ABSTRACT
Many elders of Indo-Asian origin still consult hakims or vaids. Research shows that many problems referred to these practitioners are either psychiatric or psychosexual. Alternative medicine is a broad subject and includes all modalities of medical management or treatment other than those provided by orthodox Western medicine. Ayurvedic medicine is the traditional medicine of India which has been practised for thousands of years and has its own unique philosophy. Tibb-i-Unnani or hikmat was developed by the Arabs from their traditional medicine but its roots go back as far as ancient Greek medicine. Practised for nearly 200 years, homeopathy claims to treat by stimulating the body to heal itself. Similar to religious healers, these practitioners differ in the sense that they do not observe barriers of race or religion. The use of alternative medicine by Indo-Asian elders in the UK is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.
