs about the cause of illness revealed a great porary place among spiritual traditions (whose faith
degree of fatalism, particularly among Blacks in poverty. healers practice distance healing through prayer), and,
The belief that one was “born to be sick” or that illness in some sense, in the powerful effects on the patient
of the physician’s white coat and the reassuring X-
was a punishment from God was a common theme. Tim-
ray. A more traditional example still practiced in the
ing of death was often viewed as being “in the Lord’s
southern United States is root work—a healing prac-
hands.” This strong faith, while a comfort, may be a nega- tice evolved from African traditions. It involves the
tive factor in self-care and help-seeking behaviors. Health belief that supernatural forces can be manipulated
care providers should learn about the underlying beliefs of by humans to either heal or harm. In the case of
their patients in order to understand their motivations and harm, the damaging “root” or magical substance is
to work skillfully in promoting healing interventions. believed to have been placed on or near the patient
and must be removed by an expert root doctor using
(Gaylord, 1998) special potions and incantations (Matthews, 1992;
Cook & Baisden, 1986).
5
the naturalistic concept of illness & health

The naturalistic concept holds that the natural world is a dynamically balanced ecosystem in which
the inanimate and animate are interactive and interdependent. Contemporary examples of threats
to the health of the ecosystem include global warming, exotic plant invasions, acid rain, and pesti-
cide run-off. Similarly, health comes from a balanced life, balanced internal body systems, and
balance with nature. Illness follows imbalance in the context of a patient’s age, body function,
physical activity, and personal and social settings; or it may result from external threats such as
infections or toxins (Kaptchuk, 1983).
Natural elements may be used to restore balance to the organism or body systems. Thus,
the term “naturalistic” indicates healing that results from the use of natural approaches, such as
local plants, water, and heat. Practitioners strive to identify the cause of the imbalance using a
variety of well-defined procedures and skills. Treatment uses naturally based specific remedies and
approaches including herbs, homeopathic preparations, nutritional regimens, massage, exercise,
and relaxation techniques. Naturally based preventive and health-enhancing measures are empha-
sized. Naturopathic medicine is a system of care in the U.S. that makes use of this concept.
Another contemporary example of the naturalistic healing approach involves the search
for toxic elements in the body tissues or bowel (e.g., heavy metals, yeast) using modern toxicology
and biological techniques. Such “bioterrain studies” are performed by non-conventional laborato-
ries (Fetrow & Avila, 1999). Toxicity can be rectified by avoiding and removing exposures and with
specific biological, dietary and herbal treatments.
Several systems of healing substantially based on the naturalistic concept, including
Ayurveda, Greek and Roman medicine, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, are described below.
ayurvedic medicine
Ayurveda is a traditional medical system of India that is still especially popular with the
poor of India and increasingly available in the west. It originated several thousand years ago and
was developed through the work of ancient seers, sages, or rishis. It is said to incorporate teachings
from seven ancient philosophies (Lad, 1999; Halpren, 2000). Ayurveda is used not only to treat
chronic disease, but to enhance wellness and prevent disease.
Ayurvedic medicine offers a comprehensive system for designing an individualized treat-
ment plan. Ayurveda teaches that each person is born with a constitution (prakruti) that determines
body type and personality and provides the predisposition for certain types of illness. Often the
constitutional type is described as the relative balance between three functional principles or ener-
gies (patterns) called Doshas (Pitta, Kapha, Vata). Each person’s qualities and disease manifesta-
tions are unique. Evaluation methods include a detailed case history, abdominal palpation, obser-
vation of speech and voice, and examination of the pulse, tongue, eyes, and physical features.
Treatments are tailored to the individual. Ayurvedic medicine emphasizes restoring bal-
ance, peace, and connection with a higher power. It employs lifestyle change, spiritual counseling,
and five-sense therapies: tastes, colors (chromotherapy), sounds (mantras), aromatherapy, and mas-
sage. Therapy may include meditation and yoga practice. Ayurvedic treatments are based on a key
premise that health requires a mind at peace and a greater reliance on internal fulfillment than
6
external actions or events. This quality is referred to as

THE HIPPOCRATIC “non-attachment.”
NATURALISTIC APPROACH
greek and roman medicine
Hippocrates is recognized as the father of rational medi-
cine, not so much because of the humoral theory (which From about 600 BC, Greek medicine, through the
continued, through Galen’s influence, to guide western medi- teachings of Pythagoras and Hippocrates, evolved the con-
cal practice for the next 1,800 years), but because of his cept of the four humors: earth (dry, blood), air (cold,
brilliant clinical teachings and descriptions of disease phlegm), fire (hot, yellow bile), and water (wet, black bile)
(Adams, 1849), many still relevant to this day. He advised (Adams, 1849). These humors in various combinations
were thought to be the essential components of all sub-
the clinical approach as follows:
stances. Imbalance in any combination of the humors could
• Observe all things cause disease, exhibited by specific body reactions. Heal-
• Study the patient rather than the disease ing occurred through discharges of fluids (sputum, pus,
• Learn the “general truth” about the patient blood) after which recovery or death would ensue (Lyons
• Evaluate evidence critically and honestly & Petrucelli, 1978). Galen (129-200 AD) later added the
concept of inner heat and the breath of life (pneuma) to
• Assist nature to help the body achieve that of the humors. Consistent with these concepts of hu-
harmony moral balance, Greek and Roman societies employed spe-
• Forswear arrogance cific temples of healing where a variety of therapies—
• Shun dogma including sleep, massage, aromatherapy, meditation, mu-
sic, and herbal remedies—were used to treat and “balance”
patients.
During the early Middle Ages in Europe, the Hippocratic and Galenical legacy of the
Greeks and Romans was mostly forgotten (and replaced by herbal traditions and magico-religious
healing) but returned to Europe from the Islamic world, where it had been kept alive and improved
over the centuries. When Europeans discovered through trade and the crusades that the Islamic
world had better medicine, there was a great demand for texts translated from Arabic to Latin,
mostly by monks working in southern Italy and Spain. This new influx of knowledge led to the
creation of the first great European medical schools in the 12th and 13th centuries, graduating
physicians who grew in number and influence.
Humoral theory continued to dominate medical practice until the late 19th century, evolv-
ing to include far more aggressive and sometimes harmful therapies—including bloodletting, purging,
harsh herbal regimens and diets, vomiting (emetics), and fasting—to redress humoral imbalance.
This system eventually challenged and often cruelly suppressed the mostly female folk healers
(frequently labeled as witches) who saw healing as a naturalistic, gentle process.
traditional chinese medicine

