What is alternative therapy and how does it work?
| July 12, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. Acupuncture is an effective form of alternative medicine that has proven to treat over 20 conditions including depression, hypertension and stroke, according to...
Are alternative medicine therapies worth it?
Evidenced-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) are some of the most effective at treating anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Are You using non-conventional therapies to treat medical problems?
May 10, 2022 · Psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown promise as a treatment for depression. New research published in Cannabis finds that cannabis users expected that cannabis-assisted therapy could produce similar subjective experiences and have similar therapeutic benefits for the treatment of depression as psilocybin-assisted treatment.
What are complementary and alternative medicines?
These two tendencies complicate assessments of alternative therapies (nontraditional therapies that claim to cure certain ailments). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has shown some effectiveness—not from the eye movement but rather from the exposure therapy nature of the treatments.
What is alternative medicine?
In general, the term “alternative therapy” refers to any health treatment not standard in Western medical practice. When used alongside standard medical practices, alternative approaches are referred to as “complementary” medicine. Beyond that, complementary and alternative therapies are difficult to define, largely because the field is so diverse.
Is chiropractic a complementary or alternative medicine?
Chiropractic medicine. Chiropractic work is widely accepted in the medical community, and thus qualifies more as a “complementary” medicine than alternative. The practice focuses on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, treating issues in the back, neck, joints, arms, legs, and head.
What is complementary medicine?
When used alongside standard medical practices, alternative approaches are referred to as “complementary” medicine. Beyond that, complementary and alternative therapies are difficult to define, largely because the field is so diverse. It encompasses diet and exercise changes, hypnosis, chiropractic adjustment, and poking needles into ...
What is the treatment for naturopathy?
Naturopathy typically involves a variety of treatment techniques, including nutrition, behavioral changes, herbal medicine, homeopathy, and acupuncture. 1. Acupressure. Acupressure is similar in practice to acupuncture (see below), only no needles are involved.
Is acupressure the same as acupuncture?
Acupressure is similar in practice to acupuncture (see below), only no needles are involved. Practitioners use their hands, elbows, or feet to apply pressure to specific points along the body’s “meridians.”
Does acupressure help with pain?
Acupressure may also offer pain relief. In 2014, researchers did a review of existing studies and found that acupressure could relieve a range of issues, including pesky lower back pain, headaches, and even labor pain. Chen YW, et al. (2014). The effectiveness of acupressure on relieving pain: a systematic review.
How long has aromatherapy been around?
It’s a practice that can be traced back to at least 5,000 years ago . Stefiltisch W. (2017). Aromatherapy — From traditional and scientific evidence into clinical practice.
What is alternative therapy?
Alternative therapies are often promoted as options to use for cancer instead of the standard medical treatments. For example, instead of chemotherapy, some people promote taking a particular herb or supplement or avoiding specific foods. Alternative therapies are disproved or unstudied methods that do not treat cancer.
What are complementary therapies?
Complementary therapies can help people cope with the side effects of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other treatments. Alternative therapies are often promoted as options to use for cancer instead of the standard medical treatments.
Is complementary medicine safe?
Evaluating Complementary and Alternative Therapies. Research shows that some complementary therapies are safe and effective when used with standard cancer treatment. Complementary therapies can help people cope with the side effects of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other treatments. Alternative therapies are often promoted as ...
Is it safe to use complementary medicine for cancer?
Research shows that some complementary therapies are safe and effective when used with standard cancer treatment. Complementary therapies can help people cope with the side effects of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other treatments. Alternative therapies are often promoted as options to use for cancer instead ...
What is alternative medicine?
The organization defines alternative medicine as any non-conventional interventions that are used instead of conventional treatments, not in conjunction with them. Interventions like yoga, acupuncture, herbal remedies and massage therapy may be alternative treatments, but are considered alternative medicine only when they're used in place ...
Is alternative medicine considered a conventional medicine?
