There are several different classifications of alternative medicine, each of which is unique. It is actually quite a mistake to lump them all in under one umbrella term like "alternative medicine" but we have to call it all something. Taking the time to comprehend the various forms of alternative medicine today can yield some very productive treatment options.

The oldest and probably most efficacious form of alternative medicine is herbal treatment. Most of the prescription medications we use today have their roots in plants. In fact, plants are such a good source of new medications that there is an entire branch of pharmaceutical education and research devoted to it, called pharmocognosy. Herbal remedies effective for hemorrhoid relief are witch hazel cream, ointment or extract, aloe vera gel or cream, horse chestnut tea, butcher's broom tea, and Japanese Pagoda Tree extract. Be aware that herbs are just another form of medication. Some of these, horse chestnut and butcher's broom in particular, affect the entire circulatory system and may interact badly with your current health conditions or any current medication regime. In addition, find a reputable supplier for any herbal medications. Herbal supplements are not governed or tested under the same rules and supervision as medications, so checking for quality becomes much more important. Herbs grown under sub-standard conditions, such as next to a road or with polluted water, can actually do more harm as they carry detrimental chemicals into your body.

Acupuncture, surprisingly enough, has been approved by the World Health Organization for the treatment of several diseases, including pain relief. Several rigorously controlled studies have been performed on the pain-treatment capacity of acupuncture, particularly for such chronic conditions as migranes. While these tests have shown acupuncture to have a measureable effect on patients, no clinical trials have been performed to date specifically on acupuncture's effectiveness regarding hemorrhoids. If you feel that the research that has been done is validation enough for acupuncture's use, do find an acupuncturist accredited by the appropriate medical association for your country.

There is a branch of medicine called evolutionary medicine that seeks to understand and recreate the conditions that the human animal evolved for. Evolutionary medicine is firmly grounded in the findings of physical anthropologists who study the entire course of our evolution to date. One of the more valuable findings of evolutionary medicine for hemorrhoid patients is that we, as a species, did not evolve to sit on toilets but rather to squat for our toileting. Many hemorrhoid sufferers have found that raising their feet on a small stool while toileting relieves and may even banish their hemorrhoids. If this works for you, and you believe that fully squatting might be even more beneficial, toilets that allow you to take a full squatting position are available on the market today.

Holistic medicine is a reasonable approach for many people to solving a health condition. A holistic practitioner will take the whole person into account for healing purposes, instead of treating a human like a machine with parts to be fixed. However, any holistic practitioner worth your time should use the best that mainstream medicine has to offer in addition to any herbal medications or psychological aids he or she feels is necessary. If you're going to pay for this treatment, do find a holistic practitioner who is also has their M.D., it will save you a lot in both foolishness and time.

Homeopathy has not been shown to have any appreciable effect, and in fact defies several laws of modern chemistry and physics. Homeopathic remedies are so diluted that no molecules of the supposedly therapeutic substance can reliably be found in any given dose of the remedy. Repeated scientific tests and clinical trials have been performed on homeopathy for many decades now, and homeopathy shows no benefit above the placebo effect.

In conclusion, Use this information, like any other, to find the best treatment options for you. If you are going to use one of the above alternative medicine options, remember that no alternative medicine is an appropriate substitute for sound, well researched medical advice. However, some forms of alternative medicine make wonderful complements to mainstream medicine, capable of shortening recovery times and improving overall quality of life.