What Are Traditional Healing Systems? A Guide to This Section

A plain guide to what traditional healing systems are, how this section is organized, and how to read the evidence and safety notes on every page.

Content last updated October 22, 2026. This page has not been medically reviewed.

What the term means

"Traditional healing systems" is a broad label for ways of caring for health that grew out of particular peoples, places and periods. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as codified or non-codified systems for healthcare and well-being. [1] It describes them as distinct from and pre-dating biomedicine, evolving with science for current use from an experience-based origin. [1]

WHO also defines complementary medicine as additional healthcare practices that are not part of a country's mainstream medicine. [1] Integrative medicine, in WHO's wording, combines biomedical knowledge with traditional or complementary knowledge in an evidence-based way. [1] These words are used differently around the world, so each page here says which meaning it uses.

WHO reports that 170 of its 194 Member States have reported on the use of herbal medicines, acupuncture, yoga, indigenous therapies and other systems of traditional medicine. [2] That tells us the topic is widespread. It does not tell us that any one practice works.

Find your way around

Start with the collection that matches your question.

Large systems with their own libraries: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
South and Central Asian traditions: Unani medicine, Siddha medicine and Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine).
East Asian traditions: Kampo medicine and Traditional Korean medicine.
Greek, Persian and Islamic roots: Hippocratic medicine and Traditional Persian medicine.
Southeast Asia and the Pacific: Thai traditional medicine and Hawaiian traditional healing.
Western herbal traditions: Western herbal traditions.
Africa and Latin America: Latin American and African herbal traditions, African traditional medicine and Curanderismo.
Indigenous and community traditions: Indigenous and community traditions.
Spiritual and sound practices: Prayer, faith and health.
Understanding the evidence: Does traditional medicine work? and historical use vs clinical evidence.
Safety and practitioners: safety and clinical care and how to check a traditional practitioner.
Comparisons and words: Unani, Ayurveda and TCM compared and the traditional healing glossary.

How this section is written

Our approach to respect, sources and limits is set out in how this section describes traditions. For the global picture, see WHO and traditional medicine worldwide and traditional medicine in health systems.

Frequently asked questions

Is traditional medicine the same as alternative medicine?

Not exactly. WHO uses "traditional medicine" for systems that pre-date biomedicine and "complementary medicine" for practices outside a country's mainstream medicine. [1]

Does a long history of use prove a remedy works?

No. WHO says rigorous scientific validation of efficacy and safety is crucial even for medicines used for a long period. [2]

Is traditional medicine used worldwide?

170 of WHO's 194 Member States have reported on the use of herbal medicines, acupuncture, yoga, indigenous therapies and other systems. [2]

Can I use herbs alongside my medicines?

Ask a clinician or pharmacist first, because some supplements can decrease or increase the effects of medicines. [4]

Does a license mean a practitioner is qualified?

Not always. NCCIH says being licensed or certified is not always a guarantee of being qualified. [5]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

How we read them

Each tradition is described in its own terms, as a framework with its own ideas about the body and health. We do not present those ideas as proven biology. Separately, we report what research measured for a specific practice, in a specific group of people, compared with what. We label each finding plainly, for example promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, traditional use only or evidence of harm. WHO itself says that establishing efficacy and safety through rigorous scientific validation is crucial, even if a medicine has been used for a long period. [2]

Safety in brief

Natural or traditional does not mean risk-free. The NHS notes that herbal medicines and complementary therapies are not tested in the same way as standard medicines to see how well they work. [3] NCCIH says some supplements can decrease the effects of medicines, while others can increase their effects, including unwanted side effects. [4] NHS advice is not to take herbal medicines if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems. [3]

Being licensed or certified is not always a guarantee of being qualified, so it is worth checking training for yourself. [5] NCCIH advises telling all your health care providers about every approach you use and every practitioner treating you. [6] Never stop a prescribed medicine or delay care for a serious or sudden problem because of a traditional remedy. This site gives information only and does not list or recommend practitioners, clinics or products.

References

WHO. Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (health topic page). Read 2026-10-22.
WHO. Traditional medicine: questions and answers (28 November 2025). Read 2026-10-22.
NHS (UK). Herbal medicines and complementary therapies. 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.
NCCIH (US). 6 Things To Know When Selecting a Complementary Health Practitioner. Read 2026-10-22.

Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.