Alternative therapies are an increasingly popular choice among patients seeking ways to enhance their health or who believe traditional medical treatments are not working for them. Furthermore, complementary therapies may supplement existing medical treatments in aiding recovery processes.
Complementary therapists tend to be self-employed and offer flexible working hours; many even work from home. Some even belong to voluntary regulatory bodies like the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council for certification purposes.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese form of traditional medicine that involves inserting thin needles through your skin at specific points on the body. Most commonly used to relieve pain, but also helpful with stress management and sleeping issues as well as other ailments. Acupuncturists can be found in clinics, hospitals and private practices.
Acupunture is one of the most sought-after alternative therapy careers and boasts lucrative pay. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, acupuncturists earn an average annual wage of $89,060 while chiropractors make an estimated $75,380 annual salary. Other alternative medicine careers include aromatherapists earning an annual average salary of $51,339 as well as massage therapists making $48,860 annually.
The National Health Service in the UK strongly encourages acupuncture for migraines and chronic pain relief, and many chiropractic clinics, primary care offices, hospitals, pain clinics, and hospices also offer it.
Tradition Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient approach to healing that dates back millennia. It includes herbal medication, diet therapy and massage (Tui Na). Acupuncturists work closely with their patients to manage pain effectively and promote overall wellness.
Many who turn to acupuncture report immediate relief from pain. Stimulating specific acupuncture points appears to stimulate your own natural painkillers – endorphins – into action, providing fast relief from inflammation.
Acupunturists are highly-trained experts at identifying which acupressure points will provide maximum relief for your specific medical condition, and teaching self-acupressure techniques to stimulate them with your fingers or hands, known as self-acupressure.
Acupuncturists possess a high level of professionalism and are trained to collaborate with medical professionals such as physicians and nurses. To become certified, acupuncturists must pass a licensing exam. Once certified, these acupuncturists gain access to an expansive patient database in pain management centers or private practices and may collaborate with physical therapists when treating their patients.
Massage
Massage involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body to promote relaxation and overall well-being. Different forms of massage involve stroking, pressing and manipulating various areas such as muscles, tendons and ligaments using hands and fingers (and sometimes forearms or elbows) for greater relaxation and wellbeing. Aromatherapy oils or tranquil music may further add an ambience of serenity for maximum effect. Massage has long been used as part of integrative medicine as one form of healing, helping reduce stress and anxiety while potentially treating or even preventing certain diseases.
Massage has also been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormones adrenalin, cortisol and norepinephrine, which are known to impair immune function and cause physical ailments. Massage can also provide relief for muscular-skeletal conditions like neck and back pain.
Studies demonstrate how massage therapy can dramatically increase quality of life for those living with fibromyalgia, an inflammatory condition characterized by muscle tightness and tenderness, as well as ease pain for people suffering osteoarthritis of the knee, decrease stress levels, increase flexibility, speed up recovery from sports injuries by decreasing inflammation and improving range of motion, among many others.
Massage can be an invaluable aid for cancer patients. It can alleviate pain, reduce anxiety and depression, boost self-image in those living with physical disabilities or terminal illnesses and ease chemotherapy and radiation side effects.
Other forms of alternative therapy include dance movement psychotherapy, which uses movement and role play to explore emotional issues; health play specialists who use therapeutic games to assist children and adolescents cope with illness, hospitalization and family life; hairdressers/barbers who provide haircuts/styles designed to enhance appearance – often working closely alongside psychiatrists/psychologists/social workers to provide optimal care to clients; as well as hairdressers/barbers to cut/style hair for aesthetic enhancement purposes – hairdressers/barbers who often work alongside these practitioners as part of their clients care.
Music Therapy
Music therapy is an alternative form of medicine that uses music to improve overall health and well-being, including stress levels, anxiety levels and depression levels. Music therapy may help patients cope with medical issues or recover faster after surgeries or cancer treatments; there are various approaches such as singing or playing instruments used for music therapy treatment.
Music therapists work in various environments, such as hospitals, clinics, hospice care services and rehabilitation centers. Their techniques utilize different musical genres to help clients relax while exploring emotions or developing social skills; some specialize in specific conditions like Alzheimer’s or cancer.
Dependent upon the client, music therapy sessions can either be receptive or active. Receptive music therapy sessions involve listening to pre-recorded music or relaxing sounds; live instrument playing would likely be distracting in this form of session.
Re-creational music therapy encourages its clients to participate in creating musical content through singing, playing an instrument or composing songs. This activity has many positive outcomes such as increased self-esteem and motor coordination improvements as well as providing a sense of accomplishment for patients. Furthermore, bonding between treatment team members helps patients cope better with physical and emotional challenges associated with illness and hospitalization.
One way of measuring whether music therapy is working is to monitor a patient’s mood and emotional state. Other signs that it has produced positive results may include changes in verbalizations (for instance, more hopeful comments or deeper sharing) and decreased symptoms such as pain, anxiety depression and stress.
Music therapists in the US must hold at least a bachelor’s degree and pass a national exam to be licensed as music therapists. Most states regulate this field of practice with laws regarding licensing; many require practitioners to possess an MT-BC credential that indicates completion of 500 hours of clinical training as well as passing an exam administered by American Music Therapy Association.
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Animal-assisted therapy involves employing trained service animals such as dogs, cats or horses to assist people in reaching therapeutic goals alongside traditional counseling and psychotherapy treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy or group therapy.
An animal-assisted therapist’s duties involve scheduling and conducting sessions with clients, developing care plans tailored specifically to each person’s unique needs, providing animal training services and assuring the wellbeing of therapy animals during sessions, documenting findings correctly, implementing therapeutic activities that enhance patient progress evaluation programs as well as participating in ongoing educational programs. They may collaborate with healthcare professionals and community organizations in providing holistic care for clients.
People interested in animal-assisted therapy will need to complete formal education and training programs to become licensed as mental health professionals or earn an associate degree in a relevant field like psychology or social work. Additionally, animal-assisted therapy certification courses which offer instruction on its principles and techniques should also be completed; strong interpersonal skills with strong listening abilities as well as compassion are important qualities in an ideal candidate for this career path.
Animal-assisted therapy sessions involve client interaction with an animal specifically chosen for its temperament and skill set. During sessions, this animal provides comfort to reduce anxiety for their client while strengthening bonds between two individuals while improving emotional stability and quality of life.
Animal-assisted therapy typically conjures images of dogs or horses when people hear this term; however, any animal trained as a comfort tool can be utilized. This may include cats, rabbits or even guinea pigs – though most commonly it involves canines.
Therapists usually bring the pet with them during each therapy session or work with local animal-assisted therapy organizations to find an animal suitable for each client. Furthermore, measures must be put in place to ensure the animal’s welfare which may include carefully selecting animals for training purposes and making sure there are opportunities for relaxation between sessions.