The Five Main Types of Alternative Medicines

The Five Main Types of Alternative Medicines

Alternative medicine is a term that describes methods and practices used in place of conventional medical treatments. Many people use alternative medicines in addition with conventional medicines to complement them. There are mainly five alternative types of medicines, which include different alternative medicinal treatments.

1.Alternative Medical Systems

Alternative medical system is an entire system of theory and practice, which include more than one type of treatment like Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Homeopathy and many more.

• Acupuncture: It is one of the most widely used alternative medicine treatments, which involves the use of fine needles. Specific points on the body are stimulated by inserting very fine needles into the skin and underlying tissues during acupuncture. In some cases additional stimulation is added by warming the needle or with a very low voltage electrical current. The flow of energy cannot be blocked or suppressed and must be redirected. Stimulating these specific points is believed to unblock the flow of energy. Though this procedure is not painful but it may cause a tingling sensation. Acupuncture not only acts as a natural painkiller but also helps to relieve the nausea and vomiting that commonly occur after surgery. There are very less side effects of acupuncture.
• Homeopathy: It is based on the principle that "like is cured by like". The treatment provided goes along with the body's own efforts to regain health rather than against it. Homeopathy treats health problems with very diluted doses of the same substance that when taken in larger doses, could actually cause the symptoms of a disease. In other words, a substance that in large doses causes illness is believed to cure the same illness if given in minute doses. Homeopathy involves use of the remedies, which are derived from naturally occurring substances, such as plant extracts and minerals that are used to stimulate the body's innate capacity to heal. The more dilute the homeopathic medicine, the stronger it is considered to be. There may be very few side effects associated with homeopathy.
• Ayurveda: Ayurveda which means science of life is originated in India and is based on the theory that illness results from the imbalance of the body's life force. Ayurveda uses diet, exercise, meditation, yoga, herbs, and internal cleansing to achieve the harmony of body, mind, and spirit and restore balance within the body and with nature.
• Naturopathy: Naturopathy uses body's natural healing abilities in prevention and treatment of disease through a healthy lifestyle. It builds immunity, improves mental health, and enhances body functions. Naturopathy mainly focuses on finding the cause of the disease rather than merely treating the symptoms of disease. It uses diet, homeopathy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, herbal medicine, and other therapies to return the body to a state where it can heal itself.

2.Mind-Body Interventions

Mind-body techniques are based on the theory that the mental and emotional factors can affect the body's functions and symptoms. Methods such as meditation, relaxation, and biofeedback come under mind-body techniques.

• Meditation and Relaxation: Meditation means sitting or resting quietly, often with the eyes closed, which stills the mind for greater self-awareness. Meditation also helps in reduction of pain and relieving stress. It also involves sometimes the repetitive sounding of a mantra, which helps the person to focus. Meditation promotes relaxation. Relaxation techniques are aimed at relaxing muscles and quieting the mind and are mainly designed to relieve tension and strain. It is also used as an alternative treatment for insomnia.
• Hypnosis: Hypnosis is a sort of conscious sleep or trance that can help people deal with addictions, pain or anxiety disorders. In hypnosis, a person is put into an advanced state of relaxation in which he is relatively unaware of his surroundings but not entirely unconscious about it. A hypnotized person follows the instructions given by the hypnotherapist and tends not to be consciously aware of the experiences he is undergoing. Hypnosis can be used to treat some physical illness caused due to psychologic stress and conflict.
• Biofeedback: Biofeedback is type of therapy in which people are trained to exercise some control over the way their bodies work and involves measuring a subject's bodily processes such as blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature using electronic sensors. Biofeedback helps a person to be more aware of what his body is doing, and to bring reactions under control. Biofeedback also helps in treating pain stress, insomnia and headache.

3.Biologically Based Treatments

Biologically based treatments mainly involve the use of chemicals derived from natural sources including foods and herbs.

• Herbal Medicine: Herbal medicine is a system, which uses various remedies derived from plants and their extracts to treat disorders and maintain good health. The strength of herbs lies in the unique and complex properties of the original natural substance. Either a whole single herb or a mixture of different herbs can be used. Though herbal medicine exhibits a slower and deeper action they assist the body to eliminate and detoxify, thus taking care of the problem that’s causing the symptoms. Herbal medicines are available as extracts, tinctures, infusions, pills, and powders.
• Orthomolecular Medicine: Orthomolecular medicine involves the use of proper nutrition or nutritional supplements to maintain and restore health. Nutritional supplements like glucoglycosamines are used for arthritis. Orthomolecular medicine uses combinations of minerals, vitamins and amino acids normally found in the body to treat specific conditions. More exotic biologically based treatments include treating cardiovascular disease by using chelation therapy and treating cancer with shark cartilage.

4.Energy Therapies.

Energy therapies mainly focus on the energy fields thought to exist in and around the body. People who work with energy therapies attempt to affect fields of energy that surround and pass through the body. They also involve the use of electromagnetic fields to influence health and healing.

• Reiki: Reiki is a technique, which uses the channeling and flow of energy through the body to improve health and promote healing.
• Therapeutic Touch: This technique uses the therapist's healing energy to identify and repair imbalances in a person's biofield. They believe that by placing their hands on or near a patient's body they can direct energy and correct disturbances.
• Bioelectromagnetic-based Therapies: Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies use pulsed energy or magnetic fields to alter the body's electromagnetic fields and cure illness. Magnets have become a popular treatment for various musculoskeletal conditions and even to relieve pain.

5.Manipulative and Body-based Therapies

These therapies focus on moving or realigning body parts. Body-based therapies include techniques that treat various conditions through bodily manipulation.

• Chiropractic: Chiropractic is based on the theory that disease conditions result from misalignments of body structures, especially the spine. Due to this misalignment pressure is placed on the nerve roots as they exit the spinal column resulting in decreased function of the nerve and the organs that they serve. The treatment for achieving this balance is spinal manipulation to restore correct alignment and full working order. Researches have shown chiropractic to be effective in treating low back pain.
• Osteopathy: Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment by manipulation that mainly focuses on musculo-skeletal problems. It differs from chiropractic in its underlying theory that it is impairment of blood supply and not nerve supply that leads to problems. Doctors of osteopathy use manipulation plus traditional medicine to cure problems.
• Massage Therapy: Massage therapy has become an important part of health care for many people living in today's stressful world. It is the manipulation of body tissues to promote wellness and reduce pain and stress. It plays an important role in treating illness or chronic ailments, and contributes to a higher sense of general well being. It involves a variety of techniques such as stroking or kneading for applying pressure to specific points. Massage therapy may cause side effects and should not be used in people who have infectious or contagious skin diseases.
• Reflexology: Reflexology is the practice of stimulating points on the feet, hands and ears to improve health or give a beneficial effect on some other parts of the body. It is commonly performed on the particular areas of foot that are believed to correspond to different organs or systems of the body. This helps to eliminate the blockage of energy responsible for pain or disease in the corresponding body part.