Traditionally a diagnosis is made and a course or treatment or therapy is recommended by the local GP. The NHS offers a range of specialty therapies. However due to a limit in the range of therapies regularly offered and long waiting times to get seen by a practitioner, more of the public are seeking practitioners in private practice who offer immediate appointments and a wider range of therapies.



Therapies offered privately are often termed Complementary, Alternative or Natural Heath Therapies. They range from mainstream therapies that are regularly offered by the NHS (for example Osteopathy, Physiotherapy, Psychotherapy, Chiropractic, Podiatry) to more unconventional therapies which whilst recognized by the NHS may not be regularly offered such as Aromatherapy, Homeopathy, Hypnotherapy.

People mostly look for therapies when faced with physical, emotional or mental problems. Choosing the correct therapy for your ailment or condition can sometimes be a daunting task. Quite often several different therapies could provide a solution to the same issue faced. For example, Back Pain could be remedied by a Chiropractor, Osteopath or Physiotherapist, but it could also be remedied by a wider range of Practitioners, for example those specialising in Alexander Technique, Bowen Technique, Reflexology or Acupuncture, not to mention the wide range of massage treatments that are available.

Furthermore, sometimes two people can be faced with the same ailment, and whilst one therapy could provide a solution to one person, it may not be quite as effective for the second. For example, in the case of addiction, one person may be particularly receptive to hypnotherapy, whereas a second person may respond much better to counseling.

Additionally, two different therapies may provide equally as positive results. For example, in the case of a person suffering from a skin condition, a visit to a Chinese Herbalist may prove just as successful as a visit to a nutritionist.

Cost and time can also be a consideration, when choosing a complementary therapy. The length of sessions, the number of sessions required and the cost per session can vary considerably between therapy and practitioner.

Finding out which treatment is right for you requires referral, research, recommendations and sometimes trial and error. There is a wealth of information available from your local GPs practice, at your library and online. Researching your ailment or condition will point you in the direction of therapies that are recommended to potentially offer a solution. In turn, each therapy can be researched learning details about history and background , effectiveness with certain ailments, what to expect, governing bodies and membership organisations. Either a recommendation or a directory (which can be found both online and offline) are able to provide details of your local practitioners.