Integrative medicine, which some call: complementary, alternative, natural, holistic, etc., has its origins in ethnoiatry, from the rich medical traditions of various peoples around the world. The Americans have called it Complementary and Alternative Medicine (C.A.M.), a name that has spread around the world in recent years. The traditional therapeutic methods have been living in the last period, a real rebirth worldwide and they have been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). The most well-known natural methods, some of which have a multi millenary existence and are widely used worldwide in current medicine, are: acupuncture, apitherapy, aromatherapy, ayurveda, diet therapy, phytotherapy, heliotherapy, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, manual therapies, etc. It is necessary to mention first of all Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine, which is documented for over 5000 years and acupuncture, part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (T.C.M.), which is over 3500 years old, or phytotherapy and apitherapy, related to the beginnings of human existence on Earth. In the third millennium, we are witnessing a re-evaluation of traditional therapeutic methods, which have been adapted to the scientific requirements specific to our day and have been accepted by the medical world. Integrative medicine, which brings together the exceptional achievements of modern medicine, with the healing power of various "soft" therapies, is the way forward in the 21st century.

1. The role of Integrative
Medicine in the 21st
century
Associate Professor Dr.Ladislau Rosenberg
Romanian Society for the History of
Pharmacy
Romanian Society for Ethnopharmacology

2. Overview of my activity in
natural therapies
• I have been working for 45 years in research, education
and practice in various fields of integrative medicine,
being recognized specialist in apitherapy, aromatherapy,
homeopathy, phytotherapy and manual therapies.
• I was Associate Professor at two important universities in
Romania, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in
Targu Mures and the University “Lucian Blaga” of Sibiu.
• Now, being an expert in the history of pharmacy and
president of the Romanian Society of Pharmacy History
in Sibiu, I am the coordinator of the project
"Pharmaceutical Traditions of Sibiu", which promotes
various natural therapies and their role in preventing and
treating diseases.

3. Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
• Complementary medicine, which some call:
alternative, natural, holistic, integrative, etc., has its
origins in ethnoiatry, from the medical traditions of
various peoples around the world. The Americans
have called it Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (C.A.M.), a name that has spread around the
world in recent years. The traditional therapeutic
methods have been living in the last decades, a real
rebirth worldwide, they being recognized by the World
Health Organization (WHO).
• I will present a historic point of view about the role of
natural therapies in prevention and treatment of
diseases.

4. Natural therapies with
multimillenial existance
• These methods come to complete the
modern therapeutic arsenal with new
valences and possibilities, which together
with allopathic medicine, based on synthetic
drugs, complete today's medicine.
Complementary therapeutic methods "have
stood the test of time," after doctor Arcadie
Percek. Many of the methods of
complementary and alternative medicine,
used successfully even today, have a
multimillennial existence (Ayurveda,
acupuncture, apitherapy, phytotherapy, etc).

5. What are the most important
natural therapies?
• The most well-known natural methods are:
acupuncture, aromatherapy, apitherapy,
ayurveda, balneotherapy, diet therapy,
heliotherapy, homeopathy, manual
therapies, phytotherapy, psychotherapy,
etc.

6. Acupuncture, part of TCM
• Acupuncture, originating
in China, over 3500 years
old.
• According to a WHO
assessment, the most
widely used therapeutic
method in the world is
Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM), because
the Chinese are very fond
of these old methods of
treatment, which they use
alone or in combination
with allopathy.

7. Apitherapy, the healing
power of bee products
• It is a natural treatment,
scientifically based on
numerous studies and
clinical experiences. Bee
products have a wide
range of biological
properties and
scientifically proven
pharmacological actions,
beneficial in maintaining
the health of the human
body, in preventing and
treating various diseases.

8. Data on the history of
apitherapy
• From a historical point of view, apitherapy is
an extremely old therapeutic method, but
which is still used successfully today. 3,500
years ago in ancient Egypt, the papyrus
Ebers mentioned various treatments with bee
honey practiced during this period. The
ancient Egyptians used honey in the
treatment of burns, wounds, in
ophthalmology, in respiratory diseases and
last but not least in cosmetics for hair and
skin care.

9. What are the main bee products
used in apitherapy?
• Bee products are complex substances that
the bee secretes or produces through the
collection, processing and storage of
natural substances (nectar, pollen, etc.),
which the beekeeper then collects from
the hive or directly from the bee, such as
in the case of venom. The most used bee
products in therapy are: honey, propolis,
royal jelly, pollen, bee bread, apilarnil, bee
venom and wax.

