According to a 2007 government survey, more than a third of American adults have tried alternative therapies such as yoga, meditation, massage therapy, acupuncture, herbal supplements, and specific diets. Alternative medicine is very popular in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, Portland, Houston, New York, and Orange County, California. Complementary and alternative medicine such as acupuncture, herbal supplements and meditation are big business in the United States, totaling nearly $34 billion in out-of-pocket spending, according to a government report. More than 38 million adults visited chiropractors, acupuncturists and other specialists in alternative care in 2007
   Some people question why the term alternative is delegated to such practices as herbal medicine. One would think that the use of pharmaceutical drugs or synthetic drugs would fit better in the category of alternative medicine whereas herbs, which have been used for many thousands of years by humans, would be more likely to be categorized as conventional medicine.

Alternative medicine can be classified into these five categories, types, lists:
1. Alternative Medical systems
2. Herbal and nutritional medicine
3. Mind-Body practices
4. Physical Manipulation of the body and spine
5. Energy Manipulation Therapies

1. Alternative Medicine systems
In Western countries, alternative medicine developed as homeopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine. Other countries have a long history of medicine, such as traditional Chinese medicine with acupuncture, and Ayurvedic medicine.

Acupuncture benefit
Acupuncture is an alternative medicine practiced by Chinese medical doctors. Fibromyalgia patients treated with six sessions of acupuncture experienced significant symptomatic improvement compared to a group given simulated acupuncture sessions. Acupuncture can help migraine headache. There are a number of health conditions where acupuncture is effective. The drawback to acupuncture is the required repeated visits, minor discomfort, and the expense of sessions if they are not covered by health insurance.

Homeopathy
A recent meta analysis disputes claims that homeopathy is effective. We have always had difficulty understanding the theory behind homeopathy. It just does not make too much sense to us, however since we have not studied homeopathy in great detail, we cannot say for certain it does not work. There are many people who swear that their homeopathic preparations help them with various conditions including better sleep and fighting off the common cold.

I have an annoying case of stomach grumbling. Happens whether I am full or hungry. to say it is embarrising would be an under statement. I have found on a homeopathic site that an alternative medicine practitioner recommends Carbo vegetabilis to end this gurgling (which may be borborygmi). Can you supply some info on this supplement"
   We are not familiar with this homeopathic formula.

Can you provide some info on Carbo Vegetabilis. I want to try it for stomach grumbling.
    Carbo Vegetabilis (Carb-v) is a homeopathic remedy. We have not studied this form of treatment.

Naturopathy
Naturopathic medicine, or naturopathy, is centuries old. It was widely practiced in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries but declined after World War II. In the last twenty years there's been somewhat of a resurgence in interest in this type of alternative medicine. Bastyr University in Seattle has an excellent naturopathic medicine program.

2. Herbal and nutritional medicine
Throughout history humans have used whatever they could find in their environment, such as herbs, minerals, and foods to treat medical diseases. An herbal medicine pouch was discovered in Chile that was more than 10,000 years old adding evidence that humans have used herbs in medicine for much longer than people imagined. In the past few decades, vitamin and nutrient supplements have become available, along with high potency herbal extracts. There are also probiotics and prebiotics, nattokinase and serrapetase enzymes, and other types of nutritional supplements.

Is 5-HTP a good alternative medicine for Prozac?
   Some people may respond well to 5-HTP or tryptophan for mood disorders or for anxiety, but there may be others who respond better to Prozac or SSRIs. It's difficult to predict. However, since natural pills are cheaper and have fewer side effects, it is worthwhile trying them first before resorting to prescription medications.

Which is a quick acting alternative medicine for erection enhancement?
   Yohimbe bark is a good herb for this purpose. Another helpful herb is tribulus terrestris extract. An erection enhancement formula formulated by a medical is Passion Rx.

What is a good alternative medicine for arthritis?
    There are many options through diet and supplements that could potentially be helpful as alternative medicine for arthritis. Besides losing weight, we suggest taking the nutrients glucosamine, chondroitin, cmo, msm, cat's claw, hyaluronic acid, and a curcumin extract. Fish oils, flax seed oil, and krill oil may also be of help.

Aromatherapy benefit
Aromatherapy appeals to women much more than men.

