Many people turn to and seek out the advantages of alternative medicines. They have become disenchanted with modern medicines since it often seeks to treat or mask systems with drugs that are often accompanied by dangerous side effects. Alternative medicines treat the whole person with little to no side effects.

Alternative medicines, as they are known, are certainly not a new concept, but the newer modern advances in medicine have overshadowed the natural route to health.

In fact, many alternative medicines today treat several of the main concerns of patients around the world. These include:

Chiropractic - The chiropractic profession is certainly not a new treatment, many insurance companies will not cover chiropractic care. The advantage to chiropractic treatment is the ability to manually manipulate the spinal column in order to reduce back pain, sciatica, and headaches. Countless people find relief from this form of treatment that involves no drugs or medications.

Acupuncture - An ancient Chinese practice that consists of inserting thin, sterilized needles into select points in the body in order to relieve pain and increase blood flow and circulation. There are no drugs used and many acupuncturists prescribe Chinese herbs to further help with the healing process.

Massage - It has been around for thousands of years as a way to naturally smooth out stressful muscles, but today massage is also used to increase blood flow and help patients that are in continual pain find relief. In addition, massage is very useful for common condition such as headaches, tennis elbow, and golfer's elbow, to name a few.

Homeopathy - Introduced in 1796 by a German physician. The idea behind homeopathy is that like cures like and therefore very diluted preparations are created in order to gain the relief needed. For example, if a person has an allergy to a weed, the preparation may be highly diluted concoction of the weed and pure water. As the person consumes the mixture in such minute dosages, it helps the body heal itself of the allergy.

Healing through herbs - Humankind has been using herbs and natural products for thousands of years, but when modern medicine took over, herbs were put aside. Herbs are very powerful and can treat conditions such as pain, asthma, cholesterol levels, heart conditions, and most importantly, herbs can and do prevent certain conditions from ever occurring.

Final Thoughts

The advantages of alternative medicines are many and while many people are just discovering the many benefits, some cultures have never abandoned the alternative medicine usages. Treating conditions in a more natural way is safer for the body, causes fewer side effects, and is cost effective.

Many insurance companies are beginning to see the light and making allowances in their policies for acupuncture and chiropractic care. Even modern medicine looks to herbs to make certain medications, but sells them under a prescription rather than over the counter. Those that have always known alternative medicines are safe and effective are happy to see the shift towards a more natural healing approach.