A Complementary therapy is one that can be used in addition to, or instead of, conventional Western medicine. BUPA explain that Complementary therapies are methods of trying to treat illnesses, and these methods fall outside of conventional medicine. Some complementary therapies, such as acupuncture and reflexology, are based on older or traditional forms of medicine. Others, such as osteopathy and chiropractic, are more recent developments. Things like herbal medicine can be seen as a very rough precursor to modern medicine; there are many medicines that have been discovered through understanding the effects of natural substances. Herbal medicines can be seen as ‘unrefined’ medications, with varying doses and sometimes with other ingredients in them.
The word ‘complementary’ refers to the fact that they may be used in addition to the conventional medicine approaches advised by medical professionals.
You can get a few treatments on the NHS via pain clinics but the waiting list is long but well worth getting on to. Some of the treatments available on the NHS are homoeopathy, herbal medicine, reflexology, acupuncture, nutrition, shiatsu massage and aromatherapy. You can also get some of these treatments from your nearest training college for a quarter of the price charged by normal salons.
You can also join some of the discount companies online that offer reductions in your area for a number of things, including include spas and beauty treatments.
Our doctors and health services are overstretched as it is, whereas most alternative practitioners have time to explore our problems in a bit more depth.
They should never be considered as a replacement for conventional medicine, but
the two can certainly go hand in hand. Any type of therapy can ease pain in specific areas but not any leave you pain free for long. They say some give you a placebo feeling but if they help just for a short time it’s worth having the treatment.
Some treatments are far from ‘new’, with documentation on aromatherapy dating back 5000 years.
With so many people now trying out complementary and natural remedies, it’s important you find out that they are fully-qualified.
The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council’s register — has practitioners who meet the standards of proficiency for their field. They must also hold professional indemnity insurance, have no criminal record and agree to abide by a code of conduct.
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Reblogged this on Barbara McLullich.
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