Interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and the therapies associated with it has been growing at a phenomenal rate in recent years. There are many reasons for this, including the recognition of the limitations of conventional medicine, and an increasing desire for individuals to take a more active role in improving their own health and well being.

CAM therapies differ not only in their underlying beliefs and philosophies, but also in their methods and approaches to healing. Some therapies have their basis in ancient healing traditions that have been used for thousands of years. Others have adapted and changed long-established techniques, introducing modern elements. There are also CAM therapies which are of recent origin, and utilize ideas that were not available to practitioners in earlier centuries.

Common to most CAM therapies is the philosophy that we are each responsible for our own healing and intrinsically capable of achieving a higher level of wellness.