Some people still balk at the world of alternative medicine, saying it’s all hokum and it doesn’t do anything. This is often because some people perceive alternative medicine as a full replacement for regular medicine. This simply isn’t the case. Many forms of alternative medicine are worth exploring as supplementary forms of medical treatment, and ways to prevent one getting certain symptoms of other illnesses in the first place.
Below are some examples of worthwhile alternative medicines that are worth exploring if you’re looking to supplement your existing healthcare needs.
1. Acupuncture
Acupuncture comes in many forms from Japanese acupuncture in Sydney CBD to ancient and traditional Chinese acupuncture and others. It’s an ancient and age-old practice that many modern practitioners admit can bring great supplementary benefits to many treatments. The main belief behind acupuncture is that the needle points help to stimulate positive energy flow, which we may understand as stimulation of the central nervous system to help it find balance.
People who have used acupuncture have claimed that it was very effective in helping them reduce stress levels, ease back and neck pain, gain relief from headaches, and in some cases even been an aid to losing weight.
2. Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a holistic healing concept that works using natural plant extracts as its main tool. The idea is that these extracts can help to promote health and well-being, using stimulating and relaxing aromas from essential oils to improve mind, body and spirit.
Even if you don’t buy into the more spiritual aspects of aromatherapy, it’s possible to see it purely as a way to help one relax. If you believe that learning to relax, de-stress and uncouple oneself from emotional and other burdens in life, then aromatherapy likely has great value in helping one to achieve that.
3. Naturopathy
A naturopath is someone who believes strongly in taking the wider, more holistic approach to healthcare, preventing illness rather than reactively treating it with harsh man-made medications. Naturopaths help people to study their lifestyle, diet, habits, emotional state and more. By tending to these needs, and helping the body to be more balanced and in tune with itself, naturopaths believe that good health is promoted and disease is prevented.
4. Balneotherapy
For those who subscribe to the ideas of naturopathy, balneotherapy also typically has great appeal. This is the treatment of ailments via bathing in rich mineral waters. This is far from a new “fad” treatment, and is a concept long believed to be helpful and long practiced by our ancient ancestors all over the world. You may have heard of Roman and Greek bathhouses and public bathing areas. These were typically built around waters believed to have special healing or restorative properties.
While balneotherapy is not regarded as a direct cure for any disease or ailment by any serious medical practitioner, the relaxing and calming effects can have a measured impact on sleep, stress and overall mood. If getting someone into a more positive mindset is your goal, then balneotherapy is an ingenious way to do it.
5. Chiropractic Medicine
Chiropractic is a branch of medical practice that looks at helping to reduce pain and discomfort in the body that is seemingly caused by poor body alignment. Chiropractors tend to examine people’s skeletal structure, and in particular the spine, to see if they can detect where poor alignment is taking place that they might correct through forms of corrective physical therapy. Some doctors consider it pseudo-scientific, but once again there’s no shortage of people who claim to have found its use invaluable alongside other physical therapies.