From at least 3000 BC, philosophy of health and disease in China was based on the Tao.
Following the Tao (or “the way”) meant living in balance, with moderation, equanimity, and proper
conduct. The human body was believed to have an internal life force—the qi. Nature was in
dynamic balance through the duality of “yang”—the active, warm, dry, light, positive, masculine
principle; and “yin”—the cold, wet, dark, negative, feminine principle. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic
7
of Internal Medicine (The Huang Ti Nei Ching Su Wên), the oldest-known document of Chinese medi-
cine, describes illness as imbalance between yin and yang, and between the five elements (earth,
fire, air, water, and metal) (Veith, 2002). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as practiced today
and in ancient times, the chief method of diagnosis is examination of the pulse; other methods
include examination of the tongue and complexion, as well as questioning about diet and lifestyle.
It is considered imperative that the physician be in good health when examining the patient, since
in order to take the pulse, the physician must use his own respiration as a norm.
Treatment involves various methods to restore balance. The Nei Ching lists five methods
of treatment, said to have been developed in historical succession: “The first method cures the
spirit; the second gives knowledge on how to nourish the body; the third teaches on the true effects
of medicines; the fourth explains acupuncture and the use of the small and large needle; the fifth
gives instruction on how to examine and treat the bowels and the viscera, the blood, and the
breath” (Veith, 2002, p. 53). Treatment of the spirit involves guiding persons towards the Tao.
Often those needing such spiritual guidance have, by disregarding “the basic rules of the universe
. . . severed their own roots and ruined their true selves” (Veith, 2002, p. 53). According to the Nei
Ching, cure of the spirit is primary and brings about cure of the body. Other treatments include
dietary recommendations, herbal remedies, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, special breathing
exercises, and prescribed physical activity. Prevention plays an important role. As is said: “The
superior physician helps before the early budding of the disease. The inferior physician begins to
help when the disease has already developed” (Veith, 2002, p. 58).
Traditional Chinese Medicine is widely practiced today in China (often side-by-side with
western medicine) and variants are practiced in Korea and other countries. Use is growing in the
United States.
the vitalistic concept of illness and health

While many of the ancient healing systems of Egypt, India, Tibet, China, and Greece subscribed to
a life force that animated living things, a more specific theory of “vitalism” emerged in the 18th
century in Europe. This force was called “the anima” or soul, which regulated body secretions and
transmitted its powers through nerve and muscle fibers as “nervous energy” (Whorton, 1999).
Vitalism was also a societal and intellectual counter-reaction to the rapid growth in western society
of scientific discoveries in anatomy, physiology, and chemistry, and may have reflected concern
about the budding industrial revolution with its toxic wastes, exploited workforce, terrible living
conditions, and desecration of the countryside.
From the late 18th century onward, a variety of new approaches to illness and health based
on vitalism appeared in western countries. Among them were hydrotherapy, homeopathy, chiro-
practic, magnetic therapy, and naturopathy—all based on the concept of assisting the body in self-
healing, and all still in use today. Their popularity was partly a reaction to the unpleasant, aggressive
(often described as “heroic”), and comparatively unsuccessful therapies of conventional medi-
cine—cupping, bleeding, purging, and the use of dangerous medicines such as calomel, antimony,
strychnine, and laudanum (opium), which were based on the old theory of disordered humors
(Coulter, 1994; Berman, 1978). In the late 1800s, about 20 to 30 percent of all practitioners in the
United States were “irregulars” offering vitalistic alternatives to conventional western medicine.
8
The vital force is thought to permeate the body, governing and harmonizing life processes.
It is believed to be sensitive to external environmental influences such as pathogens or stressors,
and may also be linked through subtle energy fields to other living things. Blockage or derangement
of the vital force can lead to illness and manifest in symptoms. Removal of obstacles to cure,
followed by specific healing influences (e.g., medicines, exercise, diet, meditation, massage, herbs)
can strengthen and re-balance the vital force. Thus vitalistic healing produces “salutogenesis” (the
promotion of health within the body) rather than “pathogenesis” (an attack on the body).
mechanistic/reductionist concepts of health & illness

