TRADITONAL MEDICINE

AND COMPLEMENTARY
THERAPY
PRESENTED BY
CANWAT TONNY 19/BNS/BU/R/0007
AKWAMO ESTHER RUTH 19/BNS/BU/R/0002
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the presentation, members should be able to;
1. Define the concept of traditional medicine and complementary
therapy
2. Explain the influence of traditional healing practices in health care
3. Explain different traditional medicine methods
4. Explain the link between culture and society and the use of
traditional medicine.
CONCEPT OF TRADITIONAL AND
COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE.
• Traditional medicine, also known as alternative, complementary,
indigenous or folk medicine comprises knowledge systems that
developed over generations within various societies before the era of
modern medicine.
• Traditional medicine refers to health practices, approaches, knowledge
and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines,
spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly
or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain
well-being.
• The pharmaceutical industry has come to consider traditional medicine
as a source for identification of bio-active agents that can be used in the
preparation of synthetic medicine.
• Traditional and complementary medicines are medicines and health
practices that are not usually used by health professionals.
• Complementary medicine is used in addition to standard treatments.
People use traditional and complementary medicines because of easy
accessibility, affordability, perceived safety, potential for treating
disease.
INFLUENCE OF TRADITIONAL HEALING
THERAPIES IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
• Traditional healing practices provide access to affordable, available
and flexible care. Patients therefore see them as the first and/or last
line. Many people therefore prefer using them and are hesitant to
seek professional medical care.
• Patients who use both traditional medicine and conventional
medicine sometimes disregard doctor’s advice, take herbal medicine
that may have dangerous interaction with pharmaceuticals leading to
poor health outcomes.
• Traditional healers always like to work in isolation yet they work with
dearth in technology. This sometimes leads to a misdiagnosis and
causes delay in seeking conventional health care.
• Traditional practices in many instances have also led to preventable
maternal and neonatal mortality and or morbidity that result from
child birth complications.
• In some instances, traditional healers have also been reported to
violet human right for example through physical restrain, food
restriction, recitation of sacred texts, sacrificial offerings especially in
the area of mental illness.
• Traditional healing practice have also been reported to be associated
with the misuse of conventional medicine. Some of the healers add
the conventional drugs to their extractions with little attention on
other effects like drug tolerance, adverse effects etc. this have in
some way posed debilitating health effects on the clients.
• They have made it difficult to form a genuine collaboration with the
conventional therapies because their use lack evidence, effectiveness
and little or no documentation.
• Some of the traditional medicine practice have also been reported to
be unhygienic evidenced by microbial infection of their products this
too poses a health risk to the patient.
METHODS OF TRADITIONAL
MEDICINE.
• Acupuncture
• Acupuncture is an age old healing practice of traditional medicine in
which thin needles are placed at specific points in the body. It is
primarily used to relieve pain but also treat other conditions.
• This is the practice of penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic
needles which are then activated through gentle and specific
movements of the practitioner's hands or with electrical
stimulation. Acupuncture is done using hair-thin needles. Most
people report feeling minimal pain as the needle is inserted. The
needle is inserted to a point that produces a sensation of pressure or
ache. Needles may be heated during the treatment or mild
electric current may be applied to them. Some people report
acupuncture makes them feel energized. Others say they feel relaxed.
• Improper placement of the needle can cause pain during treatment.
Needles must be sterilized to prevent infection. 
How does acupuncture affect the body?
• Acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous
system. This, in turn, releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord,
and brain. These biochemical changes may stimulate the body's natural
healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies have shown that
acupuncture is an effective treatment alone or in combination with
conventional therapies to treat the following:
• Nausea caused by surgical anesthesia and cancer chemotherapy, Dental
pain after surgery, Addiction, Headaches, Menstrual cramps,
Osteoarthritis, Low back pain.
• Acupuncture is generally safe and serious problems are rare, some
risks include; infection from unsterile needles, in some acupuncture
points, needles inserted too deeply can puncture the lungs, gall
bladder etc.
• People with bleeding disorders or who are taking blood thinners
should not use it since they are at an increased risk of bleeding.
HYPNOTISM
• Hypnotherapy is a heightened state of concentration and focused
attention.
• Hypnosis, also called hypnotherapy, is a state of deep relaxation and
focused concentration. It’s a type of mind-body medicine.
• A trained and certified hypnotist or hypnotherapist guides you into
this deep state of focus and relaxation with verbal cues, repetition
and imagery. When you’re under hypnosis, this intense level of
concentration and focus allows you to ignore ordinary distractions
and be more open to guided suggestions to make changes to improve
your health.
• How does hypnosis work?
• How hypnosis works isn’t completely understood. However, it’s
commonly believed that in the deep state of focus and relaxation
that’s achieved with hypnosis:
• Your conscious mind is quieted.
• You’re able to tap into the part of your brain where your thoughts,
beliefs, perceptions, sensations, emotions, memory and behaviors
originate.
• In this state, you’re more open to gentle guidance from your
hypnotherapist to help you modify or replace the unconscious
thoughts that are driving your current behavior.
• What conditions is hypnosis helpful in treating?
• Hypnotherapy may help treat any number of medical conditions in
which psychological factors influence physical symptoms.
• Common mental health uses include:
