Inquiry: Does conventional medicine make patients sicker?

All around, I see that people are getting sicker. I notice that once a person feels
ill, they see a doctor and get prescribed pharmaceuticals that simply treat their
symptoms rather than addressing the root cause of their illness. Welcome to
conventional medicine, where the pharmaceutical industry cares more about money
than peoples health. Of course it is clear that pharmaceuticals are extremely important
and life saving, however, they should not always be the first and only option when
treating a patient. Other methods such as alternative medicine should be considered in
the sense of nutrition, exercise, herbalism, etc. There is no need to choose between
one type of medicinal practice or the other. The solution would be integrative medicine,
which consists of a combination of conventional and alternative medicine to treat
patients in the most optimal way.
Works Cited

"AIHM: The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine." AIHM The Academy of
Integrative Health Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
This citation defines the term integrative medicine as the combination of
complementary and alternative medicine with conventional medicine. It
gives a detailed explanation of integrative medicine, saying that it focuses
on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all
appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals and
professions to achieve optimal health and healing (AIHM). The practice
of integrative medicine is the solution to the problem my topic proposes.

"Alternative Medicine Pros and Cons." EverydayHealth.com. N.p., 25 Aug. 2009. Web.
11 Apr. 2017.
The pros and cons of alternative medicine are explained in this article.
This is useful for the support to my argument of the benefits of alternative
medicine and also useful for a counterargument to my topic. I am aware
that alternative medicine is not always the answer and the cons described
in this article back up my reasoning for that. This is when I will introduce
integrative medicine, which combines both conventional and alternative.
Anderson, Richard. "Pharmaceutical Industry Gets High on Fat Profits." BBC News.
BBC, 06 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
This citation describes the big profits that the pharmaceutical industry
makes, which are not always by legitimate means, (Anderson)
emphasizing my proposition of how this industry cares more about money
than the health of patients. Doctors are also being bribed and paid by the
 pharmaceutical industry to increase their likelihood of them prescribing
certain drugs. There is a study in this article that has revealed this.

"Cancer Controversy: Doctors Treat Symptoms, Not the CAUSE." Complete Wellness
Report. N.p., 30 Sept. 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
An ethical source, Dr. Charles Major, speaks of his concern of doctors
treating symptoms rather than helping patients address the root cause of
their symptoms. He also demonstrates that this happens because the
health business makes money by keeping people patients for life. This
video gives a clear explanation of this problem and how people can
change what is happening to them.

"Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases Report of the Joint WHO/FAO
Expert Consultation." WHO. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
This article provides general information and specific examples of
diseases that can be prevented and reversed with proper nutrition and
exercise. In my argument, nutrition and exercise should be utilized before
pharmaceuticals are prescribed. For example, if a person has type two
diabetes, they are prescribed medication to maintain it. However, type 2
diabetes is completely reversible with a proper diet and exercise. Taking
medicine will not heal your diabetes but changing your diet will.

"Herbal Medicine versus Pharmaceutical Drugs." Complementary Healing Herbal

Medicine versus Pharmaceutical Drugs Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
The benefits of herbal medicine are explained and compared to
pharmaceuticals. For example, pharmaceuticals contain synthetic
materials, can be more dangerous, have caused deaths while herbal
medicine has not, etc. The article also explains that just become
pharmaceuticals treat symptoms, doesnt mean it treats overall health.

Matters, Food. "Conventional Vs Alternative Medicine Explained." FOOD MATTERS.

Food Matters, 02 Mar. 2017. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
This article is useful for my introduction and conclusion paragraphs. It is
basically an overview of my all of the ideas that I mention in my argument.
It compares conventional and alternative medicine in a general sense and
explains that the reasons for the problems in our healthcare system are
due to business over health and the fact that most doctors arent taught
disease prevention, proper nutrition, nor proper exercise.
Medicine, UCLA Center for East-West. "East Meets West: How Integrative Medicine Is
Changing Health Care." Explore Integrative Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr.
2017.
Clearly explains what integrative medicine is, its principles, its techniques,
and how it is changing the future of medicine in a positive way. This article
will reinforce my argument of integrative medicine as a solution to the
problems we currently face in modern healthcare.

"Nutrition vs Pharmaceuticals: A Treatment Perspective." Covenant Hills. N.p., n.d.

Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
Not only is nutrition a better option for treating most illnesses when it
comes to your physical health, but also when it comes to your mental
health. This article speaks of a professor in clinical psychology who has
conducted studies and found that micronutrients in healthy foods give
better long term results in treating mental health than the long-term use of
medication does.

Tanner, John. Heart Disease Treatment: Drugs vs. Diet. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
This article gives a clear demonstration and explanation on treating heart
disease with pharmaceuticals vs treating it with proper nutrition. It explains
the study conducted and gives a clear visual bar graph that shows the
results.

Wellnesswayclinics. "Leadership & Longevity - Dr. Charles Majors: Cancer Killers, The
Cause Is The Cure." YouTube. YouTube, 02 Dec. 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
This is the youtube video that goes with the article I previously mentioned
about Dr. Charles major. He speaks of his personal experience with
cancer and educates his audience on the truth about it.