Learn More: A Glossary of Non-Allopathic Care
Natural and alternative medicine comes with its own vocabulary — tinctures, doshas, subluxations, superbill. Here are 54 terms you're most likely to run into, explained in plain language, so you can walk into your first visit knowing what you're being offered and why.
Types of care
The major non-allopathic disciplines and how they differ from conventional medicine.
- Allopathic (conventional) medicine
- The mainstream Western medical system built on licensed physicians, prescription drugs, and surgery. "Allopathic" is the term many natural-health practitioners use for it; most doctors simply call it conventional or standard medicine.
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
- An umbrella phrase for health practices outside conventional medicine. "Complementary" means used alongside standard care; "alternative" means used in place of it. This directory only lists practitioners who encourage keeping your physician in the loop.
- Naturopathy
- A system of care that looks for the underlying causes of illness and supports the body's own ability to heal using nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle change, and other natural therapies. Training and licensing rules vary widely by state.Christian naturopaths →
- Integrative medicine
- Care that combines conventional medical training with evidence-informed natural therapies — nutrition, stress management, supplements, and more — treating the whole person rather than a single symptom.Christian integrative medicine →
- Functional medicine
- An approach, usually practiced by MDs, DOs, and NPs, that uses detailed lab testing to trace symptoms back to root causes in gut health, hormones, toxins, and nutrition, then treats those roots with diet and lifestyle first.
- Holistic
- Describes any care that considers the whole person — body, mind, and spirit — instead of treating an isolated symptom. The word describes an approach, not a license or a specific training.
- Herbal medicine (botanical medicine)
- The use of plants — as teas, tinctures, capsules, and salves — to support the body's normal processes. Clinical herbalists train for years in plant identification, dosing, and safety.Christian herbalists →
- Homeopathy
- A distinct system using extremely diluted preparations chosen to match a person's full symptom picture. Consultations are long and detailed. It is not the same as herbal medicine, though the two are often confused.Christian homeopaths →
- Chiropractic
- A licensed profession focused on the spine, joints, and nervous system. Chiropractors use hands-on adjustments and soft tissue work to restore movement and reduce pain.Christian chiropractors →
- Chinese medicine (TCM)
- Traditional Chinese Medicine is a system developed over centuries in China, including acupuncture, herbal formulas, cupping, and dietary therapy. Many Christian practitioners use its clinical techniques while setting aside its religious framework.Christian acupuncturists →
- Ayurveda
- A traditional Indian system built around constitution, digestion, and daily rhythm, using diet, herbs, routine, and bodywork. As with Chinese medicine, Christian practitioners are usually clear about which parts of the tradition they use and which they don't.Christian Ayurvedic practitioners →
- Bodywork
- A broad term for hands-on therapies — massage, stretching, structural work, and similar techniques — that address muscles, fascia, and movement rather than internal medicine.
- Health (wellness) coaching
- Coaching that helps people build habits around food, movement, sleep, and stress. Coaches educate and encourage; they do not diagnose or treat disease.Other Christian practitioners →
Remedies and treatments
Words you'll hear on a first visit or read on a product label.
- Tincture
- A liquid herbal extract made by steeping an herb in alcohol or glycerin, taken by the dropperful. Tinctures are concentrated, so doses are small compared to tea.
- Glycerite
- An herbal extract made with vegetable glycerin instead of alcohol. Often chosen for children, pregnancy, or anyone avoiding alcohol.
- Standardized extract
- A supplement or herb processed so each dose contains a guaranteed amount of a key compound, which makes dosing more consistent between batches and brands.
- Dietary supplement
- The legal category (vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids) sold without a prescription in the US. Supplements are not approved by the FDA to treat disease, so quality and sourcing matter — buy from brands that test their products.
- Nutraceutical
- A marketing term for a food-derived compound sold in medicinal doses, such as fish oil or curcumin capsules. It has no formal legal meaning.
- Essential oil
- A highly concentrated aromatic extract from a plant, used in aromatherapy or diluted for topical use. Because they are so concentrated, most should never be swallowed or applied undiluted to skin.
- Flower essence
- A homeopathically prepared liquid made from flowers, used in very small doses. Flower essences contain negligible plant material and are chosen for emotional patterns rather than physical symptoms.
- Adjustment (spinal manipulation)
- The controlled, quick movement a chiropractor applies to a joint — most often in the spine — to restore motion and ease pain. Some chiropractors use their hands; others use a small spring-loaded instrument.
- Subluxation
- In chiropractic language, a joint that is stuck or misaligned and interfering with normal movement or nerve function. The term has a different, much more serious meaning in conventional medicine — context matters.
- Soft tissue work
- Hands-on treatment of muscles, tendons, and connective tissue — massage, stretching, and release techniques — often paired with spinal adjustments.
- Acupuncture
- The placement of very fine, sterile, single-use needles at specific points on the body. Most people feel a brief dull heaviness rather than sharp pain.
- Meridian
- In Chinese medicine, one of the mapped pathways through which vital energy is said to flow. Acupuncture points sit along these pathways.
- Qi (chi)
- The Chinese concept of vital energy or life force. Traditional theory holds that illness follows from blockages or imbalances in qi; practitioners differ in how literally they take this language.
- Cupping
- A technique that uses suction cups on the skin to increase local circulation and ease muscle tension. It often leaves round marks that fade within a week or so.
