Glossary of alternative medicine
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225205187
2008-07-12T13:19:47Z
Arthur Rubin
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Incorrect to call it exercise-based; [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225195322 by [[Special:Contributions/Spathi|Spathi]] ([[User talk:Spathi|talk]])
{{POV|date=June 2008}}
This is a glossary for terms and concepts being used in ''[[Complementary and Alternative Medicine]]'' ([[#CAM|CAM]]), an umbrella term for a large number of practices that fall outside the scope of conventional medicine.
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{{Alternative medical systems}}
==A==
===Acupuncture===
[[Acupuncture]] is the practice of inserting very thin needles in specific acupuncture points or combinations of points on the body.
===Alternative medical systems===
''Alternative medical systems'' is the precise name of a [[NCCAM]]<ref name="NCCAM" /> classification for those forms of alternative medicine that are built upon a complete system of theory and practice.
* [[Ayurveda]]
* [[Chiropractic]]
* [[Homeopathy]]
* [[Naturopathic medicine]]
* [[Osteopathy]]
* [[Traditional Chinese medicine]]
===Alternative medicine===
[[Alternative medicine]] "A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine." Alternatively defined in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary as: a wide range of treatments for medical conditions that people use instead of or with western medicine: Alternative medicine includes treatments such as acupuncture, homeopathy and hypnotherapy.
*[[List of branches of alternative medicine]]
*[[List of famous people in alternative medicine]]
*[[History of alternative medicine]]
===Aromatherapy===
[[Aromatherapy]] is the use of [[essential oil]]s and other aromatic compounds from plants to affect someone's mood or health.
===Asklepios===
[[Asklepios]], ([[Latin]]ate spelling ''Asclepius'') the Greek god of medicine treated the sick with the help of his daughters, [[Hygeia]] and [[Panacea]].
===Attachment therapy===
[[Attachment therapy]] is a form of therapy aimed at children with alleged 'attachment disorders', usually fostered or adopted children. It is substantially based on outdated notions of suppressed rage due to early adverse experiences. Traditionally it uses a variety of confrontational and physically coercive techniques of which the most common form is holding therapy, accompanied by parenting methods which emphasize obedience. Following implication in a number of child death and maltreatment cases in the USA there has been a recent move away from coercion by some leading theorists and practitioners. It is largely unvalidated.<ref name="Chaffin">{{cite journal |author=Chaffin M, Hanson R, Saunders BE, ''et al'' |title=Report of the APSAC task force on attachment therapy, reactive attachment disorder, and attachment problems |journal=Child Maltreat |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=76–89 |year=2006 |pmid=16382093 |doi=10.1177/1077559505283699 |url=http://cmx.sagepub.com/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=16382093 |issn=}}</ref>
===Ayurveda===
[[Ayurveda]]: "This comprehensive system of medicine, with ancient medical textbooks dating 5,000 and 6,000 years ago, places equal emphasis on body, mind, and spirit. Defined literally as Knowledge or Science of Life, teachers also define it as Knowledge of Life for Longevity, Knowledge of how to surf the ever changing waves of Life successfully, and Mother of Healing. The goal is to restore the natural harmony of the individual. An Ayurvedic doctor identifies an individual's constitution or overall health profile and imbalances by ascertaining the patient's metabolic (dosha) body type ([[Vata]], [[Pitta]], or [[Kapha]]) through a series of personal history questions, pulse, tongue, nail and other tools. The patient's imbalances in context of constitution also then becomes the foundation of a specific treatment plan designed to guide the individual back into harmony with his or her environment. This plan may include dietary changes, exercise, yoga, meditation, massage, herbal tonics, and other remedies."<ref name="CDC">Barnes, Patricia; Eve Powell-Griner; Kim McFann; Richard L. Nahin (2004). "Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2002 (PDF)". [http://nccam.nih.gov/news/report.pdf available online] Centers for Disease Control.</ref>
==B==
===Bates method===
The [[Bates method]] is an alternative approach to eyesight improvement and maintenance. It is based on the belief that errors in visual accommodation are due to strain, and that vision may be improved by appropriate relaxation techniques.
