Complementary medicine
Complementary therapies and medicines are therapies and treatments which would not be traditionally prescribed by your doctor. As such they are often described as Alternative medicine or therapies.
Many people use complementary therapies to support conventional treatments. Examples of this can be seen in the treatment of Cancer patients, who may, while undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy also have reflexology treatments or aromatherapy to help ease some of the symptoms caused by the drugs.
Lots of the complementary treatments and therapies have been around for centuries, acupuncture and acupressure where used in China and Japan centuries ago to treat all kinds of ailments. Herbs, plants and flowers have also been used by man for as long as anyone can remember to treat the various illnesses and diseases that have plagued us.
If you are interested in using a complementary therapy to treat an ailment you should speak to your own doctor first. Your doctor may be able to refer you for treatment depending on individual circumstances. You should always tell your doctor if you are taking and herbal or homeopathic remedies because these can react badly with some prescribed medicine.
The BBC website has useful information about the different types of complementary therapies. It also has useful links and advice about finding a therapist.