What is Alternative medicine?

Question

What is Alternative medicine?

Answer 1

It is something used rather than the medications usually prescribed by a doctor.  More herbs and natural types of healants.

Answer 2

Anything other than prescriptions and medications, such as herbal and homeopathic remedies. For example, instead of taking a cough drop for a sore throat, you drink an herbal tea. Or instead of getting an operation, you get acupuncture. Or instead of going on long term prescription antibiotics, you go to a witch doctor and drink some of their special concoctions.

Answer 3

Firstly the word alternative means a choice between one thing or another.

The first being Conventional Medicine, so things your Doctor/Hospital prescribe. Versus an alternative to that, so a non Conventional choice.

They are usually natural remedies rather than man made drugs.

Answer 4

Alternative medicine generally relates to traditional medical therapies such as herbalism, acupuncture, qi gong healing, etc. rather than modern Western medical therapies such as pharmaceuticals and surgery.

Answer 5

instead of like hospitals and medications, they are usually natural things.

Answer 6

From the National Institutes of Health: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) they describe it as "Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example of an alternative therapy is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional doctor."

Where Complementary medicine "is used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy therapy in which the scent of essential oils from flowers, herbs, and trees is inhaled to promote health and well-being. to help lessen a patient's discomfort following surgery. "