Although many people still use alternative medicine — or complementary medicine, the new politically correct name — as a last resort, the various non-traditional remedies and methods are no longer playing second fiddle to the Western medical ways. In fact, many procedures are so widely accepted that they are fully covered by insurance, at least in Washington state.

One of the biggest challenges in looking for alternatives is the wide variety and exhaustive amount of information available. But then again, that’s not much different from the traditional forms of medicine. What many of them have in common, however, is that they don’t simply treat isolated symptoms and do not use drugs or chemicals as their main means.

Naturopathic physicians, for example, don’t prescribe drugs in most instances. Before naturopaths treat a person, they usually spend an hour or two just learning about history, lifestyle and complaints, along with giving a physical exam.

In addition to having similar training to medical doctors, naturopaths spend about 1,000 hours learning about nutrition, homeopathy, botanical medicine and physical modalities like massage.

“We are the most holistic doctor. We look at every aspect of your life,” says Ruth Urand, ND, with the Sound Naturopathic Clinic of Poulsbo. “We treat the cause.”

Urand explains that the body has the ability to heal itself and tries to be in balance. But overloading it with anything from smoking and drinking to processed foods, along with a stressful environment, lack of sunlight, rest, and other factors makes it difficult for the body to function as nature intended. Naturopathic doctors help restore that balance, but the patients are the ones who have to implement the changes and be in the driver’s seat.

One of the methods used by naturopathic doctors is homeopathy, which is based on a system of similars, not opposites like traditional medicine, says Jane Pearson, ND, with the Holistic Family Practice Inc. in Poulsbo. “We’re looking to support the body in overcoming and doing what it needs to be in balance instead of suppressing the symptoms,” she says.

Minerals, herbs, and counseling are among the homeopath’s ways of healing the body. All NDs are licensed to provide counseling, and sometimes just having someone listen to a person can be healing in itself. “Homeopathy embraces the emotional aspect, and what goes on in the patients’ lives often has a bearing on their symptoms,” Pearson says. Another focus is on nutrition and proactive approaches to health.

Naturopathy is especially effective on children and elderly but everyone who is interested in taking a more in-depth look at their lifestyle and health could benefit. Often times the naturopaths and other complementary health care providers will work closely with the medical doctor to treat the client.

Acupuncturist Robert Doane, who practices Chinese medicine at the Acupuncture and Wellness Center in Poulsbo, says there is room for both Western and Chinese medicine. For example, doctors often can’t help a person who doesn’t have a specific illness yet doesn’t feel well, but Chinese herbs and acupuncture can usually treat those conditions.

For people who have chronic pains, it means the body’s own pain-relieving mechanism isn’t functioning, and acupuncture works especially well because it enlivens that function at the neurological level.

“The body doesn’t want to be in chronic pain, and it works overtime when you’re in pain,” Doane says. “All the body needs is to be shown how to function properly.”

Acupuncture can treat a range of medical conditions, and the treatments are highly individualized. After the initial intake and diagnosis, it takes about four sessions to see if the treatment is effective. A person should feel better after four treatments, Doane says, and it takes about 10-40 sessions to treat most conditions.

“If we can’t help them, we discharge them. If we establish we can help, we give the patients an estimate (of the treatment course),” he says.

A session is an hour long, and includes about 30 minutes of the needles staying inserted. The needles, thin as hair, create no discomfort for most people, and often it takes only seconds to feel pain relief in cases of chronic pain.

At his clinic, Doane has about 1,000 Chinese herbs that are compounded to treat multiple conditions at once. The herbs have been around and perfected for about 4,000 years, making Chinese medicine in effect the oldest health care system around.

Another procedure of Asian origin is Reiki. Reiki, a Japanese healing technique, is often used as an alternative to massage. Although it’s done by hand, Reiki is different from massage because there is no movement on the body, and sometimes the client is not even touched.

“It promotes relaxation and quiets the mind,” says Sabina Price, a Reiki master who teaches Reiki to health care practitioners such as nurses. “It assists the natural healing powers of the body.”

Reiki, which is not covered by insurance because it doesn’t require a license, is performed on the massage table, but the person is fully clothed, which makes the procedure more comfortable for some people. The hands are placed on special areas of the body, or sometimes just above the body, and remain there for several minutes. Price says the client should notice after one or two sessions if the method is effective, though the experience is usually purely subjective.

Whichever complementary method you use, practitioners advise you to find someone you’re comfortable with, especially since in many cases what you’re creating is a partnership for your good health.