Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission of the Epilepsy Therapy Project
 
UPDATED: Sun, 10/21/2007 - 9:39pm

  • Epilepsy First Aid
  • Seizure Medication
  • Videos
  • Seizure Diary
  • Find a Doctor
  • Epilepsy Centers
  • Clinical Trials
  • Event Calendar

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project

Non-Drug Therapies

When people talk about "alternative therapies" or "alternative medicine" they are talking about kinds of treatment that are different from the medicines or surgery usually prescribed by MDs and other mainstream health professionals. Some people even define alternative medicine as treatments that aren't taught in U.S. medical schools and aren't available at U.S. hospitals. Conventional American health professionals are becoming more interested in these treatments, however.

Some alternative therapies have long histories in other parts of the world and some are recent developments. What they have in common is that the safety and effectiveness of most of them have not been proven by well-designed scientific studies. Some of them may be very helpful, but they must be chosen and used with care.

The list of alternative therapies changes over time as new approaches emerge and others are proven safe and effective and become part of conventional health care. In epilepsy, for instance, the ketogenic diet began as an alternative therapy but has been scientifically tested and is rapidly being accepted as a conventional therapy for certain kinds of patients.

Precisely defined, alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. In actual practice, however, most people who use so-called alternative therapies also receive conventional treatments from a physician. In this situation, better terms might be "complementary" or "integrative" medicine.

Are alternative therapies the same as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?
Another popular term for these therapies is "complementary and alternative medicine" (often shortened to CAM). When two things are complementary, they work together, with each one making up for the shortcomings of the other. Complementary therapies, therefore, are used in addition to conventional therapies to try to improve results or quality of life. For instance, people with epilepsy who are taking seizure medicines prescribed by their doctor may also use CAM to try to achieve better seizure control or to reduce side effects.

Therapies listed as CAM are generally the same ones indicated by the term "alternative therapies." The difference lies in whether the person also uses conventional therapies.

What is integrative medicine?
Some people who are interested in CAM, including many doctors, want to emphasize that complementary and alternative therapies can be a valuable addition to conventional medical care. They use the term "integrative medicine" to emphasize that both types of treatment are combined (integrated) in the patient's care. Practitioners of integrative medicine generally emphasize those CAM therapies that have been the most thoroughly tested.

Where can I find out more?
The United States government has had an agency working in the area of alternative therapies since 1993. The current name of this agency (which is part of the NIH, the National Institutes of Health) is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). The NCCAM website is a reliable source of up-to-date information and links to other resources.


Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed:8/18/04



This content is user-generated. Content is not monitored nor consistently reviewed by the epilepsy.com Editorial Board. Epilepsy.com therefore cannot guarantee the accuracy of any content edited with the Wiki sections. While epilepsy.com, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, and its partners encourage visitor interaction and publishing within these sections, users should use caution when exploring content, especially as it pertains to health concerns. No content on epilepsy.com is intended to replace the care of a doctor. We encourage you to contact your own health care provider for individual medical advice. We cannot provide second opinions or make specific recommendations regarding therapy, nor does this Wiki content constitute a recommendation for any diagnosis or treatment options.



Take Control of your seizures by starting My Epilepsy Diary today.

Keeping a daily record of your seizures can help you and your doctor better understand and treat your epilepsy.

Open my epiCom Diary


Title Posted
Medical Marijuana As An Alternative Herbal Therapy  
Sarah24
Mayo Clinic, Minnesota...been there?  
lifescomplicated
Not a candidate for brain surgery - now what?  
barn619
Chiropractors?  
adamssa@uwec.edu
Frustration with Neuro  
Stanstedy
View all Forums

Title Posted
TLE or PNES?  
mel239
Can taking OTC medications for cold, flu and sinus infections result in seizures?  
larryz
twitchy arm  
emzclarinet
How long do your symptoms last (if they ever even go away)  
jasssmit
Who is your personal hero?  
phylisfjohnson
Causes of Underemployment.  
Matthew Simington
Is there such a thing as PNES  
jonah
Just Looking for Some Help...  
maja99
Convulsions/Seizures after being tickled  
Juniper
New to Epilepsy.com  
djwray
View all Forums

Title Page Views
my.epilepsy.com Updates  
epi_help
topamax and weight loss  
alexia mom
kepra  
brian mattingly
Possible cure for absence seizures  
pdl1
Epilepsy and marijuana  
cjad234
Sexual Side Effects  
George R
How exactly do aura's feel  
WendyBendy
MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s  
picnupthepcs
Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised  
spiz
electrical shock in head?  
Maggie
View all Forums

Title Posted
same dose for 6 years possible unidentified seizures  
mash4077
Well, I know.... (Question at bottom of blog.)  
quesofresco
nightmares  
becky89
i need to vent...  
jacky99
michelle  
michelle41
Etiology of a Housebound Visionary  
tigro65
Anyone w/ temporal lobe epilepsy and not on medication?  
hazel baum
MY 1ST BLOG :)  
awalkingmiracle
I hate the hospital.  
Shenoah
Visit to a doctor - February 2010  
MichaelK
View all Blogs

Title Page Views
Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts  
Butterflygrl
my partial complex seizures  
Zanna1211
Topomax... The Dreaded.........  
Dr Jason
Brain Zaps, tics & twitches  
JudiS
side effects of phenobarb.  
pksmom
Feeling Sick  
JBJ1984
How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens?  
epl_controller
Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds  
Butterflygrl
TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
cmscribbles
Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures"  
teft
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Treating Depression with Epilepsy  
mypetitmal
Burm80  
burm80
WHO NEEDS A SEIZURE ALERT DOG  
MOMMY HOLLIE
surgery group  
bobby chen
Parents of Adult Children with Epilepsy  
askadis
Grandparents of grandchildren with Epilepsy  
EmiliesGrandma
neeraj clinic, rishikesh,india  
ankita gupta
Project Uplift  
tamliniscute
SEIZURE FREE  
gracie9933
EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA  
Roxanne D
View all Groups

Title Posted
Finding myself through the years  
starlitgemini
Too many times doing the fish!!!  
Jeffrey Resetar
My First story  
eggcoo
my beautiful 6yr old boy  
kaiden
My son has Rolandic Epilepsy  
klabiche
My mother's epilepsy  
Raymond Loh
A married man with a sick wife  
russell11
Many changes I had and continue to have.  
Its Me
SheriK  
SheriK
My daughter  
ladyt8
View all Stories

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project