Holistic Health Care: A Guide
Holistic health care offers treatment for all ailments, stretching from "minor" problems, like digestive disorders and headaches, to "serious" ones, like depression and arthritis.
Here is a guide to the most commonly used therapies and some of the illnesses they are most effective for.
Herbalism: The use of herbs to treat disease is almost universal among non-industrialized societies. This approach to healing uses the whole plant or a plant-derived preparation to treat, prevent and cure various health conditions. Ailments treated include arthritis, migraine, depression, skin, lung, stomach and blood disorders.
Acupuncture: An ancient Chinese medicine based on the theory that energy flows along pathways or meridians in the body. The belief is that the healing process can be achieved by stimulating the balance of this energy through the insertion of fine needles at specific points. A new form of acupuncture, called laser acupuncture, substitutes the needles for laser beams. It is used to treat asthma, arthritis, anxiety, depression, digestive problems and blood pressure disorders.
Homoeopathy: Works on the principal that "like-cures-like": what makes a healthy person unwell can be used to treat the same symptoms for another unhealthy person. Homeopathic medicines are diluted to a high degree, but homeopaths usually claim this does not affect their potency. Homepathic treatments are devised for allergies, anxiety, asthma and menstrual problems.
Massage Therapy: Massage therapy manipulates the body's muscular and soft tissue structure for therapeutic purposes. Techniques used range from the use of oil to clinical applications. The benefits of massage therapies include improved relaxation and relief from stress, improved circulation and faster recovery time from injuries.
Osteopathy: Osteopaths use their hands as a primary tool to diagnose and treat illnesses. They manipulate the muscles, back and other parts of the boy to improve mobility and balance. Osteopathic treatments can be used to treat injuries and are also useful in the treatment of arthritis, headaches, depression and digestion problems.
Shiatsu: Shiatsu is a Japanese massage technique very similar to acupuncture - in fact, it is believed to have developed from the ancient Chinese art. The theory behind is similar to that of acupuncture: the flow of energy can be manipulated through stimulating the meridians. The simulation can be applied by way of fingers, thumbs, forearms, elbows, feet and knees. Common conditions helped by Shiatsu include back pain, injuries and neck stiffness, menstrual, digestive problems and whiplash.