Traditional Healing Systems
This category covers specific, documented traditions rather than whole continents. Each is described in its own terms, with what is known about evidence and safety.
Some knowledge is sacred or restricted. We do not reproduce it, and we point to community-authored sources where they exist.
Start here: Historical Use vs Clinical Evidence in Traditional Medicine
What would you like help understanding?
Safety first
- Complementary therapies can interact with medicines and some are unsafe in pregnancy, in children or with certain health conditions.
- Do not delay or stop medical care for a serious or worsening condition to try a therapy.
- Choose a practitioner whose qualifications you have checked, and tell every clinician what you are using.
Overview
What this category covers
Traditional medicine, as the World Health Organization defines it, refers to codified or non-codified systems for healthcare and well-being, with practices, skills, knowledge and philosophies that come from different historical and cultural contexts and pre-date biomedicine. [1] This category looks at traditions beyond the two with their own sections on this site, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. We name specific traditions, peoples and places. We do not treat Africa, Latin America or Indigenous peoples as single systems.How the pages are organized
- Documented medical traditions. Each has its own history, texts and training: Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine), Kampo and Traditional Korean Medicine. Kampo is Japan's own tradition and is not the same as Chinese medicine. [2]
- Regional herbal traditions. Western herbal traditions and ancient Greek medicine and specific Latin American and African traditions, limited to what we could source.
- Indigenous and community traditions. Cultural context and respectful use. Communities control their knowledge, and we do not reproduce restricted or sacred practices.
- Understanding traditional knowledge. Historical use vs clinical evidence and sustainability and commercialization.
- Safety and contemporary care. Product quality, practitioner claims, interactions and clinical care.
Traditional ideas and evidence
Many traditions explain health through balance of humors, energies or elements. For example, Unani builds on four humors inherited from Greek medicine [3], and Sowa Rigpa describes three energies called wind, bile and phlegm. [4] These are traditional frameworks. This site reports them as part of each tradition and does not present them as biomedical mechanisms. Research is judged one treatment at a time, with the same standard for every approach.The evidence differs widely. Some traditions have many small trials, such as Kampo, where a review found most were small and of low overall quality. [5] For others, the readable evidence is thin, and where we looked and found nothing usable we say "Proper evidence not found." Long use can lead researchers to something real; artemisinin, a malaria drug, began with a search of traditional herbal medicine. [6] Long use can also hide harm: aristolochic acid in slimming pills caused kidney disease and cancers. [7]
Safety pointers
- Product quality matters most. NCCIH says some Ayurvedic preparations may contain lead, mercury or arsenic in toxic amounts. [8] Be careful with imported products that contain minerals or metals.
- Interactions are real. Herbs and medicines can interact in harmful ways, so tell every provider what you take. [9]
- Check credentials where you live. Training and regulation vary by country. [10]
- Do not delay urgent care. For sudden or severe symptoms, pregnancy, children and long-term conditions, see a clinician first.
Explore Traditional Healing Systems
Documented Medical Traditions(5)Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine), Kampo and Traditional Korean Medicine, each with its own history and methods.
- Unani Medicine
Unani medicine is a Greek-rooted tradition developed in the Muslim world and practiced mostly in South Asia. Its ideas, what research shows, product quality and regulati…
- Siddha Medicine
Siddha is a Tamil medical tradition of South India and Sri Lanka. This guide explains its ideas, what evidence exists, metal-product safety and how practitioners are reg…
- Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan Medicine)
Sowa Rigpa, often called Tibetan medicine, is built on the Four Tantras. This guide covers its ideas, the thin clinical evidence, mineral-product safety and regulation.
- Kampo Medicine
Kampo is Japan's traditional herbal medicine, prescribed by physicians and covered by national insurance. How it differs from Chinese medicine, what research shows and i…
- Traditional Korean Medicine (Hanbang)
Traditional Korean Medicine (Hanbang) is Korea's own licensed medical system, shaped by the Donguibogam and Sasang medicine. History, evidence, herbal safety and regulat…
Regional Herbal Traditions(2)Specifically identified herbal traditions, not whole continents.
