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.