While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there are many forms of treatment that can alleviate the symptoms as well as enhance a patient’s memory. For those patients and caregivers who do not want to go on traditional medication, there are alternative treatments to pursue.

Counseling and psychotherapy have been used as an alternative treatment to help patients deal with their emotions and learn how to better live with their condition. Living with Alzheimer’s disease brings about many difficult feelings as the person tries to make sense of what is happening and how life is suddenly changing. This can lead to negative emotions like anger, confusion, fear or anxiety. Because friends and family may be too close to the situation, sometimes the patient cannot confide in them frankly or share concerns. Counseling can provide the patient with an opportunity to speak honestly and work out feelings resulting from the disease.

Music therapy and aromatherapy have also been used as an alternative treatment in helping a person to cope with Alzheimer’s disease. With music and aromatherapy, a patient can be relaxed, stress can be eliminated and circulation can improve. Such concentrated relaxation can help the body and mind’s natural healing energies to reawaken, and possibly alleviate some Alzheimer’s disease’s symptoms.

Acupuncture and acupressure have also been looked into as a physical treatment of the disease without medication. Acupuncture and acupressure have been known to treat anxiety and depression, which do result from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Some preliminary evidence has been presented suggesting that acupuncture helps slow the deterioration of brain function brought about by Alzheimer’s disease.

1 2 3 »