Traditional medicine

People use plants to feel better.

They use leaves and seeds. This helps them stay healthy. Families teach these ways to kids.

It is a very old way to heal. Some people use special healers. These healers are called shamans or midwives. They share what they know by talking.

Some medicines use parts of rare animals. This can be bad for nature. People still use these old ways today.

People have used traditional medicine for a very long time. This means using knowledge and skills to stay healthy.

Many people use herbs, which are plants used for healing. This way of healing is over 5,000 years old. Ancient groups like the Egyptians and Chinese used plants.

In many places, healers share their knowledge by talking. These healers might be called shamans or midwives. They help people based on what the community believes. Some people use traditional medicine to treat many illnesses. Native American healers used plants to treat things like scurvy.

Some medicines use parts of rare animals. This can be bad for nature. It can hurt animals like elephants or sharks. This is a problem for the world's wildlife. Today, many countries still use these old ways. Some modern medicines even come from these ancient plants.

Traditional medicine is a way of staying healthy using cultural knowledge. It is also called folk medicine or indigenous medicine. These practices use special skills and beliefs to treat sickness.

Many different societies have their own systems. Some famous examples include Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. These systems help people maintain their health through many years of practice. Today, many people around the world still rely on these methods. In some Asian and African countries, 80% of people use them for primary care.

This way of healing works through many different steps. Often, knowledge is passed down by talking rather than writing. This is called oral transmission. Within a community, many people might know some of the secrets. Other people, like shamans or midwives, are designated healers. These healers use their skills based on community trust and what they believe works.

They might use plants, minerals, or even animal products. In Australia, Aboriginal people use bark, leaves, and seeds for bush medicine. Some healers even look at a plant's shape or smell to see if it will work.

People have used medicinal herbs for over 5,000 years. The ancient Sumerians were among the first to write about plant uses. In Egypt, the Ebers papyrus from 1552 BC listed many remedies. Ancient Indian herbalists like Charaka and Sushruta wrote about plants in the 1st millennium BC. The Han dynasty in China produced the Shennong Bencaojing herbal book. Later, Greek thinkers like Hippocrates and Dioscorides studied these plants too. Dioscorides wrote a famous book called De Materia Medica. This work was translated into many languages over many centuries.

History shows how these ideas traveled across the globe. The Persian doctor Avicenna wrote The Canon of Medicine. This book became a major authority in Europe until the 17th century. In the 1500s, Francisco Hernández gathered plant information in Mexico. He worked for Philip II of Spain. Other writers, like Martín de la Cruz, wrote about plants in the Nahuatl language. In colonial America, Native American medicine helped treat many illnesses. They used plants to help with problems like scurvy and malaria.

Traditional medicine is still very important in our modern world. Some modern medicines actually come from the plant chemicals used in folk ways. However, there are some hard jobs to do. Scientists want to study these remedies to make sure they are safe. Some natural remedies are not regulated, which can be a risk. Also, using endangered animals like elephants or pangolins can hurt nature.

In 2025, a global summit in India helped start a new group. This group wants to use modern science to study traditional medicine. They hope to find ways to use both systems together safely.

Traditional medicine refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices used to treat illness and maintain health. These methods are rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies. They are often called indigenous medicine or folk medicine. While some systems are formalized, folk medicine usually involves remedies passed down informally among lay people. This knowledge includes ideas about how the body works and how to preserve health.

Many cultures around the world still rely on these practices today. For example, two-thirds of countries report that at least 40% of their people use traditional or integrative medicine. In some Asian and African nations, reported usage has been as high as 80%.

Knowledge in indigenous medicine is often shared through oral transmission. This means information is passed down by speaking rather than writing. Within a community, many people may hold pieces of this knowledge. However, certain individuals act as designated healers. These might include shamans, midwives, or medicine men and women. A healer's role is often legitimized by three factors. These include the healer's own beliefs, the community's trust, and the perceived success of their actions.

In Native American traditions, healing is often inseparable from religion and spirituality. Healers might examine a plant's shape or smell to decide if it is effective.

Herbal medicine is a major part of these traditions. This involves using natural plant substances to prevent or treat sickness. For instance, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia use bush medicine. This practice uses materials like bark, leaves, and seeds from local plants. Some healers also use animal products. In colonial America, Native American herbal medicine provided treatments for conditions like malaria, scurvy, and dysentery. Some modern pharmacology is actually based on plant phytochemicals found in these traditional remedies.

The history of medicinal plants spans over 5,000 years. The ancient Sumerians were among the first to record the medicinal uses of plants. In Egypt, the Ebers papyrus from approximately 1552 BC listed many folk remedies and magical practices. Ancient Indian herbalists like Charaka and Sushruta described many herbs used in Ayurveda during the 1st millennium BC. In China, the Shennong Bencaojing was a major herbal book compiled during the Han dynasty. Later, the Tang dynasty added to this knowledge with the Yaoxing Lun.

These early records formed the foundation for much of the medical knowledge that followed.

Classical Greek and Roman scholars also contributed significantly to the written record. Figures like Hippocrates, Aristotle, and Dioscorides compiled existing herbal knowledge. Dioscorides wrote De Materia Medica, a work that was translated into many languages. Over centuries, Turkish, Arabic, and Hebrew names were added to his texts. This work became a backbone for European medical theory. Later, Persian physicians like Avicenna expanded these ideas. Avicenna wrote The Canon of Medicine, which served as a major medical authority in Europe until the 17th century. His work even introduced the concept of clinical trials.

As cultures interacted, medical knowledge traveled and changed. Spanish medicine was influenced by Arabic traditions between 711 and 1492. In the 1500s, Francisco Hernández gathered plant information in Mexico for the Spanish King Philip II. Other writers, such as Martín de la Cruz, wrote herbals in the Nahuatl language. These texts were sometimes translated into Latin, such as the Codex Barberini. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Puritans brought English herbal texts to the United States. These books helped influence American indigenous medicine and local folk practices.

Despite its long history, traditional medicine faces modern challenges and criticisms. Some researchers note that many alternative treatments are statistically indistinguishable from placebos. There are also safety concerns regarding unregulated natural remedies. Another serious issue is the use of endangered animals in some practices. The use of animals like sharks, elephants, and pangolins contributes to biodiversity loss and the illegal wildlife trade.

Because of these risks, the World Health Organization calls for more research into the safety and effectiveness of these methods.

Looking forward, there is a movement toward integrating these two worlds. In December 2025, a global summit in India helped launch a new WHO advisory group. This group intends to use the scientific method and modern technology to reevaluate traditional medicine. The goal is to see how these practices might be safely integrated into modern healthcare. By combining ancient cultural knowledge with modern scientific rigor, researchers hope to better understand how to maintain human health globally.