What "complementary" means, and why the word matters

A complementary therapy is a practice that sits outside mainstream medicine and is used alongside it. The word describes a relationship, not a technique. Acupuncture used to manage nausea during chemotherapy is complementary. The same acupuncture used in place of chemotherapy is alternative, and the risk profile changes completely. That is the definition used by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the National Cancer Institute, and it is the one this list follows.

Because the category is defined by how a practice is used, it is also the category with the strongest evidence base in holistic health. Practices that are routinely delivered inside hospitals, hospices, physiotherapy departments and pain clinics tend to collect trials. Massage, clinical hypnosis, mindfulness-based stress reduction, osteopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture all have systematic reviews behind specific uses. That does not make everything on this page effective. It means this is the part of the field where the question "what does the evidence say" most often has an answer.

The list below is every complementary practice, system and protocol in the Gyfts Index, grouped by what it primarily works on. It is a view over live data rather than an editorial selection, so it includes some practices most people would call conventional (physical therapy, psychotherapy, dietetics) that Gyfts lists because practitioners offer them alongside holistic care. Each entry links to a full page with evidence context, what a first session involves, and who the practice tends to suit.

How this list is organized

Six headings, each a plain-language answer to "what does this work on": the body and movement, the mind and nervous system, energy and spirit, systems of medicine, food and lifestyle, and guidance. Under each heading the practices are grouped by family, so all the massage styles sit together and all the trauma-focused therapies sit together. Numbers in headings are counts of practices in that section. If you would rather start from what you are experiencing than from a practice name, browse by health concern instead. This is one of four category lists drawn from the same Index. The complete list of healing modalities explains how the four categories fit together and how the Index divides across them, and the other three lists cover alternative medicine practices, holistic practices and metaphysical and spiritual practices.

Complementary therapies: body, movement and touch (43)

