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Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicine encompasses methods used in place of, or in addition to, conventional medical treatments. The term is primarily used in the west, and includes several traditional medicine techniques practiced throughout the world. These practices are sometime described as complementary medicine, when they are used in conjunction with conventional medicine. The umbrella term complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy, commonly associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), is the use of volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils (EOs), and other scented compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person's mood or health. Aromatherapy is a generic term that refers to any of the various traditions that make use of essential oils sometimes in combination with other alternative medical practices and spiritual beliefs. It has a particularly Western currency and persuasion. Medical treatment involving aromatic scents may exist outside of the West, but may or may not be intended by the term 'aromatherapy'.
History
Aromatherapy has roots in antiquity with the use of aromatic oils. However, as currently defined, aromatherapy involves the use of distilled plant volatiles, a twentieth century innovation. The word, aromatherapy, was first used in the 1920s by French chemist René Maurice Gattefossé, who devoted his life to researching the healing properties of essential oils after a lucky accident in his perfume laboratory. In the accident, he lit his arm on fire and thrust it into the nearest cold liquid, which happened to be a vat of lavender oil. Immediately he noticed surprising pain relief, and instead of requiring the extended healing process he had experienced during recovery from previous burns--which caused redness, heat, inflammation, blisters, and scarring--this burn healed remarkably quickly, with minimal discomfort and no scarring.
Theory
When aromatherapy is used for the treatment or prevention of disease, a precise knowledge of the bioactivity and synergy of the essential oils used, knowledge of the dosage and duration of application, as well as, naturally, a medical diagnosis, are required.
In the English-speaking world, practitioners tend to emphasize the use of oils in massage. In the UK, America and Australia, aromatherapy tends to be regarded as a complementary modality at best and a pseudoscience at worst.
On the continent, especially in France, where it originated, aromatherapy is incorporated into mainstream medicine. There, the use of the anti-septic, antiviral antifungal and antibacterial properties of oils in the control of infections is emphasized over the more "touchy feely" approaches familiar to English speakers. In France some essential oils are regulated as prescription drugs, and thus administered by a physician. French doctors use a technique called the aromatogram to guide their decision on which essential oil to use. First the doctor cultures a sample of infected tissue or secretion from the patient. Next the growing culture is divided among petri dishes supplied with agar. Each petri dish is inoculated with a different essential oil to determine which have the most activity against the target strain of microorganism. The antiseptic activity manifests as a pattern of inhibited growth.
In many countries essential oils are included in the national pharmacopeia, but up to the present moment aromatherapy as science has never been recognized as a valid branch of medicine in the United States, Russia, Germany, or Japan.
Essential oils, phytoncides and other natural VOCs work in different ways. At the scent level they activate the limbic system and emotional centers of the brain. When applied to the skin (commonly in form of "massage oils" i.e. 1-10% solutions of EO in carrier oil) they activate thermal receptors, and kill microbes and fungi. Internal application of essential oil preparations (mainly in pharmacological drugs; generally not recommended for home use apart from dilution - 1-5% in fats or mineral oils, or hydrosoles) may stimulate the immune system.
Colour Therapy
Chromotherapy, sometimes called colour therapy or colourology, is an alternative medicine method. It is claimed that a therapist trained in chromotherapy can use colour and light to balance energy wherever our bodies are lacking, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental.
Chromotherapists claim a scientific basis for their practice, proposing that colours bring about emotional reactions in people. A standard method of diagnosis is the use of Luscher’s colour test, developed by Dr. Max Luscher in the early 1900s. When performing chromotherapy, colour and light is applied to specific areas and acupoints on the body. Because colours get associated with both positive and negative effects in colour therapy, specific colours and accurate amounts of colour are deemed to be critical in healing. Some of the tools used for applying colours are gemstones, candles, wands, prisms, coloured fabrics, bath treatments, and coloured glasses or lenses. Therapeutic colour can be administered in a number of ways, but is often combined with hydrotherapy and aromatherapy in an attempt to heighten the therapeutic effect.
