We also have some interesting and informative articles & notes with a Complementary Therapy theme on our Therapy Articles page.
Find books about Complementary and Alternative medicine on our Books Page and there are sections for Products , Gifts and Courses related to Complementary Therapies.

What is Complementary Therapy
Complementary therapies and Complementary medicine are a range of services designed to complement traditional medical practice
Treatments are used in tandem with mainstream medicine, examples include acupuncture, reflexology, hypnotherapy and massage

An increasing desire for wellness, in response to today’s stressful lifestyle, has led to the rising demand for Complementary medicine and therapies. It is true that many people are becoming disenchanted with conventional medicine's drugs and the approach to healing.

What is the difference between conventional medicine and Complementary medicine? In general, conventional medicine tends to focus on the disease and employs techniques to treat it. It views the body as a war zone where battles against invading organisms are fought, and won or lost. It focuses more on techniques, technology, chemical reactions that can be measured, statistically proven and documented. Treatment is on the part of the body that is displaying the symptoms of the illness or disease.

On the other hand, Complementary medicine tends to be "holistic", where an individual's health is considered as a whole and treatment not just focused on the symptoms. Complementary medicine employ "natural" methods to aid the healing powers of the body to return to a state of health. Treatment is holistic; that is it takes into account every aspect of a patient and not just on the health symptoms that he or she is experiencing.

Contrary to popular belief, Complementary medicine has a history longer than conventional medicine. Much of Complementary medicine is derived from ancient healing techniques. For instance, the use of herbs is practiced all over the world since a long time ago; whether in India as ayurvedic medicine, in China as traditional Chinese medicine or used as aromatherapy which can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times.

There are a full range of Complementary medicine and complementary therapies. They include Acupuncture, Acupressure, Alexander Technique, Aromatherapy, Bowen Therapy, Chinese Medicine, Holistic Medicine, Homeopathy, Hopi Ear Candles, Hypnotherapy, Indian Head Massage, Kinesiology, Reiki, Reflexology, Shiatsu, Thai Foot Massage etc – all aimed at restoring the body back to balance and thus helping an individual achieve total wellness.

Complementary therapies are becoming an increasingly popular option as a treatment. It has been estimated that as many as one third of people in the UK have tried at least one form of complementary therapy, usually for persistent and chronic problems such as backache or arthritis.

It is highly recommended that you use a qualified practitioner who is a member of a regulatory body. By law, chiropractic and osteopathy practitioners must be registered with the appropriate professional bodies

As an aid to understanding these various therapies we offer the following brief descriptions :-

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical procedure involving insertion and manipulation of needles at more than 1000 points in the human body. Applied to relieve pain during surgery or in rheumatic conditions, and to treat many other conditions- anxiety/depression, arthritis, asthma, pain, eczema, sports injuries, allergies and hayfever, migraine, menstrual disorders, gastrointestinal problems and pregnancy management and delivery.
Acupuncture is used today in most hospitals in China and increasingly by practitioners in Europe, and the United States. Acupuncture has grown in popularity in the United States since the 1970s and is now widely regarded as a safe and effective treatment for a variety of conditions.
The Chinese and other eastern peoples have been using acupuncture to restore, promote and maintain good health for about 2,500 years, originally stone needles were used, and later bronze, gold and silver needles. The first medical account of acupuncture was ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine’ which dates from about 300 BC. Acupuncture is rooted in the Taoist philosophy of change, growth, balance and harmony, and this text outlines the principles of natural law and the movements of life - yin and yang, the Five Elements, the organ system and the meridian network along which acupuncture points are located
Acupuncture originated in China over 2,000 years ago and is one of the oldest and most commonly performed types of medical procedure. The literal meaning of Acupuncture is “needle piercing.” As the name suggests, the procedure of acupuncture involves penetrating the skin with solid, metallic needles that are very thin.
According to Chinese medicine, the body transmits energy or qi (pronounced chee) through pathways or meridians in the body.