What Is Complementary Therapy?

Complementary therapy emphasises ‘wellness’ that comes from a balance between the body, the mind and the environment. Complementary therapy practitioners aim to restore this balance by treating each person as a unique individual, often recommending lifestyle changes and encouraging a person to take a more active approach to their own health.

Today, the gap between conventional treatment and complementary therapy is blurring. Many complementary treatments are based on anatomy and physiology, while modern treatments utilise a more holistic approach and have adopted some therapies that originated in complementary therapy.

Should You Try Complementary Therapy?

In some cases, the beneficial effects of complementary therapy may last for only a short time, often without a long term benefit. This may be due to the placebo effect when people feel better or show physiological signs of improvement because they believe a therapy is working.

More research is needed to analyse the long term results of complementary treatments.

As always, you should ask your GP about any complementary therapy you might be considering.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is an important factor in maintaining overall health and in managing arthritis. A diet low in saturated fats and high in omega-3 and fruit and vegetables is recommended. There is some evidence that vegetarian diets can be beneficial for people with inflammatory types of arthritis.

Herbal remedies have been used in many cultures since ancient times. Today about one-quarter of pharmaceutical preparations contain at least one active ingredient extracted from plant sources. Medical herbalists and naturopaths work with herbal remedies using the whole plant.

Generally speaking, herbal remedies are safe but can sometimes cause side effects. These can include stomach upsets, sleeplessness and pains in your muscles or joints. Some herbal remedies may also interact with your prescribed medication.

One of the most beneficial herbs for Osteoarthritis is Boswellia (from the frankincense tree). Some clinical trials with this herb have shown to reduce pain and stiffness, and improve physical function in people with Osteoarthritis.

Other herbs may be beneficial for arthritis, but the evidence is inconclusive. It is best to avoid self-prescribing and consult with a suitably qualified practitioner and check with your doctor before starting the treatment to avoid any side effects and herb-drug interactions.

There is a wide variety of manual therapies including acupressure, chiropractic, massage and osteopathy. The latest research reviews demonstrate that some people with lower back pain can benefit from osteopathy, and massage therapy can be helpful for some people with Fibromyalgia.

Tai chi combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements. Originally developed as a martial art in 13th-century China, tai chi is today practised around the world as a health-promoting exercise.

Some studies demonstrate that tai chi improved mood, quality of life, and overall physical function in people with Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia.

Yoga incorporates several elements of exercise and breathing that may be beneficial for arthritis and may help improve strength, flexibility and balance.

Research has indicated that long-term yoga participants have significantly gained bone density, which can be attributed to the effects of muscles working against gravity. Some studies have shown beneficial effects for people with Fibromyalgia.

Relaxation techniques include muscle relaxation, refocusing, breathing control or visual imagery.

Relaxation techniques are an important part of yoga and tai chi. Progressive muscle relaxation is used to help with muscle tension and cope with pain, while there’s little evidence that it is effective in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, there’s promising evidence to suggest that it may be useful for Fibromyalgia and low back pain.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is becoming popular with mainstream health practitioners. It involves nonjudgmental attention to experiences in the present moment. This technique can be beneficial for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Researchers have found that it helps to regulate emotions and improves people’s ability to cope with pain. They noted that those with a history of depression responded better than others to mindfulness meditation.

Promising but inconclusive evidence:

Herbal products that have some promising but inconclusive evidence for beneficial effects in Osteoarthritis include: Devil’s claw, ginger extract, pine bark extract and rosehip extract.

Borage seed oil and Evening Primrose oil show some beneficial effects in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Green-lipped mussel extract is native to New Zealand. The evidence that this assists Osteoarthritis is mixed.

Balneotherapy (mineral baths) in some studies have shown to be beneficial for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia.

Cherries may have benefits for some arthritis that is inflammatory such as Gout Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. It has been suggested that antioxidant compounds found in cherries may inhibit the enzymes that increase inflammation. There is some evidence that uric acid may be lowered further by eating cherries in addition to taking uric acid lowering medicine.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is an important factor in maintaining overall health and in managing arthritis. A diet low in saturated fats and high in omega-3 and fruit and vegetables is recommended. There is some evidence that vegetarian diets can be beneficial for people with inflammatory types of arthritis.

Herbal remedies have been used in many cultures since ancient times. Today about one-quarter of pharmaceutical preparations contain at least one active ingredient extracted from plant sources. Medical herbalists and naturopaths work with herbal remedies using the whole plant.

Generally speaking, herbal remedies are safe but can sometimes cause side effects. These can include stomach upsets, sleeplessness and pains in your muscles or joints. Some herbal remedies may also interact with your prescribed medication.

One of the most beneficial herbs for Osteoarthritis is Boswellia (from the frankincense tree). Some clinical trials with this herb have shown to reduce pain and stiffness, and improve physical function in people with Osteoarthritis.

Other herbs may be beneficial for arthritis, but the evidence is inconclusive. It is best to avoid self-prescribing and consult with a suitably qualified practitioner and check with your doctor before starting the treatment to avoid any side effects and herb-drug interactions.

There is a wide variety of manual therapies including acupressure, chiropractic, massage and osteopathy. The latest research reviews demonstrate that some people with lower back pain can benefit from osteopathy, and massage therapy can be helpful for some people with Fibromyalgia.

Tai chi combines deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements. Originally developed as a martial art in 13th-century China, tai chi is today practised around the world as a health-promoting exercise.

Some studies demonstrate that tai chi improved mood, quality of life, and overall physical function in people with Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia.

Yoga incorporates several elements of exercise and breathing that may be beneficial for arthritis and may help improve strength, flexibility and balance.

Research has indicated that long-term yoga participants have significantly gained bone density, which can be attributed to the effects of muscles working against gravity. Some studies have shown beneficial effects for people with Fibromyalgia.

Relaxation techniques include muscle relaxation, refocusing, breathing control or visual imagery.

Relaxation techniques are an important part of yoga and tai chi. Progressive muscle relaxation is used to help with muscle tension and cope with pain, while there’s little evidence that it is effective in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis, there’s promising evidence to suggest that it may be useful for Fibromyalgia and low back pain.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is becoming popular with mainstream health practitioners. It involves nonjudgmental attention to experiences in the present moment. This technique can be beneficial for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Researchers have found that it helps to regulate emotions and improves people’s ability to cope with pain. They noted that those with a history of depression responded better than others to mindfulness meditation.

Promising but inconclusive evidence:

Herbal products that have some promising but inconclusive evidence for beneficial effects in Osteoarthritis include: Devil’s claw, ginger extract, pine bark extract and rosehip extract.

Borage seed oil and Evening Primrose oil show some beneficial effects in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Green-lipped mussel extract is native to New Zealand. The evidence that this assists Osteoarthritis is mixed.

Balneotherapy (mineral baths) in some studies have shown to be beneficial for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia.

Cherries may have benefits for some arthritis that is inflammatory such as Gout Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. It has been suggested that antioxidant compounds found in cherries may inhibit the enzymes that increase inflammation. There is some evidence that uric acid may be lowered further by eating cherries in addition to taking uric acid lowering medicine.