If you are looking for a cheaper yet effective way to treat your sickness then you should try using complementary therapy. There has been an increase in the usage of these treatments over the past few years and a lot of medical experts and practitioners believe that this trend would continue over the next years.

There are a lot of reasons why this type of treatment is in demand. They are not only more affordable in the pocket but they are also great when it comes to the promotion of a person’s personal well being.

What is Complementary Therapy?

This type of treatment is used in combination with conventional medical treatments and is comprised of different treatments which include acupuncture and homeopathy for example. Many of these treatments would be considered as alternative medicine but most of these complementary therapy treatments are widely accepted by medical establishments all over the world.

You might find that the terms “alternative therapy” and “complementary therapy” are often used interchangeably which leads to the misconception that they are the same thing. The truth is that these terms are not quite the same even if they refer to the same treatment types.

Alternative therapy is something that you use in replacement for conventional medical treatment. When it comes to complementary therapy, this is all about treatments that you can do in addition to the conventional medical treatment. This is why some treatments can be considered as both alternative and complementary – depending on the situation on which they are being used.

Even though the complementary therapy is being used along with conventional medical treatments, they are very different when it comes to philosophical terms. The most significant difference that you can spot out is that complementary therapy treatments use a more holistic approach wherein the focus of the treatment is on the whole person’s being.

Conventional medical treatments would be focusing on the disease and its symptoms. For example, if you have a migraine the physician can recommend you to take anti-nausea or pain relief medications as medical treatments while he can also recommend that you take a massage or acupuncture as a complementary treatment.

How Complementary Therapy Works

Complementary therapy practitioners like chiropractors, naturopaths and acupuncturists often see health as a balance of emotional, spiritual and physical factors. The treatments are done as an attempt to restore that balance.

This easily explains why all the complementary therapy treatments concentrate more on the person as a whole instead of concentrating on the sickness itself.

The most widely used complementary therapy treatments in the United States are acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy and chiropractic. You have to be sure though that you check with your doctor first before you take up any complementary therapy treatments or medications.

This is to ensure that you are working with medication and techniques that will not interfere with your medical treatments. You have to take note that some of these treatments can cause adverse interactions with the medications that you are taking so it is important that you get your doctor’s approval first before using anything.



There are a lot of therapies that help people relieve themselves from ailments and illnesses. However, some of these methods may not be conventional to most people. Instead, they are integrative and have come a long way from ancient methods.

People still undergo this kind of medicine simply because modern medicine has become too advanced that it has become impractical for most. Moreover, both options of ancient and modern medicine are paired with advantages and limitations.

Overview of Alternative Medicine

Options such as complementary alternative medicine can indeed be explored by people in order to help them relieve themselves from their ailments. Basically, this kind of medicine is the practice of integrated and alternative medicine combined with the conventional one.

Although there are still yet a lot of studies and medical researches regarding the complementary alternative medicine, it has been seen as a viable option for many people these days. Generally, this kind of medicine includes different medical treatments such as homeopathy, ayurveda, acupuncture and herbal therapy.

Idea behind the medicine

The most basic idea behind complementary alternative medicine is that your body heals itself and that preventive measures are the important elements into wellness.

When people undergo complementary alternative medicine, they will realize that learning and healing go hand in hand which means that in order for you to heal completely; you need to learn how to take care of yourself. The patient must be very cooperative and active towards his own approach in achieving optimum health.

Consulting with a doctor

Indeed, people will never know if complementary alternative medicine truly works, however it is still an option for them. So, before engaging in complementary alternative medicine, people should first consult with their doctors to ask for advice.

Never settle for any advice given by unlicensed or professional individual such as your friend or simple opinion by others. This is to make sure that if something goes wrong with the alternative procedure, doctors and licensed practitioner will know exactly how to remedy the medical condition.

Alternative vs. Conventional Medicine

Complementary alternative medicine definitely has positive effects to its patients. The idea of the complementary alternative medicine is that you will be experiencing alternative therapies rather than conventional ones which are used in a normal hospital.

In addition, the complementary alternative medicine includes the fact that patients may be consulting with a naturopathic doctor rather than a regular doctor. Although some naturopathic doctors may use the same methods with that of regular doctors, others may have entirely different procedures.

Patients can openly ask questions regarding their hesitations when it comes to difference in medical procedures since complementary medicine may have some alterations with that of conventional therapies.

Although it is considered as an unconventional method, the complementary alternative medicine is in fact being supported by regular doctors. Although the procedures considered in the complementary alternative medicine may seem unfamiliar, we cannot disregard the fact that it works for many people.

Try to explore the wonders and topnotch benefits of alternative medicine and you will surely realize that it’s worth trying especially if your medical condition does not warrant advanced treatment.



Dr. Richard Palmquist is the Chief of Integrative Health Services at Centinela Animal Hospital, Inglewood California. In this Huffington Post article he speaks movingly of his discovery of and dawning belief in integrative medicine, which encompasses not only conventional therapies but also alternative and complementary medicine (CAM).

As a veterinary doctor Dr Palmquist would try everything possible to save and treat his non human patients and for a long time believed that he was “doing all that could be done”.

However his encounter with a veterinarian who used alternative therapies for a golden retriever patient of his with lymphatic cancer; whom he had himself given up on, changed his beliefs and his practices.

Expecting to find a ‘quack’ Dr Palmquist found someone who sought only to support individual immune systems, to help patients so that “sometimes remarkable things happen”! He found dietary therapy to reduce the size of a cat’s brain tumor to half its size, and found acupressure to cure migraine.

There was an oral tumor that was recovering with the use of cryosurgery, and a paralyzed German Shepherd cured by using acupuncture.

It was then that Dr Palmquist started to view healing in a whole other way; was inspired to write his authoritative 1000 page text book for vets, Integrating Complementary Medicine into Veterinary Practice.

His life and his medicine changed; he now works to help his patients “live their lives at the highest level of survival possible!”

Complementary therapies are ideas that are not unheard of in these modern times.

Alternative therapies, as it is also known as, is practiced by millions of individuals that live their day to day lives, work in stressful jobs, and experience all sorts of ailments which need to be tended to in every way necessary.

Complementary therapies are treatments that veer away from traditional methods that answer to ailments such as body pains, muscular pains, depression, anxiety, and even preventive medicine that can lead to long term complications later on in life.

It is also a sure-shot way of religiously practicing treatments that are guaranteed to be all-natural and promote a holistic outlook in life, which is not only good for the physical self, but also for the emotional and mental aspect of oneself.

There are a lot of complementary therapies available for everyone to avail of.

Remember that different people experience different kinds of ailments that are, in general, answered by different techniques that are unique to one another.

To be more specific, here are some examples of complimentary therapies and their noted health advantages each have to offer:

1. Shiatsu Massage

This complementary therapy first originated in Japan. Although its treatment is generally a massage treatment, it follows the same concept of Chinese acupuncture.

The only difference is that it does not require acupuncture needles to stimulate the qi, but instead uses fingers to systematically apply pressure on certain acupuncture points in the body.

With the treatment at play, it allows the body to send signals from the acupuncture points to different parts of the body to hasten the healing process. It is noted that it is a good treatment to combat muscle pains, aches, head aches, and stress.

2. Aromatherapy

This complimentary therapy is known to soothe both the mind and body by inhaling essential oils which are applied to the body through the help of massages.

The unique detail about aromatherapy is that unlike normal massages, it is more focused on the personality of the patient. This means that the oils that are used on certain patient vary from one another depending on the patient’s condition and reason for going through aromatherapy.

The treatment itself is said to relieve stress, anxiety, respiratory ailments, and high blood pressure.

3. Yoga

Yoga therapies first originated in ancient India. The concept of yoga is to promote the oneness of every aspect of an individual; spiritual, physical, and mental.

It is a therapy that revolves around disciplined breathing and physical exercise. Its health benefits are said to relieve physical stress, emotional stress, fatigue, and personal living lifestyle.

Complementary therapies are treatments that are is in great demand and accepted by many. As the world progresses, so does the demand for a healthier lifestyle and treatments that actually promote it.

Day by day new establishments are being erected in different spots in every city in the world to answer to the growing demand for complementary therapies.

Perhaps it would be wise to inquire about these complementary therapies and apply them to your daily lifestyle.

For many there is an inaccurate perception that complementary or alternative medicine is only for minor ailments; that only conventional medicine will be of help when it comes to life threatening ailments and diseases. However, it has been seen that CAM therapies are very effective in treating major medical issues, particularly when used in conjunction with mainstream therapies.

