All You Need to Know About Alternative Medicine

You might have arrived here as you are curious or you could be suffering an ailment and you are considering the options instead of going down the traditional route. Whatever your reasons we are going to discuss everything you need to know about alternative medicine. It has been relied upon by millions of people and dates back many thousands of years. So, without any further ado let us get going and look into the fascinating subject.

Throughout this guide, we will talk about holistic remedies in general. We will also provide you with examples of alternative remedies, the advantages, the popular types and give you a brief history of complementary medicine.

Examples of alternative medicine

First, let us get one thing straight. This type of medicine is a term used to describe alternative medical treatments that are used instead of mainstream ones. It has many names, including complementary medicine.

Millions of people use complementary remedies worldwide. Many people use it instead of traditional medicine while others use it alongside medication prescribed by their doctor.

It is an umbrella term, which includes numerous different fields.

Homeopathic medicine

Homeopathic medicine is made using flowers and plants. This might include the flowers themselves, berries, leaves and even roots.

Around 80% of the population of the world use the herbal medication in one form or another according to the World Health Organization.

Homeopathic remedies can treat the symptoms of a wide range of illnesses and diseases. This includes such as pain, allergies, chronic fatigue, sore throats, menstrual symptoms, bleeding and more.

This type of natural medicine can be purchased over the counter and it does not usually interact or stop you taking prescribed medicine. In this way, it acts as complementary medicine.

This type of homeopathy has the principle of like for like. This means that what causes or brings about symptoms can also be used to treat the same symptoms.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is widely used in Chinese medicine and has been a part of it for many thousands of years.

Traditional acupuncture relies on needles to stimulate points on the body. It is most common to visit an acupuncturist for treatment but you can purchase equipment online.

The goal of acupuncture is to help the body heal naturally. This type of treatment is used for a wide variety of symptoms and illnesses, including anxiety, depression, nausea, pain and infertility.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic focuses mainly on the spine along with how it functions. A chiropractor performs this type of alternative medicine.

The chiropractor will use many different techniques to manipulate the spine, along with other body parts to ensure they are in the proper alignment.

The main goal of this type of alternative remedy is to ease pain along with improving body function, allowing the body to heal naturally.

While the spine is the focus, it is not only back pain that it helps. Chiropractic medicine can help with neck pain, whiplash and headaches, plus joint issues in both the lower and upper body.

Energy or crystal therapy

Energy and crystal therapy is another popular alternative remedy. It can be used alone or in conjunction with other natural remedies.

Studies have revealed that it can help with osteoarthritis and it is known to help fractures heal quickly.

Crystal therapy relies on the use of semi-precious stones and crystals, such as amethyst.

Ayurveda medicine

Ayurveda has been used for more than 3,000 with it originating in India and it is still very popular today as holistic medicine.

It consists of using herbs along with special diets and other unique practices to treat illnesses. This type of medicine has to be performed by a specialist.

The advantages of alternative medicine

There are numerous advantages to using these types of remedies for your symptoms and illnesses and very few, if any downsides.

So, now let’s move on to look at the advantages of using alternative remedies and there are many of them.

The first is that natural remedies treat the actual cause of the illness or the symptoms. It treats and heals the body by treating the cause of the pain or the disease.

Many practitioners work at the very root of the issue using holistic remedies while traditional medicine treats the symptoms instead.

Another big advantage is that it helps to bring about a better quality of life. If you take prescription medication, it helps while taking the medicine but then once stopped the pain or symptoms come back. With alternative medicine, the quality of life is improved.

Holistic medicine is natural and as such, it is generally safer to take than prescription medicine. Natural remedies are used to correct the issue and they are man-made with no unnatural substances in them to cause issues or bring about adverse reactions. Therefore, there are few to no side effects.