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This article argues that allopathy, which emerged in Western modernity, should be reconsidered as an “alternative medicine” within the broad historical spectrum of human therapeutic practices. It is important to remember that traditionally, ancestral medical systems were based on natural observation, energetic balance, and a holistic vision of the human being. Allopathy, with its focus on specific pathology, direct interventions (drugs and surgery), and scientific methodology, has displaced these knowledges, labeling them as “alternative.” However, from a historical perspective, allopathy represents just another therapeutic option, with a specific origin and development.

Throughout history, various civilizations developed rich and complex medical systems. These systems, such as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and the practices of Mesoamerican cultures, shared key characteristics: observation of nature to identify remedies, understanding health as an internal energetic balance, an integral vision of the individual connecting body, mind, and spirit, and transmission of knowledge through experience and tradition. These systems, with centuries or millennia of antiquity, proved their efficacy in their respective contexts.

Allopathy emerged in Western modernity, driven by scientific and technological advances. It is characterized by focusing on disease as a specific pathological entity, treated with direct interventions such as drugs and surgery, and validated through the scientific method and clinical studies. While allopathy achieved significant advances, its consolidation as the dominant paradigm led to the marginalization of other medical systems, labeled as “alternative,” implying an unjustified historical hierarchy.

By adopting a broad historical perspective, allopathy reveals itself as a form of medicine that arose at a specific time and place, with particular principles and methods. Compared to the temporal depth and geographical diversity of other medical systems, allopathy constitutes a more recent “alternative.” Recognizing this does not deny its achievements but contextualizes its position and questions the implicit hierarchy in the traditional categorization.

This new perspective allows valuing the richness of ancestral medical knowledge, promoting the integration of different therapeutic approaches, fostering intercultural research on the efficacy of various practices, and empowering patients by offering a broader range of informed options. Humanity’s health and well-being can benefit from equitable dialogue and respect for the plurality of medical knowledge.

How did this semantic and epistemological inversion occur? Through a powerful machinery: marketing, regulation, hard science, and strategic alliances with governments and corporations. Allopathy not only gained space in hospitals and universities but also in legal frameworks, scientific discourses, and public health policies. And in that process, the ancestral was labeled as “alternative,” “complementary,” or even “dangerous.”

Reconsidering allopathy as a “true alternative medicine” within the historical panorama allows a fairer appreciation of the diverse medical systems developed by humanity. The integration and respect for this plurality of knowledge can enrich health care options and promote a holistic approach to well-being.