- Western Herbal Traditions and Ancient Greek Medicine
Western herbal traditions grew from Greek medicine and Dioscorides. This guide separates that history from trials of herbs such as St. John's wort and echinacea, and cov…
- Specific Latin American and African Herbal Traditions: What Can Be Said Responsibly
Latin America and Africa hold many separate healing traditions. This page covers only those we could source, such as curanderismo, Kallawaya knowledge and Pelargonium.
Indigenous & Community Traditions(1)Cultural context, knowledge stewardship, respectful use and the limits of public information.
- Indigenous and Community Traditions: Cultural Context and Respectful Use of Traditional Knowledge
How to approach Indigenous and community healing traditions respectfully: why they are specific to peoples and places, who controls the knowledge, and where public infor…
Understanding Traditional Knowledge(2)Historical use vs clinical evidence, oral and written traditions, sustainability and misrepresentation.
- Historical Use vs Clinical Evidence in Traditional Medicine
Long use is a reason to study a traditional remedy, not proof it works or is safe. This page explains the difference with examples, and covers oral and written knowledge…
- Sustainability, Plant Sourcing and Commercialization of Traditional Medicine
Where traditional medicine plants come from, why overharvesting matters, and how commercialization, patents and misleading labels affect plants, communities and the prod…
Safety & Contemporary Care(1)Product quality, practitioner claims, medicine interactions and evidence gaps.
- Traditional Medicine: Product Quality, Practitioner Claims, Interactions and Clinical Care
Safety guide for traditional medicine products and practitioners: contamination, claims to question, medicine interactions, working with your doctor and where the eviden…
Related comparisons
Research connections
Our pages cite the studies and official sources behind each statement. For the underlying records, see the evidence page for this goal and the Research Library.
Therapies Research and Evidence: How Much Research Exists and How to Read It Research Library Wellness Goals
Frequently asked questions
Is traditional medicine the same as alternative medicine?
Not exactly. WHO describes traditional medicine as systems that pre-date biomedicine. [1] In some countries, such as Korea and Japan, traditional systems are part of the formal health system. [11][5]
Is Kampo the same as Chinese medicine?
No. It derives from Chinese herbal medicine but is a separate Japanese system today. [2]
Do traditional systems have scientific evidence?
It depends on the treatment. Some have many small trials of mixed quality, others very few. See each page for the specific evidence. [5][12]
Are traditional medicines safe because they are natural or old?
No. Age and natural origin do not guarantee safety. [7][8]
Can I respectfully learn about Indigenous healing?
Yes, by using community-controlled sources and respecting what communities choose not to share. [13]
How do I find a qualified practitioner?
We do not list practitioners. Ask about training and registration in your own country and whether the practitioner will work with your doctor. [14]
References
- World Health Organization. Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (health topic page). Read 2026-10-22.
- Arai Y-C and others. Kampo for the treatment of pain in Japan: a review. Pain and Therapy 2020. Read 2026-10-22.
- EBSCO Research Starters. Unani medicine. Read 2026-10-22.
- rLung, mind, and mental health: the notion of "wind" in Tibetan conceptions of mind and mental illness. Journal of Religion and Health 2019. Read 2026-10-22.
- Traditional Japanese Kampo medicine: clinical research between modernity and traditional medicine, the state of research and methodological suggestions for the future. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011. Read 2026-10-22.
- Nobel Prize Outreach. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: press release. Read 2026-10-22.
- Debelle FD, Vanherweghem JL, Nortier JL. Aristolochic acid nephropathy: a worldwide problem. Kidney International 2008. PubMed 18418355. Read 2026-10-22.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH, US). Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth. Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH (US). 6 Tips: How Herbs Can Interact With Medicines. Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH (US). Credentialing, Licensing, and Education. Read 2026-10-22.
- Medical practices and attitudes of dual-licensed medical doctors in Korea. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013. Read 2026-10-22.
- Reuter KP, Weisshuhn TE, Witt CM. Tibetan medicine: a systematic review of the clinical research available in the West. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013. PubMed 23662117. Read 2026-10-22.
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Kallawaya communities document their traditional healing and cultural practices for safeguarding purposes (28 September 2017). Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH (US). 6 Things To Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practitioner. Read 2026-10-22.
Content last updated . This section has not been medically reviewed.