Holistic Nutrition
holistic health and lifestyles
dietary influences on disease
nutrition fundalmentals
nutritional therapies
psychodietetics
oriental perspectives on nutrition
ayurveda perspectives on nutrition
Complementary medicine
Alternative medicine and therapies
Integrative medicine
Homeopathic medicine
Naturopathic medicine, or naturopathy
Allopathy
Herbology
Energy therapies
Ayurveda
Biologically Based Therapies
Manipulative and Body-Based Methods
Acupressure is a variation of acupuncture, an ancient Chinese system of healing that was developed from theories that the body has an energy force (known in traditional Chinese medicine as Qi) running through it along specific pathways called meridians. In order to maintain health, the flow of Qi must remain balanced and uninterrupted, and acupressure is one method for correcting imbalances and removing blockages. In acupressure, finger pressure is used at specific points where meridians come to the skin’s surface.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese system of healing that was developed from theories that the body has an energy force (known in traditional Chinese medicine as Qi) running through it along specific pathways called meridians. In order to maintain health, the flow of Qi must remain balanced and uninterrupted, and acupuncture is one method for correcting imbalances and removing blockages. In acupuncture, very fine needles are inserted into the skin at specific points where meridians come to the skin’s surface.
Massage therapy involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body in order to bring about normalization, which in turn promotes healing. Massage affects blood and lymph circulation as well as muscular tension. In addition, it stimulates or relaxes the nervous system, depending on the technique used. Among the benefits of massage are faster healing from soft tissue injury, healthier skin, and stress reduction. There are many different techniques of massage, including AMMA therapy, Lomi-Lomi, myofascial release, neuromuscular therapy, shiatsu, sports massage, Swedish massage, Thai massage, trigger point therapy and more.
Hydrotherapy involves using water of any temperature or form – hot, cold, steam or ice – in order to promote healing. Depending on the temperature and form of the water, it can address a wide range of problems, including sore muscles, injuries, fevers, burns, skin problems, and so forth. Warm or hot water has a relaxing effect; cold water reduces inflammation; and alternating hot and cold water acts to stimulate the circulatory system. Water may also stimulate the immune system.
Reflexology is a system of bodywork in which the practitioner applies finger pressure to specific points on the feet and/or the hands. Reflexology is based on the correspondence between reflexes in the feet and hands and the various organs and areas of the body. Pressing on these reflexes aids in healing by stimulating a return to homeostasis.
Detoxification.
Iridology.
Holistic Health
Reiki
Therapeutic Touch
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Mind-Body Interventions
Mind-body medicine uses a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms. Some techniques that were considered CAM in the past have become mainstream (for example, patient support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy). Other mind-body techniques are still considered CAM, including meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance.
is used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is using Aromatherapy to help lessen a patient's discomfort following surgery.
is used in place of conventional medicine. An example of an alternative therapy is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional doctor.
Alternative Therapies are
approaches to healing that are not included in the traditional medical model of treatment. These include, but are not limited to, massage therapy, nutritional supplementation, using herbal formulas, guided imagery and hypnotherapy.
used interchangeably with the term "alternative medicine," this system integrates traditional, allopathic methods with nontraditional methods.
Integrative medicine, as defined by NCCAM, combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness
is a CAM alternative medical system. 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.
is a CAM alternative medical system. Naturopathic medicine proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. It is a system of therapy that employs natural forces such as light, heat, air, water and massage. This system differs most significantly from allopathy by focusing on building health rather than on treating disease. 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, hydrotherapy, meditation, bodywork, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.
is a system involving use of medicines that produce effects different from those produced by the disease. In contrast to holistic approaches, allopathy views the body as a set of systems separate from the mind. The allopathic approach introduces drugs and surgery to "fix" the body rather than assisting its natural healing process. This is the most prevalent and well-known form of addressing ill health in Western culture. Allopathic physicians successfully complete a formal medical degree and are trained to diagnose and treat illness and disease from the approaches of medication (often synthetic) and invasive surgery. Most physicians follow this medical model of treatment, which is preset.
