The Five Main Branches of Alternative Medicine?

The term "alternative medicine" encompasses a wide range of healing traditions. Their common thread is non-conformance to the medical system conventionally used in western countries. The U.S. government agency known as NCCAM, or the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, classifies alternative treatments into five categories as described below.

Full Alternative SystemsNCCAM identifies entire alternative systems of healing theory and practice. Some examples include Native American herbal healing practices, acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine, and ayurveda, the traditional medicine system used in India. Homeopathy and naturopathic medicine are other examples of alternative medicine systems. Manipulative Methods of HealingChiropractic healing, therapeutic massage, and acupressure are some of the better-known manipulative or body-based methods of alternative healing. Some other practices identified by NCCAM include:

Osteopathy, which emphasizes the musculoskeletal system Rolfing, or soft tissue manipulation The Alexander Technique for bodily awareness and efficient muscle movement The Feldenkrais Method to increase the range of muscle motion The Trager Approach of achieving increased mobility through deep relaxation

Bio-Based Alternative MedicineVitamins, herbal products, and other dietary supplements are considered biologically-based alternative therapies. Many of these products, such as glucosamine and Vitamin B, are understood well by conventional practitioners. Others are confined to alternative medicine communities. Mind-Body InterventionsMind-body interventions channel mental energy into healing the body. Some examples include biofeedback, therapy with guided imagery, and hypnotherapy. Some therapies that were once considered alternative mind-body therapies have now been embraced by western medicine. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is predicated on a link between mind and body, and it's become the most dominant form of psychotherapy in the U.S. Energy TherapiesPerhaps the most "alternative" of all, energy therapies are based on the notion that energy fields, or biofields, surround and penetrate the body. Therapy involves manipulating the fields with physical touch, sound waves, magnetic fields, electric currents, and other means. Some of the better-known energy therapies include reiki, qigong, and magnet therapy.