Alternative Healing including western modalities and traditional chinese modalities such as qigong healing are becoming more and more mainstream - so much so that in europe, south america and other countries these services ARE covered by healthcare, it is my hope that north america joins these countries soon.

Conventional Medicine:

The term conventional medicine refers to medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees, some of whom may also practice complementary and alternative medicine. Other terms for conventional medicine are allopathic, western, regular and mainstream medicine and biomedicine.

Alternative Medicine:

Therapeutic approaches taken in place of traditional medicine and used to treat or ameliorate disease.

Complementary Medicine:

Therapies that complement traditional western (or allopathic) medicine Complementary/Alternative Medicine The terms "complementary" and "alternative" are often used interchangeably, when in fact they are two different therapeutic approaches. "

All of these aim for:

It is used for: Managing symptoms Increasing wellness (quality of life, reported sense of well-being) Improving treatment efficacy Basic Principles of Integrative Medicine* A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response.

Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as body.
A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative medicine uncritically.
Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, inquiry driven and open to new paradigms.
Use of natural, less invasive interventions whenever possible.

The broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease Practitioners as models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development.
*As stated by the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine*