Women’s health articles

Specific methods of alternative medicine

The following is a brief description of the alternative and complementary medical techniques we’ve used with success in our own medical practice and to which we have referred many patients over the years. A great deal of overlap exists among various forms of alternative medicines, but for convenience sake the list is divided into three broad categories:

• Schools of medicine
• Body-based techniques
• Mind–body connection methods

This listing is intended not so much as endorsement but as a simple guide in your initial efforts to find what works well for you. Be sure to read our companion article titled Women’s alternative health care — how to make it work for you. Regulations vary between states regarding certification and licensing of practitioners, depending on the technique, so be sure to check! In general, be cautious of extravagant health claims made for any form of therapy.

Systems of medicine

The following schools of medicine rival the complexities found in the Western medical system. These explanations provided barely skim the surface of how these systems work. We encourage you to explore them further if you are interested.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) / Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM): As the standard of care in the Orient for over 3000 years, TCM incorporates the use of acupuncture, diet, and herbal remedies with physical movement (qi gong and t’ai chi) and massage (known in Japan as shiatsu, “finger-pressure” ). Oriental doctors see the body as an intricate web of organs interconnected by channels (meridians) through which universal energy (chi or qi) flows. Healthy bodies have a dynamic balance of yin and yang energy, opposites that occur in nature (female/male, moon/sun, etc.). According to the tenets of Oriental medicine, disease (dis-ease) arises when the flow of qi is blocked and balance is disturbed, either within the body or between the body and its environment. Disease is prevented and health maintained by restoring the balance and flow.

Ayurveda: Originating over 5000 years ago in India, ayurvedic medicine predates all other known medical systems. This ancient form of healing stresses the mind-body-spirit connection. Ayurvedic doctors believe that prana — or life force — responds to equivalent treatments in a different way in each person. Healing and preventative regimens are customized specifically around a person’s body and spiritual type, or dosha. Ayurvedic medicine encompasses meditation, yoga, bodywork, aromatic oils, diet and medicinal herbs to foster balance in the body and cleanse impurities. (See also our article on the tridosha approach to healing in menopause.)

Homeopathy: Founded in early 19th century Europe, homeopathy is a medical discipline based on the ancient law of similars: the same substances that cause an illness will cure it when administered in infinitesimally small doses. (Vaccines operate on a similar principle). Using serially diluted remedies from natural sources, homeopaths (most of whom are naturopaths) treat and prevent illness using one medicine at a time at the lowest dosage possible to create the required response. Licensing requirements vary from state to state, and you will often find acupuncturists, naturopaths, herbalists, DO’s and MD’s who are also licensed homeopaths.

Naturopathy applies to a belief system that holds the body as innately capable of recovering from injury and disease, and that health is the natural state. Most naturopaths implement elements from various alternative methods to create health, including homeopathy, herbal medicines, acupuncture, nutrition therapy, and bodywork. Naturopathy has its roots in ancient medicinal practices, but took form as a separate discipline in Germany in the 19th century. Founded on the precepts of a medical regimen of hydrotherapy, exercise, fresh air, sunlight, and herbal remedies, this system has evolved today to include a wide spectrum of holistic practitioners.

Body-based therapeutic techniques

The following is a list of the most popular body-based techniques used by various healthcare practitioners. They may be used alone or in combination. Again, the list is not comprehensive but should act as a good introduction.

Acupuncture: One of the main elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is now widely accepted in Western medicine for the treatment of pain, nausea, and other conditions. (Insurance companies reimburse for the cost of acupuncture to treat dozens of diagnoses, a sure sign of acceptance in our culture.) Studies support its effectiveness for many other issues, such as cramps, dysmenorrhea, and menopausal symptoms. We have found it to be effective for many purposes, especially in the hands of a well-trained practitioner.

Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy and Flower Essences are two separate and very different approaches to healing that utilize plants to effect changes and thereby heal our bodies. Aromatherapy utilizes volatile liquid plant materials, including essential oils and other aromatic compounds of plants, to relax our bodies or stimulate its function, especially our senses. Essential oils are very aromatic, but that is an added side benefit — their healing actions are quite physiological. For example, they can stimulate the limbic system and emotional centers of the brain, activate thermal receptors on the skin, act as natural antibiotics and fungicides, and possibly enhance the immune response in other ways not fully understood.

