Natural medicine is a broad term that covers all those systems of treatment which aim to restore the self-regulatory processes of the body and promote better health using measures which are in harmony with the constructive forces in nature. The therapies have been classified variously over the years, mainly by their position outside the main systems of conventional medicine. Thus, they have been labelled ‘Fringe Medicine’, ‘Alternative Medicine’, or ‘Natural Therapeutics’. The favoured terms now are ‘complementary and alternative medicine’ (CAM) - ‘complementary’ because they can be used alongside conventional medicine in many cases and ‘alternative’ because they often provide an alternative approach which is non-toxic or non-invasive, for example a herbal or homoeopathic medicine instead of a standard painkiller or osteopathy instead of surgery for back pain. It should be noted, however, that natural medicine is not without danger if misapplied. It should always be administered by an appropriately qualified person.
