Healing hands: a traditional bone-setting practice in South Wollo, Kelala Woreda Ethiopia.

IF 3.7 2区 医学 Q1 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Girum Melkamu Tadesse, Endris Kassaw
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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.

治愈之手:埃塞俄比亚克拉拉沃勒达南沃勒的传统植骨做法。
在埃塞俄比亚的许多农村地区,传统的植骨仍然是一种关键的保健形式,特别是在正规医疗服务稀缺或难以获得的地方。尽管它深深植根于文化实践,但由于其非正式和非科学的方法,它经常在生物医学话语中被忽视。本研究调查了阿姆哈拉州南沃罗区克拉拉沃勒达地区传统植骨师的生活经验、知识体系和治疗实践。使用人种学方法,包括参与观察和半结构化访谈,该研究捕捉了传统知识是如何代代相传的,并探讨了患者继续依赖植骨器而不是现代医疗选择背后的动机。研究结果表明,这种形式的治疗不仅仅是一种医疗干预;这是一种以社会和精神为基础的实践,可以促进社区信任和凝聚力。此外,该研究还强调了对这些做法的人类学意义缺乏学术和政策关注。通过从文化角度对传统植骨提供细致入微的理解,本研究呼吁对卫生系统采取更加综合的方法,承认并尊重土著治疗方法。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
7.30
自引率
16.70%
发文量
66
审稿时长
>12 weeks
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.
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