Alternative therapy is a treatment that is used in place of conventional medicine. It may be that you have tried all the other pharmaceutical remedies that your doctor has recommended to no avail and you still find you are in pain. It could be that you would like to try the alternative remedies first before you resort to traditional drugs. Whatever the case, there are certainly a lot of alternative remedies around to choose from. Here is a guide to the top five.

Acupuncture
This practice has been around for thousands of years. It involves inserting very thin needles into different pressure points on the skin. Originally thought to regulate movement within the body’s meridian system, it is now thought to decrease pain by increasing the release of natural chemicals in the brain that block pain. Needles stimulate the nerves, which then send a message to the brain to release endorphins. The World Health Organization has recognized this treatment as being beneficial. It is said to be useful for treating health problems such as tennis elbow, headaches, and fibromyalgia.

Chiropractic Therapies
This is the most common non-surgical treatment for back pain. Therapists look at the relationship between the structure and function of the body to decrease pain. They focus primarily on the spine and attempt to realign the body to promote self-healing. Chiropractors use their hands to help relieve problems with the bones, muscles and joints. It is said to be particularly useful to treat back and neck pain, but it is also believed to work for headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Herbal Remedies
Herbs have been used for pain relief for thousands of years and different herbs are said to relieve different ailments. For example, ginger is said to be an anti-inflammatory and cloves have traditionally been used to reduce the pain of toothache. Kratom, as discussed on Kratom IQ, is an opioid that has been utilized in Eastern medicine for centuries to elevate the mood, reduce anxiety, improve productivity and creativity, and provide energy. Always tell your doctor if you are using herbal remedies as some of the herbs could interact with prescribed drugs and cause problems with your health.

Hypnotherapy
Franz Mesmer developed hypnotherapy in the 1820s. It aims to promote relaxation and induce an altered state of consciousness. In doing so, it can help people to gain control over their state of awareness and their physical body. It decreases the anxiety associated with pain and allows people to manage the symptoms of chronic pain more effectively. It aids counseling and psychotherapy because the hypnotic state allows people to explore painful feelings, thoughts and memories and bring them into their conscious minds. In doing so, it helps them to deal with their problems and heal.

Hypnotherapy is often used to overcome addiction problems such as smoking and is believed to help people tackle their phobias.

Reiki
Reiki is a Japanese form of alternative medicine developed in the late 19th century. Practitioners use a technique called palm healing through which a universal energy is said to be transferred to the patient and encourage healing. It is based on the idea that disease is caused by the imbalance of vital energy in the body that can be corrected by using hands on healing. It has not been scientifically proven to be effective, but many people who have tried Reiki believe that it has alleviated their symptoms. It is said to work well for anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.

Don’t despair if traditional drugs are not working for you or you don’t like the idea of taking pills. Try these remedies instead for alternative options in pain management.