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Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis & treatment from the Merck Manuals - Medical Consumer Version.

Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Special Subjects - Merck Manuals Consumer Version Merck Manual Please confirm that you are not located inside the Russian Federation Yes No Leave this Site? The link you have selected will take you to a third-party website. We do not control or have responsibility for the content of any third-party site. Continue Cancel honeypot link skip to main content Merck Manual Consumer Version The trusted provider of medical information since 1899 VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION A A A ENGLISH ESPAÑOL (SPANISH) Other Languages Select Language A A A VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION Health Topics & Chapters A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Search Enter search terms to find related medical topics, multimedia and more. Advanced Search: Use “ “ for exact phrases. For example: “pediatric abdominal pain” Use – to remove results with certain keywords. For example: abdominal pain -pediatric Use OR to account for alternate keywords. For example: teenager OR adolescent Search A-Z HOME HEALTH TOPICS Healthy Living SYMPTOMS EMERGENCIES DRUG INFO RESOURCES NEWS ABOUT Disclaimer Privacy Terms of use Contact Us Veterinary Edition Home / Special Subjects / Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine / Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine / Share Email IN THIS TOPIC Whole Medical Systems Mind-Body Medicine Biologically Based Therapies Manipulative and Body-Based Practices Energy Therapies OTHER TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Acupuncture Ayurveda Biofeedback Chelation Therapy Chiropractic Cupping Diet Therapy Guided Imagery Homeopathy Hypnotherapy Magnet Therapy Massage Therapy Meditation Moxibustion Naturopathy Reflexology Reiki Relaxation Techniques Scraping Therapeutic Touch Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine By Denise Millstine , MD, Mayo Clinic Reviewed/Revised Oct 2021 | Modified Sep 2022 VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION Whole Medical Systems Mind-Body Medicine Biologically Based Therapies Manipulative and Body-Based Practices Energy Therapies Topic Resources 3D Models (0) Audios (0) Calculators (0) Images (0) Lab Test (0) Tables (1) Videos (0) Complementary or alternative medicine can be classified into five major categories of practice: Whole medical systems Whole Medical Systems Complementary or alternative medicine can be classified into five major categories of practice: Whole medical systems Mind-body techniques Biologically based practices Manipulative and body-based... read more Mind-body techniques Mind-Body Medicine Complementary or alternative medicine can be classified into five major categories of practice: Whole medical systems Mind-body techniques Biologically based practices Manipulative and body-based... read more Biologically based practices Biologically Based Therapies Complementary or alternative medicine can be classified into five major categories of practice: Whole medical systems Mind-body techniques Biologically based practices Manipulative and body-based... read more Manipulative and body-based therapies Manipulative and Body-Based Practices Complementary or alternative medicine can be classified into five major categories of practice: Whole medical systems Mind-body techniques Biologically based practices Manipulative and body-based... read more Energy therapies Energy Therapies Complementary or alternative medicine can be classified into five major categories of practice: Whole medical systems Mind-body techniques Biologically based practices Manipulative and body-based... read more The category names only partially describe their components. Some approaches are understandable within the concepts of modern science, whereas other approaches are not. Many types overlap with others. (See also Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Integrative medicine and health (IMH) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) include a variety of healing approaches and therapies that historically have not been included in conventional... read more .) Table Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Whole Medical Systems Whole medical systems are complete systems that include a defined philosophy and explanation of disease, diagnosis, and therapy. They include the following: Ayurveda Ayurveda Ayurveda is the traditional medical system of India, originating more than 4,000 years ago. It is based on the theory that illness results from the imbalance of the body’s life force or prana... read more Homeopathy Homeopathy Homeopathy, which was developed in Germany in the late 1700s, is a medical system based on the principle that like cures like (thus the name homeo [Greek for “like”] and patho [Greek for “disease”]... read more Naturopathy Naturopathy Naturopathy, which draws on practices from many cultures, began as a formal health care system in the United States in the early 1900s. Founded on the notion of the healing power of nature,... read more Traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Originating in China several millennia ago, traditional Chinese medicine is based on the theory that illness results from the imbalance of the life force (qi, pronounced chee) through the body... read more Mind-Body Medicine Mind-body techniques are based on the theory that mental and emotional factors can influence physical health. Behavioral, psychologic, social, and spiritual methods are used to preserve health and prevent or cure disease. Because of the abundance of scientific evidence backing the benefits of mind-body techniques, many of the approaches are now considered mainstream. For example, the following techniques are used in the treatment of chronic pain, coronary artery disease, headaches, insomnia, and menopausal symptoms, and as aids during childbirth: Biofeedback Biofeedback Biofeedback, a type of mind-body medicine, is a method of bringing unconscious biologic processes under conscious control. In biofeedback, electronic devices are used to measure and report information... read more Guided imagery Guided Imagery Guided imagery is a type of mind-body medicine that involves the use of mental images to promote relaxation and wellness, reduce pain, or facilitate healing of a particular ailment, such as... read more Hypnotherapy Hypnotherapy Hypnotherapy is a type of mind-body medicine. In hypnotherapy (hypnosis), people are guided into an advanced state of relaxation and heightened attention. Hypnotized people become absorbed in... read more (hypnosis) Meditation Meditation In meditation, a