Alternative therapies are employed as an abjunct , rather than a substitute , for medical treatment. Imagery , visualisation , hypnosis , meditation are examples of safe alternative therapies . Some believe that they may help healing by strengthening the body's immune system and making the patient have a positive outlook towards life and a stronger will to live .

Other alternative therapies include :

Relaxation techniques:

• visualisation
• imagery
• meditaton
• hypnosis

Accupressure :

• By pressing on a point on the underside of the wrist , nausea can be countered .
• One can also wear an accupressure bracelet to reduce nausea .

Chinese Herbs & Medicines :

To avoid any unexpected complications during the course of a child's treatment , always check with your doctor and bring him a sample of the herb or medicine to make sure it is safe before taking it . The doctor may not be able to give you his opinion because there is little data in this area of medicine.

Doctors' opinions:

Doctor Quah Thuan Chong , Associate Professor at NUH: I know that a lot of my patients are using these herbs or medicines. It is our responsibility as pediatric oncologists to educate our patients in this area. Unfortunately there is little scientific evidence of efficacy for most of these therapies. However, I would not stop my patients from using them, as long as the they do not  have adverse side effects or interfere with conventional, well-established therapy. 

Doctor Wong Chin Khoon , Registrar at the department of Peadiatrics: It has been used in many cases and I do not dispute that it may have helped some patients, but due to the fact that everybody's physiology is different, I do not encourage the use of it. the reason being that you cannot be totally sure of the side effects caused by the medicines even more so while they're on therapy.