Complementary medicine for dummies

IntroductionAbout This BookConventions Used in This Book Foolish Assumptions How This Book Is OrganisedPart I: Finding Out about Complementary Medicine Part II: Exploring Traditional Healing Systems Part III: Using Popular Complementary Therapies Part IV: Treating Your Body Part V: Healing Your Mind and Spirit Part VI: The Part of Tens Icons Used in This BookWhere to Go from HerePart I: Finding Out about Complementary Medicine Chapter 1: Understanding Complementary Medicine Finding Out about Complementary Medicine What do all the names meanWhat is complementary medicineWhat’s the evidence? All in the mindGoing carefully but breaking down barriers Using Complementary Medicine Things you need to check out: Safety and effectiveness What’s complementary medicine good for? Choosing the Right Complementary TherapyCounting the Cost of Complementary Therapies Chapter 2: Diagnosing in Complementary Medicine Finding Out about Diagnosis in Complementary MedicineQuestioning Observation Physical diagnosisClinical signs Complementary versus Orthodox Medical Diagnosis Taking the necessary precautions Weighing up the evidence Chapter 3: Reading Your Body Finding Out about Self-Diagnosis Exploring Tongue Diagnosis Reading signs of the tongue properObserving tongue coatings Organ correspondences Tongues in Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine Exploring Face Diagnosis Checking out face shapeInvestigating the eyes Examining the nose .Observing the mouthConsidering Other Forms of Self-Diagnosis Ayurvedic urinalysis Stool analysis Taking the Necessary PrecautionsPart II: Exploring Traditional Healing SystemsChapter 4: Uncovering Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) A (Very) Brief History of TCM Understanding TCM Concepts of Health and DiseaseExploring yin and yang Understanding the power of qiTraversing the meridians Exploring the Five Elements Taking the Five Elements quiz Helping yourself: Five Elements self-careDiagnosing in TCM Chapter 5: Revealing Ayurveda’s Science of Life A (Very) Brief History of Ayurvedic MedicineDeciphering Disease in Ayurvedic Medicine Understanding Your Health the Ayurvedic Way Making Diagnoses in Ayurvedic Medicine Restoring Balance with Ayurvedic Therapies Ayurvedic medicines The Panchakarma purification techniquesAyurvedic dietary therapyLifestyle modification (pathya) Exercise and massage therapy Chapter 6: Balancing Health with Tibetan Medicine . A (Very) Brief History of Tibetan MedicineGrasping the idea behind Tibetan medicineUnderstanding Tibetan medical concepts of health and diseaseDetermining Your Body Type According to Tibetan Medicine Taking the Tibetan medical humour quiz 77 Helping Yourself with Tibetan Medicine Self-Care ApproachesExploring Disease Types in Tibetan Medicine Restoring Balance with Tibetan Medicine TherapiesExamining the Evidence for Tibetan MedicineFinding a Tibetan Medicine PhysicianChapter 7: Exploring Japanese Medicine A (Very) Brief History of Japanese MedicineDeciphering Disease in Japanese Medicine Understanding Your Health – the Japanese Way Determining your type according to Japanese medicineAdopting self-care for your typeUnderstanding Diagnosis in Japanese MedicineDiagnosis by palpation (Setsu-shin) Diagnosis by observation (Bo-shin) Diagnosis by listening and smelling (Bun-shin) Diagnosis by questioning (Mon-shinRestoring Balance with Japanese Therapies Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion (warming therapyKanpo (herbal medicine) Japanese massage techniques (including shiatsu and anma).......98 Ampuku (abdominal massage and therapy)...................................100 Japanese manipulation techniques..................................................101 Japanese hydrotherapy .....................................................................102 Japanese dietary therapy..................................................................103 Spiritual medicine ..............................................................................103 Deciding When to Use Japanese Therapies..............................................104 Exploring the Evidence for Japanese Medicine........................................104 Finding a Practitioner of Japanese Medicine............................................105 Chapter 8: Dipping Your Toes into Nature Cure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 What Is Nature Cure? ...............................................................A (Very) Brief History of Nature Cure .......................................................108....................107 Restoring Health with Nature Cure............................................................112 Nature Cure dietary therapy.............................................................113 Finding out about fasting...................................................................114 Hydrotherapy: The wonders of water cure.....................................116 Electrotherapy ....................................................................................116 Heliotherapy: The healing power of the sun ..................................117 Air baths ..............................................................................................117 Other Nature Cure therapies ............................................................118 Finding Out if Nature Cure Works ..............................................................119 Deciding When to Use Nature Cure Therapies.........................................120 Finding a Practitioner of Nature Cure........................................................120 Part III: Using Popular Complementary Therapies ........121 Chapter 9: Getting to the Point of Acupuncture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Finding Out about Acupuncture.................................................................124 A (very) brief history of acupuncture .............................................124 Acupuncture today.............................................................................125 Understanding How Acupuncture Works..................................................125 Exploring Different Types of Acupuncture ...............................................126 Discovering Whom and What Acupuncture Is Good For ........................129 Evidence that it works .......................................................................130 When not to use acupuncture ..........................................................130 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................131 Questioning .........................................................................................131 Diagnostic methods ...........................................................................132 Having acupuncture ..........................................................................132 Other types of treatment...................................................................134 Finding yourself at the end of the treatment ..................................135 Duration and frequency.....................................................................136 Knowing Whether Your Acupuncture Is Working ....................................136 Common Questions about Acupuncture Treatment ...............................136 Finding a good acupuncturist...........................................................138 Questioning your acupuncturist ......................................................139 Counting the cost of acupuncture....................................................139 Acupuncture safety tips ....................................................................140 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................140 Helping Yourself with Acupuncture...........................................................141 Chapter 10: Homing In on Homeopathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Finding Out about Homeopathy.................................................................144 