One of the true beauties of medicine is that it comprises many fields of study and research. You can choose to specialize in children or the elderly. You can focus on a person’s teeth or his spinal cord. If you are passionate about sports, you can help athletes recover from injury, and if you like kids, you can delve into child psychology.
Whatever you choose, certain trends are leading the way. Let us look at some of them.
Orthopedics
One of the biggest fears a lot of people have is going through a surgical procedure. For some reason, even though technology continues to develop and the efficiency of anesthetics is at an all-time high, human beings are still afraid of going under the knife. It is especially true in kids and teenagers as many of them shy away from even a visit to the dentist.
Luckily, we live in an age where advancements in medical technology now allow for non-surgical care of many common musculoskeletal traumas and sports injuries. An example of this is non-invasive scoliosis treatments that not only improve muscle strength but also prevent future progression of the disease. Even if you have already undergone spinal fusion surgery, there are ample options to speed up your recovery.
Dentistry
In the 21st century, any self-respecting dentist will have a 3D printer at his disposal. And if he doesn’t, he is probably in the process of placing an order for one or working with another doctor who does. There are several reasons for this.
First, even though 3D printing technology does not yet allow for the creation of vital organs such as the heart, the kidneys, the liver, or the brain, it does permit medical practitioners in the dental field to create custom dentures, crowns, and prosthetics. Second, we are living in a time when patients will soon expect the quick delivery of their dental devices. If you cannot provide them to them, they will look elsewhere. Finally, 3D printing not only makes things faster and more convenient, but it is also cheaper than going through regular procedures and uses innovative materials that blend seamlessly with the natural organs inside your mouth.
Cosmetic Surgery
Many believe the concept of semi-permanent and permanent makeup came from the East Asian country of South Korea. Whether this is true or it originated somewhere else, one cannot deny that over the past few years, more and more people are making use of this technique to provide themselves with beautiful eyes, brows, and lips.
Today, the idea of having a plastic surgeon or “artist” place a permanent tattoo on your face has expanded into much more advanced procedures that include micro-needling and treatments for skin diseases. No matter if your skin complexion is that of a Hollywood movie star or one ravaged by the sun, rain, and all other natural elements, you can find a solution that will leave you looking gorgeous today, tomorrow, and every other day for the rest of your life.
Nutrition and Dietetics
One of the many premises of Chinese Traditional Medicine is the use of herbs and other natural ingredients as a source for dietary therapies to improve on a wide variety of medical conditions. As the western world learns more about this ancient science, we are starting to understand that there is indeed substance to the claims that food can serve as medicine.
Of course, no matter what you eat or drink, a broken bone will not heal without a cast. Still, had you eaten the right dishes with the proper nutritional content, it might not have broken in the first place.
Currently, we are becoming more and more familiar with terms like amino acids, omega-3 fats, fruits that prevent inflammation and aid in recovery, and antioxidants that protect our bodies from disease.
Geriatrics
Unless you have been in a submarine at the bottom of the ocean or hiding under a rock, you are well aware of the covid-19 global pandemic and its effects on the older citizens of our societies. Even if quarantine measures have started to ease in many countries worldwide, several nations still do not allow people over 65 years old into their restaurants, barbershops, and shopping malls.
And there is a reason for this. When people reach the third part of their lives, they are generally weaker. Their immune systems are not as potent as they once were, and the risk of infection is much higher than their younger counterparts.
Still, as the years go by and medical technology in gerontology continues to develop, the elderly seem to have acquired a new sense of life and vitality. Even though age isn’t just a number, what it represents is much different from the past.
We have seen trends in five of the most important areas of medicine. They continue to define how we eat, take care of ourselves, see our faces in the mirror, and aim for longer, better lives.