Alternative Healing
Holistic healthcare includes natural, alternative, integrative and
complementary medicine. When alternative medicine is used with
conventional medicine in a fully coordinated approach to patient care,
this is referred to as complementary medicine, integrative medicine or
holistic healthcare. While Allopathy or the western medicine system is
the prominent health care technique followed by most people in the
world, there are other older and more recent healing techniques which
are also catching on.
Here is a list of top alternative healing techniques that you can try
out:
Homeopathy - The system is famous for its little white sugar
pills in which the essences of the medicines are added. The critics call
it a placebo effect, but the proponents have shown great improvement in
non critical symptoms.
Ayurveda - The old Indian system of medicine is highly
effective and well proved.
Acupuncture - The treatment involves poking fine needles into the
points specified by texts. The Chinese system of healing is also very
popular and is said to be very effective in even critical diseases.
Acupressure- The meridian points pressed are the same ones that are
used in acupuncture by needles. Yet it is less intrusive and you can
practice it at home by yourself.
Emotional Freedom Techniques- or EFT is a more recent development. It
says that, "the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the
body's energy system.
Healing with sound --- Each organ is believed to have a corresponding
vibration attached to it. Like in mantras or sacred words being used to
penetrate one's psyche and aligning the energies that are out of
balance.
Healing with color --- Using colors to correspond to the area that is
sick the subject places them near the area or can visualize the color.
They also will eat fruit that has healing colors as well as wear
matching clothing to initiate or help the healing process. The signs of
the zodiac have their own colors that correspond to the anatomy also.
This also is used to incorporate a speedy recovery.
Healing with crystals --- Placing certain stones over the chakra
points and other points of imbalance or blockage to realign the body’s
energies.
Biofeedback --- This process involves hooking up the patient to a
passive monitoring machine that is used to extend the 5 senses creating
a new sense of awareness, by opening up your consciousness to the
integrating of the mind and body. It promotes relaxation, creativity and
intuition. You become in control of your biological process.
Bach flower remedies --- The philosophy behind this healing is that by
taking the flower remedies, the sufferer will be able to overcome worry,
fear, or depression and that would enable the physical illness to
disappear. In other words, our state of mind causes illness and when
peace and harmony return to the mind, health returns to the body.
Massage therapy--polarity therapy, shiatsu and reflexology and other
types of energy balancing may all be used by massage therapists to bring
relief from tension and spasms. The soft tissue manipulation of a
massage improves blood circulation, thus increases the body’s functional
ability for recovery from injury or ailments.
Aromatherapy--- The art of healing by inhaling the essential oil
fragrances of flowers, herbs, and aromatic woods to bring the body,
mind, spirit into balance.
Floatation therapy- A therapeutic session in float tanks reportedly
gets rid of all sensory input and enables to the brain to calm down.
People who have undergone floatation therapy have raved that the relaxed
state from being in the tank have alleviated a range of conditions
including anxiety, day-to-day stress, chronic pain, insomnia, jet lag
and it has even helped fight addiction. Besides physical benefits,
floating is also valuable for spiritual practice and improving
concentration and focus.
Modern Hypnotherapy - It is now used for a variety of things such as
quit smoking, aiding in weight loss, pain relief, and even cancer
therapy. It is also used with treating asthma, overcoming addiction,
sickle-cell anemia, anxiety, stress, birthing, in preparation for
surgery, and so on.
Thalassotherapy - It is used for treatments of various things. The
basis behind the therapy is that there is an exchange of minerals for
toxins, giving one a restoration. This natural type of healing betters
the lymph system, eliminated unwanted fluids that may cause pain, and
more.
Naturopathy - It includes different types of healing systems such as
hydrotherapy, mineral and vitamin supplements, various herbal remedies,
techniques used in relaxation, and much more. The range of treatments
applied is rather broad. You can receive counseling as far as nutrition,
acupuncture, various forms of detoxifications, lifestyle counseling,
enhanced spiritual benefits, and so on.
Yoga – It is a perfect path to live a healthy life. Yoga can cure
major ailments as well. Performing yoga creates harmony between body,
mind and surroundings. Yoga is based on breathing exercises for
improving respiration and elevating your mood. Asanas are specific
sitting positions which can improve body functions significantly.
Meditation is also a part of yoga which improves mental stability,
memory and increases concentration.
Diet-based therapy - Diet-based therapy uses a variety of diets in
order to improve health and longevity, to control weight, as well as to
treat specific health conditions like high cholesterol.
1. Breatharian – no food intake, using sunlight as source of energy.
2. Fruitarianism – a complete fruit based diet.
3. Living foods diet – a food plan that can help in sustaining life
processes.
4. Macrobiotic lifestyle – a diet emphasizing on grains and vegetables
and avoiding processed foods.
5. Okinawa diet – is a Japanese diet rich in nutrients but low in
calories. It is often called weight losing diet.
6. Ovo-lacto vegetarian – a diet including eggs and milk products but
not including any other animal food.
7. Raw Foodism - is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and
often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet
8. Vegan – is the personal practice of eliminating the use of non-human
animal products.
9. Low-fat diet – is a diet low in fats and oils or oil based products.
10. Low-carb diet (Zone diet, Atkins diet) – are the dietary plan to
restrict the consumption of carbohydrates for weight loss or even in
poly cystic ovarian syndrome.
None of these are nutritionally balanced but a combination of two or
three diets can help us formulate a dietary regimen for healing body
illnesses and ailments.
Exercise-based therapy - It uses a variety of traditional forms of
physical movement, in order to improve health and longevity, to
increase, lengthen & tone muscle mass, gain flexibility, as well as to
treat specific health conditions and to relieve stress.
1. Active Isolated Stretching
2. Aerobic exercise
3. Aerobics
4. Bodybuilding
5. Feldenkrais method
6. Martial arts
7. Physical Culture
8. Pilates
9. PNF stretching
10. Stretching
11. Some forms of Qigong
12. Tai chi
13. Walking
14. Weight training
15. Yoga
Food as medicine is not a new concept. In fact, the Greek Philosopher
and father of medicine, Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and
medicine be your food”. He believed that sickness was a direct result of
diet and bad living habits. Hippocrates treated illness with food. Raw,
organic fruits and vegetables are healing foods. The body needs a
variety of nutrients to sustain its constant demands.
Healthy foods
heal, and eating right is an essential part of the healing process. In
other words, we should be eating to live, not living to eat. The bottom
line is the body needs five servings of raw foods (fruits and
vegetables) a day, minimum! If you are sick now with disease or find
that you catch the common cold and flu easy, it means your body needs to
rejuvenate itself. Besides exercising, drinking pure water, and getting
plenty of rest, eating seven servings of raw fruits and vegetables a day
is recommended.
