Alternative medicine

Alternative medicine describes practices used instead of normal medical treatments. Some patients seek these practices along with normal medicine. When the patient's medical doctor works with an alternative medicine therapist, this is called "complementary medicine."

Alternative medicine includes practices that incorporate spiritual, metaphysical, or religious belief; non-evidence-based practices, non-European medical traditions, or newly developed approaches to healing.

Examples include acupuncture, chiropractic and homeopathy.

Alternative medicine does not prevent or cure any disease. The opposite of alternative medicine are medical diagnoses and treatements that are proven to work. This is called evidence-based or conventional medicine.