What Are The Different Types Of Alternative Medicine?

Alternative medicine is a broad term for non-mainstream health approaches used in place of conventional medical care. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) distinguishes alternative care from complementary care based on how it is used: complementary approaches are used together with conventional medicine, while alternative approaches are used instead of it.

However, in everyday use, “alternative medicine” can also function as a broad umbrella term for a variety of non-mainstream therapies, even though more precise terminology may apply depending on how those therapies are used.

Understanding the Different Approaches to Whole-Person Care

Alternative medicine refers to non-mainstream health approaches used instead of conventional medical care, while complementary medicine refers to non-mainstream approaches used together with conventional care.

Here’s an example: A practice such as meditation, massage, dietary intervention, or another non-mainstream approach could be complementary when used with conventional treatment but alternative when used in its place as a replacement.

This means the same type of therapy could be described differently depending on its role in a patient’s overall care. Integrative health goes a step further by bringing conventional and complementary approaches together in a coordinated way, with an emphasis on whole-person care and coordination among providers.

Functional medicine focuses on the root causes of diseases and illnesses, rather than the symptoms. Functional medicine providers seek to understand the unique biological and genetic factors of individuals to develop customized treatment plans.

Holistic medicine also takes a whole-person perspective. The Cleveland Clinic describes holistic medicine as considering the connections between a person’s physical, mental and emotional health rather than focusing only on individual symptoms. It can incorporate conventional, complementary, functional, and integrative approaches to treatment.

The Different Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Alternative and complementary medicine can include several practices, and not all healthcare organizations use the same terminology. The National Cancer Institute’s five-category framework for complementary and alternative medicine includes mind-body therapies, biologically based practices, manipulative and body-based practices, energy healing, and whole medical systems.

A 2024 NCCIH analysis found the following to be some of the most prominent forms of complementary medicine:

• Meditation: Meditation was the most commonly used of the seven approaches measured in 2022, with 17.3% of U.S. adults reporting its use. This is a mind-body practice that involves techniques intended to focus attention on the inner self.
• Yoga: Yoga was used by 15.8% of adults in the 2022 analysis and combines physical postures, breathing practices, and often meditation or focused attention.
• Chiropractic care: Chiropractic care was used by 11.0% of adults and centers on hands-on approaches involving the musculoskeletal system, including spinal manipulation.
• Massage therapy: Massage therapy was used by 10.9% of U.S. adults in 2022. It is a physical approach involving manipulation of the body’s soft tissues.
• Guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation: These are mind-body relaxation techniques designed to relax muscles and reduce any physical tension. According to an NIH survey, these relaxation-based approaches were used by 6.4% of adults.

What is Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine is a systems-based approach to healthcare that evaluates potential root causes of disease and considers how genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors may influence an individual’s health.

The Institute for Functional Medicine describes functional medicine as personalized care that examines these interconnected influences rather than focusing on a single factor or body system.

Functional medicine can overlap with integrative, complementary, and alternative care, but the terms are not interchangeable. Functional medicine may resemble integrative health or, in some uses, naturopathy: a non-mainstream approach that focuses on addressing the root causes of diseases.

Functional medicine also shares some whole-person principles with holistic nursing, but they remain different in their approaches. Holistic nursing is more about caring for the totality of the person, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions, while functional medicine is a science-based model that focuses more on the biomedical and genetic intricacies of the human body.

Who is Qualified to Provide Alternative or Complementary Care?

Health professionals with various credentials can provide alternative or complementary health services. However, because requirements vary by profession and jurisdiction, patients should consider a provider’s license, credentials, and their specific training before proceeding with treatment.

