FOR generations, looking after your health largely meant visiting the family doctor, filling a prescription, or being referred to a specialist, but today many people are taking a broader approach to their wellbeing.
Acupuncture, remedial massage, yoga, meditation, naturopathy, herbal medicine and other complementary therapies have become increasingly familiar.
This is particularly the case among people searching for additional ways to manage stress, persistent pain, sleep difficulties or simply improve how they feel day to day.
For some, these treatments are part of traditions stretching back hundreds or even thousands of years.
For others, they are a relatively recent discovery as the wellness industry continues to grow and practices once considered alternative become increasingly mainstream.
There is an important distinction between alternative and complementary medicine.
Alternative therapies are generally used instead of conventional medical care, while complementary therapies are used alongside it.
It is the latter approach that has increasingly found a place in modern health and wellness.
Massage is perhaps one of the most familiar examples, with people seeking treatment for muscular tension, soreness and relaxation.
Yoga has undergone a similar transformation, with its combination of movement, flexibility and breathing attracting people of different ages and fitness levels.
Meditation and mindfulness have also moved into the mainstream as people look for ways to manage stress and create some calm in increasingly busy lives.
Their popularity reflects a growing understanding that wellbeing can encompass physical health as well as sleep, stress, movement and emotional health.