type of mind-body medicine, people regulate their attention or systematically focus on particular aspects of inner or outer experience. Meditation may involve sitting or resting... read more , including mindfulness Relaxation techniques Relaxation Techniques Relaxation, a type of mind-body medicine, includes practices specifically designed to relieve tension and stress. The specific technique may be aimed at the following: Controlling the stress... read more These techniques are also used to help people cope with disease-related and treatment-related symptoms of cancer and to prepare them for surgery. Biologically Based Therapies Biologically based therapies use naturally occurring substances to affect health. These practices include the following: Botanical medicine Naturopathy Naturopathy, which draws on practices from many cultures, began as a formal health care system in the United States in the early 1900s. Founded on the notion of the healing power of nature,... read more Natural products and supplements Chelation therapy Chelation Therapy Chelation, a biologically based practice, describes a chemical reaction in which certain molecules bind to metal atoms (such as calcium, copper, iron, or lead). Chelating drugs, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic... read more Diet therapy Diet Therapy Diet therapy, a biologically based practice, uses specialized dietary regimens (such as the macrobiotic, paleo, Mediterranean, and low carbohydrate diets) to Treat or prevent a specific disease... read more Manipulative and Body-Based Practices Manipulative and body-based therapies treat various conditions through bodily manipulation. These therapies include Chiropractic Chiropractic In chiropractic, a manipulative and body-based practice, the relationship between the structure of the spine and the function of the nervous system is seen as key to maintaining or restoring... read more Osteopathic manipulation Cupping Cupping Cupping (a manipulative and body-based practice) is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Cupping is believed to increase blood flow to the area on which a cup is placed, thereby improving healing... read more Massage Massage Professional rehabilitation therapists treat pain and inflammation. Such treatment makes movement easier and enables people to participate more fully in rehabilitation. Techniques used include... read more Moxibustion Moxibustion Moxibustion (a manipulative and body-based practice) is a therapy within traditional Chinese medicine. Dried moxa herb (a mugwort) is burned usually just above but sometimes directly on the... read more Reflexology Gua sha (for example, scraping Scraping Scraping (a manipulative and body-based practice), also called gua sha, involves rubbing a dull implement across skin, usually on the back, neck, or extremities. Recently, scraping has become... read more , coining, spooning) These therapies are based on the belief that the body can regulate and heal itself and that its parts are interdependent. Acupuncture Acupuncture Acupuncture, a therapy within traditional Chinese medicine, is one of the most widely accepted CAM therapies in the Western world. Licensed practitioners do not necessarily have a medical degree... read more is also sometimes considered a manipulative therapy. Some of these therapies (cupping, scraping, and moxibustion) result in lesions that may be mistaken for signs of trauma or abuse. These therapies are thought to stimulate the body’s energy and to enable toxins to leave the body. However, very little high quality research has measured how effective they are. Energy Therapies Energy therapies focus on the energy fields thought to exist in and around the body (biofields). These therapies also encompass the use of external energy sources (electromagnetic fields) to influence health and healing. Energy therapies are based on a core belief in the existence of a universal life force or subtle energy that resides in and around the body (vitalism). Limited scientific evidence supports the existence of such a universal life force, which is inherently hard to measure. Energy therapies include the following: Acupuncture Acupuncture Acupuncture, a therapy within traditional Chinese medicine, is one of the most widely accepted CAM therapies in the Western world. Licensed practitioners do not necessarily have a medical degree... read more Magnets Magnet Therapy Magnet therapy (an energy therapy) uses static magnetic fields or electromagnetic fields. Practitioners place magnets on the body to reduce pain or enhance healing. Magnets may or may not be... read more Qi gong and Tai chi—components of traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Originating in China several millennia ago, traditional Chinese medicine is based on the theory that illness results from the imbalance of the life force (qi, pronounced chee) through the body... read more using gentle postures, mindful movement, and the breath to bring the person’s energy into better balance Reiki Reiki Reiki is a type of energy medicine that originated in Japan. In Reiki, practitioners intend to manipulate energy through their hands and cause energy movement in the person’s body to promote... read more Therapeutic touch Therapeutic Touch Therapeutic touch, sometimes referred to as a laying on of hands, is a type of energy medicine. The philosophy behind therapeutic touch is to use the therapist’s healing energy (biofield) to... read more Practitioners of energy therapies typically place their hands on or near the body and use their energy to affect the energy field of the person. NOTE: This is the Consumer Version. DOCTORS: VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION Copyright © 2023 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Was This Page Helpful? Yes No Acupuncture Test your knowledge Take a Quiz! 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TOP IN THIS TOPIC Whole Medical Systems Mind-Body Medicine Biologically Based Therapies Manipulative and Body-Based Practices Energy Therapies OTHER TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Acupuncture Ayurveda Biofeedback Chelation Therapy Chiropractic Cupping Diet Therapy Guided Imagery Homeopathy Hypnotherapy Magnet Therapy Massage Therapy Meditation Moxibustion Naturopathy Reflexology Reiki Relaxation Techniques Scraping Therapeutic Touch Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Share Email A A A ENGLISH ESPAÑOL (SPANISH) Other Languages Select Language This Site Uses Cookies and Your Privacy Choice Is Important to Us. Choose Customize My Settings to make your privacy choices. Choose Accept All Cookies to accept third-party cookies.See our Privacy Policy Accept All CookiesCustomize My Settings✓Thanks for sharing!AddToAnyMore…AddToAnyMore…