The idea that living organisms were made up of tiny discrete particles that interacted was first
proposed in 120 BC by Asclepiades, who called it “structural atomism.” Disease was thought to
result from atomic dysfunction.
This idea was not well accepted until the 17th century, after Descartes expounded the
concept of “man as machine,” in his treatise De Homine. Previous discoveries about the detailed
anatomical structure of the body, circulation, and the invention of the microscope made the cor-
puscle theory and materialism more plausible and appealing (Garrison, 1913). Health and illness
were proposed by scientists of the times to have either an “iatromathematical” basis (based on the
new laws of physics expounded by Newton and others) or an “iatrochemical” basis (based on the
new discoveries in chemistry). This marked the point in western history where mechanical and
measurement-based concepts about health and healing diverged from magical and religious con-
cepts. The mechanistic concept held that the world was essentially inert and
manipulable, and broke with the previously prevailing belief that humans were
GOALS OF THE participants in an interconnected universe (Davis-Floyd & St. John, 1998).
REDUCTIONIST In the the 18th century—the age of enlightenment in western societ-
CONCEPT IN HEALING ies—philosophers for the first time proposed that history might not necessarily
repeat itself with the rise and fall of civilizations and the disappearance of
• To define pathophysiology of their knowledge, but that man could progressively build skills, knowledge, and
disease using the molecular wisdom—and eventually come to dominate and control nature itself.
basis of living systems;
In the United States in the late 19th century, medical practice was in
• To focus narrowly and objectively crisis. The average conventional physician was still practicing based on beliefs
on specific problems or diseases in the humoral concepts, but treatment had degenerated into aggressive, dan-
to eliminate confounding factors gerous therapies. These included the use of leeches, bloodletting, purging, and
and get at the “hard data” or toxic remedies such as opium, antimony, and strychnine. Unproven and some-
“truth;” times dangerous patent medicines (especially alcohol) were easily purchased by
• To modify illness by manipulat- the public, and there was no effective control of practice through licensing
ing biochemistry and structure of (Rosenberg, 1978). Diagnostic approaches had changed little since the 1700s,
the body; and quite often were not considered at all. Disease was thought to be the result
• To focus on active therapy; and of constitutional and environmental factors and the perception and reputation
of a good or accomplished physician were based mostly on whether the out-
• To achieve control over the body come of the illness—death or recovery—had been accurately predicted!
An increasing number of clinicians, however, did not accept such “he-
9
roic” practices. Known as “conservatives,” they focused on conserving the body’s natural healing
powers, avoiding the prescribing of large amounts of alcohol (usually whiskey) and other harsh
treatments. Because of their relative gentleness and often better outcomes, these new alternative
therapies became popular, and a variety of new healing models emerged, including chiropractic,
naturopathy, homeopathy, and electromagnetism.
At the same time, it became clear that there was a need to reform the chaotic medical
education environment. Medical training was inconsistent and of variable quality, often offered by
low-quality medical schools with degrees purchasable by mail order. The need for reform coin-
cided with a revolution in higher education, prompted by the 1862 Morrill Act, which promoted the
creation of public high schools and universities.
The convergence of these two trends eventually led to the Flexner Report (Flexner, Pritchett,
& Carnegie Foundation, 1910). This landmark paper called for much more stringent training for
physicians in the new basic sciences and proposed the creation of the National Institutes of Health
(modeled on the German scientific establishment) to concentrate resources and talent in the quest
for new discovery. The report also recommended the creation of academic centers where research,
training, and practice would occur together and inform each other (Coulter, 1994).
The Flexner Report, in fact, coincided with a scientific revolution that would shape 20th
century medicine. The basic sciences of physics, pathology, physiology, and bacteriology expanded
rapidly in Europe and subsequently in the United States early in the century. In particular, the fields
of anatomy, pathology, and bacteriology advanced dramatically as a result of the discovery of
cellular staining techniques using aniline dyes.
Paul Ehrlich, a German pharmacologist and chemist who developed stains for plants,
human tissues, and bacteria (especially the tubercle bacillus) set about looking for a cure for syphi-
lis. He was convinced that chemicals would be the answer to this devastating and widespread
infection that medicine could not prevent or cure. In 1909, the 606th compound he tested, Salvarsan,
turned out to be effective, and came to be known as “the magic bullet” (Lyons & Petrucelli, 1978,
p. 561). This discovery was followed by the discovery of the use of methylene blue for quartan
fever (Garrison, 1913). The idea that scientists could modify, manipulate, and even create chemi-
cals and biological products to arrest or cure disease ushered in a new era of medicine, and quickly
gave rise to the pharmaceutical industry. Subsequently, two world wars accelerated health technol-
ogy, and the conventional medical profession—with its focus on scientific method and technol-
ogy—grew in power, wealth, and esteem (Starr, 1982). In the 1950s, it seemed that science would
eventually provide the answer to most medical problems—it was only a matter of time and money.
The mechanistic/reductionist concepts that came to dominate medicine in the 20th cen-
tury United States were based on the Newtonian model of a universe made up of untold molecules
and atoms that interact electronically, mechanically, chemically, and predictably. These molecules
and atoms could be studied and manipulated, some for good uses (e.g., antibiotics) and some for
bad (e.g., poison gas). It was possible to identify disease and health by reducing structures, organ-
isms, and cells to their basic building blocks, finding out how these worked and how they could be
modified. In medicine, this “reductionism” enabled researchers and clinicians to focus narrowly on
verifiable findings that linked cause and effect. This process produced a greater understanding of
the biochemical factors in health and disease and a growing body of knowledge used in clinical
applications—what we now term “biomedicine.”
10
the concept of energy healing

The concept of energy healing is a modern version of the ancient “vital force” concept expressed
in scientific terminology. It recognizes that various forms of energy have potential healing effects
(Oschman, 2000). Such forms include light, heat, vibration and motion, elasticity, sound, biochemi-
cal reactions, electricity, and electromagnetic and other forms of radiation. Contemporary research
in quantum physics and biological systems (Becker & Selden, 1985) shows that all living organisms
use and emit energy. Moreover, inanimate objects—including the earth itself—form an electro-
magnetic system subject to energy transfer within and between systems. Proponents of energy
healing believe that these electromagnetic forces are the key organizing factors in living structures
and that other forms of energy—such as biological, physical, and biochemical processes—are
expressions of the energy that sustain life (Carpenter & Ayrapetyan, 1994).
Several areas of research have contributed to the theory of energy as the basis of health
and disease. In the 1970s, research by Arnold Burr, anatomy professor at Yale University, showed
that plants, animals, and humans could project and
respond to electromagnetic fields (Burr, 1972).
TABLE 2
These fields are now easily measurable, using de-
VARIETIES OF ENERGY HEALING
vices such as those developed at the Massachu-
energy source treatment setts Institute of Technology (e.g., SQUID mag-
netometer) (Oschman, 2000). More recently,
Donald Ingber at Harvard University (Ingber,
electrical energy TENS unit, cautery, acupuncture 2000) demonstrated that cellular structure con-
magnetic energy pulsed electromagnetic therapy, static sists of a lattice matrix that connects living cells
magnets and is responsive to mechanical forces. For ex-
biochemical energy pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, ample, mechanical distortion of stem cells can lead
food to differentiation to different types of cells, de-
light UV light pending on the mechanical force. This matrix,
called “tissue-tensegrity,” forms a type of solid-
heat hot packs, short-wave diathermy, steam,
sweathouses state biochemical and electromagnetic messaging
system within the body. Ingber and Oschman be-
motion exercise, massage, spinal manipulation,
dance, Feldenkrais lieve that, as a likely evolutionary mechanism, life
at the cellular level is based more on tensegrity
vibration/oscillation craniosacral massage, vibrational
massage, Trager massage structures and electromagnetic forces than bio-
chemistry and gene expression (Ingber, Prusty,
sound drumming, music, shamanism, chanting
Sun, Betensky, & Wang, 1995; Ingber, 2000).
elasticity Rolfing, osteopathic muscle energy, yoga, The energy concept proposes that the me-
Shiatsu
chanical, electromagnetic, electrical, and biochemi-
internal “subtle” meditation, yoga, qi gong cal messaging systems within the body are all cre-
energy
ated and affected by energy, supporting auto-regu-
external “subtle” reiki, therapeutic touch, intercessory latory mechanisms. Moreover, it is proposed that
energy prayer, qi gong
certain types of energy are transmitted beyond
human consciousness listening, social support, prayer, love the cellular structure between organisms over dis-
& attention
tances. External application of various forms of
11
energy to the body could potentially modify auto-regulation and affect healing capacity, explaining
the mode of action of apparently widely varied modalities used in complementary medicine as well
as the biochemical basis of conventional medicine. This theory is comprehensively discussed by
Richard Gerber in his landmark book, Vibrational Medicine (Gerber, 1988).
There have been over 2,000 published reports on energy healing (including 75 randomized
controlled trials), although the magnitude of the proven beneficial effects is still unclear (Jonas &
Crawford, 2003). The use of electromagnetic energy for bone healing has been well established
and it is now also known to stimulate cell growth and promote healing for other tissues (Hulme, et
al., 2003). Weak pulsed electromagnetic fields have been shown to alter animal and human behav-
iors including pain perception and posture, and numerous case reports describe improvements in
multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease (Sandyk, 1997). There also is evidence that
energy could be projected by the body as a healing force, as has been shown in research on qi gong
and other biofield therapies (Byrd, 1988; Krucoff, et al., 2001; Miles & True, 2003). Table 2 pro-
vides additional examples of energy healing used in contemporary complementary medicine.
The concept of energy healing folds into a larger concept of what has been called “inte-
gral science,” a comprehensive explanatory and methodological shift beyond the mechanistic/
reductionist conceptual paradigm (Goerner, 1999). Research into complex causal networks of phen-
omena in physics, biology, mathematics, and ecology suggests that the universe is better under-
stood from the perspective of energy rather than matter, and interdependence (complex causality)
rather than independence (simple, sequential causality). Integral science is now being applied across
scientific disciplines, facilitated by the computer revolution (Goerner, 1999).
Energy medicine, as utilized in integrative therapeutics, is based on the following prin-
ciples:
• Energy flow is the basis of biological systems.
• Mind, consciousness and body are completely integrated.
• Causality of illness is most often subtle and complex.
• The whole range of energy systems (chemical, electrical, mechanical) within the hu-
man body are normally in balance, but are sensitive to change when one energy system
becomes disturbed.
Support for energy medicine and its integrative role is found in mind-body medicine,
which is based on the well-established data that psychosocial factors and behavioral disposition can
affect physiological function. Therapies such as relaxation, meditation, imagery, hypnosis, biofeed-
back, yoga, and distant healing all are supported by considerable evidence of efficacy through
randomized trials and meta-analyses (Astin, Shapiro, Eisenberg, & Forys, 2003).
Several research centers currently are exploring energy medicine research. For example,
the Samueli Institute—a private foundation supported by funding from the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) and the U. S. Department of Defense—is currently undertaking energy medicine
research on such topics as the energy imprint in water (applicable to the mode of action of home-
opathy), development of biosensors to detect healing energy (qi gong), effects of healing energy on
cells and brain tumor growth, and intentional deviations of the machine-generation of random
events (www.Samueliinstitute.org, accessed December 31, 2004).
12
the development of contemporary

models of care in the united states
To understand the factors at play in contemporary medical care, it is useful to explore the recent
evolution of both biomedical and complementary and alternative models of care delivery. Over the
last century and a half, western medical practitioners shared a common tradition and then split
along two distinct paths (Starr, 1982). Those practices now referred to as complementary and
alternative medicine generally retained naturalistic and holistic belief systems; biomedicine fol-
lowed the path of scientific method and reductionist thinking. Each model of care had its own
social, political, and economic effects, but the biomedical model came to dominate through its
political structure, innovative research, and therapeutic and economic successes.
the emergence of alternative therapeutic models in the united states

As previously described, for most of the 19th century, conventional medicine functioned on the
concept of the humoral balance of the body, with treatment consisting of adjusting the imbalance
of these humors by bleeding, diets, fasting, purging, cupping, and the use of herbs and metal-based
compounds. Toward the end of the 19th century, however, the relatively high cost of conventional
medical care and the unpleasant and often fatal treatments, together with the influx of immigrants
from many cultures, encouraged both patients and health professionals to turn to traditional heal-
ers and new healing ideas (Kaptchuk & Eisenberg, 2001a; Kaptchuk & Eisenberg, 2001b; Matthews,
1992; Whorton, 1978). Among these new healing practices (Whorton, 1999):
thomsonianism
In 1813, American Samuel Thomson patented a holistic healing “system” of botanical
healing (with an emphasis on the Lobelia plant). It was designed to build the body’s capacity to heal
itself through nutrition, diet, cleanliness, and correct living. He believed disease resulted from a
clogged system and could be cured by purging and sweating.
mesmerism
This system was founded in the eighteenth century by Austrian physician Franz Mesmer,
who believed bodies had invisible magnetic fluids that caused illness when disturbed. Magnets and
hypnotic suggestion were used to manipulate these fluids in order to cure illness.
hydropathy
Popular between 1820 and 1860, this movement was developed by a Silesian peasant,
Vincenz Preissnitz. In the United States, hydropathy was promoted by Dr. Joel Shew. The system
used cold baths, diet, exercise, and sleep to promote inner healing.
eclectic medicine
New York physician Wooster Beach developed this system of healing in the mid-1800s.
Influenced by Thomsonianism, eclectic medicine used herbal medicines and hydrotherapy.
13
homeopathy NURSING: SPANNING TWO

