Types of complementary therapies
Complementary medicine therapies can be generally grouped into five categories, being:
alternative medical systems, which are built on complete systems of theory and practice, such as homeopathic and naturopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda
mind–body interventions, which include support groups, meditation, prayer, spiritual healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music or dance
biologically-based complementary therapies, which include the use of herbs, foods, vitamins, minerals and dietary supplement
manipulative and body-based methods, which include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation and massag
energy therapies, which involve the use of two types of energy fields, being bio-field therapies, such as qi-gong, Reiki and therapeutic touch, and bio-energetic therapies, involving the use of pulsed electromagnetic fields such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields or alternating-current or alternating and direct-current fields.