2. ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM
OF MEDICINE
BY-
PREETI SHARMA
MSC. NURSING 1ST YR.

3. INTRODUCTION
India being an ancient civilization has wealth of
its own medical traditions which are of two
streams — Folk medicine and classical Medical
stream. The folk medicine is based on locally
available natural resources practiced in rural and
tribal areas. The classical medical stream is
theory based documented in regional
manuscripts.

4. DEFINITION
Complementary and alternative medicine
(CAM) is the term commonly used to describe
a broad range of healing philosophies,
approaches and therapies that focus on the
whole person including biopsychosocial and
spiritual aspect.

5. AIMS
• To promote, advance the science of alternative
systems of medicines
• To advance the scientific study and
professional practice of alternative medicines
• To maintain the honour and dignity and to
uphold and safeguard the interests of
alternative systems of medicine and other
allied subjects.

6. CONT..
• To give the rights of practicing to Registered
Medical Practitioners enrolled by the Board as
qualified physicians
• To improve public health
• To establish, organise, finance and maintain
dispensaries, hospitals, research institutes etc.
of alternative systems of medicine.

7. ADVANTAGE

8. DISADVANTAGE
•No scientific basis at
all.
• Delay proper
treatment such as
cancer
• Not reliable
information
• Not covered by
insurance

9. TYPES

10. ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL
SYSTEMS

13. • Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India
• It emphasizes re- establishing balance in the
body
• Ayurveda lays emphasis on promotion of
health by maintaining equilibrium among the
structural and functional entities within the
human being
• According to Ayurveda, everything is
composed of five elements: air, water, fire,
earth, and space.

14. CLINICALAPPLICATION

16. • This system believes that there is an intimate
link between man and environment.
• This also lays emphasis on understanding the
causes of disease being diagnosed by complete
history taking, examinations and observations
of the body
• Siddha system makes use of metals, minerals,
plants and animal parts in treatment.

17. CLINICALAPPLICATION

19. • Origin in Greece
• The system is not only therapeutic in nature
but also takes care of preventive and
promotives aspects.
• The treatment is individualised based on the
diagnosis and the underlying causes which are
identified by feeling pulse, observation of
urine, stool, colour of skin etc.

20. CLINICALAPPLICATION

22. • Origin in Germany
• It is based on four cardinal laws i.e. the law of
similar, the law of direction of cure, the law of
single remedy, the law of minimum dose
• It is useful for acute & chronic conditions.
• Homeopathic remedies are typically derived
from plants, herbs, minerals, or animal
products.

23. CLINICALAPPLICATION

25. • It is based on application of laws of nature and
advocate regulation of living activities, purity
etc.
• It makes use of nature based therapies.
• Naturopathy is holistic system, promotes
physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual
health.
• It builds immunity, improves mental health, and
enhances body functions.

26. CLINICALAPPLICATION

27. MIND BODY
INTERVENTIONS

28. MEDITATION & BREATHING
RELAXATION
HYPNOSIS
YOGA

29. MEDITATION & BREATHING

30. • Meditation means sitting or resting quietly,
often with the eyes closed, which stills the mind
for greater self-awareness.
• Meditation also helps in reduction of pain and
relieving stress.
• It also involves sometimes the repetitive
sounding of a mantra, which helps the person to
focus.

31. CLINICALAPPLICATION

32. RELAXATION

33. • Relaxation techniques are aimed at relaxing
muscles and quieting the mind and are mainly
designed to relieve tension and strain.
• It is also used as an alternative treatment for
insomnia

34. CLINICALAPPLICATION

35. HYPNOSIS

36. • In hypnosis, a person is put into an advanced
state of relaxation in which he is relatively
unaware of his surroundings but not entirely
unconscious about it.
• A hypnotized person follows the instructions
given by the hypnotherapist and tends not to be
to psycho logic stress and conflict.

37. CLINICALAPPLICATION

38. YOGA

39. • Yoga is an ancient science and helps to co-
ordinate body and mind.
• A number of Yogic postures are described
which need to be learnt under supervision and
guidance and need to be chosen and practised
carefully for preventive, promotive and
therapeutic purposes.

40. CLINICALAPPLICATION

42. • Biofeedback is a group of therapeutic
procedures that use electronic or
electromechanical instruments to measure the
process and information to person about their
neuromuscular and autonomic nervous
system.
• The information or feedback is given in
physical, physiological activity or visual
feedback signals.

