Use of Traditional and Folk Remedies and Traditional Therapeutic Strategies

Abstract

Given the relatively short existence of scientifically bound and evidence-based medicine, traditional healing and folk remedies are ubiquitous across cultures. Even in highly developed societies, traditional healing strategies coexist with the avant-garde medical establishment and at times are even incorporated by the latter into a comprehensive treatment plan. Folk and traditional remedies have existed through time and have acquired different “magical” meanings and representations that vary across cultural settings. A special emphasis is placed on their value within mental illness and its somatic representations, since the western distinction between mind and body is not a general belief among most traditional societies. In fact, the unity of mind–body is somewhat being “rediscovered” in industrialized settings and an avenue for holistic complementary interventions is becoming ever more present. This chapter examines the nature of traditional and folk healing strategies, from the purveyors of such (healers, shamans, etc.) to the employed methods and the perceived social-cultural value.