subject: Complementary Medicine And Health, The Path Towards Wellness [print this page] Complementary medicine is any healing practice that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine. These healing practices are often used in conjunction with mainstream techniques. It is often opposed to evidence based medicine and encompasses therapies with a historical or cultural, rather than a scientific basis. Complementary medicine practices are as diverse in their foundations as in their methodologies. Practices may incorporate or base themselves on traditional medicine, folk knowledge, spiritual beliefs, or newly conceived approaches to healing.
The most popular examples of complementary medicine include naturopathy, chiropractic, herbalism, traditional Chinese medicine, Unani, Ayurveda, meditation, yoga, biofeedback, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, and diet-based therapies, in addition to a range of other practices. These are practiced by trained experts in a large number of complementary medicine centers all over the world.
What are considered complementary medicine practices in one country may be considered conventional medical practices in another. Therefore, the definition of conventional medicine should be broad and general to include different kinds of complementary health centers: complementary medicine includes all such practices and ideas which are outside the domain of conventional medicine in several countries and defined by its users as preventing or treating illness, or promoting health and well-being. These practices complement mainstream medicine by contributing to a common whole, satisfying a demand not met by conventional practices, and diversifying the conceptual framework of medicine. Most complementary medicine centers also have health food shops where eatables and food items full of essential nutrients in correct proportion are sold. These food items are to be consumed in conjunction with the regular diet to maintain wellness.
Over the years, the whole medicine industry is witnessing a gradual but firm paradigm shift towards natural health and therefore patients of even terminal diseases are flocking complementary medicine centers. In numerous cases, these healing practices have benefited patients immenselybecause they lay great emphasis on a better and healthier style of living which is good for the body. All the practitioners and doctors at complementary medicine centers are highly qualified and have devoted themselves to the cause of complementary medicine. Every practitioner in the complementary health centers is more concerned about finding out the cause of the ailment in his patients and eliminating it. The complementary medicine centers believe that once the cause is eliminated, the symptoms will get better automatically. The atmosphere in such centers is welcoming and peaceful making them ideal and conducive for health and well being. The methods and practices followed in any complementary health centre cause no pain whatsoever to the patients and instead provide them with much needed comfort.
More and more medical schools around the world are warming up to the concept of complementary medicines and are starting courses to train students in these practices so that they can work at or open their own complementary health centers.