43. BIOLOGICALLY BASED
THERAPIES

46. • Herbal medicine is a system, which uses
various remedies derived from plants and their
extracts to treat disorders and maintain good
health. Either a whole single herb or a mixture
of different herbs can be used.
• Herbal medicines are available as extracts,
infusions, pills, and powders.

47. CLINICALAPPLICATION

49. • Orthomolecular medicine involves the use of
proper nutrition or nutritional supplements to
maintain and restore health. Orthomolecular
medicine uses combinations of minerals,
vitamins and amino acids normally found in
the body to treat specific conditions.

50. CLINICALAPPLICATION

51. MANIPULATIVE AND
BODY BASED METHODS

54. • Chiropractic is based on the theory that disease
conditions result from misalignments of body
structures, especially the spine.
• Due to this misalignment pressure is placed on
the nerve roots as they exit the spinal column
resulting in decreased function of the nerve
and the organs that they serve.

56. • Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and
treatment by manipulation that mainly focuses
on musculo- skeletal problems. It differs from
chiropractic in its underlying theory that it is
impairment of blood supply and not nerve
supply that leads to problems. Doctors of
osteopathy use manipulation plus traditional
medicine to cure problems.

58. • It is the manipulation of body tissues to
promote wellness and reduce pain and stress.
• It plays an important role in treating illness or
chronic ailments, and contributes to a higher
sense of general well being.
• It involves a variety of techniques such as
stroking or kneading for applying pressure to
specific points.

60. • It is the practice of stimulating points on the feet,
hands and ears to improve health or give a
beneficial effect on some other parts of the body.
• It is commonly performed on the particular areas
of foot that are believed to correspond to different
organs or systems of the body.
• This helps to eliminate the blockage of energy
responsible for pain or disease in the
corresponding body part.

62. • Fine needles are inserted at specific points to
stimulate, disperse, and regulate the flow of
vital energy, and restore a healthy energy
balance.
• In addition to pain relief, acupuncture is also
used to improve well being and treat acute,
chronic, and degenerative conditions in
children’s and adults.

63. ENERGY THERAPIES

64. BIOELECTROMAGNETIC
BASED THERPIES

66. • Reiki is a technique, which uses the
channeling and flow of energy through the
body to improve health and promote healing.
• It is very much different from conventional
healing therapies. Because in a Reiki therapy,
there are no medicines or tools needed to heal
diseases

68. • This technique uses the therapist's healing
energy to identify and repair imbalances in a
person's biofield.
• They believe that by placing their hands on or
near a patient's body they can direct energy
and correct disturbances.

69. BIOELECTROMAGNETIC BASED
THERPIES

70. • Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies use pulsed
energy or magnetic fields to alter the body’s
electromagnetic fields and cure illness.
• Magnets have become a popular treatment for
various musculoskeletal conditions and even to
relieve pain.
• Used in Pain, arthritis, osteoporosis

71. OTHER THERAPIES

73. • AROMA THERAPY:- Using "essential oils"
distilled from plants, aromatherapy treats
emotional disorders such as stress and anxiety
as well as a wide range of other ailments.
• HYDRO THERAPY- It is defined as the
scientific application of water for therapeutic
purposes. Water may be used at various
temperatures, in different modes and in
different forms.

74. • PHYSIO THERAPY :-
It is a wonderful manipulative technique by
which the deformities of an individual are
modified in order to notify the body and the
vital organs in accordance with the principles
of naturopathy.
• ART THERAPY-
Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy
that uses art materials, such as paints, chalk
and markers.

75. • VISION THERAPIES:-
Through exercise and relaxation techniques,
vision may actually be improved to the point that
glasses may no longer be needed.
• PET THERAPY:-
Pet therapy is a guided interaction between
a person and a trained animal. The purpose of pet
therapy is to help someone recover from or cope
with a health problem or mental disorder.

76. ROLE OF NURSE
• The integrative medicine approach is
consistent with the holistic approach nurses are
taught to practice.
• Nurses have the potential for becoming
essential participants in this type of health care
philosophy.
• Nurses should be knowledgeable of CAM
therapies to make appropriate
recommendation.

77. CONCLUSION
• To know whether a treatment procedure
derived from alternative medicine is safe for
you, you should do your research from reliable
sources. Researching from multiple sources is
better than just reading one source, because
information about alternative medicine can be
conflicting.