This system was founded in the late 18th cen- HEALING CULTURES
tury by German physician Samuel Hahnemann, who
also made less well known contributions in pharmacol- Historically, nursing has utilized both naturalistic and biomedi-
ogy, hygiene, public health, industrial toxicology, and cal concepts in a comprehensive approach to healing. Treat-
psychiatry. Homeopathy employs minute doses of sub- ments such as hygiene, diet and lifestyle behaviors were incor-
stances, vigorously shaken between dilutions, which pro- porated into nursing practice long before conventional medicine
duce similar symptoms to those of a particular ailment, recognized their significance in the curative/healing process
thus helping the body heal. (Nightingale, 1859). For example, Florence Nightingale, the
mother of modern nursing, suggested massage, heat and cold,
chiropractic and good nutrition in the care of patients. She stated that “all
Daniel David Palmer, an American magnetic disease . . . is more or less a reparative process . . . an effort of
healer, developed chiropractic medicine in the late 1800s. nature to remedy a process of poisoning or decay which has
This healing system uses spinal manipulation to realign taken place beforehand” (Shames, 1993). Herbs such as bella-
misaligned verebrae (called subluxations), thought to donna, ergotamine and digitalis were used by nurses long be-
interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses. The fore their acceptance into mainstream medicine (Ehrenreich &
smooth flow of nerve impulses can then stimulate the English, 1973).
body’s natural self-healing capability, thus promoting However, as nurses began to be employed in hospitals that
health and healing. largely supported the Western biomedical concept of care, nurs-
ing education and practice focused increasingly on technology
naturopathy and achieving a cure (Libster, 2001). More recently, the nursing
Modern naturopathy was founded in 1896, by profession has begun to focus again on its rich tradition of holis-
a German-born physician, Benedict Lust, who combined tic care. Contemporary nursing includes dependent, collabora-
principles of hydrotherapy, herbal remedies, manual tive, and independent actions or interventions—which now in-
treatment, and homeopathy. He introduced naturopa- clude aspects of complementary and alternative medicine (Fogel
thy to the United States in the early 20th century, estab- & Woods, 1995).
lishing the country’s first naturopathic medical school.
vegetarianism
This practice was promoted in the U.S. in the mid-nineteenth century by American Presby-
terian minister Sylvester Graham, a hygienic crusader, who urged a life of loose clothes, cold baths,
daily exercise, hard mattresses, and vegetarian diet.
By the end of the 19th century, 20 percent of all medical practitioners in the United States
were “alternative” clinicians (Whorton, 1999; Kaptchuk & Eisenberg, 2001a; Kaptchuk & Eisenberg,
2001b). Some physicians supplemented their conventional practices with aspects of these other
healing approaches. This was also a time of great developments in the basic medical sciences,
especially in Europe, and it became clear that the conventional medical profession in the United
States required serious reform in terms of standards of medical education and ethical clinical
practice. Conventional medicine was entering a new era of scientific discovery and, through its
links to academic institutions and political and financial power, marginalized alternative health care
practitioners through licensing, regulation, and often unethical and illegal tactics (Kaptchuk &
Eisenberg, 2001a; Coulter, 1994).
14
expansion of the mechanistic/reductionist conceptual

paradigm & the biomedical model of care
Immediately after World War II, biomedicine was riding high. It had achieved remarkable suc-
cesses in combating infectious disease, promoting safe birth and improved child health, and devel-
oping new surgical techniques. Physicians were held in uncritical esteem and federal government
funds poured into the research institutions.
The 1960s and 1970s brought social upheavals and general public unease about the in-
creasingly materialistic life in western industrial societies. With increasing contact with China and
the Indian subcontinent, Americans took a greater interest in eastern philosophies and healing
practices. Various segments of American society (with women leading the way) began rejecting the
dominating paternalistic style of business, politics, and medicine—symbolized in the maxim “the
doctor knows best” (Ehrenreich & English, 1973; Gaylord, 1999).
In addition, new research in psychology, psychiatry, and stress disorders confirmed the
interaction between mind and body, revealing that emotional problems could produce physiologi-
cal changes and even illness in the body. This research had some influence on medical practice,
most notably with the introduction in the 1970s of the biopsychosocial (Engel, 1979) and human-
istic models of care. However, for the most part, mind-body connections were discounted by
mainstream biomedicine—not only because the field did not lend itself easily to randomized,
controlled-trial research methodology, but also because the reported findings complicated, con-
fused, and did not align with the reductionist concept (Kaptchuk & Eisenberg, 2001a).
The biomedical model of care-delivery continues to dominate American medical culture
(Dossey, 1999; Gaylord, 1999). In this model, illnesses (e.g., low-back pain, irritable bowel syn-
drome, chronic fatigue syndrome, Gulf war syndrome) that are not explainable biologically using
the scientific cause-and-effect method are often labeled as imaginary or attributed to emotional or
mental dysfunction. Similarly, homeopathy and faith healing have been rejected as invalid or pure
placebos because their mechanisms of action do not fit the mechanistic/reductionist paradigm.
This is in spite of the fact that randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have shown that
these interventions provide some positive benefit to patients (Ernst, 2001).
As the 20th century drew to a close, many aspects of the conventional health care system
began to be questioned. Medicine and its close partner, the pharmaceutical industry, were increas-
ingly viewed as a huge medical-industrial juggernaut, with the health care needs of the American
population overshadowed by the profit motive and partisan politics. Those who complained about
the medicalization of aspects of the human life cycle (e.g., the “male menopause” and “female
sexual dysfunction”) charged that such syndromes were developed and marketed to promote and
expand the scope of pharmaceuticals and clinical practice. Other charges, often substantiated by
research findings, were that the increasing emphasis on pharmaceutical and surgical interventions
produced corresponding effects of high costs, large numbers of medical errors (Institute of Medi-
cine, 2001; Phillips & Bredder, 2002), side effects, adverse drug interactions, and unnecessary
interventions. Appreciation of the glamor and benefits of breakthroughs and “cutting edge” treat-
ments only recently has been balanced by discussions about the untoward consequences of high-
technology medicine, such as substantial risks for patients, the undermining of ethical research,
and inappropriate manipulation of therapeutics by the pharmaceutical industry (Kohn, Corrigan &
15
Donaldson, 2000; Deyo, Psaty,