===Bioecological medicine===
Bioecological medicine is the use of [[prebiotics]], [[probiotics]] and [[synbiotics]] for prevention and treatment of diseases.
===Biofeedback===
[[Biofeedback]] is a form of alternative medicine that involves measuring a subject's quantifiable bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, sweat gland activity, and muscle tension, conveying the information to the patient in real-time. The intention then being that the subject can control their own physiological functions.
===Biologically based therapies===
''Biologically based therapies'', is the precise name of a [http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ NCCAM] classification, for alternative treatments that use substances found in nature and/or some other natural therapy.
*[[Chinese food therapy]]
*[[Fasting]]
*[[Herbal therapy]]
*[[Macrobiotic lifestyle]]
*[[Natural health]]
*[[Natural therapy]]
**[[Diet (nutrition)|Diet]] and [[Food]]
**[[Dietary supplement]]s
**[[Exercise]]
*[[Naturopathy]]
*[[Orthomolecular medicine]]
*[[Urine therapy]]
===Biomedical model===
The [[Biomedical model]] of health is a conceptual model of illness that excludes psychological and social factors and includes only biological factors in an attempt to understand a person's illness.
===Biopsychosocial model===
The [[Biopsychosocial model]] of health sees health, illness and healing as resulting from the interacting effects of events of very different types, including biological, psychological, and social factors.
===Body work===
[[Body work (alternative medicine)|Body work]] Body work "involves pressing, rubbing, and otherwise manipulating muscles and other soft tissues of the body, causing them to relax and lengthen and allowing pain relieving oxygen and blood to flow to the affected area. Using their hands and sometimes feet, elbows, and forearms, massage therapists may use over 75 different methods, such as Swedish message, deep-tissue massage, neuromuscular massage, and [[manual lymphatic drainage]]. Massage is considered effective for relieving any type of pain, or restriction in the body's soft tissue, including [[low back pain|back]], neck, and shoulder pain, [[headache]]s, [[bursitis]], and [[tendinitis]].<ref name="CDC"/>
===Breathing meditation===
Many forms of meditation, especially Asian, focus on breathing in their technique. [[Yoga]], [[qigong]], [[vipassana]], etc. "Deep breathing involves slow, deep inhalation through the nose, usually for a count of 10, followed by slow and complete exhalation for a similar count. To help quiet the mind, one generally concentrates fully on breathing and counting through each cycle. The process may be repeated 5 to 10 times, several times a day."<ref name="CDC"/>
==C==
===CAM===
CAM is an [[acronym]] for [[complementary and alternative medicine]], an umbrella term for a large range of treatments and of theories on the nature of health and illness, many of them unrelated, which have in common that they are not commonly employed by the conventional medical establishment.
While some scientific evidence exists for or against some CAM therapies, for most there are key questions that are yet to be answered through well-designed studies, including whether these therapies are safe, whether they work for the diseases or medical conditions for which they are used, and whether the explanations proponents offer for them are correct.
The list of therapies included under CAM changes gradually. If and when CAM therapies that are proven to be safe and effective become adopted into conventional health care, they gradually cease to be considered CAM.
{{seealso|List of branches of alternative medicine|List of famous people in alternative medicine|History of alternative medicine}}
===Chelation therapy===
[[Chelation therapy]] is the use of chelating agents such as EDTA to remove heavy metals from the body. While in conventional medicine, chelation therapy is used only to treat heavy metal poisoning, some alternative practitioners advocate the use of chelation therapy to treat coronary artery disease.
===Chinese medicine===
The group of philosophies embodied by [[Traditional Chinese medicine|Chinese medicine]] are, more accurately, referred to as [[Oriental]] Medicine with roots in many different [[Asia]]n countries. This millennia-old Asian medical tradition works to bring balance to the body through [[acupuncture]], [[tui na|massage]], Eastern [[herbalism]], diet; and lifestyle changes such as [[martial arts]] and [[meditation]].
