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Alternative therapies
There are a huge range of alternative therapies available and each works in a different way.
Alternative therapies are health options that are not thought of as part of the conventional health care system (doctors, hospitals and prescription medicines). You should always visit a doctor if you're not feeling good but more and more people are also using alternative therapies to complement normal medicine or to help prevent illness in the first place.
Alternative therapy has only recently become fashionable and more popular in the West. However most treatments have been around for a long time and Eastern cultures such as China and India have a strong tradition of alternative therapy.
So how does it work?
There are a huge range of alternative therapies available and each works in a different way. In general they aim to strengthen the body and protect you against illness. By strengthening your physical, emotional and mental health, alternative therapies complement normal medicine (that fights against illness).
They are not an “instant” cure and most alternative therapies work on an ongoing basis towards keeping you in good health at all times. It means taking a positive approach and taking care of your health to avoid problems in the first place.
In this section we have a look at a few of the popular alternative therapies available in Ireland.
Where do I start?
Talk to a doctor about the best types of treatment for you. Explain that you are interested in trying alternative therapies, either for a particular illness or for general well being. Some doctors may be unsupportive of your choice to use alternative medicine or may know little about it. Depending on what therapy you are interested in, contact the national association to find your nearest qualified practitioner.
- Visit the practitioner before deciding to have treatment. Ask lots of questions so that you feel comfortable with the therapy before trying it.
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Remember that you can usually take classes that actually teach you the techniques of some of these therapies as well.
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Natural health is a broad range of practices covering lots of different stuff. So wherever you live it might be possible to take classes in yoga, pilates or meditation or visit a practitioner in aromatherapy, homeopathy, reflexology, massage, hypnotherapy, acupuncture and so on.
