Definition: Terms and Concepts in Alternative Medicine
| (Modified
Revision, Oct 2004) Terms
and concepts in alternative medicine
provides a glossary of quick and to the point
definitions of important terms and concepts
unique to alternative medicine (CAM).
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Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the
practice of inserting very thin needles in specific
acupuncture points or combinations of points on the body
to improve health and well-being. "There are over
1,000 acupoints that can be stimulated through the
insertion of needles. Acupuncture has been used to treat
health problems and conditions ranging from the common
cold to addiction and chronic
fatigue syndrome." (See CDC Advance Data Report
#343 below.)
Allopathy
The term "allopathy" was coined by Samuel Hahnemann.
The term "allopathic
medicine" is used most frequently in the context
of critiques of conventional
medicine.
Alternative medical systems
Alternative medical systems is the precise
name of a NCCAM
classification for those forms of alternative medicine
that are built upon a complete system of theory and
practice.
Alternative medicine
Alternative
medicine is a broad term for any diagnostic
method, method of treatment or therapy whose theoretical
bases and techniques diverge from generally accepted
medical methods. It is generally considered to be the
most dangerous form of CAM
by the scientific community because it is used in
place of conventional
medicine[NCCAM]. (See criticisms of
alternative medicine for details.) (Changed and added online references)
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.
Asklepios
Asklepios, (Latinate spelling Asclepius)
the Greek god of medicine treated the sick with the help
of his daughters, Hygeia and Panacea.
Ayurveda
"This comprehensive system of medicine developed
in India over 2,000 years ago, places equal emphasis on
body, mind, and spirit. The goal is to restore the
natural harmony of the individual. An Ayurvedic doctor
identifies an individual's constitution or over all
health profile by ascertaining the patients's metabolic
body type (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha)
through a series of personal history questions. Then the
patient's constitution 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." (See
CDC Advance Data Report #343 below.)
B
Bates method
The Bates method is an
alternative approach to eyesight improvement and
maintenance.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback links
the mind with the body through high-technology devices
that allows the mind to control certain bodily functions.
In this treatment method, an individual is hooked up to
monitoring devices which provides an indication of how
brain waves, breathing patterns, muscle activity, sweat
gland function, pulse, skin temperature, and blood
pressure are responding to relaxation techniques, such as
meditation. "Biofeedback has been used to reduce
stress, eliminate headaches, recondition injured muscles,
control asthmatic attacks, and relieve pain." (See
CDC Advance Data Report #343 below.)
Biologically based therapies
Biologically based therapies, is the precise
name of a NCCAM
classification, for alternative treatments that use
substances found in nature and/or some other natural
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 is a new name for massage treatments
which is how this health profession is trying to
disassociate itself from the sex industry. 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 lymph drainage. Massage
is considered effective for relieving any type of pain in
the body's soft tissue, including back, neck, and
shoulder pain, headaches, bursitis, and tendonitis. (See CDC
Advance Data Report #343 below.)
Breathing Meditation
"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."
(See CDC Advance Data Report #343 below.)
C
CAM
CAM is an acronym for complementary
and alternative
medicine. It also includes the recent addition of integrative
medicine. CAM is about alternative positions on
health, healing, and illness. Complementary and
alternative medicine covers a very broad range of areas
from self-help to professional care and from the sensible
and worth while to the ridiculous.
Complementary and alternative medicine, as defined by
NCCAM, is a group of diverse medical and health care
systems, practices, and products that are not presently
considered to be part of conventional medicine. While
some scientific evidence exists regarding some CAM
therapies, for most there are key questions that are yet
to be answered through well-designed scientific
studies--questions such as whether these therapies are
safe and whether they work for the diseases or medical
conditions for which they are used.
The list of what is considered to be CAM changes
continually, as those therapies that are proven to be
safe and effective become adopted into conventional
health care and as new approaches to health care emerge.
See: NCCAM
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 Chinese
medicine are, more accurately, referred to as Oriental Medicine with
roots in many different Asian countries. This
millenia old Asian medical tradition works to bring
balance to the body through acupuncture, massage, Eastern
herbalism, diet; and
lifestyle changes such as martial arts and meditation.
Chiropractic medicine
Chiropractic is a
popular form of alternative medicine whose physical mode
of action is spinal manipulations that allegedly unblock
nerve signals sent by the brain so that the body can heal
itself. "It is primarily used to treat back
problems, headaches, nerve inflammation, muscle spasms,
and other injuries and traumas." (See CDC Advance
Data Report #343 below.)
Christian Science
Christian Science
is small denomination that teaches that Christian healing
as practiced by 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. See the entry on Christian
Science for greater detail.
Complementary medicine
Complementary medicine refers to
alternative treatments that are used alongside
conventional
medicine [NCCAM], especially as palliative care. (Added NCCAM reference)
D
Diet-based therapy
Diet-based therapy uses a variety of diets in order to
improve health and longevity, to control weight, as well
as to treat specific health conditions like high cholesterol.
A survey
released in May 2004 by the National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
focused on who used 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 (See CDC
Advance Data Report #343 below, table 1 on page 8).
