ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Alternative medicine refers to any healing practise either old or new which does not fall under the umbrella of ‘conventional medicine’. There are a number of myths regarding alternative medicine. Pure advocates of conventional medicine will tell you that complementary and alternative medicine doesn’t work based on the fact that hard clinical evidence does not exist to prove this. The evidence for complementary alternative medicine is generally anecdotal. Having said that though this evidence often spans over hundreds and even thousands of years. In other words if something has made people feel better and live healthier for a very long time then it stands to reason that it works. Many people (including myself) have used some form of complementary medicine at least once or considerably more often during their lifetime. In fact more than 30% of cancer patients will use some form of alternative medicine to help with the treatment of their disease. Alternative therapies differ greatly in their methods, process and history. Here at my website i’ve tried to represent some of the major CAM practices explaining their process, something about their history, evidence for and against their medicinal value, links to useful sites and general information.

 

 

Types of alternative medicine:

 

There are a variety of differerent complementary and traditional medical practises. I have outlined a quick review of some of the more common types.

 

Acupuncture:

 

Acupuncture is an ancient chinese practise which involves inserting fine needles at specific points along the bodies ‘meridian lines’ in order to restore the body’s qi or energy and thereby relieve pain, treat nausea and also trat a range of different diseases and ailments. Electroacupunture involves passing a small electric current between pairs of acupuncture needles. This process may augment the use of regular acupuncture, restoring health and may be even more effective at treating pain.

 

Cupping Therapy:

 

Cupping therapy involves a process where a cup is heated then the rim is applied to the skin to form a tight seal. As the air in the cup cools, a vacuum forms and the skin is literally sucked into the cup and bloodflow is increased to that area. Increasing blood flow to the area then promotes healing. Alternatively a hand pump can be used to create suction used in the process. The process may cause painless bruising and can rarely produce minor skin burns.

 

Jin Shin Jyutsu:

 

Jin Shin Jyutsu is a simple style of acupressure which works with 26 points (called Safety Energy Locks) along energy pathways. A Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner will use their hands (referred to as “jumper cables”) to hold a number of these pathways in order to produce a number of beneficial effects. These include treatment of a number of diseases, relief of pain and boosting your immune system and energy levels.

 

Ayurveda:

 

Ayurveda originates with the Vedas, and is connected to the Hindu religion. Over the centuries ayurvedic practitioners have founded a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures to treat a variety of diseases and ailments. It employs a number of plant based medicines and treatments.

 

Homeopathy:

 

Homeopathy involves treating patients with heavily diluted substances, these homeopathic remedies are then administered as tablets or liquids and aim to trigger the bodies natural immune system in order to treat a variety of ailments and disease.

 

Naturopathy:

 

The principles of Naturopathy were first used by the Hippocratic School of Medicine in about 400B.C. Naturopathy is based on one fundamental principle - the healing power of nature. These days a naturopath will use a variety of treatments including herbs, homoeopathy, manipulation, flower essences, acupuncture and biochemical supplementation to treat their patients. These are used to offset the suppressions created from the stresses and toxins that people are exposed to in modern life.

 

Colon Hydrotherapy:

 

Colon Hydrotherapy involves irrigating the colon with warmed water in order to cleanse the colon of toxins, gas, accumulated faecal matter and mucous deposits. It has a number of health benefits, including increased energy levels, boosting your immune system, increased health and well-being and treatment of a variety of diseases.

 

Massage:

 

Massage involves applying pressure to the skin and muscles in order to relieve pain and can help to relieve stress and produce a deep sense of relaxation. There are a number of different types of massage which can be employed depending on the aim of treatment.

 

Iridology:

 

Iridology or iridiagnosis is a technique where the  patterns, colours, and other characteristics of the iris are examined to diagnose health problems and weaknesses that may lead to future health problems. Iris charts are used to match observations with different parts of the body. This information is then used to direct decisions in treatment, supplements etc.

 

Reflexology:

 

Reflexology involves applying pressure to the feet and hands using specific thumb, finger and hand techniques and based on a system of zones and reflex areas. Each of these zones is connected to a particular area or organ of the body and by focusing on these areas a physical change can be produced in that area of the body. This can help to improve overall health and well-being and to treat a number of diseases.

 

To learn more about any of these areas, please visit the pages listed, or look through our list of articles for more information.