Transcript Alternative Treatment - University of Florida

Alternative Treatment
Medical & Psychosocial Aspects
of Disability
Alternative to Allopathic
Medicine



Alternative medicine encompasses a variety of
modalities used to treat symptoms, infections,
pathological conditions, and underlying causes
Alternative modalities incorporate knowledge and
theories about the non-physical, non-material aspects of
human physiology
Alternative medicine approaches generally promote the
idea that the human body has an innate ability to
rebalance and heal any disease that develops and
therapeutic modalities are designed to enhance and
support this process
Commonly Encountered Types
of Alternative Medicine

Traditional Adjuvant Therapies




Music, Art, Dance, Recreational, and Horticultural therapies
Designed to promote personal expression and social interactions
based on the concept that recovery from dis-ease and
maintenance of health are enhanced through channels providing
emotional and nonverbal expression
Therapies historically have been provided as part of institutional
rehabilitation programs; third-party funding has been reduced or
eliminated for such non-medical therapeutic programs
Currently, volunteer-based Arts-in-Medicine programs seek to
restore some aspects of these modalities to the
hospital/institutional milieu
Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture





Ancient art used in Chinese Medicine
Based on the theory that there is a life force
called Qi (Chi) that flows throughout the body
in channels called meridians
Illness or disease occurs when the flow of Qi
is obstructed, unbalanced, deficient, or
excessive
Therapy sought for relief of pain and other
symptoms; therapy often continued to
achieve balance and increase health
Acupuncture techniques use needles or
pressure (acupressure, Shiatsu) to stimulate
points of the body where meridians exist to
promote the proper flow and balance of Qi
throughout the body
Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese Herbal Medicine


Ancient art used in Chinese Medicine
Herbs and herbal preparations possess certain
characteristics and energies that provide support to
the body while it balances and heals itself
Physiotherapy techniques

Rolfing




deep soft tissue
manipulation
Generally used for
chronic pain
conditions such as
myofascial pain.
Accupressure
Deep friction
massage
Chiropractic




Based on the theory that humans are integrated
beings and body systems and emotions are
interrelated
Attend to physiological and biochemical aspects
of the body
Evaluate structural, spinal, musculoskeletal,
neurological, vascular, nutritional, emotional and
environmental relationships of body systems
Health is affected by alignment of spinal
structures




Improperly aligned structures negatively impact
various body systems
Properly aligned structures promote proper
functioning of body systems, thereby supporting
the body’s ability to maintain health and immunity
Therapy often sought for relief of pain related to
back and neck injuries; therapy continued to
promote balance and health
Treatment methods include adjustment and
manipulation of spine and adjacent structures, heat
(diathermy), cold (ice), ultrasound, percussion on
trigger points
Spiritual Healings

Relationship of Soul and Body.

Christianity
“Laying on of hands”
 Relationship of person to God
 Health-Faith relationship


Native American Healing
Relationship to the earth
 Herbal Medicine

Subtle Energy Medicine (the
Woo-Woo modalities)

Therapeutic Touch



Popularized by the nursing profession during the
1970s and 1980s
Based on the concept that there is an energy field
emanating from each human body that is affected by
disease processes or other injury to tissues
Therapeutic intervention consists of the practitioner
holding or moving her hands within the client’s energy
field to strengthen it and return it to a functional state
Subtle Energy Medicine (the
Woo-Woo modalities)

Crystal therapy


Based on the concept that crystals emanate vibratory
energies that (a) draw disease processes away from
the human body and that (b) enhance the energy of
the human body to withstand diseases and heal itself
Therapeutic intervention consists of placing crystals
on the body in areas deemed important to the
disease process or the health process
Subtle Energy Medicine (the
Woo-Woo modalities)

Homeopathy



Based on the concept that living
plants emit certain frequencies of
energy that or cause specific sets
of symptoms in the human body.
The Homeopathic therapist
(doctor) matches the patient’s
symptoms with a set of symptoms
caused by a specific plant or
plants and uses a preparation
made with that plant to cause an
increase in symptoms—thereby
calling even more of the body’s
defenses into play
Therapeutic intervention consists
of the application or ingestion of
appropriate homeopathic
preparations (generally distilled
plant essences in an ethanol or
cream base)
Additional Resources and
Information from the Web







Acupuncture.com (www.acupuncture.com)
Alternative Medicine Homepage
(www.pitt.edu/~cbw/altm.html)
2 of Dr. Andrew Weil's Integrative Medicine sites:
www.drweil.com
www.drweilselfhealing.com
http://www.energymedicinewoman.com/energy.html
http://www.shamanlinks.net/Shaman_Links.htm