o r i g i n s - o f - a l t e r n a t i v e - m e d i c i n e

There is no specific day or year when alternative medicine was born, so to speak. On the contrary, different alternative techniques have arrived at very different times. In addition, there is no "father" of alternative medicine who is solely responsible for its growth. In fact, the recent upsurge in popularity of alternative medicine has been a gradual process aided by the establishment of health maintenance organizations which favor cost-effective alternative therapy programs over costly surgical and chronic illness procedures.

Acupuncture, for example, is an ancient technique which originated in China (as did traditional Chinese medicine and qui gong) as long ago as 2689 B.C. Yoga is among the oldest known systems of health practiced in the world today; it was first systematically set down in writing by Patanjali in the second century, B.C. Conversely, biofeedback and enzyme therapy are two alternative techniques which have gained prominence primarily in the twentieth century. Chiropractic medicine, naturopathic medicine, and osteopathic medicine all originated in the United States.