Alternative treatment approaches in epilepsy: Mini-review

Epilepsy is the disorder of brain characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures due to aberrant disturbances in normal electrical activity of brain. About 25–35% of patients with epilepsy are resistant to current pharmacotherapy. The use of antiepileptic drugs appears to have side effects that affect daily life of patients — mainly due to cognitive decline and other potential side effects. Availability and popularity of the complementary and alternative treatment approaches provide a better platform to patients who are not well treated by allopathic medications of the condition they are suffering from. People who are suffering from epilepsy and are also using those options to cure or relief the symptoms. In this review, various alternative approaches, including diet, acupuncture, magnetic stimulation, chiropractic technique, bio-feedback, relaxation techniques, and aromatherapy, are discussed.