Alternative Therapies for Anxiety

Therapy	Best Evidence *	Probably Useful †	Least Evidence ‡
Herbals	Valerian (150—300 mg t.i.d.; 1–3 ml of tincture t.i.d.); kava-kava (45–70 mg kavalactones t.i.d.); Saint John's Wort (300 mg t.i.d.).	Chamomile; hops; oats (oat straw); passion flower; peppermint; skullcap.	Aromatherapy.
Diet and Nutrition/Lifestyle	High potency multivitamin; exercise; eliminate caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, sugar.	Flaxseed oil (1 T/day); magnesium (200–300 mg t.i.d.); niacinamide (500 mg q.i.d.); phosphatidyl choline (4 g t.i.d.).
Mind-Body Interventions	Biofeedback; cognitive-behavioral therapy; deep breathing; group therapy; hypnotherapy; meditation; relaxation response; spiritual healing.	Dance; music; qi gong; tai chi; yoga.
Bioelectromagnetic Therapies	Craniostimulation; energy healing.		Electrosleep.
Alternative Systems of Care	Acupuncture; ayurveda.	Homeopathic: gelsemium 30C t.i.d.–q.i.d.; argentum nitricum 6C t.i.d.–q.i.d.; ignatia amara 6C t.i.d.–q.i.d.
Hands-On Healing Techniques	Massage.	Chiropractic.	Craniosacral therapy.

^*Therapies with the highest degree of scientific support for efficacy and safety.
^†Therapies that are often helpful but that do not have the highest degree of supporting evidence for efficacy and safety.
^‡Therapies that may be useful but that have limited scientific evidence for efficacy and safety.
NOTE: C denotes the number of times that a substance is diluted at a ratio of 1:100.
SOURCE: Sierpina, VS: Integrative Health Care: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for the Whole Person, F.A. Davis, Philadelphia, 2000.