Complementary & alternative medicines
There's the rub
Science struggles to find any basis for it, but its supporters insist it helps them - so is reflexology valid?
Critical, not dismissive
Seeking proof for practitioner's claims isn't to dismiss them as charlatans, but a duty for the sceptical scientist.
Deeper thought
Brain imaging techniques shows something happens - but it's still far from clear what that is. Consider meditation.
My reflexology
Reflexologist Elizabeth Rabone explains how she believes her specialism works: a reflexologist writes...
Under the influence?
Used with care and seen as a vehicle rather than a cure, can there be a medical role for hypnotherapy?
Testing challenges
The nature of the treatments can create challenges when validating alternative therapies.
Should doctors consult CAM?
Are there lessons for all doctors in the series? Tom Heller offers a view from a GP.
A world of treatment
Even in countries where many CAMs developed, changing attitudes have made a difference to how the therapies are used. Discover CAM around the world.
Natural cures
Nearly all human cultures have used some form of it - but what accounts for the durability of herbal medicine?
Balancing Qi
It can trace a history back to the first stone needles - but what's the principle underpinning acupuncture?
Cure or cue?
How can we be certain CAM is helping, rather than just making people feel better? Science has trouble testing therapies.
Placebo or cure-all?
If you turn your back on conventional medicine, will you get better? We put alternative therapy on trial.
Other Medicine transcript
If alternative therapy is so complementary, can it work alongside mainstream medicine - hand in hand?
Other Medicine transcript
Conventional medicines require testing before they can be sold. But how do we know if CAM works?
Putting care into careers
If you're interested in becoming a practitioner in alternative therapies, we reveal how to start careers in CAM.