Types of Alternative Medicine

• Diverse - can be classified by their cultural origins or beliefs systems
  
  
• Methods include or are based on such things as medicinal practices, knowledge of folklore, and 33
  
  
• May be developed over over thousands of years.
  
  

a) Chinese medicine and Ayurveda:

• They are practices commonly based on traditional ethnic systems
  
  
• Seen as ‘alternative’ abroad, but it may not be viewed this way in the country it 34  from 

b) Herbal remedies and other substances:

• Common in alternative medicine.
  
  
• Such substances are found in nature but this does not only include 35  - also animal and mineral products. 
  
  
• commercially very successful

c) Religion, faith healing, and prayer:

• Also related to alternative therapies.
  
  
• For example, Shamans alter their state of 36  to interact with the spirit world in order to heal.

Safety of Alternative Medicine

a) Concerns:

• Those from the scientific community do not think alternative therapies have been proved effective
  
  
• Research is often not of good 37 and has flawed methods
  
  
• The SRAM journal notes that an ineffective therapy may be seen to provide symptomatic relief.
  
  
• This is the placebo effect – when a person will 38  because of the belief that a substance has helped
  
  
• Recovery is mistakenly attributed to the alternative medicine being taken.
  
  
• Alternative medicine has not traditionally had access to research funding, sympathetic press coverage or 39  in curriculums for medical courses.

b) Changes:

• In the US, Conventional doctors now offering alternative medical treatments - courses available at University
  
  
• Taught in medical schools and US 40  are starting to offer reimbursement for alternative therapies.