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Uncommon
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Uncommon
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"Like cures like." If an entire healing system's principles could be shrunk into a three-word proverb, this is what the homeopath's creed would be. The theory is that if a substance produces symptoms of disease in a healthy person, it will cure a sick person suffering from those same symptoms. Homeopathic medicines are derived from some 1,500 plant, animal or other natural substances (e.g., minerals), with the intent of triggering the body to fight disease. In the late 1700s a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, formulated the principles of homeopathy as a counter to prevailing medical practices at the time. Today, after numerous ups and downs in popularity, homeopathy enjoys a broad flowing in Europe and other parts of the globe, but not quite so broad a following in North America. In fact, the American Medical Association (AMA) was formed in 1846 in part to thwart the growth of homeopathy. Some people refer to any natural remedy as homeopathic, but this is a misnomer. Classical homeopathy threats a patient with one substance at a time (many commercial remedies combine more than one substance) in an extremely diluted and extremely safe solution. Remedies commonly come in the form of small pills you dissolve under your tongue or as a tincture. Homeopathic remedies are made by crushing the curative substances, mixing them with alcohol or water, then repeatedly diluting and vigorously shaking them. Homeopaths differ in determining appropriate formulas for dilution but agree on the counterintuitive principle that the more it's diluted, the more potent it becomes. Manufacturers list the dilution formula on the packaging, where "C" means 100 and "X" means 10. An arnica remedy labeled 6C, for example, was made by mixing one drop of arnica to 100 drops of water. Then one drop of that solution was mixed with 100 drops of water and so on, for a total of six times. In most circumstances, the final solution no longer contains molecules of the original substance, but homeopaths say it does contain the "imprint" or energy of the substance. People who have a hard time believing homeopathic theories insist its remarkable actions are the result of the placebo effect. In general, because the remedies are so diluted, it is difficult to imagine an overdose, although there are a few things to watch out for. In some instances, as with the immune-stimulant Echinacea, certain homeopathic treatments should not be taken for more than a week at a time. If a remedy is working, it may first produce a "healing crisis," where the symptoms magnify for a few hours or days before going away completely. It's important to stick with the remedy through the "aggravations" and not use another form of treatment, which may counter the homeopathic one. Also, if you have the wrong remedy and take it for an extended period of time, it may "prove" itself, that is manifest the symptoms that it would otherwise cure in you. Medicines can be ailment-specific (those you find in drugstores or health food stores) or matched to a person's overall internal health, or "constitution." The precise formulas can be derived only after a formal interview with a homeopath or naturopathic physician. (For the record, the FDA has expressed concern over use of homeopathic remedies for serious illnesses and diseases, and encourages consumers to be sure they are working with a licensed practitioner.) Note: Coffee is an antidote to homeopathic remedies. If you want to try homeopathy, say bye-bye to your café latte. |
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NATUROPATHY
Yes, naturopaths favor natural healing techniques. But that does not mean they are not well-versed in science. Naturopathic healing combines elements of herbal medicine, acupuncture, nutrition, bodywork, homeopathy and exercise. Like many alternative modalities, naturopathy treats by supporting and enhancing the patient's inherent ability to heal and maintain good health. All illness has a cause which can be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, or a combination of some or all of these. Symptoms indicate that body's attempt to fight the disease--they are not the disease itself and should not be suppressed. The naturopath seeks to treat root causes, not symptoms. Naturopathy is one of the few complementary medicines (like chiropractic) that require its practitioners to complete four-year, postgraduate training with admission requirements similar to those of US medical schools. Having been available in the US for about 100 years, naturopathy has had a resurgence in the past two decades. There are now 11 states (plus the commonwealth of Puerto Rico) that license naturopaths, including Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii, with more to follow in the near future. Using a prevention-oriented and cause-versus-symptom approach to care, naturopaths take detailed medical histories of patients, unlike any you are likely to undergo in an HMO. Naturopaths believe in the body's ability to cure itself and regard disease as a violation of natural law. Any number of conditions respond well to naturopathic healing, including colds, flu, allergies and digestive ills, as well as certain autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The future looks bright for naturopathic medicine--and for its increasing pool of patients. |
| How to Find a Qualified Naturopath |
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There
are only two colleges of naturopathic medicine in the US that are
recognized by the US Department of Education and accredited by the
Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME):
Bastyr University National College of
Naturopathic Medicine To locate a naturopath in
your area, contact: |