Manual bodywork

  • •Aquatic Bodywork — Aquatic bodywork includes hands-on movement and supported stretching performed in warm water (e.g., WATSU/WaterShiatsu), aiming to promote relaxation, mobility, and body awareness.
  • •Aromatherapy Massage — Aromatherapy massage combines massage techniques with diluted essential oils, aiming to support relaxation, comfort, and stress reduction through both touch and scent.
  • •Arvigo Maya Abdominal Therapy — An external abdominal and pelvic manual therapy based on ancient Maya healing techniques, traditionally used to support reproductive health, digestive function, and pelvic organ alignment.
  • •Bowen Therapy — Bowen Therapy is a soft-tissue modality developed by Australian therapist Thomas Bowen (1916–1982), using sequences of gentle cross-fibre 'moves' over specific muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascial points, interspersed with rest intervals of two or more minutes.
  • •Breuss Massage — A gentle, energy-based spinal massage using St John's Wort oil (Hypericum perforatum) applied along the entire spine with slow, flowing strokes and gentle stretching.
  • •Deep Tissue Massage — Deep Tissue Massage uses firm, sustained pressure to target chronic tension in deeper muscle layers, aiming to relieve pain and improve mobility.
  • •Dry Needling — Dry needling uses thin needles to target muscle trigger points and may support pain relief and movement — grounded in Western anatomy.
  • •Emmett Technique — A light-touch bodywork approach that may support muscle ease, comfort, and relaxation through gentle point pressure.
  • •Hand Massage — Hand massage is a focused massage therapy technique that targets the hands, fingers, wrists, and forearms to relieve tension and promote relaxation.
  • •Head Massage — Head massage is a therapeutic technique that focuses on massaging the scalp, head, and neck regions to relieve tension and promote relaxation.
  • •Hot Stone Massage — Hot Stone Massage is a therapeutic technique that combines heated stones with massage to promote relaxation and ease muscle tension.
  • •Japanese Massage — Japanese Massage encompasses traditional massage techniques rooted in Japanese healing practices, including Shiatsu and Anma, designed to balance energy flow and release physical tension.
  • •Lymphatic Massage — Lymphatic Massage is a gentle, specialized massage technique designed to stimulate the body's lymphatic system and support fluid drainage and circulation.
  • •Lymphedema Therapy — Lymphedema therapy uses gentle techniques to support lymphatic flow, reduce swelling, and improve quality of life in those with lymphedema.
  • •Manual Lymphatic Drainage — The Vodder method of MLD is a specialised, gentle massage technique using specific rhythmic, pumping movements to stimulate lymphatic flow, reduce oedema, and support immune function.
  • •Manual Therapy — Manual therapy uses skilled hands-on techniques to support mobility, ease discomfort, and complement rehabilitation for a range of musculoskeletal concerns.
  • •Massage — Massage therapy involves the hands-on manipulation of muscles and soft tissues to promote relaxation, reduce tension, and relieve pain.
  • •Mercier Therapy — Mercier Therapy is a deep pelvic visceral manipulation technique developed by Dr Jennifer Mercier for fertility support and pelvic health.
  • •Neuromuscular Massage — Neuromuscular Massage is a specialized massage therapy technique that combines deep tissue work, trigger point therapy, and manual manipulation to address muscular tension and nervous system dysfunction.
  • •Prenatal Massage — Prenatal massage is a therapeutic massage technique specifically adapted for pregnant individuals to address the unique physical and emotional demands of pregnancy.
  • •Remedial Massage — A clinically oriented massage therapy focused on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of musculoskeletal dysfunction.
  • •Rhythmical Massage — Rhythmical massage therapy (also known as Hauschka or Wegman massage) is an anthroposophic bodywork modality adapted from Swedish massage by Dr Ita Wegman.
  • •Swedish Massage — Swedish Massage is a foundational massage technique using long strokes, kneading, and rhythmic movements to promote relaxation and improve circulation.
  • •Thai Massage — Thai Massage is a traditional healing practice that combines assisted yoga-like stretches, acupressure along energy meridians, and rhythmic pressure applied with hands, feet, and body weight to promote relaxation and flexibility.
  • •Trager Approach — A gentle somatic bodywork practice using rhythmic movement to help release tension and improve body awareness.

Structural alignment

  • •Chiropractic — Chiropractic care uses spinal adjustments and hands-on techniques to support musculoskeletal health, mobility, and pain management.
  • •Dorn Method — A gentle, non-manipulative method of joint and spinal realignment that uses patient-assisted movement during practitioner pressure.
  • •KMI Structural Integration — KMI (Kinesis Myofascial Integration) is a systematic bodywork approach by Thomas Myers, based on his Anatomy Trains myofascial meridians.
  • •Zero Balancing — Zero Balancing is a gentle, clothed bodywork practice that works with bone and joint energy to promote ease, clarity, and balance.

Movement and rehabilitation

  • •Clinical Pilates — Clinical Pilates is a physiotherapist-guided adaptation of the Pilates method specifically designed for rehabilitation, injury recovery, and clinical populations.
  • •Functional Integration — Functional Integration is the one-on-one, hands-on modality within the Feldenkrais Method.
  • •Gyrotonic — A movement system using circular, spiralling, and undulating patterns on proprietary equipment (Gyrotonic Expansion System) or through mat-based exercises (Gyrokinesis).
  • •Kinesiology Taping — Kinesiology taping uses elastic adhesive tape to potentially support muscles and joints during movement and recovery.
  • •Occupational Therapy — Occupational Therapy (OT) is a healthcare profession that helps individuals regain, develop, or maintain skills needed for daily living and meaningful activities through therapeutic interventions.
  • •Osteopathy — Osteopathy is a hands-on approach to musculoskeletal health based on the principle that the body's structure and function are interconnected and that the body has innate self-healing abilities.
  • •Pelvic Floor Therapy — Pelvic floor therapy uses targeted physical therapy techniques to support bladder, bowel, sexual, and core health.
  • •Physical Therapy — Physical Therapy is a healthcare discipline that uses evidence-based exercises, manual techniques, and therapeutic modalities to restore function, reduce pain, and improve mobility after injury or illness.
  • •Speech-Language Therapy — Speech-language therapy helps people improve communication, voice, language, and swallowing through personalized, evidence-based clinical care.
  • •Vestibular Rehabilitation — Vestibular rehabilitation uses targeted exercises to help manage dizziness, vertigo, and balance issues linked to inner ear dysfunction.

