In general, alternative medicine is a diverse field which encompasses any kinds of health and medical treatment and procedures which are not conventional and do not conform to standard medical practices. In other words, an alternative medicine practice will consist of healers whose approach is a substitute to conventional the use of medication, healing and cures.

Alternative medicine may refer to practices that involve dietary modifications and workout routine changes, chiropractic adjustment, using acupuncture, and even hypnosis.

Presented here are some of the most popular forms of alternative medicine practices which are most commonly utilized across the globe by different healers of different backgrounds and cultures. The professionals in alternative medicine fields are most likely known as healers or practitioners educated with knowledge of these alternative medicine practices, but not necessarily licensed nor do they usually hold degrees recognized by the traditional medical community. Although, many healers are becoming acclimatized and gaining respect within the mainstream medical community. They may not be completely accepted, yet, but the scorn from a generation ago has been fading.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is best known as a practice for treating and healing physical pain as well as depression and other psychological disorders.

While there are several procedures in acupuncture, the most popular variety involves the use of needles inserted into the skin to stimulate specific regions (mainly pressure points within muscle and nerve groups) in the body. The manipulation used with needles is carefully and expertly controlled by an experienced acupuncture practitioner.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy, a widely-used alternative medicine practice, makes use of essential oils to promote healing of different maladies of the body. These essential oils are extracted from a variety of plants and are particularly concentrated to result in the best effects.

In aromatherapy, these essential oils are inhaled as a steam and vapor while on other occasions, they are simply massaged into the skin. However, there are rare situations where the essential oils are taken orally.

Aromatherapy can help the patient relax the body and the mind, relieving physical and mental stress and anxiety, and even treat physical infections and inflammations.

Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurvedic medicine (or Ayurveda for short), traces its origins to India and has actually been around for over 3,000 years. It is one of the oldest known holistic (whole body) medical practices.

The aim of Ayurvedic medicine is to achieve balance amongst the mind, body and spirit and therefore is one of the most encompassing forms of alternative medicine which includes a wide range of treatment and healing procedures such as the use of herbs, massage and customized nutritional and dietary programs.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic is another form of alternative medicine practice which concentrates on conditions involving the muscular, skeletal and nervous systems of the body.

Chiropractic aids in mitigating and eventually curing pains in muscles and particularly the spine, neck, limbs and the head. The spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustment happens in the affected regions of the body. These normally painless movements are intended to be restored by way of this type of alternative medicine.

Chiropractic helps loosen tense muscles which allow for the tissues of the body to heal resolving the aching and the underlying cause of the pain. In general, the use of chiropractic is for the improvement of a person’s physical functioning or restoring the person’s usual and normal physical mobility.

Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine is an approach in alternative medicine where the person’s general well-being and all complete aspects of his health composition are taking into account. In holistic medicine, the person’s physical, psychological, mental, spiritual and even social state are considered in the process of healing and treatment. The popular view of holistic medicine is it focuses on the “whole body” approach.

The underlying principle in holistic medicine in San Antonio is all these aspects are interlinked and closely related in that one affects the rest of the body’s composition in the event of acquisition of illnesses or ailments.

In holistic medicine, it is believed that whatever happens to a person’s physical body is a result of what goes on in the person’s mind and spirit as well as environmental factors, among others. These aspects are treated as equally important to each other and so taking care of each of these facets of the human body is highly important in holistic medicine.