Folk, Family, Faith, and The Role of Home Healing in Rural Healthcare
In a country where citizens are fortunate enough to have comprehensive healthcare, top-of-the line medical education, and cutting-edge biotechnology, it may seem difficult to rationalize the fact that many Americans go without medical care every year because they cannot access it. This happens for a multitude of reasons, but frequently occurs in rural areas where location, cost, and social barriers drive a gap between health needs and solutions. Due to the general lack of healthcare availability, rural residents have taken matters into their own hands over the years through the development of home remedies and alternative medicine that have roots in unique cultural backgrounds and beliefs surrounding the body. These antidotes can seem strange, but their users tend to genuinely believe in their efficacy even after receiving modern medical treatments. Although they may not be ideal, home remedies hold a special place in the hearts and minds of thousands of rural Americans. While it is important to acknowledge and work to solve the disparities these people face, one should also appreciate the rich histories, religions, and cultures that inspire the communities that have come together to be their own healers.
One large group of Americans who has been disproportionately impacted by a lack of access to healthcare is rural African-Americans. In one study exclusive to Black Americans, “69.6% reported that their families used home remedies and 35.4% reported that they used home remedies. Of the preparations used, 68.2% were home remedies or herbal preparations, 15.1%
were nonprescription drugs, and 16.7% could not be placed into one of the aforementioned categories and were classified as ‘other’” (Boyd et al. 344). This data serves as evidence for the notion that home remedies have a large prevalence in Black communities. The range of these practices is wide, including more basic ones such as over-the-counter drugs to concoctions of natural origins. When interviewed on her experience living in the rural South, Stephanie Atkinson described recollections of specific cures her family used growing up. She states, “So there were a lot of things when we were growing up, “Oh, just drink some honey,” and, “Just mix this.” And even still, probably five years ago, my grandma had this concoction that was some type of alcohol with a banana peel, and that was supposed to be for arthritis and leg pain and she was swearing by it, like, “This works.” She was dropping off bottles to everybody, like, “Try this if you’re having pain.” So I think they used a lot of home remedies. They just didn’t go to the doctor a lot” (17). Atkinson’s grandmother did not keep her solution to herself, but provided it to others and took on the role of an apothecary to alleviate the suffering of those around her. Although the idea of a banana peel curing arthritis may seem odd, it worked for her and became a staple in Stephanie’s life even after she came of age. Atkinson’s personal narrative serves as a prime example of the manner in which creativity and community help to develop the unique methods of alternative healing that carry generational legacies within these demographics.
Another study looks into the Appalachian region to gather first-hand perspectives on home remedies in the area as well as an explanation as to why they exist. It argues that “Limited access to resources may have led Appalachians to conclude that they have little personal power were nonprescription drugs, and 16.7% could not be placed into one of the aforementioned categories and were classified as ‘other’” (Boyd et al. 344). This data serves as evidence for the notion that home remedies have a large prevalence in Black communities. The range of these practices is wide, including more basic ones such as over-the-counter drugs to concoctions of natural origins. When interviewed on her experience living in the rural South, Stephanie Atkinson described recollections of specific cures her family used growing up. She states, “So there were a lot of things when we were growing up, “Oh, just drink some honey,” and, “Just mix this.” And even still, probably five years ago, my grandma had this concoction that was some type of alcohol with a banana peel, and that was supposed to be for arthritis and leg pain and she was swearing by it, like, “This works.” She was dropping off bottles to everybody, like, “Try this if you’re having pain.” So I think they used a lot of home remedies. They just didn’t go to the doctor a lot” (17). Atkinson’s grandmother did not keep her solution to herself, but provided it to others and took on the role of an apothecary to alleviate the suffering of those around her. Although the idea of a banana peel curing arthritis may seem odd, it worked for her and became a staple in Stephanie’s life even after she came of age. Atkinson’s personal narrative serves as a prime example of the manner in which creativity and community help to develop the unique methods of alternative healing that carry generational legacies within these demographics.
A study on Western North Carolina alone dives into a further evaluation of why home remedies are sometimes preferred to biomedical practices. It states “We expect greater use of home remedies in rural areas because rural residents are traditional in their attitudes and behaviors and because they have had less access to conventional health care” (Arcury et al. 94). This provides the perspective that “southern attitude,” that is in part the belief “if it ain’t [sec] broke, don’t fix it” contributes to this preference. It also goes without saying that southerners tend to rely on the traditions and beliefs of those who came before them, so it is possible that this trait could have an impact. For example, Williams recalls “Grandma Indie, Granny, my father’s mother, she would stir stuff up, boil stuff, and, “Here, take this.” “I don’t want to take that.” “No!” She would have a jar—I declare, we were talking about this the other day—beside her bed upstairs. She had a jar of something brown. It didn’t mold from year to year, it didn’t fuzz up. It was something brown. We don’t know what that stuff was, but she would pour it, “Here, take this.” And we would line up” (15). Williams did not want to partake in her Grandmother’s concoction, but she did it out of love and respect, which speaks to the values of local North Carolinians and offers an explanation as to why they trust and uphold alternative remedies.
For communities like African-Americans, Appalachians, and Western North Carolinians, home remedies are not just a substitute for the modern medical care they have trouble accessing. More importantly, they are an expression of their heritage, the culmination of their values, and the preservation of their familial bonds. Alternative medicine is a symbol of how rural residents have adapted in the face of adversity and how they continue to take a strong role in managing their own health. Although improving access to care would be a blessing for these people, it is important that the healthcare industry respects their ways of approaching medicine and the remedies that have maintained their well-being. Bridging this gap will take cultural competence and effort to adapt from both sides, but it is certainly a step forward to curing the United States’ healthcare inequities.
Works Cited
Arcury, Thomas A., et al. “Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Rural Residents in Western North Carolina.” Complementary Health Practice Review, vol. 9, no. 2, Sage Publications, 2004, pp. 93-102. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076167503253433.
Atkinson, Stephanie. Interview with Maddy Kameny. 25 June 2018 (Y-0003). Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007), Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Barish, Rachel, et al. “Use of Complementary and Alternative Healthcare Practices Among Persons Served by a Remote Area Medical Clinic.” Family and Community Health, vol. 31, no. 3, Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc., 2008, pp. 221-227. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.FCH.0000324479.32836.6b.
Boyd, Eddie L., et al. “An Assessment of Home Remedy Use by African Americans.” Journal of the National Medical Association, vol. 92, no. 7, 2000, pp. 341-353. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2608585/.
Williams, Sandra. Interview with Bill Kearney and Susie Penman. 27 June 2019 (Y-0139). Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007), Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.