===Chiropractic===
[[Chiropractic]] is a popular form of alternative medicine in which the most commonly utilized intervention is [[spinal manipulation]]. Some chiropractors maintain that their [[spinal adjustment]]s move [[vertebrae]] to release pressure on [[spinal nerves]] to improve health. "This care involves the adjustment of the spine and joints to influence the body’s nervous system and natural defense mechanisms to alleviate pain and improve general health. It is primarily used to treat back problems, headaches, nerve inflammation, muscle spasms, and other injuries and traumas."<ref name="CDC"/>
===Christian Science===
[[Christian Science]] is a small denomination that teaches that Christian healing as practiced by [[Jesus|Jesus of Nazareth]] and his followers for several centuries after him, was in fact not a short-term dispensation to induce faith but had an underlying principle (specifically God) and method. While its practice is regarded within the denomination as incompatible with medical care, it also respects the philanthropy of the medical faculty and is uncondemningly non-compulsory. Resort to Christian Science may be private or involve the care of a [[Christian Science practitioner]].
===Complementary medicine===
[[Complementary medicine]] refers to treatments that are used ''alongside'' ("complementary to") [[conventional medicine]].
==D==
===Diet-based therapy===
Diet-based therapy uses a variety of [[Dieting|diet]]s in order to improve health and longevity, to control weight, as well as to treat specific health conditions like high [[cholesterol]].
*[[Breatharian]]
*[[Fruitarianism]]
*[[List of diets]]
*[[Living foods diet]]
*[[Macrobiotic lifestyle]]
*[[Okinawa diet]]
*[[Ovo-lacto vegetarian]]
*[[Raw foodist]]
*[[Vegan]]
*[[Vegetarianism]]
*[[Low-fat diet]]
*[[Low-carb diet]] ([[Zone diet]], [[Atkins diet]])
A [http://nccam.nih.gov/news/2004/052704.htm survey released in May 2004] by the [[National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine]] focused on who used [[:category:alternative medicine|complementary and alternative medicine]] (CAM), what was used, and why it was used in the United States by adults age 18 years and over during 2002. According to this recent survey, Diet-based therapy as a form of CAM was to treat 3.5% of the adult population in the United States during 2002.<ref>Barnes, Patricia, ''et al.'', p. 8, table 1</ref>
===Disease models===
[[Disease models]] are how people who have studied diseases try to explain them.
*[[Disease agent model of diseases]]
*[[Lifestyle diseases]]
===Doctrine of signatures===
The [[Doctrine of signatures]] was developed around 1500 and claims that a plant's physical appearance reveals its medical value. The Doctrine of Signatures is often associated with [[Western culture|Western]] [[herbalism]].
==E==
===Eclectic medicine===
[[Eclectic medicine]] was a nineteenth-century system of medicine used in North America that treated diseases by the application of single herbal remedies to effect specific cures of certain signs and symptoms.
===Energy medicine===
''[[Energy medicine]]'' is the name of a [[NCCAM]]<ref name="NCCAM" /> classification, for alternative treatments that involve the use of veritable (i.e., that which can be measured) and putative or fictitious (i.e., that which have yet to be measured) energy fields <ref> [http://nccam.nih.gov/health/backgrounds/energymed.htm NCCAM Energy Medicine Overview]</ref>.
*[[Jin Shin Jyutsu]]
*[[Magnet therapy]]
*[[Medical Qigong]]
*[[Reiki]]
*[[Shiatsu]]
*[[Therapeutic Touch]]
*[[The W.I.S.E. Method]] ([[Holistic Integrated Spiritual Energy]])
* Eden Energy Medicine - approach developed by [[Donna Eden]]<ref>Feinstein, PhD, Eden: Six Pillars of Energy Medicine: Clinical Strengths of a Complementary Paradigm [http://www.alternative-therapies.com/at/ , Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2008, 14(1), 44-54], accessed 1/27/08; also [http://www.innersource.net/download/6_Pillars_of_EM.pdf pdf version of the article] </ref>
===Exercise-based therapy===
Exercise-based therapy uses a variety of traditional forms of physical movement, in order to improve health and longevity, to increase,lengthen & tone muscle mass, gain flexiblity, as well as to treat specific health conditions and to relieve stress.
