Alternative medicine is the use of treatments and therapies that are not standard treatments in Western medicine, and have usually not been proven through the scientific method in controlled trials.
Chiropractic medicine
Chiropractic medicine involves the manipulation of joints and bones in the body by an experienced chiropractic practitioner. Chiropractic medicine is coming into more acceptance among standard medical practitioners for certain conditions, such as back pain. Extreme care should be taken when manipulating certain areas of the body, particularly the neck area, as miscalculations here can cause permanent damage.
Massage/Reiki
Reiki is a type of massage. Massage is useful in relieving stress and soothing sore muscles.
Faith healing
This type of therapy is practiced by certain religions. It can be dangerous in certain medical conditions when substituted for the care of a physician.
Homeopathy
The idea behind homeopathy is that diluted substances can have certain healing effects. Homeopaths believe that the more diluted the substance, the stronger its effect.
Acupuncture
In this type of alternative medicine, needles are inserted in the patient at key points to heal ailments.
Herbalism
In this type of alternative medicine, certain plant materials or plant extracts are used to treat patients. Due to the way herbs and supplements are currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, herbal supplements sold over the counter are not required to have a specific strength or content of active ingredients, and may vary in potency from brand to brand. Herbal supplements sold in the United States may not advertise their possible benefits on the bottle, but are regulated like food products.