Modernity and tradition in medicine

Developments in medical knowledge in the modern age are based on advancement of other sciences such as physics, chemistry and biology and subsequent new technologies. Although using these sciences has helped to identify biochemical mechanisms and metabolism, genetics, more accurate indicator and pathophysiology of diseases, but to understand the causes of diseases and therefore correct and effective treatment methods for them, less success has been achieved. The gap between biomedicine and its main roots which is called traditional or complementary medicine is the cause of failure to have safe and efficient treatment in conventional medicine. So, nowadays patients and healthcare providers around the world are calling for traditional medicine systems. The aim of this study is to evaluate the challenges arising from the neglect of ancestor's medicine and to introduce the integrated medicine as a right solution to improve public health.
This paper reviews traditional medicine books, philosophy of medicine and medical futurism and the articles of both perspectives of traditional medicine and modern medical sciences to assess the strengths and weaknesses of these two approaches in the prevention and treatment of diseases.
The effect of improved nutrition, environmental health, birth control, and improve the level of human body immunity in different communities on control of infectious diseases have been more than the effect of modern medical sciences. During the last decades various health based organizations such as World Health Organization try to determine the appropriate and complete health care methods from traditional medicine schools among different communities. These more effective and safer treatment methods in traditional medicine, are called alternative and complementary medicine. Since the traditional medical schools in the world, faced with public interest and also many studies have proven their effectiveness, nowadays, it is common to use the phrase "integrated medicine" even in the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) in USA.
Discussion & Integrative medicine provides an opportunity for scientists and public health officials to understand diseases, their causes and their mechanisms of creation more accurately. So they can introduce inexpensive, safer and more effective procedures to prevention and treatment of diseases.