When is a good time to choose alternative medicine health care? What is alternative medicine? One definition of alternative medicine I found on Google is: "This phrase describes medical approaches that differ from Western, drug-based medicine. It includes Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, acupuncture, and homeopathy, among other treatments". For many it is after years of pain and suffering from different ailments such as back pain, cystic fibrosis or even ovarian cancer that makes them seek an alternative medicine doctor. When all conventional medicine treatments as well as numerous surgeries failed to alleviate their pain or discomfort some patients turn to complementary and alternative medicine to seek answers. An alternative medicine doctor will treat your specific problem and not try to mask your symptoms with drugs but seek the cause of the symptoms and treat that directly. Alternative medicine treatments sometimes take years to solve various illnesses but for those suffering it is well worth it.