Part 2 of Health & Wellness Magazine’s Guide to 100 Complementary & Alternative Therapies

Our comprehensive listing of over 100 therapies continues (find part one here). Please do bear in mind, inclusion in this list in not an endorsement of a therapy’s effectiveness. Consult an appropriate professional before trying any of them. The final part of the listing will be in our August issue.

Holistic Medicine

What is it: Holistic medicine is the art and science of healing that addresses the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. The practice of holistic medicine integrates conventional and alternative therapies to prevent and treat disease, and most importantly, to promote optimal health. This condition of holistic health is defined as the unlimited and unimpeded free flow of life force energy through body, mind, and spirit.

Benefits: Holistic healing aims to identify the root cause, or causes, of an imbalance (whether it is physical pain, stress, poor sleep, etc.). Taking a holistic approach to healing means we will consider all realms of existence, not just the physical body. To many, this may sound like mind-body medicine, but that is only the foundation of holistic healing. As such, the benefits of holistic healing are conceivably vast. To condense the benefits and analyze them in correspondence to changes in physical, emotional, spiritual, and behavioral health, it becomes evident that there is only one all-encompassing benefit to holistic healing: a dramatically positive change in lifestyle.

More information: www.ahha.org

Homeopathy

What is it: Homeopathy is a holistic medicine which uses specially prepared, highly diluted substances (given mainly in tablet form) with the aim of triggering the body’s own healing mechanisms. A homeopath will prescribe medicines according to the patient’s specific set of symptoms, and how they experience them, taking into account their overall level of health.

Homeopathy is based on the principle of “like treats like”. That is, a substance which can cause symptoms when taken in large doses, and can be used in small amounts to treat similar symptoms. For example, drinking too much coffee can cause sleeplessness and agitation, so according to this principle, when made into a homeopathic medicine, it could be used to treat people suffering from sleeplessness and agitation. An important difference with homeopathy however, is that the medicinal doses (known as remedies) are so small that toxic side-effects are avoided.

Benefits:

It can be used by pregnant and nursing women.
It can be used by children and infants.
It does not interfere with medications taken by a person.
It can be used for chronic or acute conditions.
Homeopathy is a holistic approach to healing: one that involves the body, mind, emotions, and spirit of the person being treated.
Homeopathic remedies are readily available and can, therefore, be used by anyone.
Homeopathic remedies are typically inexpensive and therefore provide an affordable approach to healing.
Homeopathic medicine is non-invasive.

For more information: www.homeopathy.org

Hypnotherapy

What it is: Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy in which the patient is firstly put into a state of hypnosis, then on a subconscious level, encouraged by the hypnotherapy practitioner to alter their subconscious and create new thoughts, feelings and patterns of behavior.

Benefits:

Aids relaxation
Helps with acute or chronic pain management
Helps manage or eliminate addictions (including drugs and alcohol)
Can help treat eating disorders

More information: https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/hypnotherapy

Ionic Foot bath

What it is: An ionic foot detox pulls the toxins out of your body through your feet. The process gives the hydrogen in the water a positive charge. The positive charge is said to attract the negatively charged toxins in your body. The ions in the foot bath water supposedly hold a charge that enables them to bind to any heavy metals and toxins in your body, similar to how a magnet works. This allows the toxins to be pulled out through the bottoms of your feet.

Benefits:

Purging of heavy metals
A more balanced pH level
Boosts the immune system
Improves mood
Detoxifying the liver
Internal cleansing with full-body purge
Liver, kidney, and parasite cleansing
Encourages normal blood sugar

More information: https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-healt

Magnet Therapy

What it is: Magnetic therapy, also referred to as magnetic field therapy and bioenergy therapy, is an alternative therapy that uses magnets of varying sizes and strengths that are placed on the body to relieve pain and treat disease. Thin metal magnets are attached to the body alone or in groups. They can be worn as bracelets or necklaces, attached to adhesive patches to hold in place, placed in bands or belts to be wrapped around the wrist, elbow, knee, ankle, foot, waist, or lower back.

