Alternative Medicine
Learn about alternative treatments to illnesses
Alternative medicine refers to the practice of medicine that is not mainstream, meaning that alternative, natural therapies are used in place of common, invasive medical procedures. More and more, people are starting to turn to alternative therapies as ways to combat common ailments and physical discomfort. Though alternative medicine is not really recognized by the medical establishment as a whole, it is slowly gaining credence among some doctors, and naturopaths are now able to classify themselves as "doctors of naturopathic medicine." Some companies will even cover natural remedies up to a point, showing that this form of medicine may be beneficial to the human body.
About Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicine is defined as any healing practice that does not fall within the borders of conventional medicine. Alternative medicine focuses on the mind-body connection; namely, that the right state of mind, combined with the right therapies, can help you to feel better from almost any illness. Most commonly, alternative treatments may include:
- Acupressure – this type of therapy uses pressure points to stimulate different centers of the brain and help to relieve common ailments like pain, nausea, headache and even respiratory problems.
- Acupuncture – an ancient Chinese therapy, acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years. Many people use it not only for physical ailments, but also for psychological problems. It involves the use of small needles placed on different centers of the body in order to stimulate that part of the brain.
- Chinese medicine and Indian medicine – use of techniques like aromatherapy, Ayurvedic therapies, massage, chelation therapy and herbal supplements can help to relieve many different symptoms of diseases and ailments. Often, these therapies are offered to people suffering from chronic pain or cancer. While natural medicine does not promise to cure these ailments, it does offer some relief from debilitating symptoms.
Allergies are often a main theme of natural medicine – many naturopaths believe that sensitivity to food and environmental triggers in the air can cause digestive and respiratory upsets. Naturopaths may attempt to diagnose problems through use of allergy testing and diet readjustment.
Alternative medicine is not for everyone. Be sure to do your research before attempting to try any alternative therapies to see if they're right for you.
