Alternative Medicine Treat People Pain Category Traditional Physical

According to the U.S. government, 36% of adults in the United States use alternative medicine. Americans spend more than $27 billion on alternative medicine each year. Most of these people use alternative medicine to treat pain but others use it to treat colds, "depression" (feeling sad without a reason), problems with "digestion" (absorbing food after it has been eaten), and sleeping problems.

There are four "categories" or types of alternative medicine. The first category, "mind-body techniques," uses the power of thought to treat physical pain or illnesses. For example, relaxing thoughts can lower "blood pressure" or how much force is used to push blood through your body. The second category, "biologically-based therapy" uses "herbs" (plants), vitamins, and minerals to treat health. For example, many herbal teas are used to treat coughs and headaches. The third category, "body-based therapies," uses "touch" or physical contact to treat pain. Massages are often used to treat "sore" (painful) muscles. Finally, the fourth category, "energy therapies," treats pain and illnesses by changing the energy that some people believe is in and around the human body.

Alternative medicine used to be the enemy of traditional medicine and people had to choose which type of medicine they wanted to use to treat their pain and illnesses. Today, however, many people believe that the best treatment is a combination of alternative and traditional medicine. For example, someone with cancer may speak with a traditional doctor and have traditional "chemotherapy" or a set of drugs that destroys cancer in the body, but also have weekly massages, drink herbal teas, and "meditate" or to sit quietly and try to empty one's mind to feel more peaceful and to control pain.