Erfahrungsmedizin

Empirical medicine comprises a variety of methods and examination procedures that have developed in different cultures as a result of many years of observing patients and the course of their illnesses, which are used to diagnose and treat health complaints or are suitable for prevention.

Empirical medicine methods can be used both as a supplement to conventional, scientific medicine (conventional medicine) and to strengthen one's own resources. They are characterized by a comprehensive understanding of health, but differ in their approach, their concepts and their explanatory models.

In contrast to conventional medicine, experiential medicine does not gain its knowledge from controlled clinical studies, but from individual observations of progress and therapy. As individual therapy observations have less scientific evidence, the methods of experiential medicine are often controversial.

Experiential medicine is "in": many people value methods such as osteopathy or shiatsu and use them for preventive healthcare or as a supplement to conventional medicine. In Switzerland, a clear majority of the population voted in favor of strengthening complementary/experiential medicine in 2009.