Complementary Therapies: Therapeutic practices which are not currently considered an Integral part of conventional allopathic medical practice. They may lack biomedical explanations but as they become better researched some (Physical Therapy, Diet, Acupuncture) become widely accepted whereas others (humors, radium therapy) quietly fade away, yet are important historical footnotes. Therapies are termed as Complementary when used In addition to conventional treatments and as Alternative when used instead of conventional treatment.

Does disease cause poor health or does poor health cause disease? Traditional medicine is typically reactive; it deals with signs and symptoms. Alternative medicine tends to be more proactive, or preventive. Traditional medicine is often focused on specific parts of the body; alternative medicine deals with the whole body. Scientific study used to support traditional medical practice requires precise measurement of results. Due to the overall impact of alternative therapies, the results are very difficult to measure. For example, it is easy to measure a drop in blood pressure but how do you measure how much better you feel? One thing is certain — To enjoy good health, you must work at It every day.