Alternative Medicine

Alternative Medicine And Therapy

Alternative health is based predominantly on the ‘natural healing model’ which uses herbal medicine, diet therapy, orthomolecular medicine, exercise, indigenous therapies, and energy healing to promote health. Alternative therapies may also include anything from aromatherapy, yoga, reiki, hydrotherapy, magnetic therapy, meditation, acupuncture, and many other techniques used by others for thousands of years. Many modern sciences continue to use alternative treatments to complement modern medical treatments. People around the world still use these alternative treatments because they work and have been a cultural tradition.

There is a growing form of Western medicine called Integrated Medicine. This new way of thinking is a great combination of traditional and modern energy healing, and western medicine.

Why is it Called Complementary and Alternative Medicine?

Alternative therapies were the only known treatments prior to the discovery of antibiotics, and other modern medical treatments. Alternative Medicine is the original safe and proven medicine. They provide treatment for people who are dealing with chronic pain and illness.

Some Alternative Medical Systems

Biologically Based Therapies

Biologically based therapies involve supplementing a person’s diet with additional extracts, nutrients, herbs and/or certain foods. Alternative therapies are non-conventional practices that treat patients using supplements, acupuncture, hypnosis, and many other techniques. Biologically based therapies generally use supplements that include botanicals, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, proteins and probiotics. There have been studies in which scientist are constantly proving that foods, vitamins, and minerals are useful in combating disease such as the broccoli cancer connection or the wine heart attack connection. Also, improved quality and acceptable pricing caused millions of people to turn to biologically based therapies to help them with their health problems.

Mind-Body Based Therapies

Mind-body therapies are a set of interventions that focus on the interplay between emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors and their influence on health. Examples of some of the therapies used include tai chi, reiki, hypnosis, art, movement sound, and music therapy, meditation, and yoga. These therapies utilize various techniques aimed to enhance the mind’s capacity to stimulate natural healing, affect bodily functions, and ease symptoms.

Manipulative Body-Based Techniques

Manipulative body-based practices are considered alternative therapies. These techniques include Alexander Technique, Rolfing or Structural Integration, Cranial Sacral, and Chiropractic. These therapies generally focus on the structures and systems of the body, including the bones and joints, the soft tissues, and the circulatory and lymphatic systems.

Do you want more information?

There are a plethora of websites that lists the name, contact information and other basic and detailed descriptions of holistic practitioners in each practice area.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a recommendation or referral to alternative medicine practices. Please make sure to evaluate your practitioner before selecting to ensure they are in the field that is right for you.

An Introduction to Oriental Medicine

Oriental Medicine (OM) is one of the major forms of alternative medicine that is primarily based on the concept of balanced flow of energy through human bodies. It is one of the major traditional Chinese medical practices that primarily include some of the traditional therapies and oriental diagnosis. Practiced for almost 2000 years now, this is one of its own kinds of medicinal system that generally classifies body patterns into the different types of diagnoses with corresponding treatment plans.

The most commonly known treatment method of Oriental Medicine is acupuncture. In this form of treatment, very fine needles are inserted into the body at specific locations just to balance the flow of energy. However, this practice not just includes acupuncture, but also herbal medicine, nutrition, Tui Na (a major type of therapeutic massage), and Qi Gong (popular as breathing exercises). The most interesting part is each of them shares the long history, practice, and effectiveness in dealing with different sort of illnesses and maintenance of good health.

Moreover, the fundamentals of this system of medicine even make use of images and descriptions from nature to explain the relation of health and disease. Just for an example – Yin and Yang is generally referred to the shady and sunny side of a mountain. Adding to this, the five major elements mainly Earth, Metal, Fire, Water, and Wood are yet another vital paradigm of health and disease. This is yet another system in Oriental medicine system that allows for a more inclusive explanation of the cycles of nature and the interaction of different forces.

Today this form of alternative medicine system has gained worldwide recognition and many people are looking to make their career in this field. In fact, almost millions of people have turned towards it, and many students are even looking forward to making a career as an oriental medicine doctor. So if you are planning to make a career in this field then you need to enroll yourself in an oriental, naturopathy or holistic medicine program. Enrolling in this medicine course is very helpful and useful as it gives one training in addition to vast practical exposure. Apart from this, the major benefit of this oriental medicine program is once you complete the program, you gain the knowledge on anatomy, physiology and other traditional Chinese medicine theory and practices.

Once you complete the course you would also be able to perform collaboratively in a wide range of healthcare settings, including multidisciplinary clinics and hospitals. In fact, you would be able to exhibit elementary knowledge of the past and philosophical foundations of oriental medicine, as well as its diverse medical theories and clinical approaches.