*[[Active Isolated Stretching]]
*[[Aerobic exercise]]
*[[Aerobics]]
*[[Alexander Technique]]
*[[Bodybuilding]]
*[[Feldenkrais method]]
*[[Martial arts]]
*[[Physical Culture]]
*[[Pilates]]
*[[PNF stretching]]
*[[PNF stretching|Stretching]]
*Some forms of [[Qigong]]
*[[Tai chi]]
*[[Walking]]
*[[Weight training]]
==F==
===Flower essence therapy===
[[Flower essence therapy]] is regarded by some as a sub-category of [[homeopathy]] which uses homeopathic dilutions of flowers. This practice was begun by [[Edward Bach]] with the [[Bach flower remedies]] but is now practiced much more widely, utilizing flowers all over the world. There are numerous makers of flower essences, using the flowers that are local to their region.
The flower essences are said to help with various emotional states and, in some cases, even physical conditions. For example, the Bach remedy Mimulus is said to help with anxiety and Gorse is said to help with depression. The Australian Bush Flower Essence Waratah is said to help with depression; She-Oak is said to help with female problems like PMT; Spinifex is said to help with candida. The essences are taken as drops; with the Bach remedies, four drops 4X daily; with the Australian essences, seven drops 2X daily.
===Folk medicine===
[[Folk medicine]] is the collection of procedures traditionally used for treatment of illness and injury, aid to childbirth, and maintenance of wellness.
==G==
===Grahamism===
[[Grahamism]] recommended hard mattresses, open bedroom windows, chastity, cold showers, loose clothing, pure water and vigorous exercise.
===Green prescription===
A [[green prescription]] is a card given by a doctor or nurse to a patient, with exercise and lifestyle goals written on it.
===Group modalities===
Group modalities are forms of CAM that an individual must seek out and perform with a group of like minded people.
==H==
===Herbalism===
[[Herbalism]] is the practice of making or prescribing herbal remedies for [[medical condition]]s.
===Herbology===
[[Herbology]] is the traditional Chinese medical practice of combining plants, minerals, and parts of animals for medical treatment.
===Heroic medicine===
[[Heroic medicine]] is any medicine or method of treatment that is aggressive or daring in a dangerously ill patient.
===Holism===
[[Holism]] is the study and advocacy of wholeness in [[health]], [[science]], [[politics]], or any other area of life.
===Homeopathy===
[[Homeopathy]] is an alternative medical practice founded on similars. The underlying theory is that disease states are cured by remedies which produce, on a healthy person, similar effects to the symptoms of the patient's complaint. "For example, someone suffering from insomnia may be given a homeopathic dose of coffee. Administered in diluted form, homeopathic remedies are derived from many natural sources, including plants, metals, and minerals. Numbering in the thousands, these remedies have been used to treat a wide variety of ailments including seasonal [[allergies]], [[asthma]], [[influenza]], [[headaches]], and [[indigestion]]."<ref name="CDC"/>
===Hypnotherapy===
[[Hypnotherapy]] is the treatment of a symptom, disease, or addiction by means of [[hypnotism]]. [[Hypnosis]] is "an altered state of consciousness, it is characterized by increased responsiveness to suggestion. The hypnotic state is attained by first relaxing the body then shifting the client's attention toward a narrow range of objects or ideas as suggested by the hypnotist or hypnotheraptist. The procedure is used to access various levels of the mind to effect positive changes in a person's behavior and to treat numerous health conditions. For example, hypnosis has been used to lose weight, improve sleep, and reduce pain and stress."<ref name="CDC"/>
===Hydrotherapy===
[[Hydrotherapy]] is the external use of water in the medical treatment of disease.
==I==
===Index of articles on CAM===
*[[List of branches of alternative medicine]]
*[[List of famous people in alternative medicine]]
*[[History of alternative medicine]]
===Integrative medicine===
Integrative medicine, as defined by [[NCCAM]]<ref name="NCCAM">U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. [http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ What is CAM?]</ref>, combines conventional medical treatments and [[#CAM|CAM]] alternative treatments for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of their safety and effectiveness.
