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Alternative medicine in the United States

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  • Wardwell, Walter I.

Abstract

Since the term 'alternative medicine' is defined residually as anything not regular medicine, it is not a useful category. It needs further specification in order to facilitate empirical investigation of the many varied types of health practices it denotes: namely, primitive medicine, folk medicine, herbal medicine, homeopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, faith healing, New Age Healing, etc. The author's earlier classification of health professions into ancillary, limited, marginal, and quasi practitioners offers a fruitful set of categories for investigating relationships between these groups and organized medicine, and the movement of these groups from one status to another. Examples are the evolution of osteopathy from marginal to full acceptance as orthodox, and chiropractic's putative evolution from marginal to a limited medical profession. Within the quasi professional group, further subclassification distinguishes between folk and primitive healers, faith healers, and quacks; also betweenthose who heal using natural forces and those who frankly invoke supernatural forces or entities.

Suggested Citation

  • Wardwell, Walter I., 1994. "Alternative medicine in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 1061-1068, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:38:y:1994:i:8:p:1061-1068
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    Cited by:

    1. Shuval, Judith, 2006. "Nurses in alternative health care: Integrating medical paradigms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(7), pages 1784-1795, October.
    2. Villanueva-Russell, Yvonne, 2011. "Caught in the crosshairs: Identity and cultural authority within chiropractic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(11), pages 1826-1837, June.

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