• Stress and anxiety, especially before medical or dental procedures;
panic attacks; and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).
• Phobias.
• Behavior control issues, including giving up smoking, losing weight
and enuresis (bedwetting).
Common medical uses include:
• Insomnia.
• Pain control, including after surgery, childbirth, cancer, burns and
headaches (migraine and tension).
• Side effects of cancer chemotherapy or radiation treatment, including
nausea and vomiting.
• There are four stages of hypnosis: induction, deepener, suggestions
and emergence.
• Induction
• During this stage, you begin to relax, focus your attention and ignore
distractions. Your hypnotherapist will guide you through this stage
with specific techniques such as controlled breathing (breathing in
over a count of seven, then breathing out over a count of 11), or
progressive muscle relaxation (tensing muscles as you breathe in and
relaxing muscles as you breathe out, then repeating in a certain order
of muscle groups throughout your body) or focusing on a visual
image.
• Deepener
• This stage continues the first stage, taking your relaxation and focus to
a deeper level. This step often involves counting down or using similar
descending imagery such as walking down stairs or slowly sinking
deeper and deeper into a comfortable bed. These first two stages are
aimed at easing your openness to suggestions
• Suggestions
• This is the stage for actual change in experience, behavior or
perception. Your hypnotherapist will use imagery and carefully chosen
language. The suggestions are usually symptom focused (to resolve a
symptom) or exploratory (to explore experiences associated with the
start of symptoms). Suggested changes may be in perception,
sensation, emotion, memory, thought or behavior.
• Emergence
• During this stage, you come out of hypnosis. Your hypnotist may use
reverse deepeners, such as giving you the suggestions that you’re
climbing up stairs or counting up.
• Massage
• During massage, a therapist manipulates muscles and other soft
tissues of the body to improve health and well being. Varieties of
massage range from gentle stroking and kneading of muscles and
other soft tissues to deeper manual techniques. Massage has been
practiced as a healing therapy for centuries in nearly every culture
around the world. It helps relieve muscle tension, reduce stress, and
evoke feelings of calmness. Although massage affects the whole body,
it particularly influences the activity of the musculoskeletal,
circulatory, lymphatic, and nervous systems.
• TYPES OF MASSAGE
• Aromatherapy massage. Essential oils from plants are massaged into
the skin to enhance the healing and relaxing effects of massage.
Practitioners believe essential oils have a powerful effect on mood by
stimulating two structures deep in the brain known to store emotions
and memory.
• Craniosacral massage. Therapists apply gentle pressure to the head
and spine to correct imbalances and restore the flow of cerebrospinal
fluid in these areas.
• Lymphatic massage. Therapists use light, rhythmic strokes to improve
the flow of lymph throughout the body
• Myofascial release. Therapists use gentle pressure and body
positioning to relax and stretch the muscles, fascia (connective
tissue), and related structures. Trained physical therapists and
massage therapists use this technique.
• On site/chair massage. On site massage therapists use a portable
chair to deliver brief, upper body massages to fully clothed people in
offices and other public places.
• Polarity therapy. A form of energy healing, polarity therapy
stimulates and balances the flow of energy within the body to
enhance health and well being.
• Reflexology. Therapists use specialized thumb and finger techniques
on the hands and feet. Reflexologists believe that these areas contain
"reflex points" or direct connections to specific organs and structure,
throughout the body.
• Rolfing. Therapists apply pressure to the fascia (connective tissue) to
stretch it, lengthen it, and make it more flexible. The goal of this
technique is to realign the body so that it conserves energy, releases
tension, and functions better.
• Shiatsu. Therapists apply gentle finger and hand pressure to specific
points on the body to relieve pain and enhance the flow of energy
through the body's energy pathways
• Sports massage. Often used on professional athletes and other active
individuals, sports massage can enhance performance and prevent
and treat sports-related injuries.
• Swedish massage. Therapists use a variety of strokes and pressure
techniques to enhance the flow of blood to the heart, remove waste
products from the tissues, stretch ligaments and tendons, and ease
physical and emotional tension.
• Trigger point massage. Pressure is applied to "trigger points" (tender
areas where the muscles have been damaged) to alleviate muscle
spasms and pain.
• Integrative touch. A gentle form of massage therapy that uses gentle,
non-circulatory techniques, integrative touch was designed to meet
the needs of patients who are hospitalized or in hospice care.
• Compassionate touch. Combines one-on-one focused attention,
intentional touch, and sensitive massage with communication to
enhance the quality of life for elderly, ill, or dying patients.
HOW DOES MASSAGE WORK?
• Human touch has been shown to be emotionally and physically
healing. Particular massage techniques may either stimulate or calm
the body's muscles and tissues to create a desired effect. When a
practitioner massages soft tissue, electrical signals are transmitted
both to the local area and throughout the body.
• These signals, in combination with the healing properties of touch,
help heal damaged muscle, stimulate circulation, clear waste products
via the lymphatic system, boost the activity of the immune system,
reduce pain and tension, and induce a calming effect.
• Massage may also enhance well being by stimulating the release of
endorphins (natural painkillers and mood elevators) and reducing
levels of certain stress hormones.
• Massage supports healing, boosts energy, reduces recovery time after
an injury, eases pain, and enhances relaxation, mood, and well being.
It is useful for many musculoskeletal problems, such as low back pain,
osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and sprains and strains.
• Massage may also relieve depression in people with chronic fatigue
syndrome, reduce pain and improve quality of life, ease chronic
constipation (when the technique is performed in the abdominal
area), decrease swelling, alleviate sleep disorders, and improve self
image. In the workplace, massage has been shown to melt away
