This is a list of types of medical therapy, including forms of traditional medicine and alternative medicine. For psychotherapies and other behavioral and psychological intervention methods, see list of psychotherapies.
By therapy composition Treatments can be classified according to the method of treatment:
By matter by drugs: pharmacotherapy, chemotherapy (also, medical therapy often means specifically pharmacotherapy) by medical devices: implantation cardiac resynchronization therapy by specific molecules: molecular therapy (although most drugs are specific molecules, molecular medicine refers in particular to medicine relying on molecular biology) by specific biomolecular targets: targeted therapy molecular chaperone therapy by chelation: chelation therapy by specific chemical elements: by metals: by heavy metals: by gold: chrysotherapy (aurotherapy) by platinum-containing drugs: platin therapy by biometals by lithium: lithium therapy by potassium: potassium supplementation by magnesium: magnesium supplementation by chromium: chromium supplementation; phonemic neurological hypochromium therapy by copper: copper supplementation by nonmetals: by diatomic oxygen: oxygen therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (hyperbaric medicine) transdermal continuous oxygen therapy by triatomic oxygen (ozone): ozone therapy by fluoride: fluoride therapy by other gases: medical gas therapy by water: hydrotherapy aquatic therapy rehydration therapy oral rehydration therapy water cure (therapy) by biological materials (biogenic substances, biomolecules, biotic materials, natural products), including their synthetic equivalents: biotherapy by whole organisms by viruses: virotherapy by bacteriophages: phage therapy by animal interaction: see animal interaction section by constituents or products of organisms by plant parts or extracts (but many drugs are derived from plants, even when the term phytotherapy is not used) scientific type: phytotherapy traditional (prescientific) type: herbalism by animal parts: quackery involving shark fins, tiger parts, and so on, often driving threat or endangerment of species by genes: gene therapy gene therapy for epilepsy gene therapy for osteoarthritis gene therapy for color blindness gene therapy of the human retina gene therapy in Parkinson's disease by epigenetics: epigenetic therapy by proteins: protein therapy (but many drugs are proteins despite not being called protein therapy) by enzymes: enzyme replacement therapy by hormones: hormone therapy hormonal therapy (oncology) hormone replacement therapy estrogen replacement therapy androgen replacement therapy hormone replacement therapy (menopause) transgender hormone therapy feminizing hormone therapy masculinizing hormone therapy antihormone therapy androgen deprivation therapy by whole cells: cell therapy (cytotherapy) by stem cells: stem cell therapy by immune cells: see immune system products below by immune system products: immunotherapy, host modulatory therapy by immune cells: T-cell vaccination cell transfer therapy autologous immune enhancement therapy TK cell therapy by humoral immune factors: antibody therapy by whole serum: serotherapy, including antiserum therapy by immunoglobulins: immunoglobulin therapy by monoclonal antibodies: monoclonal antibody therapy by urine: urine therapy (some scientific forms; many prescientific or pseudoscientific forms) by food and dietary choices: medical nutrition therapy grape therapy (quackery) by salts (but many drugs are the salts of organic acids, even when drug therapy is not called by names reflecting that) by salts in the air by natural dry salt air: "taking the cure" in desert locales (especially common in prescientific medicine; for example, one 19th-century way to treat tuberculosis) by artificial dry salt air: low-humidity forms of speleotherapy negative air ionization therapy by moist salt air: by natural moist salt air: seaside cure (especially common in prescientific medicine) by artificial moist salt air: water vapor forms of speleotherapy by salts in the water by mineral water: spa cure ("taking the waters") (especially common in prescientific medicine) by seawater: seaside cure (especially common in prescientific medicine) by aroma: aromatherapy by other materials with mechanism of action unknown by occlusion with duct tape: duct tape occlusion therapy
By energy by electric energy as electric current: electrotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy Transcranial magnetic stimulation Vagus nerve stimulation by magnetic energy: magnet therapy pulsed electromagnetic field therapy magnetic resonance therapy by electromagnetic radiation (EMR): by light: light therapy (phototherapy) ultraviolet light therapy PUVA therapy photodynamic therapy photothermal therapy cytoluminescent therapy blood irradiation therapy by darkness: dark therapy by lasers: laser therapy low level laser therapy by gamma rays: radiosurgery Gamma Knife radiosurgery stereotactic radiation therapy cobalt therapy by radiation generally: radiation therapy (radiotherapy) intraoperative radiation therapy by EMR particles: particle therapy proton therapy electron therapy intraoperative electron radiation therapy Auger therapy neutron therapy fast neutron therapy neutron capture therapy of cancer by radioisotopes emitting EMR: by nuclear medicine by brachytherapy quackery type: electromagnetic therapy (alternative medicine) by mechanical: manual therapy as massotherapy and therapy by exercise as in physical therapy inversion therapy by sound: by ultrasound: ultrasonic lithotripsy extracorporeal shockwave therapy sonodynamic therapy by music: music therapy by temperature by heat: heat therapy (thermotherapy) by moderately elevated ambient temperatures: hyperthermia therapy by dry warm surroundings: Waon therapy by dry or humid warm surroundings: sauna, including infrared sauna, for sweat therapy by cold: by extreme cold to specific tissue volumes: cryotherapy by ice and compression: cold compression therapy by ambient cold: hypothermia therapy for neonatal encephalopathy (in newborns) targeted temperature management (therapeutic hypothermia, protective hypothermia) by hot and cold alternation: contrast bath therapy
By procedure and human interaction Surgery by counseling, such as psychotherapy (see also: list of psychotherapies) systemic therapy by group psychotherapy by cognitive behavioral therapy by cognitive therapy by behaviour therapy by dialectical behavior therapy by cognitive emotional behavioral therapy by cognitive rehabilitation therapy by family therapy by education by psychoeducation by information therapy by speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, vision therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic or acupuncture by lifestyle modifications, such as avoiding unhealthy food or maintaining a predictable sleep schedule by coaching
By animal interaction by pets, assistance animals, or working animals: animal-assisted therapy by horses: equine therapy, hippotherapy by dogs: pet therapy with therapy dogs, including grief therapy dogs by cats: pet therapy with therapy cats by fish: ichthyotherapy (wading with fish), aquarium therapy (watching fish) by maggots: maggot therapy by worms: by internal worms: helminthic therapy by leeches: leech therapy by immersion: animal bath
By meditation by mindfulness: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
By reading by bibliotherapy
By creativity by expression: expressive therapy by writing: writing therapy journal therapy by play: play therapy by art: art therapy sensory art therapy comic book therapy by gardening: horticultural therapy by dance: dance therapy by drama: drama therapy by recreation: recreational therapy by music: music therapy
By sleeping and waking by deep sleep: deep sleep therapy by sleep deprivation: wake therapy
See also List of psychotherapies Public health Therapeutic jurisprudence
References