An Introduction to Alternative Medicine

There are a number of alternative medicine methods available these days. These are healing methods which are not conventional, meaning they have not been officially judged to be successful by medical boards. This does not necessarily mean they do not work.

Alternative medicine has become a big industry around the world and does not only include treatments involving medicine but other healing methods as well. They are also referred to as complimentary medicine. Some deal with disease, some deal with the body, while others deal with the mind.

Opinions of alternative medicine differ greatly. Some are reluctant to acknowledge that it can work as they don't trust something that is different and unproven. They worry that it hasn't been officially approved by medical bodies. Others are much more trusting with the attitude that if it can't do any harm then why not give it a go? Some even believe it comes down to attitude and that for it to work the patient needs to believe in it.

There are many types of alternative medicine, so let's look at some examples.

There are many herbal remedies used as an alternative medicine. Many of these originate from Asia, and especially China. Some herbal remedies have been used in these areas for many thousands of years. Natural properties are used that have been taken from plants and trees.

In the West the best known alternative therapy is probably Yoga, which originated from India many centuries ago. It is now vastly popular throughout the world, becoming particularly popular in the last few decades. Yoga consists of a system of physical exercises. The aim is to promote health and happiness through these physical activities. There is no actual medicine involved.

Acupuncture is another popular alternative therapy, with the treatment most commonly consisting of stimulating the body with needles. The aim is no alleviate pain, with the area of pain the part of the body where the stimulation is focussed upon. This practice used to be fairly controversial but has been much more widely accepted in recent years.

Homeopathy focuses on treating decease. A system of heavily diluted medicines are used to fight a variety of deceases. These medicines will sometimes contain symptoms similar to those in the decease the patient is attempting to overcome. This is why it must be diluted. Unconventional substances are used, for example substances found in animals and plants.

A form of alternative medicine that concentrates on the mind is Hypnotherapy. Here patients are put into a sleep-like state called hypnosis. This is used to get into the subconscious mind of the patient with the aim being to alter the mind to train the patient to think in a certain way. It can be used to assist the patient to quit smoking, to be more positive, or to get rid of tension or nerves.

Many used to be sceptical of alternative medicine, possibly even afraid. But now it is much more widely accepted, and even those who don't believe it can help are not afraid of it. Some methods that used to be considered alternative are even used by national health services.

Andrew Marshall (c)

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