stress and enhance mental alertness.
Aromatherapy
• Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils from plants for healing.
Essential oils are concentrated extracts taken from the roots, leaves,
seeds, or blossoms of plants. Each contains its own mix of active
ingredients, and this mix determines what the oil is used for.
• Some oils are used to promote physical healing -- for example, to
treat swelling or fungal infections.
• Others are used for their emotional value -- they may enhance
relaxation or make a room smell pleasant. Orange blossom oil, for
example, contains a large amount of an active ingredient that is
thought to be calming.
• How does aromatherapy work?
• Researchers are not entirely clear how aromatherapy may work.
Some experts believe our sense of smell may play a role. The "smell"
receptors in your nose communicate with parts of your brain (the
amygdala and hippocampus) that serve as storehouses for emotions
and memories. When you breathe in essential oil molecules, some
researchers believe they stimulate these parts of your brain and
influence physical, emotional, and mental health. For example,
scientists believe lavender stimulates the activity of brain cells in the
amygdala similar to the way some sedative medications work. Other
researchers think that molecules from essential oils may interact in
the blood with hormones or enzymes.
• Aromatherapy massage is a popular way of using essential oils
because it works in several ways at the same time. Your skin absorbs
essential oils and you also breathe them in. Plus, you experience the
physical therapy of the massage itself.
• USES OF AROMATHERAPY.
• Aromatherapy is used in a wide range of settings -- from health spas
to hospitals -- to treat a variety of conditions. In general, it seems to
relieve pain, improve mood, and promote a sense of relaxation. In
fact, several essential oils -- including lavender, rose, orange,
bergamot, lemon, sandalwood, and others -- have been shown to
relieve anxiety, stress, and depression, pain.
• RELAXATION THERAPY.
• A type of therapy that helps reduce muscle tension and stress, lowers
blood pressure, and controls pain. It may involve tensing and relaxing
muscles throughout the body. It may be used with guided imagery
(focusing the mind on positive images) and meditation (focusing
thoughts).
• There are 3 major types of relaxation techniques:
• Autogenic training. This technique uses both visual imagery and body
awareness to move a person into a deep state of relaxation. The
person imagines a peaceful place and then focuses on different
physical sensations, moving from the feet to the head. For example,
one might focus on warmth and heaviness in the limbs, easy, natural
breathing, or a calm heartbeat.
• Breathing. In breathing techniques, you place one hand on your chest
and the other on your belly. Take a slow, deep breath, sucking in as
much air as you can. As you are doing this, your belly should push
against your hand. Hold your breath and then slowly exhale.
• Progressive muscle relaxation. This technique involves slowly tensing
and then releasing each muscle group individually, starting with the
muscles in the toes and finishing with those in the head.
• Meditation. The two most popular forms of meditation in the U.S.
include Transcendental Meditation (students repeat a mantra, a single
word or phrase) and mindfulness meditation (students focus their
attention on their thoughts and sensations).
• Guided imagery. Similar to autogenic training, guided imagery
involves listening to a trained therapist or a guided imagery CD to
move into a state of deep relaxation. Once in a relaxed state, the
images that come up in your mind can help you uncover important
realizations about your emotional, spiritual, and physical health.
• In general, studies show that with consistent practice, relaxation
techniques can potentially reduce symptoms or improve outcomes in
the following conditions:
• Stress, Pain, Anxiety, Infertility, High blood pressure, Diabetes, Panic
disorders, Chronic tension headaches, Insomnia, Labor and child birth
• IMPORTANCE OF RELAXATION TECHNIQUE.
• Clinical studies also show that relaxation techniques reduce the
perception of pain. One clinical study found that among patients
undergoing colorectal surgery, those who listened to guided imagery
tapes before, during, and after the operation had less pain and
needed fewer pain medications than those who did not. Another
found that relaxation practices, such as deep breathing, progressive
relaxation, and visualization enhanced the immune response among
breast cancer patients.
• Meditation has also been used as part of the treatment for post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to break substance abuse
patterns in drug and alcohol abusers. Relaxation techniques can also
enhance coping skills in migraine sufferers and reduce stress, as well
as improve mood in those with cancer.
• Herbalism
• Herbalism refers to folk and traditional medicinal practice based on
the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as
phytotherapy. Sometimes the scope of herbal medicine is extended to
include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain
animal parts. The use of herbs to treat disease is almost universal
among non-industrialized societies. A common misconception about
herbalism and the use of 'natural' products in general, is that 'natural'
equals safe. Nature however is not benign and many plants have
chemical defense mechanisms against predators that can have
adverse effects on humans.
• A detail of plant parts used in herbal medicines is as follows:
• Roots—i.e., the fleshy or woody roots of many African plant species
are medicinal. Most of the active ingredients are usually sequestered
in the root bark rather than the woody inner part.
• Bulbs—A bulb is an underground structure made up of numerous
leaves of fleshy scales, e.g., Allium sativa (garlic) and Allium cepa
(onions).
• Rhizomes—Woody or fleshy underground stem that grows
horizontally and brings out their leaves above the ground, e.g.,
Zingiber officinale (ginger), which is used for respiratory problems;
Imperata cylindrica (spear grass) for potency in men and Curcuma
longa (turmeric), an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer
drug.
• Tubers—Swollen fleshy underground structures which form from
stems/roots, e.g., potatoes and yams.
• Bark—The outer protective layer of the tree stem or trunk. It contains
highly concentrated phytochemicals with profound medicinal
properties. A host of plants have barks of high medicinal value.
• Leaves, stems, and flowers of many plants are also medicinal.

