The human life expectancy is longer in twenty-first century, but individuals suffer from greats of stress, which results in physical illness, such as cancer, immune deficiency and a heart disease. During the treatment process, people seek peace and holistic methods (Fontaine, 2005, p9). That is a reason that the alternative therapies have quite grown recently. The W.H.O (World Health Organization) report, over 70 per cent of people had used alternative therapies in 2000. The cost of alternative therapy is roughly 23 billion in the U.S.A. The essay will discuss alternative therapy benefits and risks .Firstly, definition the alternative therapies and types of alternative therapy. Secondly, the benefits of alternative therapy will be illustrated from physical and psychological views of points. Finally, the risks of alternative therapies will be explored from safety and cost.
According to the W.H.O report (2002), alternative therapies are knowledgeable and skillful. Operators are based on the concept of medicine, religion and culture to assist people to keep health, to prevent disease, to be made a diagnosis and to cure illness. There are five types of alternative therapies, including alternative medical system, mind-body intervention, biologically base theory, manipulative and body based method and energy therapies. Therefore, the concept of alternative therapies is based on whole systems, including physical, mental, social and spiritual.
The effects of alternative therapies are alleviating suffering from disease and decreasing the side effects of western medicine. According to Spencer (1999) states, alternative therapies may be maximum treatment effects and minimum side effects. Thus, numerous patients decide to choose alternative therapies. The effects of alternative therapies have been to demonstrate by evidence base search. For example, lavender oil has the effects of anti
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