Skip to main content
Alzheimer's Society
Alzheimer's Society
  • Shop
  • Contact us
  • Dementia professionals
Dementia Support Line
Donate
  • About dementia
    • Worried about memory problems
      • Causes of memory problems
      • Talking to someone about their memory problems
      • Is it getting older or dementia?
    • Types of dementia
      • What is dementia?
      • Alzheimer's disease
      • Vascular dementia
      • Frontotemporal dementia
      • Young-onset dementia
    • Symptoms and diagnosis
      • Dementia symptoms
      • Dementia diagnosis
      • Stages of dementia
      • Later stages of dementia
    • Treatments
      • Dementia medication
      • Alternative therapies
      • Person-centred care
      • Talking therapies
    • Managing the risk of dementia
      • Risk factors for dementia
      • Reduce your risk of dementia
      • Possible risks of dementia
      • Additional treatments for dementia risk
  • Get support
      • Dementia support services
      • Find support near you
      • Dementia support line
      • Join our online community
      • Publications and factsheets
      • Dementia information in your language
    • Daily living
      • Eating and drinking
      • Toilet problems and continence
      • Washing and dressing
      • Making your home dementia friendly
      • The dementia guide - get your copy
    • Help with care
      • Care homes
      • Carers - looking after yourself
      • Health and social care professionals
      • Supporting a person with dementia
      • Guide for carers - get your copy
    • Staying independent
      • Driving
      • Equipment, adaptations and improvements to the home
      • Using technology to help with everyday life
    • Legal and financial
      • Paying for care
      • Benefits for people affected by dementia
      • Lasting power of attorney
      • Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
      • Cost of living support
  • Get involved
    • Donate
      • Make a donation
      • Leave a gift in your Will
      • Give in celebration
      • Ways to give in memory
      • Play the Lottery
      • Other ways to donate
    • Events and fundraising
      • Join an event
      • Organise your own fundraising
      • Corporate partnerships
      • Request your fundraising pack
    • Campaign with us
      • Quality social care
      • Improve dementia diagnosis
      • Northern Ireland
      • Wales
    • Volunteer
      • Ways to volunteer
      • Support our dementia services
      • Using your dementia experience
    • Become a Dementia Friend
      • Dementia-friendly resources
      • Dementia training services
      • Dementia teaching resources
  • Research
    • Our research
      • Take part in dementia research
      • Why do we fund research?
      • Research we are funding
      • Dementia research news
    • For researchers
      • Why apply to us
      • Our research grants
      • Manage your grant
      • News for researchers
    • Dementia innovation
      • Accelerator Programme
      • Longitude Prize on Dementia
      • Innovation product portfolio
  • About us
    • Who we are
      • Our strategy
      • How your money helps
      • Working for us
      • Wales
      • Northern Ireland
    • Our people
      • Ambassadors
      • Vice-Presidents and Patrons
      • Trustees
    • Policy and influencing
      • What we think
      • National Influencing
      • National policies
    • News and media
      • Read our blog
      • Dementia together magazine
      • Latest news
      • Audio and video
Contact us
  • About dementia
    • About dementia
    • Back
    • Worried about memory problems
      • Worried about memory problems
      • Back
      • Causes of memory problems
      • Talking to someone about their memory problems
      • Is it getting older or dementia?
    • Types of dementia
      • Types of dementia
      • Back
      • What is dementia?
      • Alzheimer's disease
      • Vascular dementia
      • Frontotemporal dementia
      • Young-onset dementia
    • Symptoms and diagnosis
      • Symptoms and diagnosis
      • Back
      • Dementia symptoms
      • Dementia diagnosis
      • Stages of dementia
      • Later stages of dementia
    • Treatments
      • Treatments
      • Back
      • Dementia medication
      • Alternative therapies
      • Person-centred care
      • Talking therapies
    • Managing the risk of dementia
      • Managing the risk of dementia
      • Back
      • Risk factors for dementia
      • Reduce your risk of dementia
      • Possible risks of dementia
      • Additional treatments for dementia risk
  • Get support
    • Get support
    • Back
    • Dementia support services
    • Find support near you
    • Dementia support line
    • Join our online community
    • Publications and factsheets
    • Dementia information in your language
    • Daily living
      • Daily living
      • Back
      • Eating and drinking
      • Toilet problems and continence
      • Washing and dressing
      • Making your home dementia friendly
      • The dementia guide - get your copy
    • Help with care
      • Help with care
      • Back
      • Care homes
      • Carers - looking after yourself
      • Health and social care professionals
      • Supporting a person with dementia
      • Guide for carers - get your copy
    • Staying independent
      • Staying independent
      • Back
      • Driving
      • Equipment, adaptations and improvements to the home
      • Using technology to help with everyday life
    • Legal and financial
      • Legal and financial
      • Back
      • Paying for care
      • Benefits for people affected by dementia
      • Lasting power of attorney
      • Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
      • Cost of living support
  • Get involved
    • Get involved
    • Back
    • Donate
      • Donate
      • Back
      • Make a donation
      • Leave a gift in your Will
      • Give in celebration
      • Ways to give in memory
      • Play the Lottery
      • Other ways to donate
    • Events and fundraising
      • Events and fundraising
      • Back
      • Join an event
      • Organise your own fundraising
      • Corporate partnerships
      • Request your fundraising pack
    • Campaign with us
      • Campaign with us
      • Back
      • Quality social care
      • Improve dementia diagnosis
      • Northern Ireland
      • Wales
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer
      • Back
      • Ways to volunteer
      • Support our dementia services
      • Using your dementia experience
    • Become a Dementia Friend
      • Become a Dementia Friend
      • Back
      • Dementia-friendly resources
      • Dementia training services
      • Dementia teaching resources
  • Research
    • Research
    • Back
    • Our research
      • Our research
      • Back
      • Take part in dementia research
      • Why do we fund research?
      • Research we are funding
      • Dementia research news
    • For researchers
      • For researchers
      • Back
      • Why apply to us
      • Our research grants
      • Manage your grant
      • News for researchers
    • Dementia innovation
      • Dementia innovation
      • Back
      • Accelerator Programme
      • Longitude Prize on Dementia
      • Innovation product portfolio
  • About us
    • About us
    • Back
    • Who we are
      • Who we are
      • Back
      • Our strategy
      • How your money helps
      • Working for us
      • Wales
      • Northern Ireland
    • Our people
      • Our people
      • Back
      • Ambassadors
      • Vice-Presidents and Patrons
      • Trustees
    • Policy and influencing
      • Policy and influencing
      • Back
      • What we think
      • National Influencing
      • National policies
    • News and media
      • News and media
      • Back
      • Read our blog
      • Dementia together magazine
      • Latest news
      • Audio and video
  • Shop
  • Contact us
  • Dementia professionals

