Complementary therapies also known by several other terms such as, holistic therapies, alternative medicine and traditional medicine is mainly used alongside conventional medical treatment . For instance, a patient is diagnosed with cancer, depending on the type of cancer, he/she may have to undergo surgery such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In addition, their doctor will suggest complementary therapy to them to boost their physical/emotional health or to relieve symptoms or side effects. Complementary therapies can be classified into five different categories: whole medical systems, mind body therapies, energy medicine, biologically based practices and manipulative and body based practices.
Definition
The following are some …show more content…
Most therapies have set up professional bodies, but the educational standards required by these bodies vary widely, because of the wide variation in therapies, each discipline should initially set- up its own regulatory body. In the UK, the majority of complementary therapists are not currently regulated, with the exception of chiropodists, osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists, but it is hoped to be introduced to statutory regulations. This means the title of the therapy would be finalize and everything would be protected and practitioners, by law, would have to register under the regulatory body otherwise it would be unlawful to practice. However, in Australia the complementary therapy industry is largely self-regulated. Most complementary therapists are joined with a professional association. One of the requirement for the membership may enquire that therapists maintain a certain standard of care. Usually in Australia in case of misconduct by a complementary therapist a police or health review board will normally investigate. Examples of some regulatory body are statutory professional regulation, complementary therapy regulatory organisations, The General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies and Health and Care professionals’ …show more content…
Some of the reasons for using complementary therapies include: achieving and maintaining good health, as an aid to the performance of everyday tasks, dissatisfaction with conventional medical practices and unsatisfactory doctor-patient relationships. A lot of cancer wards, units and hospitals nowadays offer patients a range of complementary therapies free of charge, as part of their care. Those most commonly offered are acupuncture, massage, including aromatherapy massage and shiatsu and reflexology. Other types of complementary therapy may be available, such as homeopathy, art therapy, music therapy and visualization.
Conclusion
In conclusion, during the past decade the interest of complementary therapy has increased and the attitude of citizens is mainly positive, however there are still some therapies that are not as effective as some. The most common used type of therapies used by the general population are chiropractic manipulation, herbal medicine, massage, and homeopathy. The ailments most often associated with CAM utilization included cancer, back pain, depression, insomnia, migraine and intestinal