Chelation therapy, what are the benefits?
Chelation treatment is a form of alternative medicine which we have not studied.

Herbal Alternative Medicine - use of vitamins and herbs has hit an all-time high, with middle-aged women identified as the biggest users of these and other forms of alternative medicine. Herbal alternative medicine is one of the fields that I feel I have accumulated a great deal of knowledge.

Iridology

3. Mind-Body practices
Many people now understand that the mind has a strong influence on the body, and vice versa. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered a type of mind body medicine. Other forms of healing practices that fall into this category include yoga, meditation, prayer, art, music, and dance therapy.

Biofeedback therapy

Hypnosis - People with chest pain that's not caused by a heart condition or heartburn may find hypnosis provides significant pain relief and improves their sense of general well-being. The causes of non-cardiac chest pain, as it's termed, are unknown. It can create so much anxiety that many people with the condition actually seek more care than patients with bona fide heart disease.

Mirror Therapy - A good look in the mirror may help women with poor body image see themselves differently. A therapy known as "mirror exposure" eases some of the negative thoughts and behaviors of women with body image problems serious enough to put them at risk of developing an eating disorder. Women with such body image issues often use mirrors to check their perceived flaws -- reinforcing their dim views of their appearance.
The basic idea behind mirror exposure is that learning to realistically look at one's own body in objective terms can alter the automatic, negative judgments that would normally arise in individuals with this disorder. In one main element, women look at themselves in the mirror and describe their bodies in non-judgmental, but honest, ways. The goal is to help women let go of their constant self-criticism and learn how to better respond to distressing thoughts about their bodies.

Music Therapy - I was skeptical of the effectiveness of music therapy until I saw the movie The Story of the Weeping Camel. This movie changed my viewpoint on how music can influence animals. I highly recommend everyone to see The Story of the Weeping Camel. It was filmed in the Gobi desert of Mongolia in the year 2002.
     Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate fluctuate in respond to music, with an arousal effect seen with increasing tempo, while slow, meditative music induces a relaxing effect, especially during the pauses.

Prayer Therapy
A study of more than 1,800 patients who underwent heart bypass surgery has failed to show that prayers specially organized for their recovery had any impact. The patients in the study at six U.S. hospitals included 604 who were prayed for after being told they may or may not be; another 597 patients who were not prayed for after being told they might or might not be; and 601 who were prayed for and told they would be the subject of prayer. The praying was done by members of three Christian groups in monasteries and elsewhere -- two Catholic and one Protestant -- who were given written prayers and the first name and initial of the last name of the prayer subjects. The prayers started on the eve of or day of surgery and lasted for two weeks. Among those who were prayed for but only told they might be -- 52 percent had post-surgical complications compared with 51 percent in the patients who were not prayed for but told they might be. After 30 days, the death rates and incidence of major complications were about the same in all three groups, according to the study published in the March, 2006 issue of American Heart Journal.

Reiki healing practice
Reiki is a Japanese method for stress reduction and relaxation that also promises healing.

4. Physical Manipulation of the body and spine
Examples of these types of healing practitioners include chiropractors or osteopathic doctors, and massage therapists. Rolfing, foot reflexology, etc., are other types of practices.

Chiropractic - Among alternative medicine users, chiropractors are visited most frequently, followed by naturopathic doctors.

Massage therapies
See massage for more information.

Reflexology

Yoga is an amazing form of physical and mental practice. I am amazed that Western culture did not develop such a form of movement therapy.

Acupressure alternative medicine
Long used in traditional Chinese medicine, acupressure is based on the same principles as acupuncture, but employs touch rather than needles. According to traditional theory, stimulating particular points on the skin helps balance the flow of energy, or "chi," throughout the body. With acupressure, practitioners use their fingers to stimulate these "acupoints," making it a form of massage.
   The ancient practice of acupressure may be able to calm the aggressive behavior that often results from dementia. Taiwanese researchers looked at whether acupressure could offer a relatively simple way to address the problem. Various forms of touch therapy, such as gentle massage, can calm dementia patients' anxiety and agitation. The simple act of human contact that might explain the benefit; for people whose ability to communicate has been taken away by dementia, physical touch may be the easiest or only way for them to connect with other people. Journal of Clinical Nursing, February 2007.

Massage therapy - massage alters neurotransmitter and hormone levels.

Myofascial trigger point therapy and acupuncture have many similar trigger points.

5. Energy Manipulation Therapies
Energy therapies involve the use of energy fields that practitioners claim surround and penetrate the human body. These healers claim that, through their hand movements or other manipulations over and around the body, they can influence a person's health.  Examples include qi gong and Reiki. It is difficult to imagine how a person can be influenced without touch unless it is occurring through a placebo affect. Belief in the practice can lead to actual physical changes in the body and mind. Those who do not believe in these practices are not likely to be effected by therapy that does not touch the body.
   Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.

Magnetic Therapy

Reiki healing

Alternative medicine medical school
Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania are working with a Maryland alternative medicine school called Tai Sophia Institute on a program to teach medical students about meditation, herbal therapies, and other approaches to health that, although popular with the public, exist largely outside mainstream medicine.

Cancer
There are many natural herbs and supplements that can be helpful in cancer treatment or prevention. Alternative medicine and cancer research is at the earliest stages and hardly any funds have been devoted to alternative medicine approach to cancer treatment compared to chemotherapy research. However, there are many cancers that are poorly treated by modern medicine and in cases where modern medicine has no good answers except for chemotherapy drugs that destroy the body and cause no increase in extending survival, herbs and supplements become a good option.

Many children undergoing treatment for cancer use herbal remedies, vitamins or other types of alternative therapies. Pediatrics, April 2010.

Diabetes
Results of a study do not support the notion that people who use complementary or alternative medicine are less apt to use conventional "evidence-based" medical and preventive care services. On the contrary, it seems they are more apt to use conventional medical services. In a survey of 2,474 adult diabetics, researchers found that nearly half reported using some form of complementary and alternative medicine therapy such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, dietary or herbal therapy, or massage and relaxation therapy. Given that there were roughly 15 million US adults with diabetes at the time of the survey, that means that roughly 7 million were using complementary and alternative medicine therapies, the authors note in the January 2006 issue of the journal Diabetes Care. There has been a dramatic increase in the use of complementary and alternative medicine among individuals with diabetes in recent years.

High blood pressure
There are many options through diet and supplements that could potentially be helpful as alternative medicine for high blood pressure.

Menopause
There are many options through diet and supplements that could potentially be helpful as alternative medicine for menopause, however research is this area has provided with conflicting and uncertain answers. Lots more studies are still needed.

Alternative Medicine and Sleep
One in six Americans frequently have difficulty falling asleep, and 5 percent of them use some type of alternative medicine to treat their sleeping problems. "Most respondents who used herbal therapies or relaxation techniques found these therapies helpful for managing their insomnia or trouble sleeping," Dr. Nancy J. Pearson and colleagues from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Herbs and relaxation exercises were the remedies most commonly used. About 60 percent of those who used alternative medicine for insomnia said they told their doctor they had done so. Alternative medicine use was more common among younger people, and among more educated individuals. Sleeping troubles peaked among 45- to 54-year-olds, declined somewhat for older people, and then increased again among those 85 and older. This contradicts past research that has suggested insomnia is most common among the elderly. "Taken together, our data justify further research on the efficacy of these complementary and alternative medicine therapies to treat sleeping disorders such as insomnia and trouble sleeping," the researchers conclude. Archives of Internal Medicine, September 18, 2006.

Complementary and alternative medicine doctor
May 2006 - Alternative medicine doctors who use treatments such as acupuncture and herbal supplements are making a controversial bid to expand their turf in Illinois. A bill pending in the Legislature would make Illinois the 15th state to license naturopathic doctors, or N.D.s, who favor natural treatments and shun most synthetic drugs. And for the first time in 54 years, a Chicago area school is offering a graduate program in naturopathic medicine. National University of Health Sciences in Lombard will start the four-year N.D. program in September.
  
Complementary and alternative medicine not discussed with doctors
Most Americans age 50 and older use complementary and alternative medicine, such as herbal products or acupuncture, but their doctor is not aware of it. This, according to a survey conducted by AARP and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This is potentially dangerous since some natural remedies may interfere with over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, or other conventional medical approaches.
   Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, the director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health wants patients to share with their doctor their use of alternative medicine in order to prevent potentially harmful drug interactions and to help their doctors manage their health more effectively. In one survey, while nearly two-thirds of the survey participants reported using some type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) just one third of them had discussed it with their physicians. Dr. Josephine P. Briggs says that while many people have heard about the risk that herbal medicines may interact with prescription drugs, this isn't the only reason why doctors need to know about CAM use. Learning this information should be part of how a physician helps his or her patients stay healthy.

Emails
Q. Hey, in the same way we are asking those in the medical and pharmaceutical field to be honest about the value of a natural approach and of supplements, so should those of us that support a natural approach and supplements in recognizing the fact that not all supplements and not all so called natural approaches are
everything that are cracked up to be.
   A. We couldn't agree with you more. There is dishonesty on both ends, the alternative medicine field and the traditional medical field, and practically everywhere it seems, not just in the health field.

Q. I am a board certified family physician living in Michigan, and working out of a small, independent, multi family physician clinic. I graduated from residency approximately 5 years ago. For years I’ve believed our training in nutrition and natural herbal treatments is inadequate. I’ve attended two alternative medicine seminars in Madison WI, and the things they teach ring true. I wonder if you can share any resources with me. I want to learn more, but don’t have the time or financial freedom to get an additional alternative medicine degree. I would like to see clinical research, specifically with a focus on supplements, herbs and natural remedies. Do you know where I could find reliable alternative medicine information.
   A. Consider the website at the top of the page for Dr. Sahelian who writes about alternative medicine.

Q. I am white male 64. I have developed hereditary spastic paraplegia over the past 5 yrs. I am now on a walker and do not do very well using the walker. I found an alternative medicine web site that promotes 3 products for the treatment of motor neuron "disease". MND is not a "disease", it's a disorder caused by faulty genes nothing to do with germs. I suspect fraud but can you tell me if you are familiar with Neuratax, Mototab or Romitin. In Neuratax the herbs listed as ingredients are alpinia, galanga, ambergris crocus sativas, nutmeg, cloves and nux vomica. ANY chance that such a concoction can treat MND (walking balance coordination)?
   A. As of July 2009 we have not seen any alternative medicine human research regarding the use of Neuratax, Mototab or Romitin for neurological disorders.

I went to see an alternative medicine holistic psychiatrist, by the name of Dr. Michael Gurevich. He charged me $400 for 90 minutes of I am not sure what he used kinesiology on me and told me I was allergic to milk (which I knew) and sensitive to gluten. Dr. Michael Gurevich helps people get off of drugs like Paxil and Xanax. He also does hormones for post menopausal women. He suggested that I take St. John's wort. I understand however that St. John's wort lowers hormone levels and cannot be taken with an antidepressant. He also advices patients to have their amalgam filings taken out of their teeth, but only by a holistic dentist. I found this to be very strange, as any dentist can take out amalgam filings. Is this guy playing with a full deck or is he just a hoax in the medical community. His office is in Glen Head, Long Island. I would like your opinion on this doctor. Somehow I think I am getting taken to the cleaners. His charge for 45 min. is 246.00 Yikes! We are all not rich.
    We are not familiar with this alternative medicine doctor and cannot comment on his practice. We do not find kinesiology to be a reliable form of diagnosis.

Health information on this site
Annona muricata is also known as Graviola and has been touted as an anti-cancer agent even though adequate human studies are lacking.
Anthocyanosides are found in high concentrations in Bilberry extract and other herbs
Apium graveolens has a long history of medicinal and food use.
Ayahuasca effects when used as a personality influencing substance.
Bergenin is an isocumeric compound found in Bergenia crassifolia (Siberian Tea)
Breathing problems can be improved with alternative therapies including diet, food, and natural supplements

Quack products and marketers
In Feb 2010, James Folsom was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and was sentenced to 59 months in prison. The judge also ordered the destruction of more than 450 devices that the Government had seized during the execution of a search warrant at a self-storage unit that Folsom used. In February 2009, a federal jury convicted James Folsom of 26 felony counts relating to his sale of quack medical devices. Evidence presented at his trial indicated that for more than ten years, he conspired with others to ship Rife-type biofrequency devices in interstate commerce. Royal Raymond Rife (1888-1971) claimed that cancer was caused by bacteria and that his devices could emit vibrations that would shatter them.