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When you think of Oriental medicine, you may be inclined to think of acupuncture. That is partially correct, but doesn't tell the whole story. First, Oriental or Asian medicine is more about energy, or what the Chinese call qi, pronounced "chee," which is the life force that Asian medical healers work to change and strengthen. Oriental medicine looks at health as the integration of body, mind and spirit. It follows a structured hierarchy of categories that represent the body and its functions. In theory, these categories keep each other in a cyclic series of checks and balances, like an unending game of rock-paper-scissors. When one element dominates, as is often the case, there is imbalance, which leads to disease. The goal of the doctor of Oriental medicine is to determine, through intensive questioning and examination, which properties are out of balance--and then prescribe herbs and dietary changes to support the weaker ones and subdue excessive ones. In the area of herbal medicine, practitioners of Asian medicine choose herbs for nutritional value as well as medicinal qualities. The herbs may contain vitamins and nutrients, but they also serve to prod the body's immune system, circulation and metabolism. Over the years, you may also have heard (and used) the terms yin and yang without truly knowing what they mean. In Asian medicine, yin refers to things, including foods, that are nourishing and moistening and that have the capacity to slow metabolism. Yang, by contrast, refers to nutrients and foods that are stimulating and that tend to speed up metabolism. Yang, by contrast, refers to nutrients and foods that are stimulating and that tend to speed up metabolism. Note: Oriental or Asian medicine (a broader category than traditional Chinese medicine) includes the healing principles of countries other than China, including Tibet and Japan. |
| Oriental / Asian Medicine Resources |
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For information on Asian medicine
principles and products, contact:
Institute for Traditional
Medicine American Association of Oriental
Medicine |
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THE
PILATES® METHOD
A combination of rehabilitation, strength-building and postural exercise, the Pilates (pronounced pih-LAH-teez) method was popularized by professional dancer. Yet, in recent years, Pilates--founded in 1923 by Joseph Pilates--has caught on in a big way with countless other fitness-oriented people. These yoga-inspired moves focus on enabling a person's body to feel "long and strong," no matter what the person's height, by building a strong, lean abdomen and by working joints individually. The use of a fitness machine known as the Reformer, which uses body weight as resistance, accentuates the "lengthening" part of the workout. "Mat" classes involve the theories and motions of Pilates, without the Reformers. These classes cost significantly less and still offer many of the benefits of a Reformer class. The goal of Pilates is to teach you a healthier way to move in everyday life. By strengthening parts of the body that are overlooked and overwhelmed, you will gain balance and alignment. Pilates increases circulations, strength, range of motion, flexibility, coordination and stamina. Orthopedists and athletic trainers are among health professionals who regularly refer clients to Pilates instructors for joint and spine work. When working on an injured joint, an instructor will break down the structural imbalance of the joint, before trying to build it back to its full strength. The Pilates exercises will be set up to work specifically on the joint's weakest link. Toughened abdominals may be considered a bonus by some, but Pilates veterans view them as an anchor or sorts--at the core of the program. |
| How to Find a Pilates Instructor |
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The Pilates Center 4800 Baseline Road, Suite D206 Boulder, CO 80303 303-494-3400 (telephone) 303-494-5151 (fax) http://www.thepilatescenter.com The Pilates Studio |
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REFLEXOLOGY
For most people who have heard about the healing technique of reflexology, their first thought is of the soles of their feet as a remote control of sorts for pain located in other parts of the body. That is true enough for a quick snapshot of the practice, but not nearly broad enough, for reflexology can also be applied through the hands. The difference? Some believe that the hands, being in almost constant touch with things both soft and hard, benign and abrasive, have lost their responsiveness over the years. The feet are regarded as more sensitive to touch, and thus a better site for the treatment. In brief, the practice of reflexology applies gentle pressure to specific areas of the feet (usually) to treat a range of conditions, from joint pain to immune problems to infertility. The treatment's goal is to reorient and balance the energy flow within the body. The soles of the feet are believed to hold miniature maps for entire bodily systems that work best when they work together. |
| Reflexology Referrals |
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For more information, write or call: American Reflexology
Certification Board International
Institute of Reflexology |
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ROLFING
THERAPY
In one word, Rolfing therapy is about realignment, or, in another word, balance. Rolfing is not massage or deep tissue work, although that's how people have incorrectly described it in the past. Named for its founder, Ida Rolf, this therapy works to realign segments of the body that injury, emotional trauma and poor postural habits have forced out of balance. Ideally, each of the body's sections are "stacked" so that the centers of gravity match up precisely--no head jutting forward, no hunched shoulders. Think of an imaginary pole running through your body, providing support and serving as an anchor. Rolf practitioners manipulate the major muscle groups and fascia (tissue under the skin, wrapping the muscles) by using hands, fists and elbows. But sessions are not, by their nature, painful. That is a misconception that has plagued the profession, unfairly, for many of its nearly 50 years of existence. In the 1980s and 1990s, Rolf therapists worked to soften their techniques some, without straying from the original goals of the therapy: To bring a part (or parts) of the body to where it precisely belongs and set up a new pattern of movement. Rolfing bodywork is reinforced by Rolfing movement integration, in which the practitioner teaches the client new ways of moving--walking, sitting at a computer, playing a sport--to avoid reestablishing the former problematic muscular tension. Most Rolf therapists will incorporate some movement in treatment, and about one third of therapists are certified in Rolf movement integration. Some will focus on movement alone, leaving out the bodywork. Usually, a patient's head and neck feel lighter after treatment and the torso feels lengthened. Formerly, Rolfing was practiced in 10, and exactly 10, sessions. Today, however, Rolfers will very a bit from that rule, although they state that one or two sessions are simply not enough to effect any kind of lasting change. |