Simon, Wagner & Omenn, 1997; TABLE 3
Angell, 2001). HEALING CONCEPTS & MODELS OF CARE
These and other attitudi- IN THE UNITED STATES
nal and economic issues have fu-
eled public interest in alternative CONVENTIONAL BIOMEDICAL MODELS OF CARE
therapies and their accompanying MECHANISTIC BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL HUMANISTIC
concepts of healing. The number Disease-centered Context-centered Patient-centered
of complementary practitioners
has grown enormously and con- COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MODELS OF CARE
ventional physicians and nurses HOLISTIC/NATURALISTIC MAGICO-RELIGIOUS ENERGETIC
are exploring alternative therapies Patient-centered/ External diety or life force Biofield balance
and possibilities of integrated Self-healing-centered Faith- & healer-centered Modality-focused
practice. Because they so often
INTEGRATED MODELS OF CARE
find themselves simply treating the
consequences of modern lifestyle, HOLISTIC/SCIENTIFIC
conventional health professionals Foundation in science-based biomedicine
are more frequently questioning Embrace holistic elements
the effectiveness, safety, and clini-
cal relevance of their work (Davis-
Floyd & St. John, 1998).
Fortunately, there is a difference between the current debate regarding complementary/
alternative and conventional medicine and the vicious inter-practitioner antagonisms of 150 years
ago in America. Today’s conversations and debates more reasonably explore the merits and risks of
the varied models of healing being offered—and address how the different cultures might co-exist
or come together in the name of improved patient care (Pelletier, 2003; Mann, Gaylord & Norton,
2004).
contemporary models of care in the united states

health care pluralism
Despite the dominance of the biomedical model of care and its mechanistic/reductionist concepts
of healing, American health care embraces a number of different models of care. These do not
necessarily operate discretely or separately—within an individual, a practice, or a healing model.
A person’s use of two or more systems of care—conventional and non-conventional—for
example, is fairly commonplace, as is the ability to hold multiple and sometimes conflicting health
beliefs (King, Sobal, & DeForge, 1988; Eisenberg et al., 1998). For example, an individual with
cancer may use reiki (a subtle energy therapy) along with chemotherapy, with faith in the effective-
ness of both.
Table 3 (above) depicts various concepts of healing and models of care in use in contempo-
rary American society. Most models of care fall into the broad categories of “biomedical,” “comple-
mentary & alternative,” or a combination (“integrated”) of the two.
16
The term “complementary and alternative medicine” em-

THE BIOMEDICAL MODEL braces therapies that vary widely in terms of mode of action, phi-
IS CHARACTERIZED BY: losophy, technique, and application. Nonetheless, many of these sys-
tems of care—such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine—
• High cost and profitability share the fundamental belief that the key to healing is to help the
• Sophisticated testing body heal itself, rather than using “outside-in” interventions (Davis-
• Vast range of therapies, drugs Floyd & St. John, 1998).
• Good short-term outcomes Finally, a new model of care has emerged, represented by a
rapidly growing number of practices, hospitals, clinics, and healers
• Fair long-term outcomes who offer services described as “integrated.” Integrated (or “integra-
• Definite risk/safety issues tive”) care takes many forms. For example, a conventionally trained
• High-tech research nurse may also be trained in energy healing or an otherwise conven-
• Development of new knowledge tional hospital clinic may employ many different kinds of healers,
including complementary practitioners. The principal characteristics
• Difficulty addressing chronic disease
shared by integrated care models include acceptance of the biomedical
• De-emphasis on primary care, commitment to scientifically based medicine along with a holistic
prevention, individualized care approach to patient care. See Integrating Complementary and Alternative
• System complexity Therapies with Conventional Care (Mann, et al., 2004), in this publica-
tion series, for a detailed description of integrative health care.
conventional biomedical models of care

Three models of conventional medicine are described below: the basic biomedical model, the
biopsychosocial model, and the humanistic model of care.
biomedical model
Biomedicine is the official and dominant system of health care in 20th century western
societies (Engel, 1979). According to its founding concepts, diseases, including mental illness, are
explained as abnormalities in the function of genes, cells, organs, and biological systems, caused
chiefly by trauma, pathogens and toxins, biochemical changes, genetic abnormalities, and neuro-
physiological dysfunction. Its key sciences are biochemistry and anatomy. Conceptually there is a
specific cause for disease, which may be uni- or multi-factorial. Diagnosis involves identifying the
pathogen or process responsible for the abnormality through clinical history, examination, and
sophisticated testing.
Treatment in biomedicine generally consists of repairing and removing (surgery), attacking
(antibiotics, anti-cancer agents), or modifying (hormone therapy) the entity causing the disease or
trauma. Prevention includes avoiding toxic and dietary agents that cause damage to the body, good
hygiene and nutrition, exercise, immunization and the use of drugs to modify physiology. Biomedi-
cal clinicians are highly skilled and specialized, working in controlled settings with scientifically
tested agents and procedures.
Biomedicine’s reductionist concept relies on scientific methods to isolate the main cause
of a medical problem so a specific solution can be identified as efficiently and speedily as possible,
17
either in the laboratory or in clinical situations. Treatment outcomes are most commonly measured
by experimental designs such as the randomized controlled trial, using large numbers of subjects.
The epidemiological results from these trials (usually in the form of means and odds ratios) give
data on populations responding to treatment rather than how each individual reacts to therapy.
The desire for speed, efficiency, and obtaining a powerful biological effect in healing
often results in aggressive treatment. The emphasis of the biomedical approach is to control the
symptoms of the human body using outside interventions. In general, little research has been done
(other than immunization) to identify approaches that specifically assist the body in healing itself
or that augment resistance to illness.
The primary approach is the specific correction of dysfunction and the use of specific
interventions and remedies that produce rapid effectiveness. Consistent with this approach, practi-
tioners increasingly tend to specialize and work semi-autonomously within the health care system
hierarchy, adhering to the authority of institutions. The model focuses primarily on trauma man-
agement, and pharmaceutical and surgical interventions. Care tends to be standardized rather than
individualized, with an emphasis on technological solutions.
Less emphasized aspects of the biomedical model include the delivery and organization
of primary care; the provision of public health and preventive services; the clinician-patient rela-
tionship; the meaning of illness to patients and families (Dossey, 2003); the context of care; patient
autonomy; costs of care; the risks and safety of medicine; and mental health. These components
consistently receive fewer funds, less esteem, and less professional and public national interest. As
mentioned previously, the biomedical model increasingly has been driven by commercial and tech-
nological needs rather than by the best interests of the population it serves, resulting in increasing
alienation of both patients and health care providers (Lock & Gordon, 1988a; 1988b; Starr, 1982;
Davis-Floyd & St. John, 1998).
the biopsychosocial model