Benefits:

Reduces swelling after injury or surgery
Provides natural pain relief
Reduces symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Helps general well-being

More information: https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/magnetic-field-therapy-overview

Moxibustion

What it is: Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese therapy which involves burning the dried Chinese herb “moxa” close to the skin to alleviate a range of ailments and health concerns. The goal is to warm regions of the body under which the herb is burnt, hence stimulating circulation and helping to increase the flow of blood and qi to the area.

Benefits:

Pain relief
Strengthens immune system
Can help to change breech presentation of babies
More information: www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/moxibustion.php

Music therapy

What it is: Music therapy involves the use of music-based interventions to help treat and alleviate a range of emotional, cognitive, and physical concerns. “Interventions” are supervised by an accredited music therapy professional, and can include creating music, singing, moving to music, listening to music, or a combination of all of these. It is a powerful and scientifically proven type of therapy that can be used to treat people from all age groups, including unborn infants still in the womb.

Benefits:

Prenatal stress relief
Treats mood disorders
Improves cognitive function in children with autism
Reduces blood pressure
Aids with anxiety and stress relief
Treats symptoms and behaviors associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s

More information: www.musictherapy.org

Naturopathic medicine

What it is: Naturopathic medicine can be seen as an “umbrella” term which encompasses all forms of natural, holistic, herbal and ancient medicinal treatments, such as acupuncture, reflexology, meditation, ear candling, aromatherapy, and more.

Benefits:

Avoids harsh chemical or medical interventions when they’re not needed
Some are more cost-effective than traditional medical interventions
Improves overall health and well-being simply and easily
Potentially helps alleviate, prevent or cure a large number of conditions and ailments

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturopathy

Neurofeedback

What it is: Neurofeedback is direct training of brain function, by which the brain learns to function more efficiently. Neurofeedback allows therapists to observe the brain in action from moment to moment. Over time, participants learn to reward the brain for changing its own activity to more appropriate patterns. This is a gradual learning process. It applies to any aspect of brain function that can be measured. Neurofeedback is also called EEG Biofeedback because it is based on electrical brain activity. Other forms of Neurofeedback, such as LENS are less participatory and maybe produce quicker results depending upon the conditions it is addressing.

Benefits:

Noninvasive
No drugs
Suitable for most ages
Few major side effects
Suitable for a variety of mental problems: Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Migraines, ADHD, and more

More information: https://www.eeginfo.com/what-is-neurofeedback.jsp

Neuro-linguistic programming

What it is: Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a personal-development and psychotherapy method which states that behavioral patterns, language and neurological processes are all connected and can be altered to achieve a specific goal or treat a certain concern. An NLP session will typically begin with the practitioner finding out more about the client (their specific goals and desires), followed by performing a series of verbal “interventions”. This may involve simply speaking to the client using certain words, or asking them to imagine themselves in the future achieving a certain goal.

Benefits:

Treats depression
Eliminates phobias
Helps many achieve their life goals

More information: http://www.nlpu.com/NLPU_WhatIsNLP.html

New Thought

What it is: New Thought (also sometimes called the Mind Cure or Mind Science) is a movement that asserts that thoughts and beliefs have a strong effect on our reality, including things and people around us. The overarching principle is that thinking creates our reality, and that changing our thoughts can directly change our lives. There are both religious and secular versions of New Thought and it is the same sort of concept as autosuggestion.

Benefits:

Heals certain physical or emotional ailments through the power of thought
Encourages positive thinking and emotions

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Thought

Nutritional healing

What it is: Nutritional healing involves consuming a certain diet comprised of natural foods, supplements and herbs in order to treat certain ailments and disorders. Nutritional healing places a strong focus on the natural benefits of vegetables, fruits (usually organic and non-genetically modified), and may also involve abstinence from eating certain types of foods which are seen to be detrimental to an individual’s health.

Benefits:

Strengthens the immune system
Helps with certain nutritional deficiencies
Can be used very safely in conjunction with more “mainstream” medicines and therapies.

More information: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-nutritional-healing.htm
Nutritional supplements

What it is: Nutritional supplements can refer to any type of supplement which is ingested for nutritional benefit. These can include manufactured supplements, as well as natural herbal supplements in the form of pills, tablets, liquids, powders, teas, or food items. Different combinations of nutritional supplements can be used to treat certain concerns, or help you achieve certain health goals, such as weight loss, improved energy, better sleep, better concentration, or relief from pain issues such as joint pain.

Benefits:

Helps to fill nutritional “gaps” in your diet which may not be filled by diet alone
Improves mood and energy levels
In most cases, can be used in conjunction with other therapies and medications (check with your medical professional first)

View this handy A-Z list of nutritional supplements and their uses: http://www.rxlist.com/supplements/alpha_v.htm

Orgonomy

What it is: According to the American College of Orgonomy, Orgonomy is “the natural science of orgone energy and its functions.” Orgone energy is the energy from which all matter in the universe is created. Medical orgone therapy involves working with a special orgone therapist, and it aims to treat a range of emotional disorders ranging from stress and depression, low sex drive, eating disorders, and Tourette’s syndrome.

Benefits:

Helps you become more aware of your emotions
Treats post-traumatic

stress disorder (PTSD)

Can help alleviate neuroses such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Treats those with bipolar disorder.

More information: http://www.orgonomy.org/therapy.html

Orthomolecular medicine

What it is: According to the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Orthomolecular medicine is “the practice of preventing and treating disease by providing the body with optimal amounts of substances which are natural to the body.” At its core, it involves nourishing the body with the correct amounts of nutrients for your particular needs. This includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats and oils, minerals, vitamins, and water. It can be seen as a type of nutritional healing.

Benefits:

Helps prevent of a range of lifestyle-related diseases
Reduces inflammation in the body
Improves the immune function
Increase energy and overall well-being

More information: http://orthomolecular.org/

Osteomyology

What it is: Osteomyology, often also known as Neurosteomyology, is closely related to chiropractic and osteopathy. It involves the study and manipulation of the muscles and bones by a registered osteomyologist in order to bring about a range of health benefits. As opposed to chiropractic, Osteomyology focuses more so on the muscles than the bones.

Benefits:

Releases stiff joints
Alleviates muscle stiffness and soreness
Help improve posture

More information: http://osteomyology.co.uk

Osteopathy

What it is: Osteopathy is an alternative medical practice which centers around the manual manipulation of the muscles, bones and joints by a registered practitioner. Note that this definition applies to the UK, Europe, and Oceania, and while the definition of osteopathy differs in the USA, where an osteopath is generally anyone licensed to practice all types of medicine.

Benefits:

Releases stiff joints and muscles
Improves joint and limb mobility
Improves posture
Alleviates nerve pain and associated headaches
Aids with digestive disorders

More information: http://www.osteopathy.org.au/

Pilates

What it is: Pilates is a fitness system developed by Joseph Pilates, the son of a gymnast father and a naturopath mother. It involves performing a series of controlled exercises performed either on the floor or standing upright, and can be done with just the body, or with special aids such as a Pilates ring, ball, or a Pilates reformer machine. Pilates can be practiced at home with the aid of DVDs or online videos, or by attending an in-person class delivered by a qualified instructor (recommended for those who are just starting out)

Benefits:

Improves balance, coordination and posture
Strengthens muscles and core
Improves flexibility
Great for people who cannot participate in high impact exercise

More information: http://www.pilates.com/bbapp/v/index.html

Polarity Therapy

What it is: Polarity therapy focuses on the interdependence of mind, body and spirit, and how they interact with each other based on the universal laws of energy: attraction, repulsion and neutrality. The practice involves energy-based bodywork performed by a specialist in a polarity session, as well as specific diet and exercise guidelines and self-awareness exercises.

Benefits:

Balances the body’s flow of energy
Treats allergies
Stimulates the immune system
Aids with joint and muscular pain relief, including pain associated with arthritis
Treats stress, anxiety and depression
Increases energy

More information: http://www.polaritytherapy.org/i

Pranic healing

What it is: Pranic healing is a type of energy healing developed by GrandMaster Choa Kok Sui, and aims to re-balance the flow of energy in the body. Pranic practitioners do not touch the subject, but instead focus on drawing energy from their surroundings and channeling it through the subject’s body in order to re-establish balance in your body’s energy.

Benefits: