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. It encompasses diet and exercise changes, hypnosis, chiropractic adjustment, and poking needles into a person’s skin (aka acupuncture), among other treatments.

The benefits of alternative therapies are hotly contested. More research is needed to determine the efficacy of nearly all of these practices, but that hasn’t stopped people from checking them out.

In 2008 (the most recent valid data we could find), more than 38 percent of American adults used some form of alternative medicine, according to the NIH. Here are some of the practices that are changing the way Americans approach medical care.

What are the different types of CAM?
 

Many different areas make up the practice of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). In addition, many parts of one field may overlap with the parts of another field. For example, acupuncture is also used in conventional medicine. In the U.S., CAM is used by about 38% of adults and 12% of children. Examples of CAM include:

Traditional alternative medicine. This field includes the more mainstream and accepted forms of therapy, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and Oriental practices. These therapies have been practiced for centuries worldwide. Traditional alternative medicine may include:

1. Acupuncture
2. Ayurveda
3. Homeopathy
4. Naturopathy

 

• Oriental therapies Body.

Touch has been used in medicine since the early days of medical care. Healing by touch is based on the idea that illness or injury in one area of the body can affect all parts of the body. If with manual manipulation, the other parts can be brought back to optimum health, the body can fully focus on healing at the site of injury or illness. Body techniques are often combined with those of the mind. Examples of body therapies include:

• Chiropractic and osteopathic medicine

1. Body movement therapies
2. Tai chi
3. Yoga
4. Diet and herbs.

 Over the centuries, man has gone from a simple diet consisting of meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains, to a diet that often consists of foods rich in fats, oils, and complex carbohydrates. Nutritional excess and deficiency have become problems in today's society, both leading to certain chronic diseases. Many dietary and herbal approaches attempt to balance the body's nutritional well-being. Dietary and herbal approaches may include:

1. Dietary supplements
2. Herbal medicine
3.Nutrition/diet

• External energy.

 Some people believe external energies from objects or other sources directly affect a person's health. An example of external energy therapy is:

1. Electromagnetic therapy
2. Reiki
3. Qigong

• Mind.

 Even standard or conventional medicine recognizes the power of the connection between mind and body. Studies have found that people heal better if they have good emotional and mental health. Therapies using the mind may include:

1. Meditation
2. Biofeedback
3. Hypnosis

 

• Senses.

 Some people believe the senses, touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste, can affect overall health. Examples of therapies incorporating the senses include:

Art, dance, and music
Visualization and guided imagery