Dictionary of Alternative Medicine: U - Z

Dictionary of Alternative Medicine - U

• John Upledger - principal proponent of craniosacral therapy.
• Mikao Usui - rediscovered Reiki during the latter half of the 19th century in Japan.

Dictionary of Alternative Medicine - V

• Vastu Shastra is the Traditional Vedic System of architecture and design. With the influence of Vaastu you are supposed to be able to increase the prosperity index of your house or office. Vaastu is the ancient Vedic science of good fortune.
• Vegan was originally coined to differentiate those vegetarians who (primarily for ethical or environmental reasons) sought to eliminate animal products from all other areas of their lives from those who simply avoided eating meat.
• Vegetarianism is a dietary practice that excludes all body parts of any animal and byproducts derived from animals (e.g., lard, tallow, gelatin, cochineal) from one's diet, but may also include honey, milk, other dairy products, as well as eggs.
• 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 below.) It is a mind-body technique for reducing stress that is often utilized by people interested in wellness.
• Vitalism - For people interested in wellness, simply means that the human body, rather than medical intervention, is what holds the ultimate power to cure.
• Vitamins
  • Biotin
  • Folic acid
  • Niacin
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin B-12

Dictionary of Alternative Medicine - W

• Walking
  • hiking
  • racewalking
  • Nordic walking
• Water-cure is the use of hydropathy or hydrotherapy to treat patients. Developed in Europe and eventually became naturopathy.
• Weight training
  • Warming up is usually performed before performing in sports. The warming up allows a gradual warming of the muscles which will lessen the likelihood of injuries during training or a match. The warming up also lessens the amount of muscle ache experienced the day after extensive muscle straining. See also: cooling down.
  • Powerlifting
  • clean and jerk
• Andrew Weil - founder of integrative medicine and author of many modern books on alternative medicine. Weil is a major spokesperson for the wellness movement.
• Wellness is feeling good about life. Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being.
• Wellness movement - The wellness movement champions a number of health concepts. For one, the individual is the primary person responsible for their health. Next, the mind-body connection and stress reduction is a major focus of much of the wellness community. Participants in this movement often participate in aerobics, yoga, tai chi, or Pilates classes rather than engage in the more traditional exercise routines of jogging, weight training or participation in traditional sports.
• Wholeness has come to connote more than mere completeness or fullness. It implies a reality, system or truth in which all parts or aspects are present in the correct and a healthy relationship with each other. This correct relationship, or synergy, is a major factor in the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. From the perspective of preferential wholeness, a healthy person is viewed as being more whole than an ill or injured one. In contrast, from the perspective of existential wholeness, illness and injury are viewed as being part of the larger wholeness of life.
• J.R. Worsley - founder of Five Elements school of acupuncture.
• World Health Organization - The constitution of WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not consisting only of the absence of disease or infirmity.
• Frances Wright - was active in the American Popular Health Movement of the 1830's and '40s.
• Wu Chien-ch'üan - famous T'ai Chi Ch'uan teacher, one of the first to openly promote and teach T'ai Chi for the public health in early 20th century Beijing.

Dictionary of Alternative Medicine - X

Dictionary of Alternative Medicine - Y

• Yang Ch'eng-fu - perhaps the most famous T'ai Chi Ch'uan teacher ever, among the first to openly teach and promote T'ai Chi for public health.
• Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) - culture hero historically credited as the founder of traditional Chinese medicine.
• Yin Yang
• 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. ... 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 below.) Most yoga postures have distinctive names, like Lotus, Cobra, Butterfly, and the Sun Pose. Yoga which means a union of mind and body and is very popular in the wellness movement. It is often performed in a group setting on sticky yoga mats.
  • Hatha yoga - Hatha yoga primarily concerns itself with postures. It is what most people today associate with the practice of yoga. The regular practice of these yoga positions promotes poise, balance and strength. And, supposedly improves the body's physical health and clears the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment.
  • Power yoga is a modernized version of ashtanga yoga. This version of yoga supposedly builds core strength and endurance, as well as flexibility.
• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - the founder of Transcendental Meditation.

Dictionary of Alternative Medicine - Z

• Elder Zhang Guo - Chinese alchemist.
• Zone diet is a popular diet program that is followed by people interested in losing weight. The use of zone describes the achievement of a proper insulin hormone balance which centers around a 40:30:30 ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

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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.
  • Press Release
  • Executive Summary
  • Complete Report in PDF format