A (very) brief history of homeopathy .............................................144 Grasping the idea behind homeopathy ...........................................146 Homeopathy today.............................................................................150 Exploring Different Types of Homeopathy ...............................................150 Discovering Whom and What Homeopathy Is Good For ........................153 What’s the evidence that it works? ..................................................153 When not to use homeopathy ..........................................................154 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................154 Questioning .........................................................................................155 Diagnosis .............................................................................................155 Treatment ............................................................................................155 Duration and frequency.....................................................................157 Knowing Whether Your Homeopathy Treatment Is Working .................157 Finding a Good Homeopath ........................................................................158 Questions to ask your homeopath...................................................160 Counting the cost of homeopathy....................................................160 Gaining satisfaction............................................................................160 Chapter 11: Unearthing Herbal Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 Finding Out about Herbal Medicine...........................................................162 A (very) brief history of herbal medicine .......................................162 Herbal medicine today ......................................................................164 Grasping the idea behind herbal medicine.....................................164 Exploring Different Types of Herbal Medicine .........................................165 Western herbal medicine...................................................................165 Chinese herbal medicine...................................................................166 Japanese herbal medicine.................................................................166 Tibetan herbal medicine ...................................................................166 Ayurvedic herbal medicine...............................................................167 Discovering Whom and What Herbal Medicine Is Good For ..................167 Evidence that it works .......................................................................168 When not to use herbal medicine ....................................................169 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................170 Questioning .........................................................................................170 Diagnostic methods ...........................................................................170 Treating with herbal remedies..........................................................171 Duration and frequency.....................................................................172 Knowing Whether Your Herbal Medicine Treatment Is Working ...........172 Common Questions about Herbal Medicine Treatment .........................173 Finding a Good Herbalist.............................................................................174 Finding out more about the safe practice of herbal medicine .....176 Counting the cost of herbal medicine .............................................176 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................176 Chapter 12: Nibbling on Nutritional Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 Finding Out about Nutritional Therapy.....................................................177 A (very) brief history of nutritional therapy ..................................178 Grasping the idea behind nutritional therapy................................185 Nutritional therapy today .................................................................187 Exploring other types of nutritional therapy..................................188 Understanding How It Works......................................................................188 Discovering Whom and What Nutritional Therapy Is Good For ............189 Conditions that nutritional therapists treat ...................................189 Evidence that it works .......................................................................190 When not to use nutritional therapy ...............................................191 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................192 Questioning .........................................................................................192 Diagnostic methods ...........................................................................192 Types of treatment .............................................................................194 Duration and frequency.....................................................................194 Knowing whether your nutritional therapy treatment is working ......................................................................196 Finding a Good Nutritional Therapist or Nutritionist .............................196 Counting the cost of nutritional therapy.........................................197 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................197 Helping Yourself with Nutritional Therapy...............................................197 Chapter 13: Diving into Naturopathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 Finding Out about Naturopathy .................................................................200 A (very) brief history of naturopathy..............................................200 Naturopathy today .............................................................................202 Grasping the idea behind naturopathy ...........................................203 Understanding how it works.............................................................204 Exploring Naturopathic Diagnosis .............................................................205 Finding Out about Naturopathic Treatment .............................................205 Discovering Whom and What Naturopathy Is Good For.........................207 When not to use naturopathy...........................................................208 Evidence that it works .......................................................................208 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................209 Knowing Whether Your Naturopathy Treatment Is Working..................209 Common Questions about Naturopathy Treatment................................210 Finding a Naturopath...................................................................................211 Questions to ask your naturopath ...................................................212 Counting the cost of naturopathy ....................................................213 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................213 Helping Yourself with Naturopathy ...........................................................213 Part IV: Treating Your Body .......................................215 Chapter 14: Opening Up with Osteopathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 Finding Out about Osteopathy ...................................................................218 A (very) brief history of osteopathy................................................218 Grasping the idea behind osteopathy .............................................219 Osteopathy Today........................................................................................220 Exploring Different Types of Osteopathy..................................................221 Cranial osteopathy.............................................................................221 