| How to Find a Rolfer |
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The Rolf Institute of Structural
Integration 205 Canyon Blvd. Boulder, CO 80302 800-530-8875 303-449-5903 http://www.rolf.org |
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THERAPEUTIC
TOUCH
Therapeutic touch is a modernization of ancient religious/healing rites known as "laying on of hands." Only with today's practitioners, religious belief is not required. Not quite 50 years old, the theory behind therapeutic touch is based on the idea of a complex energetic life force that surrounds and flows through all of us. In the therapy a healer can "feel energy imbalances" by passing his or her hands lightly on or over the afflicted part of the patient's body. These imbalances may present themselves in a number of ways, practitioners say: Tingling, tightness, heat, cold or electric shock. The therapist doesn't so much "heal" the patient as facilitate the patient's own healing by gently manipulating and restoring the integrity of his or her energy field. This technique entered the mainstream when its chief proponent, Dolores Kreiger, PhD, taught a graduate class in therapeutic touch at New York University in the mid-1970s. Research has shown this type of touch to be effective at relaxing the patient, reducing anxiety, and changing the patient's perception of pain. It was introduced to doctors and patients at the prestigious Columbia-Presbyterian medical school in New York University in the mid-1990s (in conjunction with standard surgeries), and yet to this day has faced serious scientific challenges from medical skeptics. Prior to a procedure, the healer goes into a meditative state. Then, before any touching, the healer focuses intently on healing the person being treated. Finally, the practitioner "reads" the patient's energy field and transfers healing energy back into the person, as needed. This transfer of energy from healer to patient is supposed to result in better health. Of course, a healer's hands must be sensitive, and his or her mind must be open to working with other forms of medicine--sometimes those that are considered conventional. |
| Therapeutic Touch Information and Referrals |
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Barbara Brennan School of Healing
(for directory of graduates) 500 Spanish River Blvd., Suite 108 Baca Raton, FL 33481 800-924-2564 561-620-8767 http://www.barbarabrennan.com |
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YOGA
Currently booming in health clubs and fitness classes in the US, yoga has ancient roots. While it has long been known for its unusual poses and deep breathing exercises, yoga's goals remain akin to those of Indian yogis some 5,000 years ago: An integration of body and mind that results in spiritual growth and health. The aim may not always be to soothe sore joints or muscles, but such tangible results are often experienced. Breath in yoga is so much more than oxygen. Called "prana," the breath is considered to be the interface between the spirit and the physical body. It is a life force. Controlled breathing in yoga eases tension, nervousness and anger, and provides relaxation, better concentration and, yes, more oxygen to the bloodstream. The various postures of yoga are designed to work every muscle in the body. The poses are carefully sculpted positions--some simple, some contorted--held for several seconds or several minutes. The body stretches and relaxes, allowing energy to flow through in ways not normally reached in everyday life. As a whole, the discipline is often credited with improving the function of entire bodily systems, such as circulation, digestion or metabolism. Hatha yoga, the physical aspect of yoga philosophy that most people refer to with the word "yoga," incorporates a number of principles designed to bring better health. There are many schools of hatha yoga--Astanga, Iyengar and Bikram are a few of the more popular ones--that follow the teachings of different gurus and stress varying elements of the yoga poses. Many of the yoga references in this book will pertain specifically to ideas based on Hatha principles. |
| Yoga Resources |
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Yoga Research and Education Center P.O. Box 1386 Lower Lake, CA 95457 707-928-9898 http://www.yrec.org Iyengar Yoga National Association
of the US |
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A
NOTE ABOUT ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS...
Telling Your Doctor All for Better Health Startlingly, nearly 50% of those who use acupuncture, herbs or chiropractic healers fail to tell their primary care doctors that they are using alternative treatments--largely out of embarrassment or fear of being reprimanded by a traditional authority figure. However, according to recent research at Oregon Health Sciences University, telling the whole truth is more important than these consumers know. One reason is that many herbs and supplements may adversely interact with prescription medicines, and doctors have no way of knowing what is in the body unless their patients tell them. In rare cases, there may be problems combining herbal and allopathic (Western) medicines. You may be better off with no treatment at all or taking a single kind of medication by itself. |
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