{"title":"Healing hands: a traditional bone-setting practice in South Wollo, Kelala Woreda Ethiopia.","authors":"Girum Melkamu Tadesse, Endris Kassaw","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00812-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In many rural regions of Ethiopia, traditional bone-setting remains a key form of healthcare, especially where formal medical services are scarce or inaccessible. Although deeply rooted in cultural practice, it is often dismissed in biomedical discourse due to its informal and non-scientific methods. This study investigates the lived experiences, knowledge systems, and treatment practices of traditional bone setters in Kelala Woreda, South Wollo Zone, within the Amhara Regional State. Using ethnographic methods, including participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the research captures how traditional knowledge is passed down through generations and explores the motivations behind patients' continued reliance on bone setters over modern medical alternatives. The findings indicate that this form of healing is more than a medical intervention; it is a socially and spiritually grounded practice that fosters community trust and cohesion. Furthermore, the research highlights a lack of scholarly and policy attention to the anthropological significance of these practices. By offering a nuanced understanding of traditional bone-setting from a cultural perspective, this study calls for a more integrated approach to health systems that recognizes and respects indigenous healing methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"61"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465272/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-025-00812-1","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In many rural regions of Ethiopia, traditional bone-setting remains a key form of healthcare, especially where formal medical services are scarce or inaccessible. Although deeply rooted in cultural practice, it is often dismissed in biomedical discourse due to its informal and non-scientific methods. This study investigates the lived experiences, knowledge systems, and treatment practices of traditional bone setters in Kelala Woreda, South Wollo Zone, within the Amhara Regional State. Using ethnographic methods, including participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the research captures how traditional knowledge is passed down through generations and explores the motivations behind patients' continued reliance on bone setters over modern medical alternatives. The findings indicate that this form of healing is more than a medical intervention; it is a socially and spiritually grounded practice that fosters community trust and cohesion. Furthermore, the research highlights a lack of scholarly and policy attention to the anthropological significance of these practices. By offering a nuanced understanding of traditional bone-setting from a cultural perspective, this study calls for a more integrated approach to health systems that recognizes and respects indigenous healing methods.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine publishes original research focusing on cultural perceptions of nature and of human and animal health. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine invites research articles, reviews and commentaries concerning the investigations of the inextricable links between human societies and nature, food, and health. Specifically, the journal covers the following topics: ethnobotany, ethnomycology, ethnozoology, ethnoecology (including ethnopedology), ethnogastronomy, ethnomedicine, ethnoveterinary, as well as all related areas in environmental, nutritional, and medical anthropology.
Research focusing on the implications that the inclusion of humanistic, cultural, and social dimensions have in understanding the biological word is also welcome, as well as its potential projections in public health-centred, nutritional, and environmental policies.