Alternative Medicine is a kind of diagnostic technique and method of treatment whose theory develops from accepted medical methods. Alternative medicine is often treated as a substitute of conventional medical treatments. It includes treatments like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Osteopathy, Unani, Acupuncture, Anthroposophic medicine, Chiropractic, Herbalism, Naturopathy, Yoga and Meditation, Hypnosis, and traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine. When alternative medicine is used in combination with conventional medicine for treatment, it is known as complementary medicine.
Alternative medicine is often opposed to evidence based medicine and encompasses therapies with a historical or cultural, rather than a scientific, basis. Alternative medicine practices are as diverse in their foundations as in thei methodologies, and they vary from country to country. Practices may incorporate or base themselves on traditional medicine, folk knowledge, spiritual beliefs, or newly conceived approaches to healing.
The advantages of alternative medicine are that they are often safe, without side effects and effective.
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