January 2009 NRA News
by CDR Marian Cioe, NC, USN
There is a broad range of healing approaches not used in conventional Western medicine. Although many alternative therapies have long been widely employed in the treatment of disease, the scientificallyoriented, modern medical establishment has typically been skeptical about, and sometimes strongly opposed to, their use. Despite this, Americans spend billions of dollars on alternative treatments each year. In 1993, the U.S. National Institutes of Health established the Office of Alternative Medicine to examine the merits of such techniques.
The term “alternative medicine,” as used in the modern Western world, encompasses any healing practice “that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine.” Though considered alternative in the West, such medicine is the main source of health care for up to 80% of people in less-developed countries. Some alternativemedicine practices are useless or harmful; others are effective and may offer treatments in areas where conventional approaches have not succeeded.
Complementary medicine generally refers to the same interventions when used in conjunction with mainstream medical techniques under the umbrella term “complementary and alternative medicine,” or CAM. Some significant researchers in alternative medicine oppose this grouping, preferring to emphasize differences of approach; but, nevertheless, use of the term CAM has become standard.
The claims made by alternative medicine practitioners are generally not accepted by the medical community because evidence based assessment is not available for the safety and efficacy of many of these practices. If scientific investigation establishes the safety and effectiveness of an alternative medical practice, it may be adopted by conventional practitioners. Because alternative techniques tend to lack evidence, some have advocated defining it as non-evidence-based medicine or not medicine at all. Some researchers have noted that the evidence-based approach to defining CAM is problematic because some CAM is tested, and research suggests that many mainstream medical techniques lack solid evidence.
Holistic medicine system of health care is based on a concept of the “whole” person as one whose body, mind, spirit, and emotions are in balance with the environment. Stressing personal responsibility for health, a holistic approach may include conventional medicine and various nontraditional methods of diagnosis and therapy. Patients are encouraged to establish self-regulated regimes to control such illnessrelated factors as poor diet, smoking, alcohol intake, and stress. Surgery and prescription drugs are generally avoided.
Complementary therapies include the following:
Acupressure/Acupuncture – pressure or needles used to restore the proper flow of life energy (chi) through energy pathways(meridians).
Aromatherapy – essential plant oils used in massage, baths, or inhaled.
Ayurveda – combines a system of healing and a philosophy of life. Sanskrit word that means “knowledge of daily living.”
Biofeedback – the individual’s conscious awareness of biological processes becoming part of a feedback loop from body to brain
and back.
Feldenkrais – uses movements experienced as a child when learning to crawl, walk, and talk. Flexibility in body and mind are expected outcomes.
Feng Shui – uses proper placement of objects in the home and workspace to create a sense of balance and harmony. Guided Imagery – using the power of the imagination to evoke positive images to stimulate healing.
Homeopathy – belief is that as the homeopathic drug source molecules decrease, the potency of a homeopathic solution increases.
Hypnosis – a highly relaxed, focused state that shuts out the outside world.
Magnet Therapy – the magnetic fields are used to reduce inflammation, accelerate healing, and reduce pain.
Massage – systematic manipulation of the body’s soft tissue.
Meditation – attention focused on some aspect of experience, including breathing, a particular word (mantra), or observing the flow of experience.
Music Therapy – uses music to enhance quality of life and treat physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities.
Naturopathy – a natural system for curing disease that includes diet, breathing, exercising, bathing, and various approaches to eliminate poisonous products from the body.
Reflexology – a practice built on the principle that there are reflex points in the hands and feet that correspond to all the glands, organs, and other parts of the body.
T’ai Chi – a series of slow, gentle movements that enhance mind and body.
Therapeutic Touch – an intentionally directed process of energy exchange; the practitioner uses the hands to facilitate healing, holding the intention of healing in mind.
Trager Approach – a psychophysical integration that includes a hands-on mode and movements-awareness mode.