1. Board-Certified Integrative Medicine Physician (MD or DO): Physicians must hold a medical license and meet the American Board of Integrative Medicine’s certification requirements. 
2. Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.): Acupuncturists must complete specialized training and meet applicable state licensure requirements of the state that they practice in.
3. Doctor of Chiropractic (DC): Chiropractors typically earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and obtain state licensure, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ requirements for chiropractors.
4. Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT): According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , massage therapists typically complete a postsecondary education and must meet applicable state licensing requirements.
5. Licensed Naturopathic Doctors (ND): Licensed NDs graduate from accredited naturopathic medical programs and must meet licensing requirements.
6. Board-Certified Holistic Nurse: Registered nurses can pursue specialty certification in holistic nursing through the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation’s certification.
7. Nurse Practitioners: Board Certified nurse practitioners who have completed additional requirements around complementary, alternative, integrative or holistic health nursing may be eligible to become a Functional Medicine Certified Professional – Medical (FMCP-M).

Remember, no single credential qualifies a health professional to provide complementary or alternative care. The appropriate practitioner depends on the therapy, the patient’s needs, the provider’s credentials, and applicable state regulations.

Benefits, Risks, and Safety Considerations of Alternative Medicine

The potential benefits and risks of alternative and complementary approaches depend on the specific therapy, the condition being addressed, and how the therapy is performed.

Potential Benefits

• Pain management: Some complementary approaches, including acupuncture, massage, mindfulness, tai chi, and yoga, may help manage certain types of chronic pain.
• Stress reduction: Research on yoga’s effectiveness suggests that the practice may help reduce perceived stress and support general wellness.
• Sleep support: Studies reviewed by NCCIH indicate that yoga may help improve sleep in several populations, including older adults and some people undergoing cancer treatment.
• Anxiety symptom management: Meditation and mindfulness are among the mind-body practices that may help reduce symptoms of anxiety, although effectiveness depends on the individual and condition.
• Balance and physical function: Practices such as tai chi and yoga may improve balance, while tai chi has also shown benefits for physical function in some people with osteoarthritis. They may also help patients deal with chronic conditions.

Potential Risks

• Medication interactions: Some dietary supplements can interact with prescription or over-the-counter medications , potentially changing how a medication is absorbed, metabolized, or eliminated.
• Side effects: Supplements and other complementary products may produce adverse reactions, particularly when multiple products are combined or excessive amounts are taken.
• Surgical complications: The FDA cautions that some supplements can have potentially dangerous effects during surgery, including effects related to medications used before, during, or after a procedure.
• Contaminated or undisclosed ingredients: Some dietary supplements have been found to contain hidden prescription drugs or other compounds.
• Physical injury: Movement- and practitioner-based therapies are not risk-free, and a person’s health conditions, pregnancy status, or other circumstances can affect whether an approach is appropriate.

Safety Considerations of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Patients should discuss complementary therapies and dietary supplements with their healthcare team, particularly when they take medications, have existing health conditions, are pregnant, or are preparing for surgery.

Also, choose someone willing to coordinate with conventional healthcare providers. Selecting a qualified complementary health practitioner and keeping the full healthcare team informed can help support safer and more coordinated care.

How Nurses Approach Integrative and Alternative Medicine

Holistic and integrative health nurses approach care by considering the whole person, including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental factors that may influence health. They may incorporate complementary or integrative modalities when appropriately trained and when those practices fall within their professional scope.

When patients use alternative therapies in place of conventional care, nurses can also identify those practices during assessment and support informed communication about them with the broader healthcare team.

In daily practice, holistic and integrative nursing emphasizes person-centered assessment, therapeutic relationships, patient values, and coordination across conventional and complementary systems. Qualified nurses may use or discuss approaches such as mindfulness, relaxation, nutrition, or other modalities.

Explore Herzing’s Holistic Integrative Health Program

If you’re ready to administer whole-person care in your practice, consider enrolling in Herzing’s post-master’s certificate in holistic integrative health program. Our 16-credit program offers a comprehensive framework designed to support medical professionals seeking holistic and alternative approaches to their treatment services.

Our curriculum focuses on evidence-informed whole-person care, mind-body science, and integrative modalities in health and wellness.