Paediatric osteopathy........................................................................222 Visceral osteopathy ...........................................................................223 Discovering Whom and What Osteopathy Is Good For ..........................226 Conditions that osteopathy can treat..............................................226 Evidence that it works .......................................................................227 When not to use osteopathy.............................................................227 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................228 Questioning .........................................................................................228 Understanding diagnostic methods.................................................228 Getting to grips with osteopathic techniques ................................229 Knowing what to expect at the end of treatment...........................230 Anticipating treatment duration and frequency ............................231 Knowing Whether Your Osteopathic Treatment Is Working ..................231 Common Questions about Osteopathic Treatment.................................232 Finding a Good Osteopath ..........................................................................233 Questions to ask your osteopath .....................................................234 Counting the cost of osteopathy ......................................................234 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................234 Helping Yourself with Osteopathy .............................................................235 Chapter 15: Getting to the Crunch with Chiropractic . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Finding Out about Chiropractic .................................................................238 A (very) brief history of chiropractic..............................................239 Grasping the idea behind chiropractic............................................240 Chiropractic today .............................................................................240 Understanding How Chiropractic Works ..................................................241 Discovering Whom and What Chiropractic Is Good For.........................241 Conditions that chiropractic can treat ............................................242 Evidence that it works .......................................................................243 When not to use chiropractic ...........................................................243 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................244 Diagnostic methods ...........................................................................244 Getting to grips with chiropractic techniques ...............................245 Duration and frequency.....................................................................247 Exploring Chiropractic Approaches ..........................................................247 Knowing whether your chiropractic treatment is working ..........248 Common questions about chiropractic treatment ........................248 Finding a Good Chiropractor......................................................................249 Questions to ask your chiropractor.................................................250 Counting the cost of chiropractic ....................................................250 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................251 Helping Yourself with Chiropractic............................................................251 Chapter 16: Moving with Bodywork Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Finding Out about Bodywork Therapies...................................................253 Alexander Technique .........................................................................254 Applied kinesiology (AK)...................................................................254 Bates eye method ..............................................................................256 Bioenergetics ......................................................................................256 Bowen technique................................................................................257Metamorphic technique ....................................................................259 Polarity therapy..................................................................................260 Rolfing ..................................................................................................261 Tragerwork..........................................................................................262 Yoga, qi gong, t’ai chi, kum nye, and do-in......................................263 Zero balancing ....................................................................................264 Helping Yourself with Bodywork Therapies .............................................265 Chapter 17: Enjoying Massage Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267 Finding Out about Massage ........................................................................268 A (very) brief history of massage ....................................................268 Grasping the idea behind massage ..................................................269 The benefits of massage ....................................................................270 Massage today ....................................................................................271 Evidence that it works .......................................................................271 Exploring Different Types of Massage .......................................................271 Understanding Massage Diagnosis ............................................................276 Finding Out about Massage Treatment .....................................................276 Discovering whom and what massage is good for.........................276 When not to use massage..................................................................277 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................277 After the massage...............................................................................278 Duration and frequency.....................................................................278 Knowing Whether Your Massage Treatment Is Working.........................279 Common Questions about Massage Treatment .......................................279 Finding a Good Massage Therapist............................................................280 Questions to ask your massage therapist.......................................281 Counting the cost of massage...........................................................281 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................281 Helping Yourself with Massage...................................................................282 Part V: Healing Your Mind and Spirit..........................283 Chapter 18: Calming Down with Breathing, Meditation, and Relaxation Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285 Finding Out about Relaxation Therapies ..................................................286 Looking at Popular Relaxation Therapies Today.....................................287 Breathing therapies............................................................................287 Relaxation therapies ..........................................................................290 Meditation ...........................................................................................293 Helping Yourself with Relaxation Therapies ............................................295 Chapter 19: Scenting Out Aromatherapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297 Finding Out about Aromatherapy ..............................................................298 A (very) brief history of aromatherapy...........................................298 Grasping the idea behind