In African traditional medicine, traditional health practitioners (THP)

assess patients in order to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease using
their expertise by the following methods:
• Divination
• Divination means consulting the spirit world.
• It is a method by which information concerning an individual or
circumstance of illness is obtained through the use of randomly
arranged symbols in order to gain healing knowledge. It is also viewed
as a way to access information that is normally beyond the reach of
the rational mind. It is a transpersonal technique in which diviners
base their knowledge on communication with the spiritual forces,
such as the ancestors, spirits, and deities . It is, therefore, an integral
part of an African traditional way of diagnosing diseases. The “spirit
world” is consulted to identify the cause of the disease or to discover
whether there was a violation of an established order from the side of
the sick person.
• Interviews and medical reports
• Oral interviews are sometimes used by some traditional healers to
find out the history behind the sickness, where they have been for
treatment and how long the person has been in that condition. This
approach enables them to know how to handle the matter at hand. In
some cases, the healer might require other family members to speak
on behalf of the sick person in cases where the patient is not able to
express him/herself. In modern times, after the healing process, they
also advise their clients or patients to go for medical diagnoses to
confirm that they are healed, and the medical reports sometimes
serve for record keeping for future reference and are a way of
assuring other clients of their ability and credibility. Due to the holistic
approach of the healing process, the healers do not separate the
natural from the spiritual or the physical from the supernatural . Thus,
health issues are addressed from two major perspectives—spiritual
and physical.
Spiritual perspective
• Spiritual-based cases are handled in the following manner:

