Acupuncture ("AK-yoo-pungk-cher") - A method of healing developed in China at least 2,000 years ago. Today, acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China , Japan , Korea , and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation. Aromatherapy ("ah-roam-uh-THER-ah-py") - involves the use of essential oils (extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs, and trees to promote health and well-being. Ayurveda ("ah-yur-VAY-dah") - This system that has been practiced primarily in the Indian subcontinent for 5,000 years. Ayurveda includes diet and herbal remedies and emphasizes the use of body, mind, and spirit in disease prevention and treatment. Bates Method - Relaxation exercises for eye disorders such as glaucoma, squint, and more. It was devised by William H. Bates. Chiropractic - Focuses on the relationship between bodily structure (primarily that of the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. Chiropractors use manipulative therapy as an integral treatment tool. Colonic Hydrotherapy - Colonic hydrotherapy (water therapy) is the use of water to promote healing. Often used in the treatment of candida, and often as part of a detoxification program. Colon therapy promotes healthy colon function and can ease a range of problems. Cupping - Use of suction cups to remove impure energy from the body. It involves lighting a match in a small, rounded "cup" made of glass, bamboo or pottery, and then removing it quickly and applying the cup to the skin. The flame creates a vacuum and the cup sticks tightly to the skin. Cranial Osteopathy - Specialist technique in which the bones of the skull are manipulated. Useful for childbirth pains, ADD, ADHD, learning difficulties, sinus conditions, TMJ and tinnitus. Craniosacral Therapy (CST) - Adapted form of cranial osteopathy. Dietary supplements - Congress defined the term "dietary supplement" in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. A dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. Dietary ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, and metabolites. Dietary supplements come in many forms, including extracts, concentrates, tablets, capsules, gel caps, liquids, and powders. They have special requirements for labeling. Under DSHEA, dietary supplements are considered foods, not drugs. EMF - In an hour-long session, clients experience their own electromagnetic field (EMF) and the patterns within it. The practitioner carries out a series of graceful, t'ai chi-like movements, while the client lies on a massage table. During some parts of the session, practitioners will gently place their hands on the body to facilitate the flow of energy. Environmental Medicine - Practitioners of environmental medicine recognize that illness can be caused by a broad range of substances, including chemicals found at home, in the workplace, and in the air, water, and food. There are multiple approaches to treatment, including changes in lifestyle, diet and environment. New techniques such as provocation/neutralization can not only pinpoint the causes but also provide fast and effective relief of the symptoms. Studies have supported the use of the approaches of environmental medicine in treating arthritis, asthma, chemical sensitivity, allergies, colitis, depression, eczema, fatigue, and hyperactivity. Gestalt Therapy - Developed by Fritz Perls, this humanistic approach to healing promotes personal growth through self-awareness. Well-known techniques include emphasizing the client's self-awareness by making him or her speak continually in the present tense and in the first person. Useful in treating anxiety, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, and insomnia. Guided Imagery -Guided Imagery is both a mental process (as in imagining) and a wide variety of procedures used in therapy to encourage changes in attitudes, behavior, or physiological reactions. As a mental process, it is often defined as “any thought representing a sensory quality.” Imagery includes all the senses. It has been successfully tested as a strategy for alleviating nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients, to relieve stress, and to facilitate weight gain in cancer patients. Herbal Medicine - Also known as botanical or phytomedicine, herbal medicine is the medicinal use of plant substances. Because these substances are in their natural state rather than being chemically derived, they are more easily assimilated and integrated into the body's own chemistry. Homeopathic ("home-ee-oh-PATH-ic") - In homeopathic medicine, there is a belief that "like cures like," meaning that small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms. Hydrotherapy - The therapeutic use of water, ice, steam, and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Good for labor pain and childbirth, muscle problems, rheumatism, stress and tension. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, and hot, and/or cold compresses. Hydortherapy has been used to treat disease and injury by many different cultures, including the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Hebrews, Hindus, Chinese, and Native Americans. Contrast therapies are those that alternative between hot and cold water in the same treatment. Music Therapy -Music therapy is the use of music as a therapeutic approach to healing. Studies have found music therapy effective as an analgesic, relaxant, and anxiety reducer for infants and children, and as an adjunctive treatment with burn patients, cancer patients, cerebral palsy patients, and stroke, brain injury, or Parkinson's disease patients . Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET) - NAET is a synthesis of various medical disciplines such as allopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, kinesiology and nutrition. By reprogramming the brain and removing the blockages from the energy pathways of the body, NAET can completely eliminate an allergy and allow the body to regain balance and function normally. Naturopathic ("nay-chur-o-PATH-ic") - Naturopathic medicine proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Practitioners work with the patient with a goal of supporting this power, through treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine. Nutritional Therapy -Nutritional therapy is a holistic discipline; nutrition as the key to good health is the all-embracing fundamental principle used since the time of the famous Greek doctor and founder of western medicine, Hippocrates, to help people of all ages to stay at their personal peak of energy and vitality. Today, new insights of food scientists play a significant role in the practice of nutritional therapy as preventative medicine. Diet and supplements are utilised to return the client to optimum health. Osteopathic ("ahs-tee-oh-PATH-ic") - medicine is a form of conventional medicine that, in part, emphasizes diseases arising in the musculoskeletal system. There is an underlying belief that all of the body's systems work together, and disturbances in one system may affect function elsewhere in the body. Some osteopathic physicians practice osteopathic manipulation, a full-body system of hands-on techniques to alleviate pain, restore function, and promote health and well-being. Qi gong ("chee-GUNG") - a component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of qi (an ancient term given to what is believed to be vital energy) in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance immune function. Reiki - Everything is energy in various states of vibration and motion. The body is energy in the form of solid matter. It is made up of many vibrating, interacting energy fields. Each bodily system and all the cells, organs, and tissues are responsive to subtle energies coming from both inside and outside the body. In addition, there are subtle energy fields that extend beyond the physical body. These energy fields expand and contract, depending on a person's health, particularly the mental and emotional states. Chakras are energy centers within the body that control the energy flow in and out of the body. They are like spinning disks, opening and closing like camera lenses. Healing practitioners work with a flow of energy that is channelled through their hands to the person to promote healing. Rolfing - Treating the tissues to improve posture and health. Biochemist Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D., gained her first exposure to therapeutic manipulation when she was sucessfully treated by an osteopath for a respiratory condition. Her treatments became the cornerstone of her work; the body's structure profoundly affects all physiological and psychological processes. Her work was also influenced by her exposure to Hatha yoga. She founded the Rolf Institute for Structural Integration in 1970, which has since trained over eight hundred people. "Rolfing" is the popular name for Structural Integration. Shiatsu - Stimulating the vital points along the body's meridians in order to encourage healing and maintaining good health. Therapeutic Touch - is derived from an ancient technique called laying-on of hands. It is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient's recovery; healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance; and, by passing their hands over the patient, healers can identify energy imbalances. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) - is the current name for an ancient system of health care from China . TCM is based on a concept of balanced qi (pronounced "chee"), or vital energy, that is believed to flow throughout the body. Qi is proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin (negative energy) and yang (positive energy). Disease is proposed to result from the flow of qi being disrupted and yin and yang becoming imbalanced. Among the components of TCM are herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, meditation, acupuncture, and remedial massage. Yoga - Spiritual and physical exercises to encourage health and well-being. Useful for conditions such as anxiety, arthritis, headache, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, and more. |
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