Mainstream medical science has long recognized the importance of alternative medicine in enhancing the well being of people. It is a well known medical fact that some patients respond better to alternative medicine therapies for certain ailments rather than only on Allopathic therapy. The relevance of alternative medicine is recognized by the fact that the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) have extensive research programs delving into various alternative medicine therapies.
This essay aims to describe in brief the five categories of alternative medicines as recognized by the two institutions and focus in greater detail on the alternative medicine therapy of Ayurveda. The NIH website (2008) states that “NCCAM categorized the wide range of CAM modalities into five broad areas: 1) Alternative Medical Systems; 2) Mind-Body Interventions; 3) Biologically-based Therapies; 4) Manipulation and Body-based Methods; and 5) Energy Therapies. ” Alternative medical systems are holistic in nature and have a traditional base which is on most parts different from conventional medicinal systems.
These medical systems are self contained entities with a complete body of work, methodology and a range of medicines and therapy. Some examples are Ayurveda, Unani, Chinese medicine, Homeopathy and Native American systems. Mind-Body interventions rely on psychosomatic manipulations and extensively use behavioral psychology, group therapies, prayer, meditation and other mind calming activities such as music, dance or art to bring back the mind –body balance and reduce the risk or the severity of various diseases.
Biologically-based therapies look at the effects of diet and diet regulation in the control or prevention of diseases. Dietary supplements and the various combinations of natural foods as well as synthetic preparations are studied and applied to bring about a health change. Manipulation and body-based methods aim at stimulating the various parts of the body through massage or activation of ‘pressure points’ which are said to have recuperative effect not only on the muscular-skeletal structure but also promote secretion of life saving enzymes to help the body fight back against diseases.
Energy therapies typically focus on either Bio-field therapies or Bio-electromagnetic based therapies. The former believe that humans have a biofield around them, which when stimulated by the individual or by the help of other individuals, can help fight or prevent diseases. Good examples of this approach are Qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch. The latter approach believes that humans have an individual electromagnetic field which can be tweaked by application of external magnets or external electromagnetic fields to yield health rejuvenation.
Magneto therapy and pulsed current therapy are examples of such an approach. Ayurveda is an example of a complete alternative medicine system which originated in India over 5000 years ago which gained immense popularity because of its effectiveness in treating numerous diseases and spread to almost all parts of the world. The word Ayurveda means the ‘Science of Life”. The system encompasses use of special herbs, diets, massage therapy, psychological counseling, physical therapy and spiritual healing.