|
The healing arts take many forms, from traditional Western medicine to the ancient practices of the East to more unconventional treatment modalities commonly used in California and other parts of the world.
While most people still rely on their family doctors - the ones with the initials M.D. or D.O. after their names - to care for them when they get sick, many others seek alternative treatments to augment their doctors’ orders.
Following is a list of some of the more common alternative therapies, how they work and what practitioners believe they accomplish. |
 |
| Homeopathy |
Similia similibus curentur translates from Latin as "like cures like," and is the basic premise behind homeopathy, a healing method discovered 200 years ago by the German doctor Samuel Hahnmann.
Homeopathics are natural substances derived from plant, animal, and mineral products that when taken in minute doses stimulate the body’s appropriate response to a particular symptom. They work much like immunizations do to prevent diseases, but instead of producing antibodies that ward off illness, homeopathics stimulate the body’s natural means of relieving symptoms.
One example is rhustoxicondron, which comes from the poison ivy plant and will, when taken as a homeopathic, relieve the itch of poison oak and poison ivy. When taken in a large dose, however, it will actually exacerbate the irritation.
Another example is ipecacuanha, a plant derivative, which relieves indigestion when taken in small doses. It is also the main component in syrup of ipecac, and when taken in large amounts, will induce the body to purge itself through vomiting. A homeopathy practitioner will analyze your symptoms and compare them to known symptom/remedy combinations in the Materia Medica, a kind of Physician’s Desk Reference for homeopaths. Out of the more than 3,000 remedies listed in the Materia Medica, the practitioner will seek the single remedy that most closely matches your symptoms. |
| Aromatherapy |
Dating back to 3000 B.C., aromatherapy was practiced by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, as well as the Mayans, Incas and Aztecs. The practice uses essential oils — concentrated extracts taken from the roots, leaves or blossoms of plants — to promote health and well-being. The essential oils are not simply fragrances, but pure essences from the plants. They can contain hundreds or organic properties, including hormones, vitamins and other natural elements.
Essential oils are believed to affect the body in many ways. When inhaled, for example, the molecules stimulate the olfactory nerve, which, in turn, sends a message to the brain. The brain answers by triggering physiological responses in the body through the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Different essential oils initiate different responses. The essential oil derived from orange blossoms, for example, has a calming effect when inhaled while some eucalyptus oils can clear sinuses and prevent respiratory infections.
In addition to the inhalation method, essential oils can be applied topically when diluted in bases such as creams or vegetable oils or added to products like shampoos or moisturizers. When applied topically, essential oils have demonstrated anti-microbial, antiseptic, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Lavender essential oil, for example, can speed the healing process of a cut, burn or abrasion while tea tree, the essential oil of the native Australian Melaleuca alternifolia, has been used since early in the 20th century to treat bacterial and fungal infections on the skin.
Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist and perfumer in the 1920s, was the first to use the word aromatherapy. Gattefosse burned his hand and discovered that lavender oil prevented scarring. He went on to explore other essential oils for use on different maladies.
|
| Herbal Medicine |
Herbal medicine, sometimes referred to as botanical medicine or phytomedicine, uses the seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers from any plant for medicinal purposes. Gingko biloba, kava kava and ginseng are just a few of the most common.
Herbs are available in different forms, including teas, syrups, oils, liquid extracts, tinctures and pills or capsules. Syrups are made from concentrated extracts, added to sweet-tasting bases and commonly used for coughs or sore throats. Oils are often mixed with creams or ointments and used as rubs. Herbalists are healers who specialize in the use of botanicals and phytomedicines.
Herbal medicines contain phytochemicals capable of eliciting complex physiological reactions that can cause adverse side effects when combined with conventional medications prescribed by your M.D. — that’s how they work, after all. Be sure to talk to your doctor before trying any herbal remedies and always keep him or her informed about what herbal medicines you are taking. |
| Chinese Herbal Medicine |
The oldest form of internal medicine, Chinese herbal medicine takes a holistic view of the patient, seeing a disease or set of symptoms as part of the whole person rather than isolated in a particular area of the body.
Practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine believe illness is caused by imbalances in the body. Nature, they say, is composed of yin and yang (light and dark, hot and cold, soft and hard, etc.) and five elemental energies or substances in the body that are critical for life. These are Jing (essence), Shen (spirit), Qi, Blood, and JinYe (light/heavy).
Four types of Qi imbalances - deficient, sinking, stagnant or rebellious —and three types of blood imbalances — deficient, stagnant or heat — can cause illness. A practitioner will identify the imbalance and recommend the appropriate herbal remedy. |
| Ayurvedic Medicine |
Restoring and strengthening basic life energies is the foundation of Ayurvedic medicine, which seeks to identify the root cause of disease rather than simply treating individual symptoms.
Illness, practitioners believe, is a reflection of the three fundamental and universal energies or "doshas" that regulate natural processes: Vata (space and air), Pitta (fire and water) or Kapha (water and earth). Together these are known as the Tridosha and disease occurs when the Tridosha loses balance.
Body types are often considered in terms of which dosha predominates. For example, Vata types tend to be thin, Pitta muscular and Kapha overweight. Knowing your dosha can help you develop a diet and lifestyle that will help you stay healthy and in balance.
According to Ayurveda, a sense of loss or longing at the spiritual level is the first step toward disease. Other contributing factors, both internal and external, include diet, digestive processes, mental attitude, lifestyle, seasons of the year and the environment.
Ayurvedic treatments are implemented gradually and can include dietary changes, herbs, exercise, bodywork such as massage or yoga, mediation and aromatherapy. In some cases, significant lifestyle changes may be required. |
| Acupuncture |
Acupuncture as a healing art dates back thousands of years to its origins in China. The basic idea behind acupuncture is that channels of energy run through the body in pattern called meridians and that the free flow of energy, or Qi, is essential for health.
Qi carries messages to each of the body’s organs and other structures, instructing them on how to function properly. If the flow of Qi is interrupted or impeded, the messages can’t get through, an imbalance occurs and eventually results in disease. Stimulating the appropriate meridian with needles, pressure, heat or electricity allows the Qi to flow freely again. |
 |
| Chiropractic |
| In chiropractic medicine, the nervous system plays the central role in overall health, and disease and discomfort come from impeded nerve flow and function. Chiropractors use manual therapies to physically adjust vertebral subluxations and restore function. |
| Rolfing |
The practice of rolfing, also known as structural integration, was developed in the 1930s by biochemist Ida Rolf, for whom it is named.
The idea behind rolfing is that the mind and body work together as a whole being and a misalignment of the body can prevent an individual from being fully integrated. Changes in the physical structure, practitioners believe, impact the whole person, not just the physical body. |
| Reiki |
Reiki as a healing practice dates back to the 1800s. It works by balancing energy and restoring health at whatever level — physical, emotional, mental or spiritual — is necessary. Reiki treatments are hands-on, non-invasive procedures that don’t interfere with traditional medical practices.
|
| Mind/Body Medicine |
Mind/body medicine counts on the power of the mind to affect the body. The mind is trained to focus on the body, and in this focused state the patient may be able to alter his or her health.
Techniques include biofeedback, in which patients learn to improve their health by controlling specific internal physical processes that normally occur involuntarily, such as heart rate or blood pressure; autogenic training, which uses visual imagery and body awareness to reach a state of deep relaxation; progressive muscle relaxation; and meditation.
Using the power of thought and emotion, practitioners say, one can influence physical health. |
|