involves the practice of using plants for healing, food, flavoring, scents and dyes. It is practiced in all forms of traditional healing worldwide. The philosophy of herbalism is directed at support of the body’s healing processes with the use of plants and foods. In traditional herbalism, not only are plants and foods used, but also exercise techniques, breathing techniques, and various mind/body techniques. Herbalism looks at the whole person – mind, body and spirit.
involve the use of energy fields. They are of two types:
Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and/or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include gi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch. Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.
is India’s traditional health system. Dating back more than 5000 years, it is based on the theory of constitutional body types, or doshas. Everyone has a unique constitution or combination of doshas. Doshas are based on the five elements — fire, water, earth, air and ether. Although there are five elements, there are only three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. Vata is the combination of air and ether, pitta is the combination of fire and water, and kapha is the combination of water and earth. Each person is a combination of elements and the qualities that are attributed to these elements. Ayurveda, which means "the science of life," takes into account the different stages of life and aging, and includes not only food and herbs, but also diet, exercise, massage, color, light, sound, hygiene and more.
in CAM use substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins. Some examples include dietary supplements, herbal products, and the use of other natural therapies (for example, using shark cartilage to treat cancer).
in CAM are based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body. Some examples include chiropractic manipulation or massage.
The human body creates and is exposed to many toxins simply through the normal processes of life. Under ordinary conditions, various body systems – including the liver, kidneys, intestines, lymph, and circulatory systems – eliminate toxins without a problem. However, a poor diet and lifestyle habits, as well as excessive exposure to environmental toxins, can sometimes overwhelm the body’s natural processes, allowing toxins to accumulate internally. Various methods are used to stimulate detoxification, such as fasting, the use of herbs, and following specific cleansing diets.
In defining iridology, the International Iridology Practitioners Association (IIPA) states that it is "the study of the iris, or colored part, of the eye. This structure has detailed fibers and pigmentation that reflects information about our physical and psychological makeup. It identifies inherited dispositions (how our body reacts to our environment and what symptoms are most likely to occur), risks (what areas or organ systems are more likely to have symptoms) and future challenges (where we are likely to have more problems as we age). Iridology helps identify inherited emotional patterns which can create or maintain physical symptoms, as well as identify lessons or challenges and gifts or talents available to us."
involves viewing individual health in a holistic fashion. Holistic means considering and encompassing body, mind, emotions and spirit. Therefore, factors involving physical wellness/illness, mental/thought patterns, emotional expression and stability, and the individual’s spiritual beliefs all have significant roles in maintaining good health and must be addressed.
is a type of energy work that draws on several techniques of touch and visualization in order to improve the flow of life energy. In fact, the Japanese term "Reiki" translates to "universal life energy." Practitioners are sensitive to – and trained to correct – difficulties of energy flow on all levels: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Reiki practitioners often work directly with clients, and they may also work at a distance. Positive effects of this modality include pain relief, stress reduction, and stimulation of the immune system.
is a non-invasive, and in fact non-touch, system of energy work. In Therapeutic Touch, energy is transferred from the practitioner to the energy field of the individual receiving treatment. As with other energy techniques, major effects include relaxation and accelerated healing. It has been found that the autonomic nervous system is quite sensitive to Therapeutic Touch, followed by the lymphatic and circulatory systems, and the musculoskeletal system.
More than 2000 years old, Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on creating and maintaining balance and harmony between various types of polar opposites, for example Yin and Yang, heaven and earth, cold and hot, wet and dry, inner and outer, and so forth. Also important are the five elements: wood, fire, water, earth, and air. Balance and harmony bring health; imbalance and disharmony bring the opposite. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) takes the entire person, the physical, psychological and spiritual makeup, into account when approaching any problem. The chief modalities of TCM include herbs, foods, and acupuncture.