By Elena Voropay

If you wonder why the treatments you get from your doctor may differ from what your neighbour gets for the same ailment, you are not alone. The reason is that different practitioners may employ different systems. There are two systems of health care available: conventional Western medicine and Alternative medicine. Conventional practitioners are medical doctors who are superb in such medical fields as surgery, emergency and trauma. Alternative healing or medicine refers to medical techniques which are not known or accepted by the majority of conventional medical practitioners. It serves a preventative purpose and works better for chronic degenerative diseases like cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and for more common aliments such as asthma, gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, and sinusitis.

Alternative medicine also focuses on empowering the mind and body to achieve optimum health in order to prevent illness. It reverses the underlying causes of disease to provide a lasting cure, instead of treating only the symptoms. Some of these techniques would include the use of herbs, acupuncture, homeopathy,and other non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques.