When you have a headache, what do you do? Or if you aren’t able to sleep, what hack to you use? We bet most of us will find solace in over-the-counter pills. That’s easier right? But conventional medicine also comes with tons of side effects, especially indiscriminate use can have some not-so-good impact on our health. So, what should you do? Grin and bear? No, not really! You can try different alternative treatments that are sometimes as effective, if not more, in some cases at least and you know alternative medical practices are gaining popularity in the U.S.
Here, are some of the alternative medical practices you could try! But before we do that, let’s know more about alternative medical practices.
What are the ins and outs of alternative medicine?
Alternative therapy is a health treatment that caters to most of your health issues and is also known as complementary medicine. Alternative medicine as a field is diverse and instead of treating the symptoms, it focuses on finding the underlying cause. It involves things such as diet and exercise, besides many other practices. The benefits of alternative therapies are often debated about, and more research is certainly needed to find out the benefits. But it is also true that more and more people are opening to the idea of trying alternative treatment options. The best part of alternative practices is they come minus the side effects. Here are the five most common alternative treatment options that you must try.
What about naturopathy?
Naturopathy is based primarily on the healing power of nature and naturopathic doctors are trained in both conventional and alternative medicines. They explore various realms such as physical, mental, and spiritual manifestations. It includes most other treatment parameters such as nutrition, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and other behavioral changes.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that involves the use of needles by stimulating certain points on the body. In some cases, moxibustion or electrical stimulation is used. We know the fact that acupuncture treats several conditions such as insomnia, different kinds of pain, such as neck pain, osteoarthritis, and so on. New research, one that had been conducted in 2016, offers hope for all those patients who are suffering from various issues and wants to try acupuncture as an alternative practice. Is it a placebo effect? Not really as a 2017 meta-analysis confirmed that acupuncture offers more than just a placebo effect and is a very effective treatment option for those suffering from chronic pain.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a practice of initiating a healing process in the human body by using essential oils. Aromatherapists use highly concentrated extracts from roots, blossoms of plants, leaves, seeds, to aid in the healing. It’s a 5,000-year-old practice that promises several benefits.
The oils are usually used as a diffuser and diluted after carrier oil. The blended oils are massaged into the skin and are used to treat issues such as inflammation or infections, and for others, it is a fantastic way to induce calm and beat stress.
Practitioners have used aromatherapy for a range of conditions such as anxiety, depression, nausea, pain relief, and insomnia. 2017, was especially helpful in treating insomnia with the use of lavender. It helped promote sleep and reduce anxiety for patients who suffer from heart disease. In 2017 a group of nurses working in night-shifts use aromatherapy massage with the help of sweet marjoram, essential oil to improve their sleep quality.
And yes, their sleep quality indeed improved after they had a glass of warm water and massaged themselves with essential oils. Yes, there is something in the theory that your olfactory senses are closely linked with stress, so when you inhale certain scents it helps you to relax and reduce your stress levels. It is important to find out more about aromatherapy before trying it out, especially, it may not be for everyone. Especially when it comes to pregnant women, children, or pets. Avoid applying them on your skin and especially you need to avoid prolonged exposure without ventilation.
Numerous other alternative therapies can offer specific benefits for people suffering from specific ailments. Research more about it, find an experienced practitioner near you to get the best out of the treatment.