Public Health, Occupational Health and Epidemiology Conference

Alternative Medicine encompasses a range of health sciences and healing modalities outside orthodox Western medicine, often based on a holistic model of health and disease. Such alternative medicine is widely used today for such conditions as chronic pain and anxiety, digestive disorders, and sleep disorders, among many others. Alternative medicine might include acupuncture, herbal remedies, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, naturopathy, or even energy healing therapies like Reiki.

Another vital aspect of alternative medicine is that it tends to treat the whole person: the psyche, soma, and spirit. While mainstream medicine treats mainly symptoms, most practitioners in this profession seek out the deeper, underlying causes of health conditions and help initiate the body's inbred healing capacity. Acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments for instance rebalance and relieve pain through targeted restoration of specific energy sites or misalignments rather than medicines.

Alternative medicine primarily deals with a number of lifestyle elements, educating the patient to meditate and make changes in diet and even physical therapy to help achieve long-term wellness. For example, herbalism in traditional medicine uses plant-based compounds that support the proper functioning of body systems to enhance one's health condition. Ayurveda, for instance, focuses on diet, exercise, and balancing the body's internal energies to recover from illnesses.

Although alternative medicine is quite old, the practices of today are becoming more and more integrated with conventional care in what is referred to as ""complementary and integrative medicine."" Complementary medicine is when the best of both worlds are merged into the practice, acknowledging that therapies such as acupuncture or herbal supplements may complement conventional treatments by reducing side effects or enhancing recovery.

Alternative medicine is still in research, and various studies are being done to confirm the safety and effectiveness of its practices. Patients sometimes go through them for a more individualized approach to health where mainstream treatment has failed to deliver the expected results. Though most alternative methods proved to be effective in some conditions, it is wise to seek professional health practitioners and discuss the alternatives with healthcare providers to have a safe and coordinated approach toward achieving health and wellness.