Alternative therapies – also referred to as complementary or holistic medicine – have become increasingly popular as people seek relief for health problems using them alongside conventional treatments or as an alternative option altogether.
These practices include diet and exercise changes, hypnosis and injecting needles under your skin (acupuncture). Further research must be completed in order to ascertain their safety and efficacy.
Dietary approaches to medicine
Alternative therapies often involve dietary approaches. These may include supplements, probiotics and herbal remedies as well as mind-body techniques like meditation and hypnotherapy. When combined with conventional medical treatments they’re known as integrative medicine.
Studies show that alternative therapies offer several health benefits, including pain relief, increased energy and better sleep. They have been found useful across multiple conditions ranging from chronic illnesses to cancer; however more research must be conducted in certain areas, specifically when it comes to how certain treatments such as massage and acupuncture might help reduce side effects from cancer drugs.
Alternative medicine has become a global trend, as people dissatisfied with conventional medical treatments seek alternative approaches in hopes of improving their health through nontraditional means. A recent study conducted by researchers aimed to explore why some individuals turn to this form of treatment.
Researchers employed self-reports and interviews with individuals regarding their beliefs and attitudes regarding alternative medicine, as well as exploring demographic variables to examine any connections between those factors and an individual’s decision to seek alternative treatments.
Findings indicate that age, education and religious affiliation were all predictive of willingness to seek alternative medicine therapies; however, dissatisfaction with traditional medical practice did not predict increased use of alternative therapies. In fact, this corroborates with previous research suggesting that an individual’s belief in their own ability to heal themselves may play an integral part in choosing alternative therapies over conventional ones.
Energy therapies
Physical health and mental/emotional wellbeing are inextricably connected. What may come as a surprise, though, is how alternative treatments can boost physical wellness. Therapies such as acupuncture, therapeutic touch and Reiki work by harnessing natural energies found within your body to help relieve tension while improving overall wellness. While such practices may have side effects they are generally considered safe alternatives that won’t interfere with conventional medicine treatments.
Craniosacral therapy is an increasingly popular type of energy healing that aims to release any energy blocks causing pain or tension in your body. This healing method relies on the idea that bioenergy, or life force, circulates throughout a network of meridians in your body which connect to chakras – energy centers located throughout major organs and joints of the body. If there is an imbalance of this bioenergy flow then symptoms like pain or depression could arise as a result.
Fogel frequently observes clients turning to alternative therapies when medical doctors cannot identify the source of their distress. She finds many women seeking energy work therapy treatments for issues like loneliness, stress and anxiety.
Effectiveness is difficult to measure; however anecdotal evidence supports their value. Some researchers have studied energy therapies like Healing Touch and Reiki on cancer therapy patients; it’s believed these techniques can reduce stress, improve quality of life and combat side effects caused by chemotherapy treatment; however it should be noted that such studies are limited.
Massage
Massage is one of the most frequently sought after alternative therapies when people want to unwind and unwind from daily stressors. Resorts and luxury hotels frequently provide therapeutic massage sessions as a form of relief from tension in muscles. Therapeutic massage can also promote better circulation through your body allowing blood, oxygen, and nutrients to circulate without becoming stuck within congested areas or blocked ducts.
Massage can also help ease anxiety. In a study published by the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, researchers discovered that massage significantly reduced anxiety for psychiatric inpatients within 30 minutes post massage session. Other research has also demonstrated how massage can relieve symptoms associated with depression while improving overall mental wellbeing.
Massage releases hormones into your skin that can elevate your mood. This effect is partially due to touch stimulating the release of serotonin and dopamine from nerve endings in touch points; massage also decreases cortisol production – the main stress hormone.
Massage has many physical advantages that may help lessen side effects associated with cancer treatments, including radiation and chemotherapy. Massage may increase blood flow, decrease pain from radiation or chemotherapy treatments and help your muscles relax – not to mention decreasing menstrual cramp severity! Massage therapists can apply pressure to areas of congestion to move blood through and alleviate numbness/tingling in extremities while improving circulation can also decrease muscle and tissue pain as well as provide faster recovery after workouts.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is an alternative medicine practice that utilizes relaxation and concentration techniques to induce a state of trance-like relaxation, which has many proven health benefits including relieving pain, increasing energy, decreasing anxiety levels and helping with quitting junk food altogether.
Hypnotherapy when performed by a trained hypnotist can be an effective means of treating many symptoms and health conditions, from acute pain from medical procedures like dental work or surgery, to depression treatment (a study published in May of 2021 found hypnotherapy was just as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing depression symptoms).
First step of hypnotherapy involves creating the appropriate mindset through relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises and visualization. Next, your hypnotist will guide you through suggestions tailored specifically towards your goals; for example if you wish to overcome your fear of flying they’ll suggest that the plane becomes an extension of yourself as they encourage you to imagine gliding along through the sky together.
Some may feel they cannot be hypnotized, yet research shows that most adults can be easily hypnotized. It’s essential to locate a qualified hypnotist and remember that it takes dedication on both parts to see real results; and may work best when used alongside other treatment modalities.
Meditation
Meditation is an alternative therapy designed to reduce stress and promote relaxation, helping the mind-body connection by relieving tension. Meditation may also assist with pain management and depression management; though its use should always be discussed with your healthcare provider before trying alternative therapies – they will ensure any therapies don’t interfere with traditional medical treatment plans.
Meditation involves cultivating an attitude of kindness and unconditional benevolence towards all others, typically manifested through silent repetition of a phrase such as, “May all beings find happiness and its sources, while being free from suffering and its causes.” Meditation has been proven to reduce blood pressure, improve mental health and assist recovery from substance use disorder while helping prevent future relapses.
Researchers have discovered that meditation reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, improves mental health quality of life and well-being and even lowers cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Studies have demonstrated the benefits of meditation on inflammation reduction and immune function improvement, gene expression regulation and telomere length change; and can slow the aging process. Researchers believe meditation reduces inflammation by altering immune-related genes which impact cell turnover rates and turnover activity.
This study discovered that meditation was most often practiced to alleviate anxiety, stress and depression. Participants with high anxiety/depression scores saw the greatest benefits from their practice; however, only a minority have informed their healthcare providers of this practice.