Water and heat therapies

  • •Float Therapy — Float therapy uses sensory-reduced saltwater tanks to promote deep relaxation and may support stress relief, recovery, and mental wellness.
  • •Kneipp Therapy — A five-pillar naturopathic system combining hydrotherapy (water applications), phytotherapy (herbal medicine), exercise, nutrition, and life balance (Lebensordnung) for health maintenance and disease prevention.
  • •Watsu — A form of aquatic bodywork performed in chest-deep warm water (35°C/95°F), combining elements of Zen Shiatsu with assisted stretching, joint mobilisation, and gentle rocking.

Light therapies

  • •Color Therapy — Color therapy (chromotherapy) is a complementary healing practice that uses colored lights, fabrics, or visualization to influence mood and well-being.

Complementary therapies: mind, emotions and the nervous system (30)

Psychological and emotional therapies

  • •Cessation Hypnosis — Cessation Hypnosis is a specialized form of hypnotherapy that uses guided relaxation and subconscious suggestion to help people overcome unhealthy habits like smoking, overeating, or substance use.
  • •Clinical Hypnosis — Clinical hypnosis is a therapeutic technique that uses guided relaxation and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness, helping treat various medical and psychological conditions.
  • •Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy that helps people identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors.
  • •Cognitive Hypnotherapy — Cognitive Hypnotherapy combines hypnosis with cognitive-behavioral techniques to help modify unwanted thoughts, emotions, and behaviors through accessing the subconscious mind.
  • •Curative Hypnosis — Curative Hypnosis is a therapeutic technique that uses guided hypnotherapy to help individuals address psychological and emotional challenges by accessing a relaxed, focused state of consciousness.
  • •EMDR Hypnosis — EMDR Hypnosis combines eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) with hypnotic techniques to help process traumatic memories and reduce emotional distress.
  • •Ego State Therapy — A therapy that works with distinct internal 'parts' of the self to support emotional balance and integration.
  • •Gestalt Therapy — Gestalt Therapy is a humanistic psychotherapy approach that emphasizes present-moment awareness, emotional exploration, and personal responsibility for growth and change.
  • •Internal Family Systems (IFS) — Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic model developed by Richard Schwartz in the 1980s that views the mind as a system of distinct subpersonalities or 'parts,' each with protective or wounded roles, guided by a core Self that holds the capacity for healing.
  • •Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy — Structured psychotherapy delivered alongside clinically administered sub-anaesthetic ketamine, applied to treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and other conditions.
  • •Psychedelic Integration Therapy — A form of psychotherapy specifically designed to help individuals process, understand, and integrate experiences from psychedelic substances — whether from clinical trials, legal ceremonial contexts, or personal use.
  • •Psychotherapy — Psychotherapy is a professional mental health treatment involving structured conversations with a trained therapist to address emotional, behavioral, and psychological concerns.
  • •Timeline Therapy — A guided reflective practice that may support emotional release and shifting of limiting beliefs through timeline visualization.
  • •Transactional Analysis — A structured talk therapy that maps ego states and relational patterns to support self-awareness and growth.

Trauma and recovery

  • •Brainspotting — A trauma-processing therapy that uses fixed eye positions to access and resolve distressing experiences stored in subcortical brain regions.
  • •EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) — EMDR is an evidence-based psychotherapy endorsed by WHO and APA for PTSD, using bilateral stimulation to help process distressing memories.
  • •Havening Techniques — A psychosensory therapy that uses gentle touch on the face, arms, and hands — combined with guided distraction and memory activation — to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories.
  • •TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises) — A body-based self-help method that uses a sequence of exercises to activate the body's natural neurogenic tremor mechanism, releasing chronic muscular tension and stress held in the psoas and other deep muscles.

