Alternative therapy refers to any medical practice that is not a traditional medical technique. Alternative therapies can be used alongside or in place of conventional medicine. This term is often used interchangeably with “complementary medicine.” In the medical field, this practice is called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) distinguishes between complementary and alternative medicine. According to them, it is complementary when used together with traditional medicine, but considered an alternative medicine when used in place of conventional medicine. However, most people will likely use these treatments in conjunction with traditional medicine.
When a licensed health care provider uses both alternative and conventional medicine, it is called integrative medicine. Physicians and healthcare professionals who use integrative medicine use a full range of treatments to ensure the health of their patients.
In this article, you will learn about the most common forms of alternative therapy and how to practice them.
Classification of alternative therapies
There are many types of alternative therapies. Over the years, many of these treatments have migrated to conventional medicine. Alternative therapies can be divided into many categories. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine classifies complementary and alternative therapies as:
- nutritional approach: This includes diet, nutritional supplements, probiotics, and herbs used in alternative and complementary therapies.
- physiological approach: This includes practicing alternative therapies such as meditation and hypnosis.
- Physical approach: This includes treatments such as acupuncture and massage.
- Physiological and physical combination: It is a therapy that affects the mind and body at the same time. These include yoga, tai chi, dance therapy, and many others.
Most alternative therapies fall into one of these categories. Some of the most widely practiced ones are discussed below.
ayurveda
ayurveda It focuses on using specific herbs, massage, and diet to treat symptoms. This is an ancient Indian custom and has been used for thousands of years.
Ayurvedic treatments typically include cleansing processes, herbal remedies, special diets, yoga, massage, and meditation. Research has shown that Ayurvedic medicine can help treat conditions such as osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, and colitis (inflamed colon).
meditation
The practice of meditation has been around for centuries. Although there are many different types of meditation, the main purpose of meditation practice is to help you focus your attention and achieve a state of calm and relaxation. This can help address specific disorders and improve overall health and well-being.
Meditation effectively treats symptoms of mental health conditions such as high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety.
homeopathy
Homeopathy uses very diluted substances to treat many ailments from asthma to high blood pressure. This is based on the principle that substances that cause symptoms can also treat those symptoms.
Homeopaths, or people who practice homeopathy, believe that the more diluted a substance is, the more power it has to treat symptoms. There is a lot of skepticism about the practice of homeopathy in the traditional medical community.
In 2017, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) recommended that healthcare providers stop offering homeopathy because there was no evidence to support its use.
hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to treat specific symptoms. The hypnosis process involves being guided into a deeply relaxed state and allowing the hypnotherapist to access your subconscious thoughts and beliefs.
If you have this condition, a hypnotherapist will make suggestions to help you change your behavior or relieve your symptoms. For example, hypnotherapy can be used to treat addiction and manage stress.
Contrary to popular belief, during hypnosis you have complete control over your thoughts and actions and can refuse suggestions from your hypnotherapist.
acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves inserting thin, sharp needles into areas of the body known as acupuncture points. This practice has historically been used as a natural pain relief technique. The needles are thought to stimulate specific nerves and muscles, which release natural pain-relieving hormones in the body.
In a 2016 study, researchers found that acupuncture has some efficacy in treating tension and chronic headaches.
yoga
Although some people may think of yoga as just a type of exercise, it has been used as a healing technique for centuries. This ancient Indian custom has been proven to improve the physical and mental health of those who practice it.
Yoga has also been proven to help reduce stress, manage anxiety, and manage pain. Yoga is relatively safe. However, if you are a beginner, we recommend practicing with a certified instructor to avoid sprains and strains.
Massage
You probably already know a lot about massage. It may not just be something to consider as a treatment option. Massage focuses on treating physical symptoms such as pain in specific parts of the body. It is done by massaging the soft tissues of the body until you feel a sense of relief. There are different types of massages, and which type you get usually depends on the goal you’re trying to achieve with the massage.
herbal medicine
In herbal medicine, plant parts such as leaves, seeds, and roots are processed to treat conditions such as chronic pain and allergies. Herbal medicine comes in many forms, from teas to lotions, tablets, and powders.
There is some controversy over their use, as some herbal medicines can be harmful or react dangerously with conventional medicines. It is important to inform your doctor before trying herbal medicine.
Common herbal remedies include:
- St. John’s Wort to treat mild depressive symptoms
- Green tea helps with weight loss and lowers cholesterol
- Ginkgo biloba is effective for poor blood circulation
- Saw palmetto to treat enlarged prostate
chiropractic medicine
Chiropractic medicine is performed by people called chiropractors. This form of alternative therapy aims to relieve pain and improve body function. It uses specific techniques to manipulate the spine, joints, and skeletal system to help adjust the body’s position.
Chiropractic medicine is similar to traditional medicine because the chiropractor takes your medical history, performs both an examination and interview, and makes a formal diagnosis before developing a treatment plan.
Reiki
Reiki is an ancient Japanese alternative therapy. It is based on the idea that “life energy” flows within your body. When this energy decreases, we become ill.
Reiki aims to restore this energy by placing hands on different parts of the body. Doing so will help resolve any physical or psychological problems you may have. It is a type of energy therapy.
Use of alternative therapies
In the United States, approximately 30% of adults and 12% of children have used complementary and alternative therapies.
Alternative therapies have been used alongside or in place of traditional medicine to treat many of the conditions that affect you.
Alternative therapies such as yoga, acupuncture, meditation, massage, and herbal therapy have been used to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and chronic pain.
Before starting any alternative therapy, consult your doctor to ensure that it will not interfere with your current traditional medical plan.
Are alternative treatments safe and effective?
Further research is needed into the safety and effectiveness of alternative treatments. While some techniques, such as meditation, yoga, and massage, have been used for many years and are widely accepted in the traditional medical community, others, such as homeopathy and Reiki, are still viewed with skepticism.
As for safety, many alternative treatments have been used for centuries with little to no safety concerns.
A word from Berrywell
It is also important to do extensive research on the safety and effectiveness of a particular alternative treatment before choosing it.
It is also important to do extensive research on the safety and effectiveness of a particular alternative treatment before choosing it. Alternative therapies such as meditation, yoga, and acupuncture have been used for many years and are considered safe and beneficial.
Your doctor will likely suggest conventional medicine, but it doesn’t hurt to get their opinion on any alternative treatments you’d like to try before doing so.
