Alternative therapies are pricey but well worth it
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Complementary therapies are big business, but are the effects worth all the money we spend on them?
Complementary and alternative therapies continue to be the treatment of choice for many Brits; we spent over £191million on them last year. Research from Mintel reveals nearly half of women have tried them and would do again. When administered properly complementary therapies like acupuncture and osteopathy can provide relief from a range of symptoms and ailments, but unlike conventional medicine the idea of one-size-fits-all just doesn’t ring true. No therapy can, or should claim to, cure – but what they can do is ease symptoms and support the body in times of need.
Herbal Remedies
Around 25% of today’s conventional pharmaceuticals are derived from the plant world. Aspirin is from willow bark, while digitalis (a steroid) comes from foxglove – so it makes sense that herbs can be considered great healers. ‘Herbs are often used to relieve common ailments such as colds and sore throats or for chronic conditions such as back pain or arthritis where, for example, the patient may not wish to rely on long-term use of conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain killers,’ comments Dr Ann Walker, spokesperson for the British Herbal Medicine Association.
Acupuncture
Of all the complementary therapies it’s acupuncture that has been the most rigorously tested, with conditions including depression, fertility, back pain, migraines and stress being scientifically proven to benefit. This ancient oriental art aims to improve the overall wellbeing of a client by inserting fine needles into our body’s energy to stimulate healing and restore balance.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is based on the evidence that scents around us are mood enhancing. It can be experienced in many different forms – an aromatherapy massage is always popular at a spa – and its popularity is partly due to the fact that it can be incorporated into your home easily – through bath oils, oil burners and more. ‘Aromatherapy is one of the complementary therapies that has probably been around the longest, it has ancient origins,’ comments Eileen Mulligan, founder of Aromatherapy Direct
Hypnotherapy
Forget all your preconceptions about hypnotherapy – this treatment can give great results and we promise you won’t be clucking like a chicken or howling at the moon. ‘People expect hypnotherapy to feel other-worldly or spooky but actually it’s a really lovely, natural state of relaxation,’ says Victoria Wills, Head of Hypnotherapy at NuBeginnings. ‘You will never do anything in a trance that is morally unacceptable,’ she confirms. This treatment calls upon the power of the mind to address everything from weight loss and smoking cessation through to confidence and phobias.
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