Somatic and nervous-system regulation

  • •Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy — Biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) is a distinct lineage of craniosacral work developed primarily by Franklyn Sills, emphasising embryological development, stillness, and the body's inherent self-healing capacity.
  • •Hakomi Method — A gentle, mindfulness-centred somatic psychotherapy that uses present-moment body awareness and small experiential experiments to access and transform unconscious core beliefs, character patterns, and attachment wounds.
  • •Polyvagal-Informed Therapy — Polyvagal-Informed Therapy is a framework based on understanding how the vagus nerve and nervous system states influence emotional regulation, social connection, and behaviour.
  • •Psychosomatic Medicine — Psychosomatic Medicine is an integrative approach that recognizes how psychological states, emotions, and stress influence physical health, and vice versa.
  • •Sensorimotor Therapy — Sensorimotor Therapy is a body-oriented approach that combines mindful movement with reflective awareness to integrate physical sensation with emotional and cognitive insight.

Meditation and mindfulness

Breathwork

  • •Therapeutic Pranayama — Therapeutic pranayama applies yogic breathing techniques in a clinical or therapeutic context, prescribed for specific health conditions.

Creative and expressive therapies

  • •Art Therapy — Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses art-making within a therapeutic relationship to support emotional expression, coping skills, and psychological wellbeing.
  • •Play Therapy — Play therapy uses guided play to help children process emotions and build resilience, delivered by credentialed mental health professionals.
  • •Sandplay Therapy — Sandplay therapy uses miniature figures and a sand tray to support emotional expression, trauma processing, and self-exploration.

Energy psychology

  • •Hammer Tapping — Hammer Tapping is a gentle therapeutic technique using a soft hammer to tap specific body areas, traditionally rooted in Chinese medicine and bodywork practices.
  • •Touch for Health — A gentle, touch-based energy balancing system that may support relaxation and overall well-being.

Complementary therapies: energy, spirit and consciousness (2)

Energy and biofield work

  • •EEG Biofeedback — EEG Biofeedback, or neurofeedback, is a brain training technique that uses real-time monitoring of brainwave patterns to help individuals optimize brain function and improve mental well-being.

Spiritual and consciousness practices

  • •Medical Intuition — Medical intuition is a complementary practice where practitioners claim to access intuitive insights about a person's health status, imbalances, and healing needs.

Complementary therapies: systems of medicine and living traditions (22)

