The term alternative medicine can encompass a wide range of therapies, including chiropractic, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, meditation, biofeedback, massage therapy, and various “new age” therapies such as guided imagery and naturopathy. Although many alternative therapies have long been widely employed in the treatment of disease, the scientifically oriented modern medical establishment has typically been skeptical about, and sometimes strongly opposed to, their use. Despite this, Americans spend billions of dollars on alternative treatments each year. In 1993 the U.S. National Institutes of Health established the Office of Alternative Medicine to examine the merits of such techniques.

 

The precise scope of alternative medicine is a matter of some debate and depends to a great extent on the definition of "conventional medicine." Many practitioners regard the distinction as false, preferring "good medicine" (which demonstrably works) and "bad medicine." Richard Dawkins, professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, notes that alternative medicine is defined as that set of practices that cannot be tested, refuse to be tested or consistently fail tests.

 

The debate on alternative medicine is complicated further by the diversity of treatments that are categorized as "alternative." These include practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings; non-European medical traditions; newly developed approaches to healing; and a number of others. Proponents of one class of alternative medicine may reject others.

 

Detractors of alternative medicine may also define it as "diagnosis, treatment, or therapy which can be provided legally by persons who are not licensed to diagnose and treat illness," although some medical doctors find value using alternative therapies in the practice of "complementary medicine."

 

Many in the scientific community define alternative medicine as any treatment, the efficacy and safety of which has not been verified through peer-reviewed, controlled studies. This form of definition is not based on political views, turf protection, or economic interests, but hinges exclusively on questions of effectiveness and safety. It is thus possible for a method to change categories in either direction, based on increased knowledge of its effectiveness or lack thereof.

 

 

History :

 

Alternative medicine has roots going back 5,000 years to Chinese (traditional Chinese medicine), Indian (Ayurvedic medicine) and similar healing traditions in cultures across the planet. For thousands of years, these diverse medical traditions had in common a belief in the energy of the body and the need for harmony between mind, body and spirit. The role of the 'doctor' was to facilitate the healing process by identifying and removing obstacles to health. Therapies addressed the underlying cause of the disease by encouraging lifestyle changes, self-care and preventive strategies, rather than simply suppressing symptoms.

 

Throughout recorded history, people of various cultures have relied on what

Western medical practitioners today call alternative medicine. The term

alternative medicine covers a broad range of healing philosophies,

approaches and therapies. It generally describes those treatments and

health care practices that are outside mainstream Western health care.

People use these treatments and therapies in a variety of ways. Alternative

therapies used alone are often referred to as alternative; when used in

combination with other alternative therapies, or in addition to conventional

therapies they are referred to as complementary. Some therapies are far

outside the realm of accepted Western medical theory and practice, but some,

like chiropractic treatments, are now established in mainstream medicine.

 

 

Throughout most of the 19th century, good doctors used the same skills as today's herbalists, osteopaths and dieticians; they were generous with time and empathy, and relied on a good bed-side manner. Prayer was important, as was "a change of air"; more dubiously, so were lots of laxatives and bleeding and leeches. Right up until the early 20th century, sick people relied on much the same kind of therapies as their ancestors.

 

 

Alternative medicine can include the following :

 

    * Acupuncture,

    * Alexander technique,

    * Aromatherapy,

    * Ayurveda (Ayurvedic medicine),

    * Biofeedback,

    * Chiropractic medicine,

    * Diet therapy,

    * Herbalism,

    * Holistic nursing,

    * Homeopathy,

    * Hypnosis,

    * Massage therapy,

    * Meditation,

    * Naturopathy,

    * Nutritional therapy,

    * Osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT),

    * Qi gong (internal and external Qiging),

    * Reflexology,

    * Reiki,

    * Spiritual healing,

    * Tai Chi,

    * Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and

    * Yoga.