A few weeks after the hype of Christmas and New Year have passed, we may feel we need some kind of boost to get us going again. There may not necessarily be anything wrong with us, but the winter months can sometimes slow us down, and we may go in search of alternative treatments to assist us to get back on track.

Complementary and alternative therapies are becoming more well-known, and the terms are often used interchangeably. However, com-plementary implies a treatment that is used in conjunction with conventional medicine, whereas alternative therapies are used instead of conventional methods of health care.

Looking at the overall picture
Alternative therapies are often holistic, meaning they consider the whole person, including emotions, mental processes, and the physical body. All these are interdependent, so the therapist will look at the overall picture, not just at the one body part which has the problem.

A similar principal is that a problem in one part of the body affects other parts – for example mental stress can cause muscular aches or lead to insomnia. As illness can affect people in different ways, the therapist of alternative medicine will treat each person as an individual and devise a treatment plan based on that individual’s unique symptoms.

Promoting the body to aid in the healing process
Another key idea of holistic treatments is that each person has the innate ability to heal themselves. Therefore, alternative treatments often promote the body to aid in the healing process in its own natural ways.

As well as regarding the whole individual, a holistic therapist will consider external factors that may be related to the problem, such as lifestyle habits and diet. This enables the therapist to aim to treat the underlying cause of the problem and not just the symptoms.

Other advantages to alternative medicines are that they are non-invasive and can lead to an improvement in overall health, including easing tension, promoting relaxation, and boosting energy.

There are several types of complimentary/alternative treat-ments: those which are based on whole systems, such as acupuncture; mind/ body practices including hypnotherapy and t’ai chi; biologically-based therapies like aromatherapy; manipulative treat-ments like osteopathy and reflexology; and energy medicines such as reiki.

More and more research is being carried out into the effectiveness of such treatments, and even though some are claimed to not be very scientific, a number of them have been used effectively for centuries.

Understanding the need for balance in our lives
It can often be useful to gain a different perspective on our health problems, and by using alternative therapies, we may gain a better understanding of the need for balance in our lives.