History
Several findings indicate that colour and light have been used for health treatments since the beginning of recorded time. Colour therapy is possibly rooted in Ayurveda, an ancient form of medicine practiced in India for thousands of years. Other historic roots are attributed to Chinese and ancient Egyptian culture. In traditional Chinese medicine, each organ is associated with a colour. Ancient Egyptians built solarium-type rooms, which could be fitted with coloured panes of glass. The sun would shine through the glass and flood the patient with colour. As late as the nineteenth century, European smallpox victims and their sickrooms were draped with red cloth to draw the disease away from the body.
Techniques
Today, some therapists have a box with a mechanism that flickers light into the eyes. They report success in speeding the recovery of stroke victims and those persons who experience chronic depression. Some therapists recommend the wearing of eyeglasses with coloured lenses. Specialized shops also sell baths equipped with lamps that emit the wanted colour to induce the desired effect. Chromotherapy is not bound to medicine: practitioners of Feng Shui bring specific colours into our homes and workplaces, trying to achieve optimum balance of energy.
In the United States, colour and light therapy is beginning to be recognized as a complementary system to other treatments. In Europe, Dr. Peter Mandel, a German acupuncturist, developed a system to apply colour and light to acupuncture points on the body. This so called colourpuncture is now being taught in many countries. Bioptron Lamps and lenses are used in clinics and hospitals throughout Europe.
Meaning and use of colours
Health is contingent upon balancing not only our physical needs, but our emotional, mental and spiritual needs as well. In India, a group of healers known as Ayurvedic healers associate colours with the seven main chakras, which are spiritual centers in our bodies located along the spine.
Chakras store and distribute energy and information. Much of the information on chakras comes from the yogic teachings in India. According to these teachings, each chakra is also associated with one of the four primary elements: earth, air, fire, water.
There are seven of these chakras and each is associated with a particular organ or system in the body. Each chakra has a dominant colour, but these colours may become imbalanced. If this happens it can cause disease and other physical ramifications. By introducing the appropriate colour, these maladies can be fixed.
Below is a description of each chakra, its corresponding colour, location and physical/emotional association.
Red
First Chakra: Located at the base of the spine
This is the earth element. The first chakra affects the legs and feet and influences walking, the anus and elimination. Positive qualities associated with this elements are steadfastness, courage, loyalty and perseverance. Negative qualities of a person with excess red energy could be that they are stubborn and bigoted.
This chakra can affect blood disorders, bone marrow and energy depletion. It can also have an emotional impact on feelings of safety, survival and security.
Chromotherapy, red is considered to be the colour of life, of the glowing sun and of fire. Red is said to increase the pulse rate, to raise the blood pressure and the rate of breathing. Red has also been called the colour of desire. Red would generally be applied to support the circulatory functions and is claimed to be used with success to combat anemia, asthma, diseases of the larynx, certain skin diseases and chronic coughs. A person with an excess of red could express domination, physical cruelty, anger, and vulgarity.
Orange
Second Chakra: pelvis area
Being a colour mixed from red and yellow, according to chromotherapists orange stands for kind-heartedness and warm-heartedness of an individual. Orange would symbolise the rising sun, and make us alert and cheerful. It is believed to affect both our bodies and our minds. Astonishing results are ascribed to the use of the colour orange to treat mental illness, depressions, discontent and pessimism. Orange could be applied for the treatment of arteriosclerosis, sclerenecephaly, cardiosclerosis, loss of appetite, anemia, anorexia and digestive system discomforts (e.g., flatulence, cramps). A person with an excess of orange could express confusion, tiredness, and pessimism.
Yellow
Third Chakra: solar plexus - just above the belly button
In colour therapy, yellow is the symbol of the sun at the horizon. Yellow is the brightest of the colours that are commonly used in colour therapy. Yellow reflects light in all directions, and could therefore be able to create an impression of detachment and liberation. In naturopathy yellow is applied when trying to combat glandular diseases and diseases of the lymphatic system, and to strengthen the nervous system. Yellow is said to have effects that greatly assist metabolism and glandular activity. A person with an excess of this colour could express lack of concentration, malice, and deviousness.
Green
Fourth Chakra: heart
The colour green is located in the middle of the colour spectrum and is associated with a harmonizing effect. It would not make us quiet, but calm us in a neutral, positive sense. Green is called the colour of possession and of the will to possess. Green is also considered to be the colour of concentration. Among other things, the colour green is applied for the naturopathic treatment of bronchitis, whooping cough, inflammations of the joints, and swellings. In addition, green is thought to have a positive influence on the treatments of cysts, eye diseases and diabetes, generally promoting the secretion processes. Green is supposed to promote relaxation of the organs and stimulate general detoxification of the body. A person with an excess of green could experience lethargy, lack of motivation, insecurity, and jealousy. Pink is a secondary colour that can also be associated with the Heart chakra.
Blue
Fifth Chakra: throat
In chromotherapy, blue is the colour of peace and infinity. Blue is claimed to profoundly calm and relax us. Our bodies and minds are believed to be conveyed to a state of peace, repose and softness. This acclaimed relaxing and tranquilizing property of blue is applied for relieving headaches and migraines, the pains of stomach, muscle cramps, and even liver disorders. As a general rule, the colour blue is said to have a very positive effect on all kinds of pain conditions. An excess of this colour in a person could bring about doubt, distrust, apathy, and melancholia.
Indigo
Sixth Chakra: lower part of the forehead
Indigo is believed to be a cooling colour that develops psychic perception and intuition. It is applied in health treatments for eyes, ears, nose, and mental problems. It is also used in attempts to treat addiction. Indigo is also ascribed to have sedative and calming effects. Some chromotherapists say indigo may be useful in controlling bleeding, and treating abscesses. Sometimes the colour violet also gets associated with this chakra, depending upon the practitioner's training.
Violet
Seventh Chakra: top of the head
Practitioners name violet to be the colour of the emotions and it is considered to be a meditative colour. In colour therapy and in particular in colour acupuncture, violet is applied for treating the lymphatic system and the spleen. Violet is also used in attempts to soothe organs, relax muscles, and calm the nervous system. A person with an excess of this colour could express fanaticism and domination. The colour white or magenta can also be associated with this chakra, depending upon the practitioner's training.
Crystal Healing
Claims
Some crystal healers claim that each living organism has a "vibrational energy system," which includes chakras, electromagnetic fields around the body known as auras, subtle bodies and meridians. By using the appropriate crystals one can allegedly "tune" an energy system or rebalance energies, thus improving well-being due to the vibrations produced by the crystals, according to color, chemical composition, atomic structure and overall physical form. Using the vibrations of the crystals a trained practitioner can allegedly move, absorb, focus, direct and diffuse energy within the body, using the structure of the crystal for the body to emulate. Crystal healing also allegedly gives the body a chance to relax, which may aid in the body’s natural abilities of the immune system.
History
The earliest records of crystal healing come from ancient Egypt. The Ebers papyrus states the medicinal uses of many different gems. Healing with crystals is also recorded in India's Ayurvedic records and in traditional Chinese medicine from around five thousand years ago. Several shamanistic cultures practice crystal healing, including the Inuit of Canada, which was developed more by New Age healers.
Hopi Ear Candle
Ear candling, also called ear coning or thermal-auricular therapy, is a folk medicine practice intended to assist the natural clearing of earwax (cerumen) and "toxins" from a person's ear by means of a hollow candle placed in the ear. It involves lighting one end of the hollow candle, and placing the other end in the ear canal.
Procedure
One end of a cylinder or cone of waxed cloth is lit, and the other placed into the subject's ear. Usually the subject is lying on one side with the treated ear uppermost and the candle vertical, perhaps stuck through a paper plate or aluminum pie tin to protect against any hot wax or ash falling down the side. The flame is extinguished approximately two inches from the body, sometimes using a dish of water.
An ear candling session can last up to 45 minutes, during which time a series of 1 or 2 ear candles may be burned for each ear. The experience is generally described as being unusual, but pleasant and relaxing. However, there is also the rare danger of burns or damage to the ear from hot wax or ash when candles without filters are used.
The Colon Therapists Network website says "You may hear some crackling and popping" and "you may feel some heat during the ear candling session." It cautions that ear candling should not be practiced on people who have ear tubes (grommets), perforated ear drums, or artificial ear drums, and says ear candlers should use an otoscope to examine their client's ears before and after the session.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is therapy that is undertaken with a subject in hypnosis.
The word "hypnosis" is an abbreviation of James Braid's (1843) term "neuro-hypnotism", meaning "sleep of the nervous system" However, Braid himself rejected the term "hypnosis" as misleadingly implying a similarity between "hypnosis" and normal sleep. He later attempted to substitute a new terminology by referring instead to "ideism" or "monoideism", an application of the physiological mechanism known as the "ideo-motor response." The ideo-motor theory of suggestion became influential, however, the old terminology of "hypnotism" remains popular to this day.
A person who is hypnotized displays certain unusual characteristics and propensities, compared with a non-hypnotized subject, most notably hyper-suggestibility, which some authorities have considered a sine qua non of hypnosis. For example, Clark L. Hull, probably the first major empirical researcher in the field, wrote,
If a subject after submitting to the hypnotic procedure shows no genuine increase in susceptibility to any suggestions whatever, there seems no point in calling him hypnotised [...] (Hull, Hypnosis & Suggestion, 1933: 392)Hypnotherapy is often applied in order to modify a subject's behavior, emotional content, and attitudes, as well as a wide range of conditions including dysfunctional habits, anxiety, stress-related illness, pain management, and personal development.
topIndian Head Massage
Indian Head Massage, also known under the trademarked term Champissage, is an alternative medicine massage therapy in which the head, neck and facial areas are massaged with the purpose of manipulating energy channels. The goal is to clear blocks in these energy channels that cause a build-up of negative energy that are purported to cause ailments.
Theory
Like many other alternative medicines, there is a belief that energy flows in the body. When the energy does not flow properly, negative energy builds up, causing common ailments, including stress, pains and aches, and hair loss.
Reiki
Reiki is a form of spiritual practice, often compared to faith healing, proposed for the treatment of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual diseases. Mikao Usui developed Reiki in early 20th century Japan, where he said he received the ability of 'healing without energy depletion' after three weeks of fasting and meditating on Mount Kurama. Practitioners use a technique similar to the laying on of hands as well as gestures in the air, which they say will channel ki energy from a disembodied spirit or spirits. They say the energy then flows through their palms to bring about healing.
Definition
The name Reiki derives from the Japanese pronunciation of two Chinese characters that are said to describe the energy itself: 'rei' (meaning 'spirit', 'soul' or 'ghost') and ki (Chinese qi, here meaning 'energy' or 'life force'). In English, the Japanese noun Reiki is used as a verb and adjective. Japanese speakers also use the term as a generic "ghostly power" while the Usui Method of Reiki Healing is specifically Usui reiki shiki ryoho.
Some schools teach that:
1. Reiki energy enters the practitioner through the 7th (crown or Sahasrara) chakra, goes through the 4th (heart or Anahata) chakra and then flows through her or his hands (secondary chakras) into the body of the recipient.
2. Reiki energy enters through the 1st (root or Muladhara) chakra at the base of the spine, fills the aura, becomes centered in the 4th chakra, and flows out through the practitioner's hands.
3. Reiki energy is an "intelligent" energy, which "knows what to do," or "where it is needed the most." The Reiki energy will go where it needs to for healing. If the intended recipient does not accept the energy on some level, the energy will not be absorbed.
4. Some schools teach that Reiki spirit guides keep watch over Reiki energy and assist the practitioner. It is said by them that any intention to do harm will block the flow of Reiki energy.
A Treatment
In a Reiki session, the practitioner asks the recipient to lie down and relax. The practitioner then acts as a channel for Reiki energy. Usually the practitioner moves their hands close to or on various parts of the recipient's body.
Usui taught that practitioners can also channel Reiki energy through other parts of their bodies (for example, their eyes or their breathing). Intention is the primary method for directing the flow of the energy. Reiki energy can be used for healing either in physical proximity or from a distance. Reiki energy usually awakens within someone after a Reiki Master performs an "attunement."
Claims
There have been claims of positive effects of Reiki treatment in papers published in some medical journals promoting alternative medicine. Cited benefits include relaxation and increased immunity, reduced heart rate, improved blood pressure, reduced pain, anxiety and depression.