Are you curious about alternative medicine or wondering what it’s all about?
Alternative medicine is a very broad term that actually covers a variety of approaches, philosophies and therapeutic medical practices.
Some types of alternative medicine you may have heard of include:
- Acupuncture
- Naturopathy
- Chiropractics
- Homeopathy
- Ayurveda
Each of these types of alternative medicines differs in terms of how diagnoses are made, what treatments are available and how they’re able to help with different medical conditions.
Despite their differences, these and other types of alternative medicine practices have a few things in common.
Most alternative medicine practices:
- Developed outside mainstream Western medicine.
- Evolved long before conventional Western medicine practices.
- Involve “holistic” healing that treats the whole body.
- Focus on wellness and disease prevention.
- Are not rigorously tested scientifically with clinical trials.
- Work well as a compliment to conventional medical treatments.
What is “Holistic Healing?”
Holistic healing is a hallmark trait of many alternative medicine practices. It’s also a term that confuses many people.
Holistic healing means taking the whole body into account when treating a medical condition. This means looking at not just the physical body, but also the mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the person being treated.
The benefit of holistic healing is that underlying issues that are at the root cause of health conditions, illnesses and even injuries may be resolved. This can prevent medical problems from recurring, and it can also help patients avoid developing other medical conditions.
The idea of “holistic healing” is becoming more and more popular in mainstream culture today. Many people are beginning to see the value in thinking about a person as a “whole.” This is one reason alternative medicine is becoming more popular in Western societies today.
How do Alternative Medicine Practices Heal?
Instead of prescribing medications or other conventional medical procedures, alternative medicine uses treatments that are specific to each type of practice.
- Chiropractic medicine heals through muscular-skeletal manipulation.
- Homeopathy utilizes specially prepared natural “remedies” for healing.
- Aromatherapy relies on essential oils to promote healing.
- Color therapy exposes patients to colors in therapy sessions.
These are just a few of the examples of how different alternative medicine practices use specific treatments to heal.
Is Alternative Medicine Safe?
Alternative medicine practices may not be widely tested scientifically, but most have been safely used to heal patients for thousands of years! The only safety concern with alternative medicine involves working with an unskilled or inexperienced practitioner.
Is Alternative Medicine a Good “Alternative” to Western Medicine?
Nearly all alternative medicine practitioners today recommend a combined approach to treating health problems.
If a medical problem isn’t serious, it may be fine to opt for alternative medicine treatments without conventional medical treatments. It is very unlikely a practitioner will recommend you stop Western medical treatments and only rely on alternative medicine for health care.
More and more conventional health care practitioners are being educated about the value of alternative medicine today. Don’t be surprised to hear your doctor suggest a complimentary alternative medicine treatment for health issues he or she may be treating!
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