Bach flower essences: In the 1930’s Edward Bach, a British bacteriologist and homeopath, developed a line of plant essences that he claimed would remedy negative emotional states, along with a system of matching a specific essence to a specific problem. Perhaps the most famous among these is a formulation called Rescue Remedy. Flower essences do not contain any of the actual molecular structure of the original plant but rather embody the very “spirit” of the healing qualities of the plant.

Chelation therapy is an intravenously administered process used within the alternative medical community for many years to treat patients with dangerous levels of lead and other toxins in their system. In EDTA chelation therapy, a manmade amino acid known as ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid acts as a “magnet” traveling throughout the body to bind (chelate) heavy metals and minerals, allowing them to be excreted through urination.

Chiropractic: This is a system of treatment based on the concept that good health stems from the unimpeded flow of nerve impulses from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body. Misaligned vertebrae of the spine, which chiropractors call subluxations, disrupt this flow and are adjusted by the chiropractor along with other joints. All 50 states currently have licensing procedures for chiropractic doctors. Many chiropractors use other natural remedies for adjunctive healing and prevention.

Herbal remedies: The ancient practice of herbal medicine is utilized in all the schools of medicine described above. Of course, it is likewise the basis for many prescription drugs in the Western paradigm, once the active ingredient has been isolated and synthesized in a laboratory setting. Therapeutic herbal remedies are the specialty of herbalists, but they are a component of many other practices and can take the form of teas, tinctures, oils, creams, and pills. Many herbs can be poisonous or interact dangerously with prescription drugs, so it is best to use them only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.

Hydrotherapy encompasses a range of treatments involving water to prevent disease and promote healing. It may include cold and hot immersion baths, sitz baths, mud baths, steam baths, saunas, vigorous showers, salt rubs, hot/cold packs, foot baths, douches or colonic irrigation. Patients may also be asked to drink restorative waters and teas for digestive ailments.

Massage: One of the oldest forms of healing, massage therapy is used alone or in conjunction with a variety of treatments to alleviate stress, tension, and soreness and to increase blood flow to the muscles. Some forms claim to detoxify, others to open blocked energy channels through applying pressure on certain points in the body. Types of massage include reflexology, Rolfing, shiatsu, Swedish massage, and sports massage, among others.

Movement and exercise therapy: Treatments include yoga, Pilates, physical therapy, Alexander Technique, and Feldenkrais Technique, among many others. These therapies promote circulation, elimination, and flexibility while easing chronic pain and any postural misalignment interfering with mobility.

Nutrition therapy: This treatment promotes the links between your food, your metabolism, and your health. Depending on an individual’s makeup, a regimen of certain foods, vitamins and minerals can cure and prevent disease — both physical and psychological. Treatments range from dietary prescriptions such as macrobiotics to megadoses of vitamins and minerals. Dieticians, doctors, and many other practitioners receive certification from the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists. Nutritionists may be licensed or certified depending on their state requirements.

Osteopathy: Osteopathic physicians (DO’s) are trained and licensed as rigorously as conventional medical doctors (MD’s), but the founding philosophy of osteopathic medicine is to treat the whole person, focusing on preventive care. In this regard osteopathy may be considered to be a “holistic” form of medicine, yet strictly speaking it is not an “alternative modality.” Osteopaths serve medical residencies, hold unrestricted licenses to prescribe drugs, and frequently perform surgery. Osteopathy is sometimes confused with chiropractic medicine because it involves osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT), which includes spinal manipulation and craniosacral techniques. Emphasizing the neuromusculoskeletal system, osteopaths create health by balancing the energy between the organs and the connection between mind and body.

Reiki/energy medicine: This approach uses the vital energy of the body to enhance health. The Reiki practitioner has had his or her own energy channels cleared, and can thereby act as a funnel for the universal life force energy through touch to the patient. Energy medicine is frequently used in combination with diet therapy and herbal or homeopathic remedies to bring a person back into emotional and physical alignment.

Therapeutic touch: This technique is a form of energy medicine in which the practitioner’s hands are moved over a person’s body, often without direct contact, to break up energy blockages and promote healing. Therapeutic touch works with a person’s individual energy field, a concept that has its roots in the Chinese concept of Qi, the Ayurvedic principle of prana (life force), and the ancient practice of laying on of hands. Numerous studies have shown its efficacy in decreasing pain and anxiety, reducing the need for medication post-surgery, and increasing hemoglobin levels. It is now part of the core curriculum at many nursing schools.

Mind-body connection techniques

These techniques strive to create awareness of the connection between our conscious and unconscious mind, as well as our emotions, outlook and physical state. They are often used in combination with body-based therapies and address a much overlooked aspect of healing and prevention.

Biofeedback: This is a series of techniques developed to help people overcome various forms of stress-related habits, illnesses, symptoms, and phobias. Electronic monitors help a person gauge and alter facets of their stress response by altering the electric signals. By increasing a person’s awareness of physiological activity in their muscles, they can be trained to control what are otherwise automatic physical responses to tension and stress, such as heartbeat, blood pressure, skin temperature, and brain-wave patterns. The efficacy of biofeedback for essential hypertension has been well established in clinical trials.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): Developed by Gary Craig from the tenets of acupuncture, EFT uses sequential tapping of the energy meridians rather than needles to unlock energy blockage and treat physical and emotional imbalance. EFT is surprisingly effective, regardless of one’s belief system. Once the technique is learned, EFT can be used by anyone, just about anywhere, both to counter pain, cravings, negative emotions, and complex problems, as well as to reinforce positive behavior. Those with entrenched problems enjoy a higher success rate under the guidance of a trained practitioner.

Guided imagery: Harnessing the imagination to create a “construct of reality” can give us powerful yet gentle insight into our unconscious mind. Using highly personalized themes, guided imagery invokes not just visualizations but taps into sounds, smells, and tactile experiences as well, to which the body responds as though they were the real thing. Studies show that a biophysical response to positive imagery can effectively override the hardwiring of engrained thought patterns and habits to help create better health and attain otherwise unreachable goals.

Hypnosis/self-hypnosis: A technique that renders an altered state of consciousness in the patient, hypnotherapy can be administered either through the help of a practitioner or on one’s own accord. Hypnotherapy can be used for behavior modification (e.g., smoking cessation), to treat trauma and phobia, or to relieve chronic or symptomatic pain such as that of childbirth.

Meditation/visualization: These techniques work by having the patient focus on one image or thought for a duration of time while practicing deep breathing. Meditation — a pillar of Ayurvedic medicine — is used to quiet the mind, often in tandem with physical exercise (yoga or other). Visualization works similarly, training the patient to gain control over pain or reduce anxiety by triggering deep relaxation.

The Relaxation Response: Pioneered by Herb Benson, MD, a Harvard internist, the Relaxation Response involves attaining a state of deep relaxation whereby a person can counteract the ill effects of pain, anxiety and stress. Employing a variety of mind/body exercises to achieve a meditative state, the Relaxation Response has been used for years to help people successfully overcome all sorts of physiologically and psychologically-based problems, including high blood pressure, addiction — even some stress-related infertility issues. Eliciting the Relaxation Response is a component of the high rate of success Dr. Alice Domar has achieved with patients in her Mind/Body Program for Infertility.

Spiritual/psychic healing: Using powers that are beyond our understanding — let alone medical knowledge — is an ancient practice. Prayer, touch, and other religious rituals have been successfully used throughout time to cure physical and mental illness. Practitioners work by channeling beliefs and creating a special link between the patient and a superior consciousness, thereby effecting change. Many studies documenting the efficacy of prayer in healing have been published in peer-reviewed journals over the years. In particular, the lifelong work of Dr. Larry Dossey has served to broaden our understanding of the links between spirituality and healing. By presenting solid scientific evidence Dr. Dossey has helped to legitimize prayer’s healing effects within conventional medical circles.

See also our full article on women’s alternative health care and how to make it work for you.

 

Last Modified Date: 06/02/2011
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP