Traditional Therapies Complement Others
Newcastle Herald
Friday January 25, 2008
A LONG list of therapies are available in the field of alternative medicine.
They include herbalism, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, aromatherapy, iridology and homeopathy. The use of herbal medicine goes back thousands of years, with the earliest written records dated 2800BC in China. These alternatives are also known as complementary medicines. Many practitioners opt for this description because they do not see what they do as a substitute for conventional medicine, but rather as something that can be used alongside it. It was the discovery of penicillin early last century that sounded the death knell for a wide range of alternative practices. Antibiotics proved to be the most effective treatment ever known for a variety of infectious diseases that were the biggest killers at the time. In the past couple of decades alternative medicines have been making a comeback, driven by a general desire to cut back on pharmaceuticals and get back to more natural cures and treatments. For many people an exercise regime goes hand-in-hand with alternative medicines in a bid to gain and maintain peak fitness and flexibility levels. The exercise does not have to be strenuous. Tai Chi is finding increasing favour with senior citizens. Tai Chi is generally considered to be a soft-style martial art, with a focus on one's internal power. Some training forms are well known as the slow-motion routines that groups of people practise together every morning in parks and open spaces.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
