Definition of healer – What it is, Meaning and Concept

In order to know the meaning of the term healer, it is necessary to discover, first of all, its etymological origin. In this case, we can establish that it is a word that derives from Latin, it is exactly the result of the sum of two clearly differentiated components of that language:
-The verb “curare”, which can be translated as “care” or “raise”.
-The suffix “-ero”, which is used to indicate “trade”.

A medicine man is someone who does not have an official title to exercise the medicine but anyway develops healing practices. These people exercise the call traditional medicine, which is based on beliefs, experiences and practices that may or may not be explainable.

Healers can take care of healing diseases physical or mental by supplying Natural medicine (herbs, flowers, etc.) or massages. In some cases they appeal to the participation of divinities or the spirits in the process. In this way the healing takes on a magical edge.

Although a healer claims that his rituals have healing effects, that claim cannot be supported by evidence obtained through the scientific method. Therefore, its effectiveness cannot be confirmed by the science.

The curandería arose in the towns of the antiquity. With the advance of the history many of its practices began to be combined with elements and actions of western or scientific medicine, generating a syncretism. Today, there are towns where healers work together with doctors to improve the health of the population.

The Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province (Argentina), for example, prompted the creation of a intercultural health center through which a mapuche healer (the lonko or chief of his community) is in contact with the provincial health system. A similar initiative was developed in the Argentine province of Neuquen to integrate the work of healers to the assistance of Health provided by the State.

In the same way, it must be taken into account that in other corners of the world, healers or shamans are also true authorities within the population. This happens, for example, in Africa. Hence, in many cases medical institutions and health professionals run into the problem that people trust more in those than in medicine and science.

For this reason, they have found it necessary to bring positions closer to healers and to teach them new practices, techniques and medications that are effective so that they can use them to treat their patients.

In other corners of the world what emerge are healers who call themselves as such and who present themselves as capable of curing the most serious diseases when it is a lie. So much so that there are many complaints received by many of those individuals who take advantage of the pain of the sick and their anguish or fear in order to obtain interesting economic benefits without providing any improvement to the health and well-being of those who come to them.