alternative healing
Non-Western medical practices
Alternative healing encompasses medical treatments and practices outside mainstream Western medicine—acupuncture, herbalism, energy work, chiropractic, homeopathy, and similar approaches.
The term implies these methods exist as alternatives to conventional care, though many practitioners prefer "complementary" to suggest use alongside standard medicine: She turned to alternative healing after chemotherapy.
- aromatherapyTherapeutic use of plant essences
- Chinese medicineTraditional Asian healing system
- herbal medicinePlant-based healing practice
- natural remediesNon-pharmaceutical healing approaches
- herbal teaSteeped plant infusion
reflexology · Ayurveda · meditation · naturopathy · acupuncture · essential oils · folk medicine · acupressure · pressure points · homeopathy · yoga · tai chi · chiropractic care · moxibustion · qigong · sound therapy · guided imagery · laying on hands
- holismwholeness, interconnectedness, holism, oneness, totality
alternative healingevidence-based medicine
Clinical care guided by research
evidence-based practice · traditional medicine · clinical trials · clinical research
alternative healingsurgery
Invasive medical procedure
chemotherapy · prescription drugs · radiation therapy · drug therapy · medical devices
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