The term Integrative Medicine has been attributed to Dr [[Andrew Weil]], but this phrase was actually coined by the Californian physician and author, Dr Elson Haas.<ref name="haas">''Staying Healthy with Dr. Elson Haas'', Dr. Elson Haas.[http://www.elsonhaas.com/about_elson_haas.html available online]</ref>
:"Integrative medicine is the term being used for a new movement that is being driven by the desires of consumers but that is now getting the attention of many academic health centers. Importantly, integrative medicine is not synonymous with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It has a far larger meaning and mission in that it calls for restoration of the focus of medicine on health and healing and emphasizes the centrality of the patient-physician relationship. In addition to providing the best conventional care, integrative medicine focuses on preventive maintenance of health by paying attention to all relative components of lifestyle, including diet, exercise, stress management, and emotional well-being. It insists on patients being active participants in their health care as well as on physicians viewing patients as whole persons—minds, community members, and spiritual beings, as well as physical bodies. Finally, it asks physicians to serve as guides, role models, and mentors, as well as dispensers of therapeutic aids."<ref name="pmid11863470">{{cite journal |author=Snyderman R, Weil AT |title=Integrative medicine: bringing medicine back to its roots |journal=Arch. Intern. Med. |volume=162 |issue=4 |pages=395–7 |year=2002 |pmid=11863470|doi=10.1001/archinte.162.4.395}}</ref>
===Intervention===
Interventions are any attempt to modify a medical or health condition.
===Iridology===
[[Iridology]] is the study of the iris to determine health. ''(See also [[eyology]] and [[sclerology]].)''
==J==
===Jin Shin Jyutsu===
Jin Shin Jyutsu is an ancient Japanese technique for energy healing, using deep breathing and the placement of one's hands on specific areas of the body, called Safety Energy Locks (or SELs). It was rediscovered in Japan in the early 1900s by Master Jiro Murai. He taught the techniques to Mary Burmeister in the late 1940s, who brought it to the US. <ref name="jinshinjyustu">Jin Shin Jyutsu, Inc. [http://jsjinc.net/ available online]</ref>
===Journaling===
Journaling is a technique for reducing stress by writing about stressful events in your life.
==L==
===Life extension===
[[Life extension]] is a movement the goal of which is to live longer through intervention, and to increase maximum lifespan or average lifespan, especially in mammals. Researchers of life extension are a subclass of biogerontologists known as "biomedical gerontologists". ''See also the'' [[List of life extension related topics]].
===Lifestyle===
[[Lifestyle]] describes the particular attitudes, habits or behaviors associated with an individual.
===Lifestyle diseases===
[[Lifestyle diseases (alternative medicine)|Lifestyle diseases]] are diseases that appear to increase in frequency as countries become more industrialized and people live longer.
==M==
===Manipulative and body-based methods===
''Manipulative and body-based methods'', is the precise name of a [[NCCAM]]<ref name="NCCAM" /> classification, for alternative treatments that are based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body (See also [[Manipulative therapy]]).
*[[Active Isolate Stretching]]
*[[Acupressure]]
*[[Body work (alternative medicine)|Body work]]
*[[Bowen Technique]]
*[[Chiropractic]]
*[[Martial arts]]
*[[Massage therapy]]
*[[Medical acupuncture]]
*[[Metamorphic Technique]]
*[[Myofascial Release]]
*[[Osteopathy]]
*[[Rolfing]]
*[[Shiatsu]]
*[[Taijiquan]]
*[[Tui na]]
===Manual lymphatic drainage===
''[[Manual lymphatic drainage]]'' (MLD) is a type of gentle massage which is believed by proponents to encourage the natural circulation of the lymph through the body.