• Sacrifices: Sacrifices are sometimes offered at the request of the

spirits, gods, and ancestors. Sometimes, animals such as dogs and
cats are slaughtered or buried alive at midnight to save the soul of the
one at the point of death, with the belief that their spirits are strong
enough to replace life. There is also the view that because they are
domestic animals and are very close to people, sometimes when they
see that someone very close to them is about to die, they offer their
lives for that person to live. This is true especially where the animal
dies mysteriously; thus, it is believed that it had offered its life in place
of the life of its owner. Rituals are sometimes performed in order to
consecrate some herbs without which the medicine is meaningless.
• Spiritual protection: If the cause of the disease is perceived to be an
attack from evil spirits, the person would be protected by the use of a
talisman, charm, amulets, specially designed body marks, and a
spiritual bath to drive the evil spirits away. These are rites aimed at
driving off evil and dangerous powers, spirits, or elements to
eliminate the evils or dangers that may have befallen a family or
community.
• Spiritual cleansing: Spiritual cleansing may be required of the sick
person to bathe at specific times for a prescribed number of days
either with water or animal blood poured from head to toe.
• Appeasing the gods: If a disease is perceived to be caused by an
invocation of a curse or violation of taboos, the diviner appeases the
ancestors, spirits, or the gods according to the severity of the case.
The individual is often required to provide certain items for sacrifice
and/or libation, such as spotless animals (dove, cat, dog, goat, and
fowl), local gin, cola nut, eggs, and plain white, red, or black cloth.
These items are usually specified by the gods. The used items may be
thrown into the river, left to rot, or placed at strategic places, usually
at cross roads at the outskirts of the community, depending on the
nature and severity of the case.
Exorcism: This is a practice of expelling demons or evil spirits from
people or places that are possessed or are in danger of being possessed
by them. Many of the traditional communities believe that illness,
especially mental illness, is mostly caused by evil spirits. Exorcism can
only be performed by a religious leader or a priest who has the
authorities and powers to do so. Sometimes, an effigy made of clay or
wax would be used to represent the demon and would ultimately be
destroyed. Exorcism may be accompanied by dancing to the beating of
drums, singing, and sometimes flogging the individual or touching
him/her with strange objects such as animal tails and other objects to
chase out the spirit. The possessed individual would be somewhat
agitated but would only calm down as soon as the spirit is removed
from the body. This practice is also performed for those who are
mentally challenged. In their view, until the possessed person is
delivered from the power of that evil spirit, the person will not have his
or her freedom.
• Libation: Libation involves pouring of some liquid, mostly local gin on
the ground or sometimes on objects followed by the chanting or
reciting of words. The liquid could also be water or in modern times,
wine, whisky, schnapps, or gin. Some cultures also use palm wine,
palm oil, and coconut water, while some others use corn flour mixed
with water. Libation pouring as is practiced in some communities has
three main parts, namely invocation, supplication, and conclusion.
• Invocation: They first invoke the presence of the almighty God,
mother earth, and the ancestors. According to the practitioners of
libation pouring, offering the ancestors and spirits drink is a way of
welcoming them
• Supplication: After invocation, requests are made to the
invoked spirits, gods, or ancestors to intercede on their
behalf for mercy and forgiveness of offenses such as taboo
violations and to seek for spiritual consecration (cleansing)
of either the community or individual(s). The content of
the prayer is usually case specific
Advantages
• Availability of medicine. This is because it involves herbs and natural oils which a
person can easily grow by themselves or easily acquire them from the person
who has.
• Reduced cost. Traditional medicines sell at much lower rates as opposed to
modern medicine.
• Minimal risks of side effects. Pharmaceutical drugs have been proven to have
more after effects than traditional medicine. The primary reason for this is that
natural herbs and oils are accepted by the body because of their organic nature.
• Works for complicated and chronic ailments. Traditional medicine has been
proven to be very effective in cases where modern medicine has created certain
complications.
• Low chances of addiction. Plants or herbs like opium and some tree backs can be
just as addictive as modern drugs. However on a general scale, modern drugs are
more addictive than traditional drugs.
• African herbal medicine is “holistic” in the sense that it addresses issues of the
soul, spirit, and body
• Disadvantages
• Not effective for all conditions. Traditional medicine can solve quite a
lot of health problems but not all of them thus a disadvantage. For
example a traditional physician can not carry out surgery or any of
those complicated illnesses with just traditional medicine.
• Improper diagnosis which could be misleading. The dosage is most
often vague and the medicines are prepared under unhygienic
