Alternative Medicine: Benefits, Types, and Risks
When they are sick, there are those who prefer to immediately undergo alternative medicine without first consulting a doctor. They consider this treatment to be more affordable and less risky. However, is it wise to go to a traditional clinic without medical examination first? Check out the following explanation.
What is alternative medicine?
Alternative medicine is a form of health service that uses methods, tools, or materials that are not included in standard medical treatment.
This form of health service is usually referred to as complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) or complementary and alternative medicine.
The National Health Service website quotes the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) statement on the differences between alternative medicine and complementary medicine, namely:
- Complementary medicine or complementary medicine is when you do this treatment along with conventional medicine.
- Alternative medicine or alternative medicine is when you do this medication in place of conventional treatment.
Do not always think of alternative medicine as the only therapy to treat a disease.
The reason is, traditional medicine does not promise a cure for any disease.
Traditional medicine that exists in society today for the most part does not have strong scientific evidence.
In fact, most of the treatment is only based on suggestions and experiences of the patient.
Even so, this alternative medicine still has benefits that you can take, such as:
- help alleviate the side effects of conventional medicine,
- provide comfort and reduce worries about your health condition, and
- feel that you have tried hard to fight off the disease.
The benefits of alternative medicine can be felt if you do it regularly in the long term.
What are the different types of alternative medicine?
According to John Hopkins Medicine, there are several types of alternative medicine that are known in the community.
Here are various types of alternative medicine:
1. Traditional alternative medicine
This treatment includes a form of therapy that is more general and socially accepted.
This therapy has been practiced for centuries throughout the world.
These traditional remedies include:
- acupuncture,
- ayurveda,
- homeopathy,
- naturopathy, and
- Chinese medicine.
2. Therapy that involves touch
Disease or injury to any area of the body can affect any part of the body.
That is why, there are certain diseases that require this therapy.
Techniques that involve touch are usually combined with techniques that involve the mind, some examples are as follows:
- chiropractic medicine and osteopathy,
- massage,
- body movement therapy,
- Tai chi, and
- yoga.
3. Diet and herbs
This alternative medicine relies on diet and herbs to help treat health problems.
The way to do this treatment is to balance the nutritional needs of the body from daily food intake.
Dietary and herbal remedies include:
- dietary supplements,
- herbal medicine, and
- dietary arrangements.
4. External energy
This treatment arises from people’s belief that external energy from objects or other sources can affect health.
Examples of external energy therapy include:
- electromagnetic therapy,
- reiki, and
- qigong.
5. Therapies that involve the mind
This medicine relies on the power behind the connection of the human mind and body.
The reason is, there is an assumption that a person can recover quickly if they are mentally and emotionally healthy.
Therapies that involve the mind include the following:
- meditation,
- biofeedback, and
- hypnosis.
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6. Treatment that involves the senses
Many people believe that the senses, be they touch, sight, hearing, smell, or taste, can affect the overall health of the body.
Therapies that involve the senses include:
- art, dance, and music,
- visualization and guided imagery.
What are the side effects of alternative medicine?
Some of the ingredients or methods involved in this treatment may carry a risk of certain complications and / or side effects.
Moreover, if you take medication for too long or carelessly without a doctor’s supervision, side effects may occur.
The following are examples of side effects and dangers of alternative medicine according to the type that you need to be aware of:
Reflexology
Although reflexology is generally safe, this technique can cause premature contractions when performed on women who are less than 38 weeks pregnant.
Early contractions can put pregnant women at risk of premature birth and miscarriage.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can endanger the health of the body if the therapist who treats you is not certified.
This is because when the therapist pushes the needle too deep, your internal organs, especially your lungs, may be injured.
However, this complication of acupuncture is very rare in the hands of experienced therapists.
So, make sure you are treated by a therapist who has experience doing alternative medicine, including acupuncture.
Herbs and herbal medicines
Herbs and herbal medicines also have their own side effects or risks if you drink them carelessly.
Take for example, ginger which is known as a natural constipation (laxative) medicine.
Unfortunately, not many people know that ginger has blood thinning properties that can cause acute kidney bleeding in people with liver disease.
Not only that, if you drink tea from elephant trunk leaves while undergoing chemotherapy, the additional chemotherapy effects of elephant trunk leaves can increase toxicity.
Toxicity is the ability of a substance to cause discomfort in the body.
So, instead of helping with the recovery process, the traditional treatments you are undergoing may hinder the effectiveness of medical drugs that your doctor prescribes.
Therefore, it is important to discuss with your doctor before undertaking any alternative medicine.
Be careful when choosing alternative medicine
Based on the explanation above, this does not mean that alternative medicine is completely bad. Actually, it is okay if you intend to undergo this treatment.
However, once again, you should not make traditional medicine a priority or the main way to cure diseases.
The doctor may suggest alternative treatments to maintain general health, reduce symptoms, speed recovery, or reduce the risk of disease.
However, herbal medicine is not the main way to cure a disease.
So, it would be better if you prioritize the treatment plan with medical care from doctors and other health professionals.
If you really want to try alternative medicine, talk to the doctor who treats your condition first.
The doctor will later provide the best recommendations so that you recover quickly.
Finally, make sure that the practice place, alternative medicine specialist, and / or the product you choose has legal permission from the Ministry of Health to ensure its safety.
Hello Health Group and Hello Sehat do not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please check our editorial policy page for more detailed information.