Researchers at the La Trobe University in Melbourne found that many people use CAM therapies in addition to regular therapies for chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease as well as to improve well being and over all health. It was also observed that CAM was used to different levels by different people and they were used either occasionally or intermittently by others.

An estimated 70% of the Australian population is seen to use CAM therapies, and they include, homeopathy, acupuncture, naturopathy, massage, reflexology, meditation, chiropractic therapy, yoga, Tai chi and spiritual healing as well.

The way that these therapies help with chronic conditions is that they help to lower stress levels and thereby assist the cardiovascular system. Taken in conjunction with pharmaceuticals or prescription medication, it can help greatly. The fact that CAM therapies when practiced correctly do not lead to harmful side effects makes them all the more desirable for many.

Source: Health Canal

With interest in complementary and alternative medicine reaching new heights there is more and more demand for information about how to prevent illness using natural modes while saving a ton of money. The Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine (updated) is just such a source of information about CAM therapies.

It is a reliable and lucid resource for those that want to incorporate these therapies into their daily lives. Disease prevention, self care and the ultimate aim of good health and wellness are the issues addressed by the book.

Yoga, acupuncture, and the use of different herbal remedies are discussed. The book includes:

• To reduce high blood pressure, magnesium and calcium supplements may be useful.
• For those with type 2 diabetes, regular intake of oats and sensible eating could lower levels of blood sugar.
• Those with mental problems such as bipolar disorder could find Omega 3 to be a mood stabilizer. Sources include fatty fish, walnuts etc.
• Peppermint can help ease heartburn and IBS.
• Things such as the avocado, acai berry, cinnamon and ginger are good to include in one’s diet, which could help to prevent a number of health problems.

Source: PR Newswire

We have touched upon the Health Bill that has recently been made law in the United States, and its inadequate attention to Complementary and alternative therapies. In purely practical and financial terms as well, the health bill does not address issues of alternative medicine.

The fact is that more and more Americans are now interested in and prefer CAM therapies to the usual drugs-surgery routine of mainstream medicine. An estimated 38% of the adult population of the United States uses CAM therapies such as meditation and acupuncture according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Also according to the statement made by National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Americans spent about $38 billion out of pocket in the year before, because CAM therapies are not covered.

It is not just the fact that so many people use CAM and have to go out of pocket. It is also the fact that CAM therapies are preventive in nature and encourage healthy eating and lifestyle choices which actually reduces health care costs in the long run. This fact also ought to be taken into consideration; so that CAM therapies are brought within the ambit of the health care reform.

Source: State Press

As the new health reform bill creates headline all over the United States, it is important to take stock and see the direction that health care is heading in the country. It is geared wholly towards the drugs-surgery approach which does not address the health issues; but rather is geared toward profit making for pharma companies.

At the same time, there is a dismal disregard for complementary and alternative medicine, which more and more Americans turn towards now and a new and novel solution to the problems is suggested:

To counter this, the concept of a Health Freedom Zone was put forward at the Health Freedom Expo in Long Beach California recently.

Whichever geographical zone was demarcated as this zone, would then have alternative medical practitioners such as chiropractors, homeopaths, naturopaths and other traditional medicine offer their services.

And these would not be only palliative but attempts to actually treat and cure serious diseases and help prevent them by using alternative methods. More importantly, CAM specialists would be permitted to function effectively in this zone which are currently viewed with suspicion or even in some cases outlawed. In this way, more effective and affordable means of health care would be made available to people.

Source: Natural News

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies are gaining more currency the world over and in particular CAM therapies are a popular option when treating children with cancer.

A study conducted on 3,500 children found that up to 91 percent of the participating children had, at some point or other during their treatment of cancer used some form of CAM therapy.

It is not clear whether the CAM therapies formed part of the treatment; as in whether they were using them as an adjunct to mainstream therapy, or as the principle/only form of cancer treatment. But it was clear from the study that a substantial proportion of the pediatric cancer patients were using some form of cancer therapy.

The reason people opt for CAM options is that they are perceived as safe and natural, causing no harmful side effects. While some CAM therapies are excellent for combating cancer and form a valuable form of combat against the cancer, others have to be used with caution particularly when used in combination with mainstream cancer medications.

The efficacy of some cancer medications can be lessened by excessive vitamin C, Green tea compounds and St John’s wort.

Whether CAM therapies can be used for cancer or not is certainly a subject that should be discussed with one’s doctor.

Source: Cancer Health