aromatherapy ........................................299 Aromatherapy today..........................................................................300 Finding Out How It Works ...........................................................................300 Exploring Different Types of Aromatherapy.............................................301 Discovering What Aromatherapy Is Good For .........................................301 When not to use aromatherapy........................................................302 Possible side effects...........................................................................302 Evidence that it works .......................................................................303 What to Expect in a Typical Treatment.....................................................303 Questioning .........................................................................................303 Selecting the oils ................................................................................303 Aromatherapy treatment...................................................................304 Common Questions about Aromatherapy Treatment.............................305 Finding a Good Aromatherapist .................................................................306 Counting the cost of aromatherapy .................................................306 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................306 Helping Yourself with Aromatherapy ........................................................306 Chapter 20: Connecting with Healing Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .309 A (Very) Brief History of Healing ...............................................................309 Exploring Different Types of Healing .........................................................310 Looking at Popular Healing Therapies Today ..........................................311 Crystal healing....................................................................................312 Johrei ...................................................................................................313 Psychic healing...................................................................................313 Reiki......................................................................................................315 Shamanic healing................................................................................316 Spiritual healing..................................................................................317 Therapeutic Touch.............................................................................318 Other healing therapies.....................................................................319 Helping Yourself with Healing Therapies..................................................319 Chapter 21: Getting Your Head Around Psychological Therapies . . . .321 Finding Out about Psychological Therapies.............................................322 Exploring Modern-day Complementary Therapies for the Mind...........322 Autogenic therapy (AT) .....................................................................323 Biofeedback.........................................................................................323 Biorhythms..........................................................................................324 Brief therapy .......................................................................................325 Emotional freedom techniques (EFT)..............................................326 Hypnotherapy.....................................................................................327Neuro-linguistic programming(NLP)................................................329 Psychosynthesis.................................................................................330 Rebirthing............................................................................................330 Regression therapy ............................................................................332 Thought field therapy (TFT).............................................................333 Visualisation........................................................................................334 Other therapies ..................................................................................335 Having Psychological Therapies ................................................................335 Helping Yourself with Psychological Therapies.......................................335 Chapter 22: Feeling the Buzz of Energy Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337 Finding Out about Energy Medicine ..........................................................338 A (very) brief history of energy medicine.......................................338 Understanding how energy medicine works ..................................341 What’s the evidence? .........................................................................341 Energy medicine today ......................................................................343 Introducing Different Types of Energy Medicine .....................................343 Discovering Whom and What Energy Medicine Is Good For..................345 What can energy medicine treat?.....................................................346 When not to use energy medicine....................................................346 What to Expect in a Typical Consultation.................................................347 Diagnosis .............................................................................................347 Treatment ............................................................................................347 What to expect once you start treatment .......................................347 Knowing Whether Your Energy Medicine Treatment Is Working...........348 Common Questions about Energy Medicine Treatment .........................348 Finding a Good Practitioner........................................................................349 Questions to ask your practitioner..................................................349 Counting the cost of energy medicine.............................................350 Ensuring satisfaction .........................................................................350 Helping Yourself with Energy Medicine ....................................................350 Chapter 23: Having a Go with Creative Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351 Finding Out about Creative Therapies ......................................................352 Exploring Modern-day Creative Therapies...............................................352 Art therapy..........................................................................................353 Bibliotherapy ......................................................................................354 Colour therapy (including aura-soma) ............................................356 Dance therapy.....................................................................................358 Dramatherapy and psychodrama ....................................................359 Feng shui and geomancy ...................................................................360 Light therapy.......................................................................................362 Music therapy .....................................................................................363 Play therapy ........................................................................................364 Sound therapy ....................................................................................365 Experiencing Creative Therapies ...............................................................367 Helping Yourself with Creative Therapies ................................................368 Chapter 24: Ten Complementary Medicine Tips for Healthy Living Be AwareEat Well Boost Immunity Balance Those BonesBreathe Move It! Rest and Sleep Well De-stre