Although complementary therapy and alternative
therapy are often used interchangeably, they are two different forms of
therapy. You cant blame others for thinking they are the same since
resources use one term to mean the other, like complementary therapy to
mean alternative therapy and vice versa.
Complementary Therapy Is Different From
Alternative Therapy
The fact is that complementary therapy is different from alternative
therapy. The difference actually lies on the end purpose of the
therapy. Complementary therapy aims to “complement” or supplement
conventional therapies or treatments. Furthermore, it aims to make a
person feel better.
Complementary therapy may speed up the pace of healing but it is not
necessarily the cure. There are different kinds of complementary
therapies available today but the most common ones include acupuncture,
aromatherapy, kinesiology, massage, reflexology, yoga and
visualisation. These therapies are performed alongside conventional
medical treatments.
Alternative therapy, on the other hand, refers to those therapies that
claim to cure health problems. They claim to be effective alternatives
to conventional treatments. Although alternative therapy may not have
sufficient scientific or medical proofs, a lot of people are into it
because they have promising benefits.
Some of the well known alternative therapies include Chiropractic,
Homeopathy and Gerson Therapy. These therapies aim to detoxify the body
and boost its natural defence in fighting health problems. The natural
and holistic approach of alternative therapies makes them a preferred
choice of therapy. Alternative therapy battles health problems the
natural way. However, the safety of these therapies is always
questioned.
Identifying The Complementary From The Alternative
It would be hard to pinpoint a particular therapy and assume it’s
complementary or alternative. The main identifying point is the
purpose. If reflexology is used for the purpose of healing a particular
health problem, then it can be called an alternative therapy. But if it
is used alongside conventional treatment, then it is merely a
complementary therapy.
The identification of the therapy mainly depends on the purpose of its
usage. A complementary therapy may be considered alternative if it is
used on its own. In the same manner, an alternative therapy can be
named complementary therapy when it used with other treatments.
This is the reason why these two terms are a bit confusing especially
for those who don’t know the main difference between these two forms of
therapies. But the point is it doesn’t matter what kind of therapy you
use as long as they can give you a healthier and fitter body.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/difference-between-
complementary-and-alternative-therapy-261640.html About the Author
Amber College is a centre for holistic therapy in
Ireland. It specialises in Complementary Therapies, Quit Smoking
Programs, Weight Loss, and Allergy Testing. Get trained or treated at
Amber College’s Complementary Therapy.
It also offers part time courses on complementary therapies. |