A modified version of the biomedical model of care—the biopsychosocial model—con-
siders the patient’s context a key component of the healing process. In the late 1970s, George
Engel, a psychiatrist, called for a new way of thinking about medical problems that embraced the
patient’s total environment—from molecules to community (Engel, 1979). His rationale was the
realization that the cause of disease was usually multi-factorial and complex, and he echoed
Hippocrates in asserting that understanding and treating the whole patient—within the context of
family and community—could lead to better outcomes. To achieve optimal health for the patient,
Engel believed, clinicians needed to use this model of care.
Engel’s model is illustrated in the example in Table 4 (above). The patient, living in difficult
social circumstances, has suffered a stroke. Ideally, according to the biopsychosocial model, the
clinician considers the full range of factors in the patient’s care. These factors encompass multiple
levels, from molecular activity to the social implications of a disability arising from the stroke. This
approach permits a more complete evaluation and a more comprehensive plan for treatment, inter-
vention, and rehabilitation.
Theoretically, this approach would lead to improved outcomes. However, this model of
care has rarely been effectively incorporated into medical practice, because it is time consuming
18
TABLE 4
BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH TO CARE - EXAMPLE OF STROKE
level causation factor biopsychosocial effects of strok
strokee
Society Uninsured. No regular access to care Disabled

Subculture Low economic status Inadequate resources for rehabilitation
Community Works three jobs Unemployable
Family Dysfunction, stress Increased dysfunction
Person Diabetes, hypertension Depression, disability
Body Systems Vascular, neurologic Damaged, at risk
Organs Brain Damaged, at risk
Tissues Blood vessels, gray matter Potential deterioration
Cells Neurons Minimal recovery
Molecules Lipids Modifiable
(ENGEL, 1979)
and requires the presence of an appropriately organized health care system. These requirements
are not compatible with the current pressures of medical practice, and outcomes under this model
have not been well researched (Astin, et al., 2003).
the humanistic model

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the value of the clinician-patient rela-
tionship as an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool. This relation-
ship was not specifically identified as important in Engel’s biopsychosocial
THE HUMANISTIC MODEL IS model of care. “Patient-centered care,” while adhering to the reduction-
CHARACTERIZED BY: ist concept and biomedical model, addresses the patient’s beliefs and
expectations and emphasizes the partnership of healer and patient
• Adherence to the reductionist
(Stewart, et al., 1999; Robinson, Priest, Susman, Rouse & Crabtree, 2001;
concept
Epstein, 2000; Gerteis, Edgman-Levitan, Daley, & Delbanco, 2002). The
• Diagnosis and treatment—open to philosophy is conducive to a more collaborative therapeutic approach
unconventional approaches and reflects an openness to other non-conventional healing models. This
• Compassion-driven model has shown improved outcomes for a range of primary care prob-
• Strong clinician-patient relationship lems; however, because it relies on the clinician’s cognitive skills rather
than on procedures, reimbursement is poor (ICD-9-CM, 2002). Patient-
• Emphasis on prevention
centered care does not suit the current emphasis in the American health
• Low profitability; short- and long- care system on seeing large numbers of patients to maintain clinical
term benefits unclear income. In addition, long-term outcomes of this model of care have not
been studied.
19
complementary & alternative models of care

Despite their diversity, most healing modalities described as CHARACTERISTICS OF
“complementary” or “alternative” are rooted in common be- COMPLEMENTARY &
liefs about health and healing, drawn primarily from energetic ALTERNATIVE HEALING MODELS
and naturalistic concepts (see box, right). The principal belief is
• Body-mind-spirit are one entity.
that the body has the ability to heal or rebalance itself through
its own energy and auto-regulatory system. Illness is consid- • The body has an energy system that may
ered to be the result of complex interacting factors involving interact with other living organisms.
internal imbalances and external toxicity. Thus, most CAM heal- • Causality of illness is complex, chaotic—
ing practices are holistic and individualized. Considerable time involving imbalances, toxicity.
is spent at the clinical visit exploring patient beliefs and expec- • Diagnosis is based on detailed evaluation of
tations, the meaning of illness, and the context of the symp- patient’s perceptions, feelings, and symp-
toms or problems. Further, CAM practices typically rely largely toms.
on non-pharmaceutical and non-surgical interventions. Indeed,
• Patient has authority and responsibility for
many CAM clinicians have a distrust of the biomedical ap-
his/her own healing.
proach, perceiving it to be aggressive, often dangerous, and
overusing and misusing synthetic biochemical products. • Healing focus is on multiple therapies aimed
These beliefs form the foundation of an exceptionally
at enhancing body auto-regulation and
wide variety of healing models and practices. For example, ho- health.
meopathy (a healing system) is designed to treat the individual • Interventions avoid use of synthetic products.
patient—not the disease process—guided by knowledge of his • There is concern about hazards of the
or her unique characteristics and symptoms (Dooley, 1995). medical-industrial complex.
Therapy is based on the “law of similars”—based on observa- • Low-tech; cost and care tend to be variable
tions that a remedy or drug that produces certain symptoms in
and not usually covered by insurance.
a healthy person will produce healing when a sick patient ex-
hibits some of the same symptoms. It follows that a given ho-
meopathic medicine might be appropriate for many different
clinical problems, or many medicines could be used for a given problem.
Chiropractic adjustment—an example of a healing technique—is a therapy believed to abate
nociceptive stimuli emanating from mal-aligned spinal elements (disk, ligaments, muscles, joints),
thus facilitating the body’s autonomic regulation and promoting the organism’s self-healing capa-
bilities (Gatterman, 1990).
In medical acupuncture (another technique that is also part of the Traditional Chinese Medi-
cine system), needles placed in the appropriate points on meridians modify the electrical and energy
fields in surrounding tissues—thereby reducing pain. More distant effects include physiological
auto-regulation and symptom reduction (Huard & Wong, 1968).
The above three examples have widely disparate explanations of how they work on the
patient, with little theoretical overlap. Yet they all rely on the concept of harnessing the patient’s
own healing capacities and processes.
Although many complementary and alternative practitioners share beliefs about health and
healing, they generally practice autonomously, without even the loose affiliations that link primary
care generalists and specialists in the biomedical model of delivering care.
20
integrated models of care

