Prehispanic Healing Practices in Indigenous Communities of the Zongolica Sierra in Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Background: Traditional medicine in Mexico has a long history and It is part of a pattern of medical care that has been maintained for centuries by traditional doctors or midwives and by people who recognize them as key players in the community. Methods: We worked in the Nahua community of Zongolica Veracruz through several interventions in health, some education and prevention campaigns, productive workshops that have allowed closer ties among researchers and community members, and especially between the group of doctors and midwives. We have done over one hundred semi-directed interviews to report the prehispanic healing practices in indigenous communities of the Zongolica Sierra in Veracruz. Results: Midwives attend regular monthly visits to women who are pregnant, calculating with them the day of childbirth, and the midwives include a follow-up of 40 days after childbirth. Conclusion: This research process showed that traditional medicine is not opposed to institutional medicine, as long as kept a respectful attitude toward both models. Even, both medicine types in practice are complementary each other in a community setting.

Keywords: Midwives, Traditional medicine, Health, Knee, Childbirth.