Alternative medicine is a therapeutic practice that uses methods that are not part of conventional medicinal healing, or prevention. It is derived and established from years of successful case histories, rather than on any scientifically researched substantiation.

Practices like chiropractics, yoga, ayurveda, homeopathy, meditation etc are some of the examples of alternative medicine. Unlike conventional health medicine, alternative medicine has varied beginnings and methodologies. It can be based on conventional wisdom, spiritual orientations, customs and beliefs, derived knowledge, and wisdom of crowds.

Alternative medicine practitioners always find it difficult to convince the medical community of the efficacy, and viability of this practice. Considering there are many alternative medicine practices, if sufficient scientific research and proof is established, then an alternative medicine practice can become a mainstream medical practice. Mainstream health medicine or conventional health medicine is also called as allopathic medicine.

Alternative medicine is a lot of times associated with complementary medicines, and together they are called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). A national survey has indicated that in the year 2007, close to forty percent Americans sought CAM. Complementary medicine is the use of alternative medicine with mainstream medicinal products and therapies.

CAM focuses on use of herbal treatments, holistic therapy, and body manipulation. Herbal medicines come as part of the natural products therapy. Supplements to the diet are effected with natural herbal nutrition products. Holistic therapies use mental and bodily healing processes like mental relaxation techniques, acupuncture, yoga, tai chi etc. Body manipulation is the use of physical stimuli to apply force or pressure to certain points in the body, so as to create a positive movement of muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones.

Alternative medicine has had its calling in cases where conventional health medicines or allopathic health medicines failed to deliver the results. In dire situations, people tend to turn to the “unknown” just as they turn to spirituality, seeking solace and miracles. But the best part has been that alternative medicine has had a good degree of success, and millions of people to vouch for its efficacy.