While the benefits of advanced medical treatments help patients combat painful, scary and even deadly diseases, they often release toxic contaminants into the atmosphere and may disrupt the natural processes of a patient’s body. But just because you care about the environment, doesn’t mean you have to eschew good medical treatment. In fact, there are a number of alternative medicines and natural treatments which are both effective and green-friendly. Read below for 30 alternative treatments that are both effective and good for the environment.

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Everyday Treatments

These alternative medicines and treatments are used to cure and ease the symptoms of everyday ailments, like nausea, burns and infections.

1. Massage Therapy
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine maintains that massage therapy can sometimes be used in traditional medical treatments, but because “scientists do not fully know what changes occur in the body during massage,” it is most commonly considered an alternative form of treatment. Four main types of massage therapy include Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, trigger point massage, and shiatsu massage, which are all environmentally friendly, depending on whether or not natural oils are used.

2. Ginger
The natural herb ginger is sometimes used to control nausea, including motion sickness, nausea caused by chemotherapy, and pregnancy-related nausea. Pregnant women are cautioned from taking ginger for a long period of time, since the treatment could cause birth defects.

The aloe plant offers a wide variety of environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional medicine.

3. Aloe
Buying a bottle of aloe vera at the grocery store is a common way to treat a sunburn. But if you want to use a completely green treatment, go straight to the source. Breaking off a leaf directly from an aloe vera plant will release the soothing jelly-like treatment that can be used on sunburns, cuts, skin infections and more.

4. Cranberry
Though antibiotics are the only proven treatment for urinary tract infections, some evidence supports the belief that 100% cranberry juice — not cranberry juice concentrate — can prevent and ease symptoms of UTIs.

5. Green Tea
Scientists believe that green tea is a beneficial natural, alternative treatment that eases symptoms of arthritis, asthma, menopause and anxiety. Green tea may also help prevent heart disease and high cholesterol.

6. Glucosamine
Your body produces glucosamine, an amino sugar, naturally, so it’s completely environmentally friendly. Glucosamine “may be the first thing that actually reverses cartilage loss in osteoarthritis,” believes Dr. Frederick Hecht of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

7. St. John’s Wort
St. John’s wort is believed to have significant benefits for treating mild to moderate depression. Before taking the natural herb, however, patients should consult their physician, as St. John’s wort can cause serious side effects when taken with certain medications.

8. Tai Chi
Though tai chi first originated as a form of Chinese martial arts, people all over the world are starting to acknowledge the health benefits of practicing this exercise. Tai chi promotes overall health, relaxes joints and reduces pain and stiffness, and connects the mind and body to promote the flow of qi, or vital energy. Tai chi takes requires no equipment or special field, so it’s environmentally friendly too.

9. Hypnosis
Generally, hypnosis treatments are purely psychological, making them by nature, completely environmentally friendly. Hypnosis can help patients break bad habits, manage pain, reduce stress, lower blood pressure, treat asthma and control or minimize many other symptoms.

10. Acupuncture
Though still considered an alternative medical treatment, acupuncture is gaining more respect in the Western medical world. It can be used to treat pain and nausea, and depending on the types of needles used, is very environmentally friendly.

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Medicine and Treatments for Chronic Diseases and Conditions

Even diseases like HIV and cancer can benefit from natural medical treatments. Check out this list to find out how.

11. Toad Venom
Doctors from Houston, TX, and China are collaborating on a potential cancer cure that comes from toads. ABC reports that “in China, patients routinely receive a blend of Western and Chinese therapies,” including an injection of toad venom which instigates “spontaneous cell death.”

12. Biofeedback
The Mayo Clinic explains that “you use your mind to control various body functions, such as heart rate and blood flow, during biofeedback therapy.” This treatment is usually suggested for cancer patients who want to alleviate pain. Some therapists use a special device to help patients focus, but other cues can be used, like flashing lights or subtle pressure.

13. Yoga
While yoga may not be able to cure a disease, it helps patients cope with many frustrating side effects like fatigue, weakness and pain. Instead of filling up on sleeping pills and antidepressants, patients can practice yoga to boost their energy, help them sleep better and even promote heart health.

14. X-Ray Recycling
If you absolutely need an X-Ray but are concerned about its environmental effects, inquire about your hospital’s X-Ray recycling practices.

15. IV Vitamin C
While oral vitamin C treatment has been dismissed as a treatment for cancer, IV vitamin C treatments are being researched. If scientists can prove that vitamin C administered intravenously does have valid benefits, it would be a relatively environmentally friendly treatment, depending on how the medical equipment is recycled.

16. Nutritional Benefits for ADHD
The article “Nutrition as an ADHD Alternative Treatment: Help is as Close as the Kitchen” lists several statistics and research findings that prove nutrition is a factor in relieving some symptoms of ADHD. Children who consume essential fatty acids and protein are able to perform better in school and focus on their work.

17. American ginseng
Science Daily reports that individuals with Type 2 diabetes experience up to a 20% reduction in blood sugar level when they take natural American ginseng. The long term benefits of taking American ginseng are unknown, so this treatment is still considered alternative.

18. Huperzine A in Alzheimer’s Disease
A U.S. government study has concluded that huperzine A, a moss extract from the natural Chinese herb Huperzia serrata is beneficial when treating Alzheimer’s disease. The herb “has properties similar to those of cholinesterase inhibitors, one class of FDA-approved Alzheimer medications,” reports Alz.org.

19. Corn silk
Corn silk is a natural diuretic and can be used to treat congestive heart failure in its early stages. The site LifeExtension maintains that “diuretics remove excess fluid from the body…[and] are often the first line of treatment” for congestive heart failure.

20. Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms have shown benefits for fighting HIV and Hepatits B. HealthCastle.com reports that the mushroom extract LEM “is more lethal to HIV-infected cells than AZT, a well-known medication developed to delay the progress of AIDS.” LEM also helps the body produce antibodies, which are helpful in fighting Hepatitis B.

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Alternative Treatments and Therapy

Therapeutic treatments like art therapy and energy healing can be 100% natural and good for the environment, depending on the supplies and recycling methods used.

21. Art Therapy
Art therapy is a growing field that is based on the principle that “the creative process of art making [can] improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages,” according to The American Art Therapy Association, Inc. Depending on what kinds of art supplies are used, this treatment can be completely organic, producing minimal harmful effects on the environment.

22. Energy healing
The Cleveland Clinic explains that energy healing results from the interconnectedness of “life forces” of all living things. This positive energy or life force can be focused on one particular patient, and in Western medicine, it is more commonly known as Therapeutic Touch. Healers “visualize, send intentions for diseased cells to die, send intentions for cells to revert to their optimum state of health, or simply send loving energy” to the patient. Currently, research is being conducted at a center sponsored by The National Institutes of Health to explore the long term benefits of energy healing.

23. Guided imagery
Often used as an alternative treatment for anxiety and pain, guided imagery helps patients focus on meditation and even self-hypnosis. Patients are encouraged to focus on a particular memory or scene that relaxes them while concentrating on key breathing techniques.

24. Prayer and meditation
While it’s hard to prove the scientific facts surrounding the nature of prayer and meditation, it is generally accepted that prayer and meditation have significant positive effects on patients’ well-being, including mood, acceptance and emotional health. Plus, it has no adverse effects on the environment!

25. Music Therapy
Like art therapy, music therapy “uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals,” according to the American Music Therapy Association. Patients practice music therapy to promote overall wellness, manage stress and pain, communicate, improve memory and even accelerate physical rehab programs. Depending on which musical instruments are used and how they are recycled, music therapy can be 100% environmentally friendly.

26. Bioenergetics
From improving sexual relationships to easing pain, bioenergetics is a natural exercise that “combines a bodily, analytic and relational therapeutic work, based upon an energetic understanding,” according to the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis. Patients focus on posture, breathing, self-expression, grounding and muscular tension to improve their psychological and physical well-being.

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General Treatments

Consider practicing reflexology or crystal therapy for a nontraditional but environmentally safe treatment.

27. Reflexology
Reflexology has been used in ancient Egypt, Japan and China to relieve stress. The disease fighting benefits of reflexology have not yet been confirmed. Pressure is applied to the feet and hands to maximize natural reflexes and adrenaline rushes, connecting a person’s internal organs and external reactions to sensations.

28. Crystal Therapy
Crystal therapy is a form of vibrational medicine that promotes general well-being and balance. Natural crystals and gems are strategically placed on the body, and different stones have different healing powers. For instance, Chrysoprase is used to heal a wound, while copper helps arthritis and rheumatism.

29. Christian Science philosophies
The Christian Science belief system maintains that the mind and spirit are able to overcome disease and pain more effectively than medicine. While controversial, this idea is still completely green.

30. Iridology
Iridology is a method that alternative healers use to diagnose symptoms and diseases. Based on patterns and colors of the eye, iridologists use flashlights and magnifying glasses “to examine a patient’s irises for tissue changes, as well as features such as specific pigment patterns and irregular stromal architecture.” Once identified, these patterns are checked against an iris chart to diagnose the patient. If an iridologist appropriately recycles the batteries used in the flashlight, this technique is considered to be very environmentally friendly.