Integrative and multidisciplinary systems

  • •Ericksonian Method — The Ericksonian Method is a therapeutic approach that combines hypnotherapy with specialized communication techniques to facilitate personal change and growth.
  • •Estrogen Replacement — Estrogen Replacement is a hormone therapy that supplements estrogen levels in individuals experiencing deficiency, commonly used to manage menopausal and postmenopausal symptoms.
  • •Global Medicine — Global Medicine is an integrative healthcare approach that combines medical traditions and healing practices from diverse cultures worldwide to create personalized, culturally sensitive treatment plans.
  • •Hair Replacement — Hair Replacement encompasses non-surgical and surgical solutions designed to address hair loss and restore appearance, including hair replacement systems, transplantation, and supportive therapies.
  • •Hawaiian Health — Hawaiian Health is a holistic wellness approach rooted in Hawaiian cultural traditions that integrates practices like lomilomi massage, movement, and nature connection to support physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
  • •IV Drip Therapy — IV Drip Therapy delivers vitamins, minerals, and nutrients directly into the bloodstream via intravenous infusion to support hydration, immune function, and nutritional status.
  • •Integrative Medicine — A whole-person approach combining conventional medical training with evidence-informed complementary therapies to address root causes and optimise health outcomes.
  • •Medicine — Holistic medicine encompasses natural remedies, traditional healing practices, and complementary therapies designed to support physical and mental well-being by addressing the whole person rather than isolated symptoms.
  • •Microcurrent Therapy — Microcurrent Therapy uses very low-level electrical currents (measured in microamperes) applied to the body to promote tissue healing, reduce pain, and support muscle function.
  • •Natural Healing — Natural Healing is a holistic approach to wellness that leverages the body's innate ability to heal itself through natural remedies, lifestyle modifications, and complementary practices.
  • •Naturopathy — Naturopathy is a holistic healthcare system that emphasizes natural remedies, nutritional support, and lifestyle modifications to support the body's innate healing capacity.
  • •Psycho Emotional Release — Psycho Emotional Release is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals access and process deep emotional and psychological issues, often rooted in past experiences or trauma.
  • •Psychoanalytic Therapy — Psychoanalytic Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that explores unconscious thoughts, feelings, and past experiences to understand psychological patterns and emotional challenges.
  • •Psychodrama — Psychodrama is an action-based therapeutic method where individuals or groups enact scenes and role-play scenarios to explore psychological and emotional issues.
  • •RTT Therapy — RTT Therapy (Rapid Transformational Therapy) is a complementary approach combining guided relaxation with focused dialogue to explore beliefs, thought patterns, and emotional responses.
  • •Rapid Transformational Therapy — Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) is a hybrid therapeutic approach combining hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, and cognitive-behavioral techniques to address deep-seated beliefs and behaviors quickly.
  • •Sangoma — Sangoma is a traditional African healing and divination practice rooted in indigenous African spirituality, using herbs, rituals, and spiritual guidance to address physical, emotional, and spiritual concerns.
  • •Vagus Nerve Stimulation — Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) in wellness contexts refers to gentle, non-invasive techniques designed to activate the vagus nerve and support the parasympathetic nervous system.
  • •Visceral Manipulation — Visceral Manipulation is a gentle hands-on therapy that uses subtle touch to assess and improve the mobility and function of internal organs.

Functional and systems medicine

  • •Applied Kinesiology — Applied Kinesiology (AK) is a complementary assessment technique that uses manual muscle testing to gather information a practitioner interprets alongside a standard health history.
  • •Neural Therapy — A German medical treatment using injections of local anaesthetic (typically procaine or lidocaine) into specific sites — scars, trigger points, ganglia, and acupuncture points — to address chronic pain, autonomic dysfunction, and regulatory disorders.
  • •Prolotherapy — Prolotherapy uses targeted injections to potentially stimulate the body's natural tissue repair response for chronic pain and joint instability.

Complementary therapies: food, plants and lifestyle (18)

Nutritional therapy

  • •Dietetics — Registered dietitians provide evidence-based nutritional assessment, medical nutrition therapy and dietary counselling for a wide range of conditions and health goals.
  • •Functional Nutrition — Functional Nutrition is a personalised, educational dietary approach that examines how food choices interact with individual lifestyle, environment, and health goals to support overall wellbeing.
  • •Juice Fasting — Juice Fasting is a dietary practice that involves consuming fresh fruit and vegetable juices while abstaining from solid food for a defined period, typically ranging from 1 to 30 days.
  • •Nutritional Therapy — Personalised dietary assessment and intervention to optimise health, address nutritional imbalances and support the management of specific health conditions.

Botanical and plant remedies

  • •Schüssler Tissue Salts — A system of 12 mineral salt preparations in homeopathic potency (typically 6X/D6), each corresponding to a specific mineral found in human cells.

Lifestyle and preventive health

  • •Breastfeeding — Breastfeeding support provides professional guidance from lactation consultants and healthcare providers to help mothers successfully establish and maintain nursing.
  • •Childbirth Preparation — Childbirth preparation involves educational classes and practical training to help expectant parents understand labor, delivery, and early parenthood.
  • •Natural Childbirth — Natural Childbirth is an approach to labor and delivery that minimizes medical interventions, relying instead on relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, and maternal positioning to support the body's natural birthing process.
  • •Prenatal Care — Prenatal care encompasses medical check-ups, monitoring, and guidance services designed to support the health and safety of pregnant people and their developing babies throughout pregnancy.

