Alternative medicine

Jul 20, 2007 11:40 AM

Research conducted by the BBC has shown that alternative medicines are becoming increasingly popular. Yet their effectiveness is yet to be proven to the majority of medical practitioners in the UK and there are concerns over safety as many of the treatments remain untested. BBC News Online's health team examines the issues.

What is it?
Not all practitioners agree on what constitutes alternative - some deny there is anything "alternative" about practices that predate many modern treatments.

Popular remedies: A guide
From acupuncture to yoga, all you need to know about the most commonly used therapies.

The quest for evidence
Many doctors dismiss alternative medicine as unproven, ineffective and potentially dangerous nonsense - leading advocates to seek the kind of evidence that will persuade the scientific community at large.

The alternative set
Who uses it, and where do they get it? More and more NHS practitioners are offering alternative therapies to their patients to cater to the growing demand.

Your views
Talking Point invited opinions on the reliability and use of alternative and complementary medicines - read what BBC News Online users thought.