===Massage therapy===
[[Body work (alternative medicine)|Massage therapy]] "involves pressing, rubbing, and otherwise manipulating muscles and other soft tissues of the body, causing them to relax and lengthen and allowing pain relieving oxygen and blood to flow to the affected area. Using their hands and sometimes feet, elbows, and forearms, massage therapists may use over 75 different methods, such as Swedish message, deep-tissue massage, neuromuscular massage, and [[manual lymphatic drainage]]. Massage is considered effective for relieving any type of pain in the body's soft tissue, including [[low back pain|back]], neck, and shoulder pain, [[headache]]s, [[bursitis]], and [[tendinitis]].<ref name="CDC"/>
===Meditation===
"Mental calmness and physical relaxation is achieved [with [[Meditation (alternative medicine)|meditation]]] by suspending the stream of thoughts that normally occupy the mind. Generally performed once or twice a day for approximately 20 minutes at a time, meditation is used to reduce stress, alter hormone levels, and elevate one's mood, In addition, a person experienced in meditation can achieve a reduction in blood pressure, adrenaline levels, heart rate, and skin temperature."<ref name="CDC"/> Other forms of meditation work with focussing or distracting one's attention rather than "suspending the stream of thoughts".
===Mind-body connection===
The [[mind-body connection]] says that the causes, development, and outcomes of an illness are determined as much from the interaction of psychological and social factors as they are due to the biological factors of health.
===Mind-body interventions===
''[[Mind-Body Intervention|Mind-body interventions]]'', is the precise name of a [http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ NCCAM] classification, that covers a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms.
*[[Alexander Technique]]
*[[Aromatherapy]]
*[[Art Therapy]]
*[[Autosuggestion]]
*[[Bach Flower Therapy]]
*[[Biodanza]]
*[[Buteyko method]]
*[[Eutony]]
*[[Feldenkrais method]]
*[[Hatha yoga]]
*[[Hypnotherapy]]
*[[Metamorphic Technique]]
*[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Journaling|Journaling]]
*[[Meditation (alternative medicine)|Meditation]]
*[[Music Therapy]]
*[[Nia technique]]
*[[Rebirthing-Breathwork]]
*[[Self-hypnosis]]
*[[Support group]]s
*[[Taijiquan]]
*[[Visualization (cam)|Visualization]]
*[[Vivation]]
*[[Yoga]]
===Modality classifications===
This is a classification by who is performing the CAM treatments.
#[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Professionalized Modalities|Professionalized]]
#[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Self-care Modalities|Self-Care]]
#[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Group Modalities|Group Performances]]
===Moxa===
[[Moxa]] is an herbal preparation of [[mugwort]] dried and rolled into a pole which resembles a cigar. It is not smoked, but used for warming regions on the body including [[acupuncture point]]s. Use of moxa is called [[moxibustion]]. It is one of the techniques of [[traditional Chinese medicine]].
==N==
===Nature cure===
[[Nature cure]] is the progenitor of [[naturopathy]] in Europe. It postulates that all disease is due to violations of nature's laws, and that true healing consists in a return to natural habits.
===Natural health===
[[Natural health]] is an eclectic self-care system of natural therapies that purports to build and restore health by working with the natural recuperative powers of the human body.
===Naturopathic medicine===
[[Naturopathy]] is the eclectic practice of Naturopathic Doctors (N.D.) using many different natural therapies as treatment. The original method of treatment of Naturopathy was the water cure.
===Natural therapy===
[[Natural therapy]] is the treatment method used by advocates of natural health.
===NCCAM classifications ===
[[NCCAM]]<ref name="NCCAM" /> has classified complementary and alternative therapies into five different categories, or domains.
#[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Alternative Medical Systems|Alternative Medical Systems]]
#[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Mind-Body Interventions|Mind-Body Intervention]]
#[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Biologically Based Therapies|Biologically Based Therapy]]
#[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Manipulative and Body-Based Methods|Manipulative and body-based methods]]
#[[Terms and concepts in alternative medicine#Energy Therapies|Energy Therapy]]
==P==
===Physical education===
[[physical education|Physical educators]] teach physical fitness and exercise.
