A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Four Healing Models

Although Western medicine has tended to ignore other systems of preventing and treating disease and illness, practitioners of these systems serve more of the world's population than do allopathic practitioners. This paper contrasts allopathy with Chinese medicine, curanderismo, and a Native American healing system, using a 12-facet model. It points out the importance of knowing about alternative models of healing, especially in regard to religious and spiritual problems, in a multicultural society.