Breadcrumb trail

  • Home
  • About dementia
  • Treatments
  • Alternative therapies for dementia

Alternative therapies for dementia

Some alternative therapies might benefit people with dementia. They work by treating the conditions related to dementia, such as sleep problems or agitation.

Research Tag: Research.
Aromatherapy, massage and dementia

There is currently limited evidence to suggest that aromatherapy and massage could be beneficial for people with dementia. 

Read more
Research Tag: Research.
Cannabis, CBD oil and dementia
Currently there is no evidence to show that cannabis or cannabis oil (CBD oil) can stop, reverse or prevent dementia.
Read more
Research Tag: Research.
Coconut oil and dementia
There is currently a lack of evidence to show that coconut oil plays any role in preventing or treating dementia or its symptoms.
Read more
Research Tag: Research.
Light therapy and dementia

More evidence is needed before we can recommend using light therapy to help treat dementia and its symptoms.

Read more
Research Tag: Research.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and dementia

It is thought that electrical stimulation of nerves via the skin may cause chemical changes in the brain. Learn more about this procedure as an alternative treatment for dementia.

Read more
Treatments for dementia

Alternative therapies are just one type of treatment for dementia symptoms. Read about dementia drugs, person-centred care and help for carers.

Find out more
Sign up for dementia support by email

Our regular support email includes the latest dementia advice, resources, real stories and more.

You can change what you receive at any time and we will never sell your details to third parties. Here’s our Privacy Policy.

Alzheimer's Society

Useful links

  • Working for us
  • Information in your language
  • Legal information
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility statement
  • Report a website problem
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
Registered with Fundraising Regulator

All content © 2024 Alzheimer's Society.

Registered office at Alzheimer's Society, 43-44 Crutched Friars, London, EC3N 2AE

Alzheimer's Society is a registered Charity No. 296645. Registered as a company limited by guarantee and registered in England No. 2115499