===Plum blossom===
[[Plum blossom (Chinese medicine)]] is the name of both a tool (also called "Seven Star") and a technique in [[traditional Chinese medicine]], as well as a metaphor used by several different [[Chinese martial arts]].
===Professionalized modalities===
A professional used in this context is referring to a person engaging in a given activity as a source of livelihood or as a career. It is a provider-based therapy where someone who is knowledgeable about a specific alternative health therapy provides care or gives advice about its use. It refers to all doctor - patient relationships where the professional is functioning in the role of a doctor, whether licensed or not. The professional is providing some type of treatment or therapy which the patient cannot perform on themselves.
===Progressive relaxation===
"This therapy involves the successive tensing and relaxing of each of the 15 major muscle groups. Performed lying down, one generally begins with the head and progresses downward, tensing each muscle as tightly as possible for a count of 5 to 10 and then releasing it completely. often combined with deep breathing, progressive relaxations is particularly useful for reducing stress, relieving tension, and inducing sleep."<ref name="CDC"/>
==Q==
===Qigong===
[[Qigong]] is an increasingly popular exercise aspect of Chinese medicine. Qigong is mostly taught for health maintenance purposes, but there are also some who teach it, especially in China, for therapeutic interventions. There are hundreds of different schools, and it is also an adjunct training of many [[East Asian]] martial arts.
==R==
===R-A therapy===
R-A Therapy an alternative cancer therapy utilizing natural substances that purports to induce re-differentiation and apopotosis in tumors so as to cause a reduction of cancer cell numbers or an elimination of aggregations of malignant cells <ref name="ratherapy">[http://www.aacancer.com/articles.html The Scientific Basis of R-A Therapy]</ref>.
===Reiki===
[[Reiki]] purports to be an energy healing therapy, which is claimed to help the body's ability to heal itself through the flow and focusing of healing energy (''reiki'' means "universal life energy"). During treatment, this healing energy is said to be channeled through the hands of a practitioner into the client's body to restore a normal energy balance and health. Energy healing therapy has been used to attempt treatment of a wide variety of ailments and health problems and is sometimes used in conjunction with other alternative and conventional medical treatments.<ref name="CDC"/>
==S==
===Self-care modalities===
Self-care modalities are forms of CAM that an individual can perform by themselves, even if they need to be trained to do so. These cover techniques that can be self-taught with the aid of books or instructional videos, or can be learned from an experienced practitioner. Although some initial training is needed, once these techniques are learned, you will need no additional outside assistance unless you want to improve your skills.
===Sweat therapy===
Sweat therapy is the combination of group counseling/psychotherapy with group sweating. Group sweating is social interaction while experiencing psychophysiological responses to heat exposure. Group sweating has strong cultural validity as it has existed throughout the world for thousands of years to promote well-being. Examples include the Finnish Sauna, the Russian Bania, the American Indian Sweat Lodge Ceremony, the Islamic Hammam, the Japanese Mushi-Buro, and the African Sifutu. Sweat therapy has been found to accelerate and intensify counseling process. Sweating procedures are benficial for the prevention and treatment of some lung, heart, and skin problems. It promotes deeper sleep, pain relief, muscle relaxation, and has been helpful in treating insomnia and arthritis. It also promotes positive effects on feeling states.
==T==
===Tantra ===
The word [[Tantra]] emphasizes a ritual connection with elements from an Indian cultural background. Some tantric traditions uses sexual rituals for spiritual development.
===Therapeutic nihilism===
[[Therapeutic nihilism]] is skepticism regarding the therapeutic value of drugs or medical treatment voiced by physicians. The [[Hippocratic Oath]] exhorts doctors to avoid therapeutic nihilism.
===Thomsonianism===
A form of [[herbalism]] in use during the 19th century in the US.
===Tibetan eye chart===
A [[mandala]]-like chart used to improve eyesight through exercise.
===Traditional Chinese medicine===
[[Traditional Chinese medicine]] (TCM) is a system of health care which is based on the [[Chinese culture|Chinese]] notion of harmony and balance inside the human body as well as harmony between the body and its outside environment.