THE INTEGRATIVE MODEL IS
CHARACTERIZED BY: The convergence of biomedical and complementary/alternative
models of care in the American health care system has begun to
• Embracing both biomedical and complemen- produce a hybrid model that is most often described as “inte-
tary/alternative healing concepts grated” or “integrative.” This relatively new model of care is evolv-
• Centrality of clinician-patient relationship for ing in tandem with the increasing interest in and growth of comple-
healing effect mentary and alternative medicine (Snyderman & Weil, 2002).
• Emphasis on the psychosocial context of Typically delivered by conventionally trained practitioners,
illness and health often in partnership with CAM providers, an integrated practice
uses elements of mechanistic/reductionist concepts and requires
• Clinician as guide and role model of healthy
access to all the resources of modern scientific medicine. How-
living
ever, it also embraces many aspects of naturalistic and energetic
• Key activity is to stimulate and enhance the concepts. Chief among these are a more holistic and contextual
self-healing capacity through nutrition & approach to diagnosis and treatment; greater emphasis on pro-
lifestyle changes. moting and stimulating self-healing capacity; and use by conven-
• Clinician possesses fundamental knowledge of tional practitioners of CAM modalities or collaboration with CAM
CAM concepts, principles, and effectiveness practitioners.
• Often covered by insurance Physicians and nurses who practice this integrative ap-
• Seeks synergistic benefits of combining proach profess to look at the whole setting in which the patient
biomedical and complementary/alternative lives and to consider all the healing possibilities (Libster, 2001;
approaches. American Holistic Medical Association, 2004). They are some-
times known as holistic clinicians and place high value on first
prescribing treatments that are least harmful. Many spend consid-
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE: MANY NEW MODELS OF CARE

The term “integrative” health care is used to describe health care practices that are configured in a variety of ways. Examples:
• Integrating knowledge of other disciplines
disciplines. A family medicine physician studies herbal therapy or acupuncture, and uses
knowledge to inform referral decisions.
• Networking among conventional and complementary/alternative practitioners
practitioners. A neurologist integrates skills
and services of local alternative practitioners in a headache clinic.
• Knowledge, networking, plus training
training. A conventionally trained MD becomes a certified and licensed acupuncturist, thus
expanding treatment options offered.
• Limited partnerships. A back pain clinic utilizes a team that includes an orthopedist, an osteopath, a family practitioner, a
massage therapist, and a biofeedback therapist.
• Group practice. A group practice mixes a variety of complementary/alternative and conventional practitioners including
family physicians, dermatologists, homeopaths, naturopaths, hypnotherapists, and internists.
• Hospital-based care. A hospital or major medical center staff includes complementary and alternative as well as conven-
tional practitioners.
21
erable time training in complementary therapies such as homeopathy, naturopathy or Ayurveda

while retaining their biomedical skills; although in many cases, they intentionally turn away from
the biomedical model (Davis-Floyd & St John, 1998).
The integrative model is appearing in many forms and many settings throughout the coun-
try—in academic centers, hospitals, clinics, and in private practice (Mann, et al., 2004). An example
of integrative medicine in its simplest form is the physician who has studied herbal/supplement
therapies and has built a network of CAM practitioners for referrals or a nurse practitioner who has
acquired training and experience in healing touch (Fenton, 2003). More complex variations on the
integrative health care model include the medical acupuncturist or board-certified holistic physi-
cian. Other integrative practices include conventional and complementary health care providers
who work with patients both individually and as a clinical team. Often these practices focus on a
particular clientele or health issue, such as women’s health or chronic pain syndromes.
Regardless of the specific design of the practice, the commitment is the same: to bring the
strengths of the different healing systems together for the benefit of the patient.
summary
Clearly, there exists in contemporary American society a kaleidoscope of healing concepts and
models of care. Patients now have a wide array of choices, and many of them will explore different
models of healing depending on their illness, beliefs, personalities, and ability to pay for services. A
review of the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of the various models suggests that the
emerging “integrated” model (or models) may be ideologically the most desirable health care ap-
proach to pursue (Snyderman & Weil, 2002). However, the political and economic dominance of
the biomedical model and its cultural position in society present a major barrier to the realization
of that objective. The potential integration between holistic and biomedical models of care will
depend very much on the ability of practitioners and researchers to demonstrate the benefits of
integrated healing practices and to appreciate the value of many different healing beliefs. Politics
and economics will figure prominently in the achievement of this vision.
22
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Concepts of Healing & Models of Care
The Program on Integrative Medicine

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Concepts of Healing

& Models of Care

The Convergence of Complementary, Alternative

Concepts of Healing & Models of Care

Evidence-Based Medicine & Complementary & Alternative Therapies

Assessing the Effectiveness of Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Safety Issues in Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Evaluating Information Sources for Complementary & Alternative Health Care

Information Sources for Complementary & Alternative Therapies

Integrating Complementary & Alternative Therapies With Conventional Care

Program on Integrative Medicine

Susan Gaylord Sally Norton Peter Curtis

Concepts of Healing &

a multicultural health care “system”

concepts of illness & healing: a cultural & historical overview

the concept of the “life force”

magico-religious concepts of illness & healing

the naturalistic concept of illness & health

external actions or events. This quality is referred to as

traditional chinese medicine

the vitalistic concept of illness and health

mechanistic/reductionist concepts of health & illness

the concept of energy healing

the development of contemporary

the emergence of alternative therapeutic models in the united states

homeopathy NURSING: SPANNING TWO

expansion of the mechanistic/reductionist conceptual

Donaldson, 2000; Deyo, Psaty,

contemporary models of care in the united states

The term “complementary and alternative medicine” em-

conventional biomedical models of care

the biopsychosocial model

Society Uninsured. No regular access to care Disabled

the humanistic model

complementary & alternative models of care

integrated models of care

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE: MANY NEW MODELS OF CARE

erable time training in complementary therapies such as homeopathy, naturopathy or Ayurveda

Susto. (2004). Accessed December 6, 2004, at: http://www.rice.edu/projects/HispanicHealth/

The Program on Integrative Medicine

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