Alternative Medicine by Jenni

Alternative medicine is something that we've heard a lot about. It's been in use for quite a long time. Celebrities use it, rock stars use it, yogis use it, and now you can use it too. So what is alternative medicine all about? Read along to find out more.

Theoretically, it is any form of healing practice that is not included in the scientific framework of conventional western medicine. Alternative medicines encompass different medicinal therapies with a cultural or historical basis rather than a scientific one. Quite often it is grouped with the complementary medicines.

Complementary medicine commonly refers to these same interventions only when it is used with the mainstream techniques. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines (NCCAM) in United States enlists chiropractic medicine, traditional Chinese medicines, herbalism
, naturopathy, yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, homeopathy, acupuncture, hypnosis, nutritional-based therapies, and biofeedback with a host of other practice under alternative medicines.

This stream of therapeutic practices arises out of diverse foundations and drastically varies in the methodologies. Traditional medicine, spiritual beliefs, folk knowledge or some recently conceived therapies are normally the foundation of alternative practices. Countries where such alternative medicinal practices are quite widespread tend to regulate and license them. The medical fraternity generally does not accept the claims of these practitioners as either an evidence-based assessment of efficacy and safety hasn't been performed or is unavailable.

If any scientific investigation successfully reveals the effectiveness and safety of any alternative practice, subsequently it is incorporated in the mainstream medicinal field and no longer remains an "alternative". The practice and the regulations vary in different countries. For example, in Canada massage is considered to be a conventional medicine unlike United States and is highly regulated.

NCCAM has created one of the most extensively utilized classification systems that cover the different branches of alternative and complementary medicine. Though the therapies are classified into 5 major groups, some of them overlap.

* Whole medical system - overlap with some other groups. Naturopathy, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese medicines, and Homeopathy.
* Mind-body medicine - this method follows a holistic outlook to health and fitness. It explores the interconnection between the body, mind, and spirit. It believes that the mind affects the bodily symptoms and functions.
* Manipulative and body-based practice - it features movements or manipulations of different body parts, like it is performed in osteopathic and chiropractic manipulation.
* Biologically based practice - this method employs various substances obtained from nature like foods, vitamins, herbs, and different natural materials.
* Energy medicine - it deals with the verifiable and putative energy fields:
- Bioelectromagnetic- based therapies apply diverse verifiable electromagnetic fields like direct-current or alternating-current fields, pulsed fields in an unconventional method.
- Biofield therapies influence the energy field that supposedly surrounds and penetrates the body. Until now no proof has been unearthed that verifies the presence of these supposed energy fields around human body.

Alternative medicine is an interesting approach to medical treatment. Though the doctors may not agree with it, many people consider it to be an effective healing procedure.