- Moxibustion
- The warming of acupuncture points by burning dried mugwort near the skin. Often used alongside needles in Chinese medicine.
- Granules (concentrated herbal powder)
- A common form for Chinese herbal formulas: concentrated powders dissolved in hot water to make a tea. They are easier to take and dose than raw herbs.
- Dosha
- Ayurveda's three categories — vata, pitta, and kapha — used to describe a person's constitution and tendencies. Practitioners use your dosha pattern to shape diet and daily routine recommendations.
- Detox (cleanse)
- A structured period of diet changes, and sometimes supplements, intended to reduce the body's toxic burden. Quality practitioners keep detoxes gentle and short; be wary of harsh regimens sold as a cure-all.
- Elimination diet
- A short, structured trial that removes common problem foods, then reintroduces them one at a time to identify what a person's symptoms respond to. Considered one of the most useful tools in nutrition practice.
- Craniosacral therapy
- A gentle, light-touch bodywork technique focused on the rhythms of the skull, spine, and sacrum. Used for tension, headaches, and stress.
Credentials and training
What the letters after a practitioner's name actually mean.
- ND (Naturopathic Doctor)
- A graduate of an accredited four-year naturopathic medical school with training in nutrition, botanical medicine, and physical medicine. Licensing exists only in some states — in others, nearly anyone may use the title, so ask where an ND trained.
- DC (Doctor of Chiropractic)
- A licensed chiropractor, trained at an accredited chiropractic college and licensed by the state. Chiropractic is licensed in all fifty states.
- LAc (Licensed Acupuncturist)
- A state-licensed acupuncturist, usually trained in Chinese medicine and board-certified through national exams. Requirements vary by state; some states also let other professionals acupuncture with limited training.
- MD / DO
- Fully licensed physicians. A DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) has the same licensing rights as an MD, with additional training in hands-on manipulation. Many integrative practitioners hold one of these degrees.
- NP (Nurse Practitioner)
- A registered nurse with graduate training who can diagnose, prescribe, and practice independently in many states. Some functional medicine practices are led by NPs.
- RD (Registered Dietitian)
- A credentialed food and nutrition expert with standardized training and national board exams. "Nutritionist" is a looser title with no universal requirement, so credentials for it vary widely.
- Clinical herbalist
- An herbalist trained — often through formal programs of one to four years — to work with clients one-on-one using plant medicine. Herbalism is not state-licensed in the US, so training and experience vary.
- CCH / RH (AHG)
- Credentials from recognized herbal organizations: Certified Clinical Herbalist and Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild, the closest thing to an industry standard for serious clinical herbal training.
- Licensure and scope of practice
- Licensure is a state's legal permission to practice and use a title. Scope of practice is what that license legally allows a practitioner to do — diagnose, treat, prescribe, or only educate. Rules differ dramatically from state to state, which is why two practitioners with the same title may offer very different services.
Practical and safety terms
What to expect at the visit, on the invoice, and in the fine print.
- Intake
- The long first appointment where a practitioner reviews your full history — diet, sleep, stress, digestion, medications, and past care. Natural-medicine intakes often run 60 to 90 minutes, far longer than a typical doctor's visit.
- Root cause
- The underlying driver of a symptom rather than the symptom itself — for example, poor sleep driving high blood pressure. Much of non-allopathic care is organized around finding and treating root causes.
- Evidence-based
- Describes practices supported by clinical research. In practice, natural medicine sits on a spectrum: some therapies have strong studies behind them, others rely on long tradition and clinical experience. A good practitioner will tell you honestly which is which.
- Contraindication
- A specific reason a treatment or supplement is not safe for a particular person — a medication, a condition, or a stage of life such as pregnancy. Always disclose your full medication list and health history.
- Herb-drug interaction
- A change in how your body processes a prescription medication because of an herb or supplement. St. John's Wort, for example, weakens several common prescriptions. This is the single most important safety topic in herbal medicine.
- Adverse reaction
- Any harmful or unwanted effect from a treatment or product. Natural does not mean risk-free; report any new symptom to both your practitioner and your physician.
- Acute vs. chronic
- Acute conditions come on suddenly and are short-lived (a cold, a strained back). Chronic conditions persist for months or years. Natural medicine generally excels at chronic, day-to-day concerns and should never replace emergency care for acute ones.
- Cash-pay
- Care you pay for directly rather than through insurance. Many integrative and natural medicine practices are cash-pay, especially for long visits, while lab work may still bill insurance. Ask about fees before the first appointment.
- Superbill
- An itemized receipt a cash-pay practitioner gives you so you can submit the visit to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement, or pay from a health savings account.
- HSA / FSA
- Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account — pre-tax funds that can often be spent on natural medicine visits and supplements, depending on your plan. Keep receipts and check your plan's rules.
- Telehealth
- A visit by video or phone. Nutrition, herbal, and coaching care adapt well to telehealth; hands-on disciplines like chiropractic and acupuncture do not.
- Informed consent
- Your right to a clear explanation of a treatment, its evidence, its risks, and its alternatives before you agree to it. A good practitioner welcomes your questions — and a Christian practitioner will treat your stewardship of your own body with respect.
Ready to find a practitioner?
Every listing in our directory is an openly Christian practitioner of non-allopathic care. Search by zip code or browse by discipline.