Which is better: contemporary/modern medicine or herbal medicine?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of both? On what grounds is contemporary/modern medicing better than herbal medicine (and vice versa)?

If alternative and complimentary therapies were not effective, there would not be so many people answering questions in this category to denounce them.

Herbal therapy, in particular, supports the body and its processes as opposed to helping one organ while killing another. It can be slower acting than allopathic meds, but usually not. Unfortunately, herbal therapies are not covered by most insurances, yet.

For my money, I'll stick with ACM. Eleven years -- no docs.

Both

emergencies..life an sdeath situations allopathy
normally homeopathy is best

Herbal meds have the least side effects on your body...it is used all over asia and the far east

http://www.sbg.ac.at/ipk/avstudio/pierof...

ADVANTAGES:

modern medicine- it acutally works. modern medicine is based on scientific proof and clinical studies. if an alternative practice works well, its usually integrated into modern medicine.

homeopathy- it doesnt work but its cheap and makes people think that they feel better. its based on folklore and tradition versus scientific evidence

DISADVANTAGES-
modern- expensive
homeopathy- many, many of their practices are proven by clinical studies that they dont work any better than placebos

Each person will make their own decision. But for me, when I consider the traditional effectiveness of herbal medicine against the diseases that kill people in developed nations today--cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and so on--the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of modern medicine.

Even if I think about what kills people in third-world countries, all the burdock root in the world does not protect against malaria or measles. <shrug> The witch doctors and shamans haven't got a very good track record either.

So, if you've got a little tension headache, taking aspirin or drinking willow-bark tea will probably be equally effective. But if you are in end-stage heart failure, taking carefully formulated doses of digoxin at prescribed intervals is going to be way more helpful than munching on "two or three foxglove flowers four or five times a day."

In the end, all of it fails, as we all end up dead, but modern medicine affords one a much greater chance of living longer and healthier than old wives tales, which, after all, are the basis of herbal remedies. And, as another poster said, if they work, they are incorporated into modern medicine, like, uh, well, willow bark or foxglove.

Try homeopathic!

"If alternative and complimentary therapies were not effective, there would not be so many people answering questions in this category to denounce them."

HUH?? That makes sense in Bizarro world, maybe. Try this:
"If alternative and complementary therapies WERE effective, then modern medicine would quickly adopt those practices and therapies!" There is no "Alternative and Complementary medicine" -- there is only UNPROVEN medicine!

"Herbal therapy, in particular, supports the body and its processes as opposed to helping one organ while killing another."
Nice idea, poorly executed. VERY limited evidence for any herbal efficacy. The ones that ARE, also have side effects! OOPS!

"It can be slower acting than allopathic meds, but usually not."
This is just plain incorrect. SLOWER by FAR!

"Unfortunately, herbal therapies are not covered by most insurances, yet."
...and they WON'T be, until there is PROOF that they're at least on a par with modern medicine!!

See Dr Atkins Health Revolution
Dr Whitaker's Guide to Natural Healing, and
Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine
for an excellent discussion of this issue. I am a pragmatist and I have seen all the stuff the naysayers are dissing with such venom work for a lot of people when allopaths were scratching their heads in frustration. Vested interests often take pains to oppress effective competition.

Ok, here is something people really dont think about but makes total sense.....do Dr's or drug companies make any money from you buying "natural" supplements or remedies? No!! None at all. Drug companies hound dr's offices trying to get them to sell their drugs to their patients. In return, the Dr's get compensation for the drugs people are getting prescribed. Its a vicious cycle all about the money. My wife worked for a Dr's office for years. These clinical studies someone was trying to tell you that show herbal medicine doesnt work is a bunch of exploited junk. The fact is, natural remedies cannot be copywrited or whatever the word is for that. Dr's and drug companies cannot sell anything natural! so they make something synthetic they can sell. If you just listen to all the side-effects listed every time a drug is mentioned....its kind of common sense they must not be too good for your body. It also makes sense that your body is NATURAL, and how would something SYNTHETICALLY made in a lab be better for you then something your body NATURALLY needs??? only makes sense. No drug ever made has ever CURED anyone. none. there is a place for modern medicine, but really only in emergency medical situations. thats it. I speak from personal experience.