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 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 therapies
Energy therapies is the precise name of a NCCAM
classification, for alternative treatments that involve
the use of energy fields.
Exercise-based therapy
Exercise-based therapy uses a variety of traditional
forms of physical exercise in order to
improve health and longevity, to increase muscle mass, as
well as to treat specific health conditions and to
relieve stress.
F
Flower essence therapy
Flower
essence therapy is 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.
G
Golden Age of Quackery
Eighteenth-century England is remembered as the Golden
Age of Quackery, since Queen Anne
patronized and gave credibility to myriad swindlers and
frauds.
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
Healer
A healer is a practitioner of alternative health
practices who works with, rather than against, the
natural self-healing properties of the body. Healers are
said to heal because all healing comes from within the
body rather from external treatments.
"Healing with Animals"
"Healing with
Animals" is a documentary about healing
relationships between animals and people.
Herbalism
Herbalism is the
practice of making or prescribing herbal remedies for medical
conditions.
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.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is an
alternative medical practice founded on resemblances. The
underlying theory is that disease 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."
(See CDC Advance Data Report #343 below.)
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."
(See CDC Advance Data Report #343 below.)
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is
the external use of water in the medical treatment of
disease.
I
Conditions targeted by alternative treatments
Also see this list
of medical symptoms, many if not all would also be
targeted by various alterternative treatments.
Integrative medicine
Integrative medicine, as defined by NCCAM,
combines conventional medical treatments and CAM
alternative treatments for which there is some
high-quality scientific evidence of their safety and
effectiveness.
Intervention
Interventions are any attempt to modify a medical or
health condition.
Iridology
Iridology the study
of the iris to determine health.
J
Journaling
Journaling is a technique for reducing stress by
writing about stressful events in your life.
K
L
Lifestyle
Lifestyle describes
the particular attitudes, habits or behaviors associated
with an individual.
M
Manipulative and body-based methods
Manipulative and body-based methods, is the
precise name of a 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).
Massage therapy
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 lymph drainage. Massage
is considered effective for relieving any type of pain in
the body's soft tissue, including back, neck, and
shoulder pain, headaches, bursitis, and tendonitis. (See CDC
Advance Data Report #343 below.)
Meditation
"Mental calmness and physical relaxation is
achieved [with 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." (See CDC Advance
Data Report #343 below.)
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 interventions, is the precise name
of a NCCAM
classification, that coves a variety of techniques
designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily
function and symptoms.
Modality classifications
This is a classification by who is performing the CAM
treatments.
- Professionalized
- self-care
- 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
points. 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.
Natural hygiene
Natural hygiene
is a variation of the nature
cure. Its major practices are fasting, food
combining, and a raw food diet.
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
has classified CAM therapies into five different
categories, or domains.
- Alternative
Medical System
- Mind-Body
Intervention
- Biologically
Based Therapy
- Manipulative
Methods
- Energy
Therapy
O
Orthopathy
Orthopathy started in 1802 in the US and developed
into the natural
hygiene movement.
P
Physical education
Physical
educators teach physical fitness and exercise.
Plum blossom
Plum blossom 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." (See CDC Advance Data Report #343 below.)
Q
Quack
A quack is a person who
pretends to be a physician, or sells fraudulent health
care products or treatment.
R
Reiki
Reiki, an energy healing
therapy, "helps the body's ability to heal itself
through the flow and focusing of healing energy (Reiki
means universal healing energy). During treatment, this
healing energy is 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 treat a wide variety of ailments and health
problems and is often used in conjunction with other
alternative and conventional medical treatments."
(See CDC Advance Data Report #343 below.)
S
San Jiao
The San Jiao or triple
burner is an organ found only in traditional
Chinese medical theory, and with no tangible
existence. It is a concept of Qi flow and fluid
metabolism.
Schüßler-Salts
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.
T
Therapeutic nihilism
Therapeutic nihilism is skepticism regarding the
therapeutic value of drugs or medical treatment voiced by
physicians.
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 an ancient system of health
care which is based on the Chinese notion
of harmony and balance of qi.
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:
U
V
Visualization
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." (See CDC
Advance Data Report #343 below.)
W
X
Y
Yoga
Yoga
is a "combination of breathing exercises, physical
postures, and meditation,
practiced for over 5,000 years, calms the nervous system
and balances body, mind, and spirit. It is thought to
prevent specific diseases and maladies by keeping the
energy meridians (see acupuncture) open
and life energy (qi) flowing. Usually
performed in classes, sessions are conducted at least
once a week and for approximately 45 minutes. Yoga has
been used to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and
improve coordination, flexibility, concentration, sleep,
and digestion. It has also been used as supplementary
therapy for such diverse conditions as cancer, diabetes, asthma, and AIDS." (See CDC
Advance Data Report #343 below.)
Z
References
- Barnes P, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin R. CDC
Advance Data Report #343. Complementary and
Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United
States, 2002. May 27, 2004. Online
- On page 20 this report states: "All
material appearing in this report is in
the public domain and may be reproduced
or copied without permission; citation as
to source,however, is appreciated."
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