conditions.
• Medication interactions. Traditional physicians always warn against
the intake of traditional medicine alongside modern alternatives due
to possibility of bad reaction.
• Risk in acquiring wild herbs. This mainly applies where the herbs
involved are not very common thus the herbalist has to go lengths to
harvest them. This can involve a risk of encountering wild animals in
thick forests where the herbs exist and also one can pick up the
wrong herb and this is mainly when they are similar or identical to
untrained eyes.
• Microbial contamination of many herbal preparations sold in the
markets. The knowledge is still shrouded in secrecy and not easily
disseminated. Some of the practices which involve rituals and
divinations are beyond the scope of non-traditionalists such as
Christians who find it incomprehensible, unacceptable, and difficult to
access such services.
LINK BETWEEN CULTURE, SOCIETY AND THE USE OF TRADITIONAL
HEALING THERAPIES.
• Society refers to a group of people who live in a definable community
and share the same culture.
• Culture: Shared beliefs, values, and practices that participants must
learn.
Traditional medicine practice is based on the indigenous knowledge of
a given people, a given society and their experiences in the context of
local culture and environment.
It is dynamic and changes with time depending on the prevailing
situation.
Factors contributing to the use of traditional healing practices.
• Shortages of conventional medicine versus availability of traditional
medicines/healers. The conventional medicines in most cases are
imported and bought expensively by the government. They are always
not enough and sometimes not available when needed. The
traditional healers meanwhile are always an intimate component of
the society using the available materials.
• The culture specific nature of traditional healers make it easy for
their client to comply and besides some people are filled with a great
sense of belongingness to a particular cultural group while attending a
traditional therapy.
• Many indigenous individuals have little understanding of the
conventional medical practices. They lack enough information and
therefore their perception about the conventional therapies is
negative.
• Sometimes, it is hard to gain access to conventional medical care and
people consult the available traditional healers. This could be due to
remoteness of a community, increased population, low number of
professional health workers among others.
• The economic nature of the society also affects the use of traditional
healing practices. Those who cannot afford conventional therapies
resort to the less expensive traditional healing practices.
• Indigenous cultures also embrace traditional medicine as a preferred
form of healthcare in many parts of the world because it holds a
more holistic approach to healing, including the interconnection of
mind, body, and spirit in a specific context such as spirituality, healing,
illness and landscape.
• Traditional medicine practice in the great lake region
• Greater lake region of Uganda displays a high abundance of
traditional medicine practitioners and diverse use of a vast amount of
medicinal plant species. Consequently, local people are still highly
dependent on these traditional healers and their medicinal plants in
order to secure their primary health care.
• The traditional health care system of the great lake region is both
herbal and animal based, and holistic. The TMPs employ plant and
animal parts, as well as other material to effect cures.
• Clients are treated for physical ailments and psycho-spiritual
conditions such as bewitchment.
The following are the types of traditional medicine practices common
in the great lake region of Uganda.
• Herbalism: Herbalists use traditional therapies to identify and treat
various ailments such as malaria, headache, measles, impotence,
dermatitis and mental sicknesses.

• Bone setting: This is another category of herbalists who treat bone

fractures and dislocations with traditional herbs. They are the local
“orthopedics” of the community. The “common mode of
immobilization [used by bonesetters] is the application of a tight
splint at the fracture site.”
• Traditional birth attendant: is a person recognized by her community
as able to assist women in child birth. These practitioners are the
“mothers of the village” because they assist in reproductive health
care, like family planning, birthing, prevention of sexually transmitted
HIV/AIDS counseling, promotion of immunization and breastfeeding.
They also give advice to women on traditional customs, rituals, food,
taboos, and local herbs that are needed before, during and after
delivery.
• Spiritualists: They treat ailments with herbs, natural substances and
supernatural powers. They insinuate that healing includes both
sacrifices of animals to appease the spirits, along with healing by use
of plants.
• Faith healers: They pray for the individuals for god to free them for
whatever they are suffering from
Witchcraft and Sorcery Healing:

Witchdoctors: A witchdoctor is a witch who practices magic, but his

function is to combat the threats or effect of witchcraft.

they do not necessarily treat diseases with herbs, but with magic and
the invocation of either evil spirits or with the intercession of the spirits
of the dead.

These practitioners administer treatment depending on what their gods

require or instruct them to do.
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