The organization defines alternative medicine as any non-conventional interventions that are used instead of conventional treatments, not in conjunction with them. Interventions like yoga, acupuncture, herbal remedies and massage therapy may be alternative treatments, but are considered alternative medicine only when they're used in place of conventional treatments, explained National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Deputy Director David Shurtleff.
Is acupuncture a form of alternative medicine?
Acupuncture is an effective form of alternative medicine that has proven to treat over 20 conditions including depression, hypertension and stroke, according to clinical studies conducted by the University of California San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine. (Spencer Green/AP)
What is CAM in medicine?
Complementary and alternative medicine, sometimes referred to as CAM, is an umbrella term for a vast array of treatments that fall outside conventional Western approaches. Some have been well-studied and proven to be effective; others have not. Although labels like "alternative medicine," "naturopathic medicine" and "integrative medicine" are often ...
What is complementary medicine?
Complementary health care refers to alternative treatments used in conjunction with mainstream treatment. Using acupuncture in conjunction with standard pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee, for instance, is a form of complementary medicine that has been proven to be more effective than the conventional treatment alone.
What is mind body medicine?
According to the National Institute of Health, mind-body medicine focuses on the way emotional, mental, social, spiritual, experiential and behavioral factors affect physical health. Mind-body approaches include yoga, tai-chi, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation, meditation, massage therapy, and relaxation techniques like biofeedback therapy ...
What is traditional Chinese medicine?
Traditional Chinese medicine incorporates a number of treatments, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, and moxibustion, which involves burning mugwort to improve the flow of energy, or qi. Other techniques often used include tuina, a form of massage, and guasha, in which the practitioner scrapes a part of the body for therapeutic purposes. Practitioners are certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or the California Acupuncture Board.
What is the purpose of ACT therapy?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) ACT is a type of CBT that encourages patients to engage again in positive behaviors even in the presence of negative thoughts and behaviors. The goal is to improve daily functioning despite having the disorder.
What is the goal of trauma therapy?
The goal of this therapy is to help patients realize that trauma-related memories (or phobias) are no longer dangerous and do not need to be avoided.
What are the best treatments for anxiety?
These treatments can be broadly categorized as: 1) Psychotherapy; 2) Medications; and 3) Complementary and Alternative Therapies. Patients diagnosed with anxiety can benefit from one ...
What is the best medication for anxiety?
Buspirone. Buspirone is a drug indicated for the treatment of anxiety. This drug has high efficacy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and is particularly effective at reducing the cognitive and interpersonal problems associated with anxiety.
Can benzodiazepines help with anxiety?
Benzodiazepines demonstrate short-term effectiveness in the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and can help with sleep disturbances. A doctor may prescribe these drugs for a limited period of time to relieve acute symptoms of anxiety.
What are some ways to treat anxiety?
Here we include a brief description of a few of those, including brain stimulation (neurostimulation), acupuncture, and psychoactive drugs (marijuana and ecstasy).
What is the purpose of counseling?
Counseling is a form of talk therapy in which a mental healthcare provider helps patients develop strategies and coping skills to address specific issues like stress management or interpersonal problems. Counseling is generally designed to be a short-term therapy.
Complementary Therapies
Alternative Therapies
- People may refer to alternative treatments as natural. But "natural" does not necessarily mean "safe." For example, poisonous mushrooms are natural but not safe. And even relatively safe natural products can cause negative reactions in people.
Questions to Ask The Health Care Team
- Discuss all treatment options with your health care team. And consider asking the following questions: 1. What is the goal of the therapy? 2. Does the therapy work in combination with or replace a standard therapy? 3. If I use this therapy instead of a standard treatment, will it delay standard treatment? If so, could this delay be harmful? 4. Will this therapy affect my chances of …
Related Resources
- Integrative MedicineDietary and Herbal ProductsNational Cancer Opinion Survey: What Americans Think About Cancer Care
- How My Cancer Care Combined Complementary and Conventional Treatments
More Information
- National Cancer Institute: Thinking About Complementary and Alternative MedicineNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Are You Considering a Complementary Health Approach? Nation...