*TCM is an ancient, diverse system of many, sometimes competing, schools which can include or address the following components:
**[[Acupressure]]
**[[Acupuncture]]
**[[Chinese martial arts]]
**[[Chinese pulse diagnosis]]
**[[Gua Sha|Coin rubbing]]
**[[Cupping]]
**[[Five Elements]]
**[[Food therapy]]
**[[Herbology]]
**[[Jing (TCM)|Jing]]
**[[Meridian (Chinese medicine)|Meridian]]
**[[Moxibustion]]
**[[Neigong]]
**[[Qigong]]
**[[Plum blossom (Chinese medicine)|Seven star]]
**[[San Jiao]]
**[[Shen]]
**[[Tao Yin]]
**[[TCM model of the body]]
**[[Trigger point]]
**[[Tui na]]
**[[Yin and yang]]
**[[Zang Fu theory]]
*[[History of traditional Chinese medicine]]
===Traditional Japanese medicine===
Pre-Western Japanese medicine was strongly influenced by [[traditional Chinese medicine]] and is often seen as a sub-category of TCM. It includes the following practices:
*[[Jin Shin Jyutsu]]
*[[Shiatsu]]
*[[Japanese martial arts]]
==U==
===Unani medicine===
See [[Unani]].
===Uropathy===
A specialized branch of alternative medicine, including any sort of oral or external application of urine for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, see [[urine therapy]].
==V==
===Visualization===
[[Visualization (cam)|Visualization]], or guided imagery, "involves a series of relaxation techniques followed by the visualization of detailed images, usually calm and peaceful in nature. If used for treatment, the client may visualize his/her body as healthy, strong, and free of the specific problem or condition. Sessions, conducted in groups or one-on-one, are typically 20-30 minutes and may be practiced several times a week. Guided imagery has been advocated for a number of chronic conditions, including headaches, stress, high blood pressure, and anxiety."<ref name="CDC"/>
==W==
===Water Cure===
The [[Water cure (therapy)|water cure]] was a form of [[physical therapy|therapy]] developed in 18th century [[England]] by a doctor named [[Richard Russell (doctor)|Richard Russell]]. It generally consisted of varieties of water-related treatment — bathing in [[seawater]], the drinking of sea water, and activities reminiscent of modern [[day spa]]s. It became especially popular during the 19th century where health spas devoted to the “cure” were well-known medical institutions for the upper-class, especially those with malingering or persistent illness. See also [[Water therapy]].
===Wellness===
[[Wellness (alternative medicine)|Wellness]] has been used in CAM contexts since [[Halbert L. Dunn|Halbert Dunn, M.D.]] began using the phrase "high level wellness" in the 1950s, based on a series of lectures at a Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington, VA.<ref name="pmid13661471">{{cite journal |author=DUNN HL |title=High-level wellness for man and society |journal=Am J Public Health Nations Health |volume=49 |issue=6 |pages=786–92 |year=1959 |pmid=13661471 |doi= |url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=13661471 |format=Scanned & PDF}}</ref>
Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being.
===Wholeness===
Wholeness has come to connote more than mere completeness or fullness. It implies a reality, system or truth in which all parts or aspects are present in right and healthy relationship with each other. (See the article on [[Holism]], for additional information.)
==X==
==Y==
===Yoga===
[[Yoga (alternative medicine)|Yoga]] is a diverse and ancient East Indian practise. There are many different styles and schools of yoga. It is generally a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and [[meditation]], that calms the nervous system and balances body, mind, and spirit. It is thought to prevent specific diseases and maladies by relaxing the body, deepening respiration and calming the mind. Yoga has been used to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve flexibility, concentration, sleep, and digestion. It has also been used as supplementary therapy for such diverse conditions as [[cancer]], [[diabetes]], [[asthma]], and [[AIDS]].
==Z==
==Notes and references==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Alternative medicine|*1]]
[[Category:Glossaries|Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Massage]]
[[Category:Topical indexes|Alternative medicine]]
[[he:רפואה אלטרנטיבית - מונחים]]