Alternative Medicine describes practices used in place of conventional medical treatments.
Alternative medicine includes practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious underpinnings; non-European
medical traditions, or newly developed approaches to healing. There are almost 500 such systems. Alternative Medicine was
practiced In India since ancient times . Alternative Medicine includes
Ayurveda Chiropractic Herbalism Homeopathy Naturopathic
Medicine Osteopathy Siddha Traditional Chinese Medicine Unani .
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine defines complementary and alternative
medicine as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered
to be part of conventional medicine". It also defines integrative medicine as "[combining] mainstream medical therapies and
CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness". Ralph Snyderman and Andrew
Weil state "integrative medicine is not synonymous with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It has a far larger
meaning and mission in that it calls for restoration of the focus of medicine on health and healing and emphasizes the centrality
of the patient-physician relationship"
1. Alternative Medical Systems
2. Mind-Body Intervention
3. Biologically Based Therapy
4. Manipulative
and body-based methods
5. Energy Therapy
