A Medical Glossary of Health Care

With the growing popularity of alternative forms of health care, discussions of medicine sometimes include new and unfamiliar vocabulary. Here are some commonly used terms.

Alternative.

Virtually any form of medicine that remains outside the realm of conventional modern medicine may be labeled alternative. Examples are naturopathy, chiropractic, and homeopathy.

Folk.

Varying from culture to culture, folk medicine involves a belief in the effectiveness of a chosen cure. Remedies based on plants, charms, and rituals are common elements.

Holistic.

Holistic therapies treat the whole person - body and mind - as opposed to focusing only on the part of the body where symptoms occur. The importance of self-care and preventing illness are stressed.

Natural.

Any therapy that relies on the body's own healing powers may be considered natural medicine. These include herbal remedies, diet, and water therapies.

Orthodox.

This refers to conventional modern, or Western, medicine, which is the dominant type of health care in most developed countries.

Traditional.

Any medical system with ancient origins, strong cultural ties, trained healers, and an underlying theory of health care can be considered traditional medicine. This includes shamanism and Chinese medicine.