Difference Between Complementary and Alternative Therapy

Although complementary therapy and alternative therapy are often used interchangeably, they are two different forms of therapy. You cant blame others for thinking they are the same since resources use one term to mean the other, like complementary therapy to mean alternative therapy and vice versa.

Complementary Therapy Is Different From Alternative Therapy

The fact is that complementary therapy is different from alternative therapy. The difference actually lies on the end purpose of the therapy. Complementary therapy aims to “complement” or supplement conventional therapies or treatments. Furthermore, it aims to make a person feel better.

Complementary therapy may speed up the pace of healing but it is not necessarily the cure. There are different kinds of complementary therapies available today but the most common ones include acupuncture, aromatherapy, kinesiology, massage, reflexology, yoga and visualisation. These therapies are performed alongside conventional medical treatments.

Alternative therapy, on the other hand, refers to those therapies that claim to cure health problems. They claim to be effective alternatives to conventional treatments. Although alternative therapy may not have sufficient scientific or medical proofs, a lot of people are into it because they have promising benefits.

Some of the well known alternative therapies include Chiropractic, Homeopathy and Gerson Therapy. These therapies aim to detoxify the body and boost its natural defence in fighting health problems. The natural and holistic approach of alternative therapies makes them a preferred choice of therapy. Alternative therapy battles health problems the natural way. However, the safety of these therapies is always questioned.

Identifying The Complementary From The Alternative

It would be hard to pinpoint a particular therapy and assume it’s complementary or alternative. The main identifying point is the purpose. If reflexology is used for the purpose of healing a particular health problem, then it can be called an alternative therapy. But if it is used alongside conventional treatment, then it is merely a complementary therapy.

The identification of the therapy mainly depends on the purpose of its usage. A complementary therapy may be considered alternative if it is used on its own. In the same manner, an alternative therapy can be named complementary therapy when it used with other treatments.

This is the reason why these two terms are a bit confusing especially for those who don’t know the main difference between these two forms of therapies. But the point is it doesn’t matter what kind of therapy you use as long as they can give you a healthier and fitter body.