Biohacking and performance

  • •Autologous Conditioned Plasma Therapy (ACP) — Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP) Therapy is a regenerative medicine treatment that uses a patient's own concentrated plasma, rich in platelets and growth factors, injected into injured tissues to promote healing.
  • •Bioidentical Hormone Replacement — Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) uses hormones chemically identical to those naturally produced by the body to address symptoms of hormonal imbalance during menopause, andropause, or thyroid dysfunction.
  • •Functional Medicine — Functional Medicine is a systems-based approach that investigates the underlying causes of disease rather than just treating symptoms.
  • •Hormone Replacement Therapy — Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) involves administering hormones to address deficiencies or imbalances in the body's natural hormone production.
  • •Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy — Medical-grade hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) delivers 100% oxygen at 2.0–3.0 atmospheres absolute (ATA) in a rigid, pressurised chamber.
  • •Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) — Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy applies electromagnetic pulses to the body to support cellular function and promote healing.
  • •Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) — Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is a medical treatment that restores testosterone levels in individuals with clinically confirmed deficiency, addressing symptoms like fatigue, reduced libido, and mood changes.

Detoxification and environmental therapies

  • •Autohemotherapy — A German complementary medical procedure in which a small volume of the patient's own blood is withdrawn from a vein and immediately reinjected intramuscularly, sometimes after mixing with ozone, homeopathic preparations, or UV irradiation.
  • •Blood Detoxification — Blood detoxification involves various approaches to cleanse the blood of toxins and impurities, including dietary changes, herbal supplements, and lifestyle modifications.

How to read the evidence for anything on this list

Every entry carries an evidence level, and our guide to holistic health modalities explains what each label means and how to weigh it. Three habits will serve you better than any rating.

Ask about a named use, not a category. "Does massage work" has no answer. "Does massage reduce anxiety in people receiving cancer treatment, compared with usual care" has one, and it is a qualified yes. Evidence attaches to a practice, a population, a purpose and an outcome.

Separate the outcome from the mechanism. A therapy can reliably help people feel better while its explanation remains unsupported. Feeling calmer after craniosacral therapy is evidence about the session. It is not evidence about cranial rhythms.

Report safety with the same precision. A meta-analysis of prospective studies estimated that about 9 percent of acupuncture patients experienced at least one adverse event across a treatment series, almost all minor, with serious events at roughly one per 10,000 patients. That figure belongs to acupuncture. It says nothing about reflexology.

Before you book

The practices here are meant to work alongside your medical care, which means the practitioner needs to know about it. A safe first session includes a full history and a list of your medications and supplements. A practitioner who does not ask is not practicing safely. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about anything you swallow, because herb and supplement interactions with anticoagulants, antidepressants, chemotherapy agents and immunosuppressants are real and under-reported.

Some symptoms need medical assessment before anything on this page: chest pain, sudden severe headache, unexplained weight loss, a new lump, unusual bleeding, sudden vision change, one-sided weakness, difficulty breathing, or thoughts of harming yourself. Complementary care sits alongside that assessment, never in front of it. You can browse verified practitioners with credentials and verification status shown on every profile.

The other category lists

Every practice in the Gyfts Index sits in exactly one of four categories, so if what you are looking for is not on this page it is on one of these.

Alternative medicine practices list: whole systems of medicine and the herbal, dietary and mind-body methods that grew up within them.

Holistic practices list: whole-person approaches from traditional systems to lifestyle medicine.

Metaphysical and spiritual practices list: energy work, divination, ceremony and contemplative systems.

For the full picture, including how the Index divides across categories and what it works on, start from the complete healing modalities directory.

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