Alternative medicine

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Phytotherapy (plant therapy) is one of the oldest medical therapies and it is known to all cultures and all continents. St John's wort is used to treat physical and mental ailments. (Keystone/Christoph Ruckstuhl)

A pharmacist weighs dried medical plants used to make a herbal tea for pregnant women. (Keystone/Gaetan Bally)

Drawers in an old pharmacist's cupboard. (artvertise)

Globuli are remedies used in homeopathy. (imagepoint)

A homeopathic doctor dilutes a remedy with a fixed number of firm hits on a leather-bound striking trunk. (Keystone/Gaetan Bally)

Acupuncture needles are heated up to reinforce the effect of medical plants in traditional Chinese medicine. (Keystone/Gaetan Bally)

The insertion points for acupuncture needles are situated on different energy lines, also known as meridians. (medicalpicture)

Inserting acupuncture needles. (Keystone/Gaetan Bally)

The cupping technique - a form of treatment used in traditional Chinese medicine. (Keystone/Gaetan Bally)

This eurythmic exercise is used in anthroposophical medicine. The patient and the therapist exchange copper balls in an expressive movement. (medicalpicture)

Mistletoe therapy is applied in anthroposophical medicine to treat cancer. (Schapowalow/B. Zöllner)

Locally applied anaesthetic affects the nervous system. It is a standard method in neural therapy. (Das Fotoarchiv/Jörg Meyer)

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Examples of complementary therapies.

Alternative medicine offers a broad selection of therapies and treatments. Homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and holistic anthroposophical methods have developed therapies often used by patients in addition to conventional medicine.