What is an example of alternative therapy?

What is an example of an alternative therapy?

Traditional alternative medicine is the more mainstream and accepted form of therapy.  Some of the earliest examples that have been practiced for centuries worldwide are acupuncture, Ayurveda, homeopathy, naturepathy, body touch, and many other practices that will be discussed below.

Body Touch is based on the idea that an illness and/or injury in one particular area of the body can affect all the parts of the body. With manual manipulation, the other parts of the body can be brought back to optimum health, which then the body can entirely focus on healing directly at the site of injury or illness. These techniques are often combined with those of the mind. Body therapies include:

• Chiropractic
• Osteopathic
• Massage
• Body movement therapy
• Tai chi 
• Yoga

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Diet and herbs. From our early days as humans, we have gone from the simple diet of meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains, to one that, unfortunately, usually consists of foods loaded with fats, oils, and complex carbs. Excess and deficiency are the roots of many problems in our society today. Both lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and addiction. Several dietary and herbal approaches attempt to balance the body’s nutritional well-being and may include:

1. Dietary supplements/vitamins 
2. Herbal medicines
3. Balanced Nutrition/Diet
4. External energies from objects or other sources 
5. External energy therapy examples

1. Electromagnetic therapies
2. Reiki
3. Qigong

Mind therapy. Today, standard or conventional medicine recognizes the power of the connection between mind and body.  Therapies could include:

1. Meditation
2. Biofeedback
3. Hypnosis
4. Senses; touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste have an overall effect on health 
5. Examples of therapies incorporating the senses include:

1. Art, dance, and music
2. Visualization and guided imagery

What is the most popular alternative therapy?

• Acupuncture – is one of the better-known alternative therapies with its origin in ancient China and has been practiced for more than a thousand years. Practitioners suggest that disease and ailments are caused as a result of imbalances in universal energies. The body’s energy network has specific acupuncture points linked with various organs and/or body functions. The needles are inserted into the subcutaneous connective tissue at these specific points, which in turn will help balance, slow down or stimulate specific energies, providing healing to the much-needed areas of concern.

• Acupressure – much like acupuncture, this practice works on the principle of various specific points being energy centers of the body. Stimulation to these points helps to correct imbalances in the flow of life energy, providing healing. The correct amount of pressure is applied to these vital points by using hands, elbows, or specific devices to release the blockages and induce healing.

• Ayurveda – an ancient healing practice originating in India with the word deriving from two words; Ayur, meaning life, and Veda, meaning knowledge. This natural technique establishes balance in the body by bringing balance to three fundamental life forces in our bodies, better known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. This practice teaches us to live in harmony with nature while using the body’s self-healing powers while also practicing and utilizing methods such as meditation, breathing, and Yoga, for example.

• Aromatherapy is a holistic therapy that uses essential oils’ aroma to improve health, vitality, and emotional well-being. In this practice, essential oils can be used as ointments, infusions, or lotions externally as well as internally, wherein they can be mixed with food, fractionated coconut oil, or other natural “diluters” and then can be ingested internally. Always seek a knowledgeable advisor before consuming any oils.

• Reiki – originating in Tibet and Japan, this is an energy healing process with the definition meaning Universal Life Energy. This works by the imposition of hands on different parts of the body and its energy centers while giving vital energy to all organs. During these sessions, the practitioner does not use his own power but serves as a channel, directing the universal energy towards the receiver using their hands. This process heals by bringing harmony and physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual balance to the body of a human being.

• Homeopathy – originating in Germany in the 18th century, this is one of the most popular and widely accepted types of alternative medicine. Based on the philosophy that both the cure and the ailment come from the same situation, the substance that causes the disease in high doses also gives a medicinal effect when used in low doses.  Similar symptoms to that of the ailment are created to cure said ailment while also incorporating herbs and natural medicines into the practice.

• Naturopathy – is an alternate healing therapy in which only natural methods are used to assist the human body’s self-healing abilities. The healing therapies such as herbalism, color therapy, ozone therapy, reflexology, massage therapy, and others like these may also be classified under naturopathy.

What are the 5 major types of complementary and alternative medicine?

1. Alternative medical systems,
2. Mind-body interventions,
3. Biologically based treatments,
4. Manipulative and body-based methods
5. Energy therapies

Which of the following is an example of a complementary and alternative therapy?

Complementary and alternative medicine includes practices such as massage, acupuncture, tai chi, and drinking green tea.

1. Mind-Body Therapies

Combining mental focus, breathing, and body movements to help relax the body as well as the mind. Some compelling examples could be:

1. Meditation, focusing on breathing or repetition of words or phrases to quiet the human mind.
2. Biofeedback, by using simple machines, the patient learns how to affect certain body functions that are commonly out of cognitive awareness, such as one’s own heart rate.
3. Hypnosis: a person concentrates on a certain feeling, idea, or suggestion in an effort to achieve a state of relaxed and focused attention, which attempts to aid in healing.
4. Yoga utilizes a system of stretches and poses with special attention given to breathing.
5. Tai Chi involves slow, gentle movements focusing on breathing and attentiveness.
6. Imagery therapy focuses on imagining scenes, pictures, or experiences to help the body heal.
7. Creative outlet therapy employs the practice through interests in art, music, or dance.

1. Manipulative and Body-Based Practices

Based on working with one or more parts of the body. Some examples are:

1. Massage: The soft tissues of the body are kneaded, rubbed, tapped, and stroked.
2. Chiropractic therapy: A type of manipulation of the spine, joints, and skeletal system.
3. Reflexology: Using pressure points in the hands or feet to affect other parts of the body.