10. Honey-food, medicine and
cosmetic
• Honey is not only an
exceptional food, but
also a medicine
appreciated for
thousands of years in
the treatment of
various diseases, due
to its multiple
therapeutic effects,
scientifically proven in
recent decades.

11. Therapeutic effects of honey
• Among the therapeutic effects, confirmed
by numerous studies and researches, I
mention: antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-
caries, anti-inflammatory, antitussive,
depurative, emollient, energizing,
hepatoprotective, immunostimulant,
laxative, tonic-cardiac, etc.

12. Propolis
• Propolis or bee glue
is one of the most
valuable bee
products, which has
been used
successfully in
apitherapy for
millennia, in the
prevention and
treatment of various
diseases.

13. Propolis, an universal panacea
• In my opinion, propolis is the most valuable natural
product, a true universal panacea. Numerous studies
and research have shown that propolis has over 70
useful therapeutic effects, which can be used to
prevent and treat various ailments. Regarding its
internal use, the following therapeutic effects are
noted: analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antihemorrhagic,
antifungal, respiratory antiseptic, intestinal and urinary
antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial , antipyretic, tissue
regenerant, immune stimulant, antitumor, etc. Used
externally, preparations containing propolis have a
good effect: antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-
inflammatory, healing, analgesic, regenerative the skin
and mucous membranes, etc.

14. Bee pollen, “the perfect food”
• Bee pollen is considered by researchers to
be "the perfect food" because it contains all
the essential nutrients for life: amino acids,
carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, bioflavonoids,
enzymes, phospholipids, trace elements, etc.
It is a product with a very high nutritional
value, with an immunostimulating effect,
tonic, regenerating, revitalizing for children,
the elderly and the athletes. It is used
successfully in a number of nutritional
disorders, in convalescence, sexual
impotence, hepatitis, etc.

15. Bee bread
• The bee bread is the
pollen collected by
bees and stored in
honeycombs, where
under the influence of
enzymatic processes,
specific to the
environment in the hive,
it is transformed into a
valuable biological
product with a high
bioavailability.

16. Royal Jelly
• The use of royal jelly
alone, or in combination
with other bee
products, respectively
various natural
products (herbal
extracts, essential oils,
etc.), has opened new
avenues in the
prophylaxis and therapy
of various diseases.

17. Use of royal jelly in apitherapy
• The best results with preparations containing
royal jelly, we get them in hormonal
disorders, both in women and men. It was
found that this bee product has an effect of
optimizing the secretion of thyroid and sex
hormones, but also those produced by the
adrenal glands.
• Finally, is necessary to highlight the anti-
aging effect of royal jelly, which is so useful in
preventing premature aging of the human
body.

18. Bee venom
• Numerous clinical
studies have tested the
therapeutic possibilities
of bee venom in the
treatment of diseases
of human pathology.
• Remarkable therapeutic
results have also been
reported in some
neurological conditions,
such as neuralgia,
paresthesia, sciatica,
etc.

19. Therapeutic effects of bee venom
• Bee venom has been used in a number of
cardiovascular diseases, such as arrhythmias,
arteritis obliterans, coronary ischemia, Raynaud's
disease, hypertension, peripheral ischemic
degenerative syndrome, varicose veins, etc.
• However, the best therapeutic results with
pharmaceutical preparations based on bee venom
were obtained in the treatment of various forms of
rheumatism, such as psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid
arthritis, traumatic arthritis, acute and chronic
bursitis, epicondylitis, osteoarthritis, deforming
polyarthritis, spondylitis, etc.

20. Aromatherapy
• Aromatherapy is one of
the oldest therapeutic
methods, which uses in
the prevention and
treatment of various
diseases volatile oils
obtained from aromatic
plants, respectively
preparations made from
them.

21. Role of volatile oils in therapy
• Due to the numerous therapeutic effects,
confirmed by hundreds of studies and
research conducted in recent decades,
volatile oils, obtained from aromatic herbs,
can be used primarily to prevent various
diseases and secondly, to treat them with
aromatherapy preparations. In addition to the
use of volatile oils in therapy, these natural
products also play a very important role in
cosmetics, where they have been used since
ancient times.

22. Pharmacological effect of essential
oils
• Volatile oils have a wide range of therapeutic
effects, such as: antiseptic (antibacterial,
antifungal, antiviral), emollient, antiemetic,
expectorant, antirheumatic, antiparasitic,
carminative, anti-inflammatory, decongestant on
the nasal mucosa, dermatocosmetic, etc.
• Regarding the antiseptic effect of some volatile
oils (thyme, oregano, tea tree, cloves, cinnamon,
rosemary, basil, etc.), this is especially important
at our time, when the increase in resistance is
observed at various pathogens, compared to
synthetic antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals.

23. Ayurveda
• Ayurveda the traditional
Indian medicine, is
based on an existence
of 5000 years, being
the oldest documented
therapeutic method
known and used even
today successfully not
only in India but also in
other parts of the world.

24. The power of Ayurveda
• The power of Ayurveda is based on its great
clarity and global understanding of the
interrelationships between organic
physiological processes and external factors,
such as climate, emotional states and
especially nutrition, which is seen as the key
element in the disease-health relationship.
• Ayurveda focuses especially on the problems
of physical health, diet, herbs used in the
treatment of various diseases and places an
important emphasis on massage.

25. Ayurveda, the promoter of
health
• In the treatment of various diseases, Ayurveda primarily
aims to prevent them and promote health, which is a
very important concept for the medicine of the third
millennium. The main form of treatment is diet, which is
prescribed depending on the type of constitution of each
patient, the goal being to rebalance the dosha, with
certain foods indicated or contraindicated.
• Meditations are key elements of Ayurveda, they have the
role of improving the general condition of the patient and
restoring the balance between body and soul.
• Ayurvedic massage aims to stimulate the marble points
by touching and using vegetable oils, among which the
most recommended is hot sesame oil which stimulates
complex physiological processes and promotes health.

26. Panchakarma
• Panchakarma is a
complex detoxification
process that lasts one
to two weeks and
uses massage with
vegetable oils,
enemas with
vegetable extracts,
hot baths and
purging.

27. Balneotherapy
• Balneotherapy is a
complex medical
method used for
millennia, which
prevents and treats
various ailments, with
the help of thermal
waters, containing
mineral substances and
with the help of muds
with a therapeutic
effect.

28. Diet therapy
• Diet therapy has a
remarkable prophylactic
effect, which allows its use
in the prevention of
diseases specific to today's
civilization, such as:
cardiovascular disease,
type 2 diabetes, obesity,
etc. These diseases are
true scourges of the third
millennium, which can be
hard to fight by allopathic
medicine, but in which a
proper diet can work
wonders.

29. The spirit of wellness
• The combination of a
healthy diet (for
example the
Mediterranean diet),
with a lot of exercise
(swimming, gymnastics,
fitness, aerobics, etc.),
allows to change the
way of life in the spirit
of wellness, which
ensures the restoration
of the balance between
body, mind and spirit.

30. Heliotherapy
• Heliotherapy which
means the use of the
healing power of the
sun's rays in the
prevention and
treatment of certain
ailments.
• Chromotherapy uses
various colors of the
visible spectrum to
prevent and treat
different diseases.

31. Vitamin D biosynthesis
• The beneficial effect of
solar radiation on the
byosinthesis of vitamin
D from provitamin D in
the skin is noticeable,
which plays a key role
in preventing rickets.
The sun's rays play an
important role in
developing our body's
ability to defend itself,
stimulate immunity and
prevent disease.

32. Heliotherapy for the treatment
of psoriasis
• In the case of psoriasis, a
disease of unknown etiology
that affects about 2% of the
Earth's population, an
alternative method,
heliotherapy with a 2-3 week
treatment at sea, becomes a
fundamental therapeutic
method, which ensures the
improvement of skin
manifestations of the disease.
for a few months.

33. Homeopathy
• Homeopathy uses
remedies which
contains infinitesimal
doses of various
medicinal plants,
animal and mineral
products, to prevent
and treat various
diseases. The method
was developed by the
German physician
Samuel Hahnemann
(1755-1843).

34. Organon, the basic book of
homeopathy
• Samuel Hahnemann,
who was the founder
of homeopathy,
published in 1810 in
Dresden the basic
book of this original
therapeutic mode
entitled "The Organon
of Rational Medical
Practice," .

35. Advantages of homeopathy
compared to allopathy
• In contrast to
allopathy,
homeopathy uses
high or very high
dilutions in the
preparation of various
remedies, free of side
effects, so specific to
synthetic drugs.

36. The therapeutic use of
homeopathy
• Various potent pharmaceutical forms are prepared,
such as: solutions, granules, tablets, ointments,
creams, etc., which are prescribed by the homeopathic
doctor and prepared by the pharmacist specialized in
homeopathy. In this case it is a personalized
homeopathic therapy, which is successfully used in a
number of diseases of the nervous system, skin,
digestive tract, respiratory system, urinary tract, genital
tract (female and male), musculoskeletal system,
circulatory system, etc. Very important are the results
that can be obtained with the help of homeopathy in a
series of psychic manifestations, such as: fear,
phobias, depression, sleep disorders, irritability, etc.

37. Manual therapies
• Massage is a basic
element of medical
physical culture, which
consists of the
methodical processing
of the soft parts of the
body, by manual or
instrumental
procedures, for
maintenance and
therapeutic purposes.

38. Different forms of massage
used in the world
• Along with various
complementary and
alternative therapies,
an important role in
maintaining health is
played by various forms
of massage (Swedish,
Indian, Japanese, Thai,
etc.), reflexology, and a
method that has spread
worldwide in recent
decades, known as
bowtech.

39. Benefits of various forms of
massage on the body
• Both for maintaining a
positive physical and
mental tone, and for
treating conditions
such as: some
rheumatic diseases,
obesity, cellulite,
muscle atony,
insomnia, etc.

40. Phytotherapy
• Phytotherapy is the
science that is based on
the use of medicinal
plants and products
derived from them, for the
prevention and treatment
of various diseases. The
use of medicinal plants in
the cure of diseases is an
ancestral method, related
to the beginnings of the
existence of the human
species on Earth.

41. Medicinal plants, an important
source for obtaining medicines
• In our days, about 30%
of allopathic medicines
originate from medicinal
plants, but many of
them are obtained by
synthesis or
biosynthesis, in order to
optimize technologically
and economically the
extraction of active
principles.

42. Therapeutic effects of
medicinal plants
• Herbs have various therapeutic effects, such
as: adaptogen, antiseptic(antibacterial,
antifungal, antiviral), antiprotozoal, anti-
inflammatory, antiemetic, carminative,
cicatrizing, choleretic, cholagogue,
cholecystokinetic, hepatoprotective, diuretic,
immunostimulent, sedative, laxative,
purgative, healing, emollient, vitaminizing and
many more, covering a wide range of
diseases and symptoms specific to humans.

43. Psychotherapy
• About 80% of the
diseases of our century
are caused by stress,
which is the strongest
factor in triggering
various diseases.
• Increasing mental
pressure brings
depression, anxiety,
insecurity, lack of
confidence in one's
own abilities, isolation,
etc.

44. Re-evaluation of
traditional therapeutics
• In the third millennium, we are witnessing a
re-evaluation of traditional therapeutic
methods, which have been adapted to the
scientific requirements specific to our day and
have been accepted by the medical world.
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
methods are not a fad in current therapeutics,
but a necessity, reflected by their widespread
use by most of the Earth's inhabitants.

45. The role of synthetic drugs in
therapy
• In our times, no one can dispute the
extraordinary role played by synthetic
drugs in the treatment of diseases
considered incurable, until their
appearance in therapy, about 150 years
ago, which is very little time in the
evolution of the human species.

46. The negative aspects of
synthetic drugs
• But synthetic drugs, in addition to the many benefits,
also have a number of negative aspects, such as:
• -they often produce side effects.
• -allopathic medicines are especially addressed to the
symptomatic treatment of various diseases and less to
their prevention (prophylaxis).
• -are expensive, making it difficult to budget for health
and thus become difficult to access in poor or developing
countries.
• -have limitations in the treatment of some diseases (
various forms of cancer, AIDS, malaria, TB, etc. )

47. The advantages of natural
therapies
• -they have an important role in the prevention of various diseases,
so they have a remarkable prophylactic effect.
• - do not produce, or rarely produce side effects, than synthetic
drugs.
• - can be administered to special categories of patients (infants,
pregnant women, the elderly, allergic persons, etc), in which
synthetic drugs are contraindicated or restricted.
• -they are cheaper than synthetic drugs, which makes them more
affordable for patients.
• -can be administered for a long time to chronic patients with:
hypertension, diabetes, rheumatism, etc., without causing addiction.
This fact is extremely important in a world that is getting older and
older and where there is an increase in the number of patients
suffering from various chronic diseases.

48. Integrative medicine
• For today's medicine, a combination of
allopathic and traditional medicine
methods is an effective way to prevent and
treat various acute and chronic diseases.
• Integrative medicine, which brings
together the exceptional achievements of
modern medicine, with the healing power
of various "gentle" therapies, is the way
forward in the 21st century.

49. Thank you very much for your
kind attention!