There are various holistic therapies, such as acupuncture and massage. These practices typically fall under complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
More research needs to be conducted into the safety and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), but some doctors encourage patients to utilize such techniques alongside traditional medical therapies.
Holistic healing
Holistic healing is an approach to wellness that considers all aspects of an individual’s wellbeing, from complementary and alternative medicine, massage and chiropractic treatments, as well as more conventional ones like exercise, healthy diet and stress reduction to holistic approaches that address emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Holistic medicine also addresses root causes rather than simply treating symptoms – something many medical practices fail at doing.
Some practitioners of holistic healing, like massage therapists, may be more familiar with alternative therapies than others; nevertheless, all holistic healers should be aware of any risks associated with them and discuss all possible treatments with their holistic health practitioner before undertaking them.
There are hundreds of various holistic healing practices, with new ones emerging continuously. Some fall under the category of complementary medicine, while others lack scientific proof of their efficacy. Some complementary therapies like acupuncture and massage therapy have proven their worth; others such as energy therapies that use electromagnetic, ultrasonic, thermal energy may be questionable; these practices may even fall under New Age medicine umbrella, pseudoscience label, fringe medicine or even quackery classifications.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) categorizes holistic healing techniques into five broad categories. Alternative Medical Systems refer to complete systems developed outside of Western biomedicine that do not fall under its purview, such as traditional Chinese Medicine or Ayurveda; Mind-Body Interventions involve behavioral, psychological, social, spiritual approaches that include relaxation sessions and support groups; while Biologically Based Therapies consist of treatments made of plant or other biological origin such as herbal remedies or aromatherapy. Furthermore, Manipulative Body-Based Methods such as massage therapy or chiropractic may provide further benefits.
Meditation
Meditation is an alternative therapy designed to help you relax deeply and ease anxiety, pain, or other health problems. Meditation may also improve your mood. Meditation can be done alone or with others in a group setting and there are various types of meditation, from religious forms like prayer to nonreligious forms like qigong and tai chi.
Meditation involves sitting comfortably on either a chair or floor with eyes closed and focusing on your breathing, either the sensation inside your nose, or paying attention to how breathing moves your abdomen when taking in and exhaling air. Your thoughts may wander; that is fine – simply bring back to focus when necessary by deep breathing exercises.
Some forms of meditation can help alleviate symptoms associated with anxiety, depression and irritable bowel syndrome. Meditation may also alleviate back and neck pain while improving your sleep quality – plus help prepare and relax patients before cancer treatments begin or conclude.
There is insufficient scientific or medical evidence that alternative therapies can effectively treat cancer. Some may cause harmful side effects or interfere with conventional treatments, leading to further delays or failure.
Before engaging in any alternative therapies, always consult your physician first. They can tell you if a therapy is suitable and what to expect from it. If you decide to undertake such an endeavor, make sure your physician and nurse know immediately as they will advise whether it can interact with cancer treatment or cause side effects.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is an alternative therapy that uses hypnosis to help people treat conditions and change behaviors. Although not usually considered part of conventional medicine, hypnotherapy may often supplement traditional treatments and should always be carried out by a qualified therapist.
Hypnosis has proven successful at treating many mental health conditions, from anxiety and panic attacks to physical symptoms like pain management. Hypnosis has even been used successfully to break addictions like smoking or alcohol abuse as well as stress, depression and insomnia – often combined with other psychological therapies like CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy).
An experienced hypnotherapist will use an induction procedure to help their patient relax and become open to suggestions being given by them. It is important to remember that hypnosis does not represent mind control – the person under hypnosis will remain fully conscious and not unconscious, making their therapist incapable of making them do things they wouldn’t otherwise choose themselves.
Different techniques exist for inducing hypnosis, with most using both visual and auditory cues to induce it. Candle flames or computer monitors might serve as visuals; music or chanting might provide audio cues; the therapist will often encourage their patients to think back on a time when they felt relaxed and at ease before starting treatment.
Hypnosis may be beneficial in treating many conditions, though it’s not suitable for everyone. Psychosis or certain personality disorders should be discussed with their therapist and GP before receiving hypnosis as it could make matters worse.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical technique that utilizes thin needles to stimulate specific points in your body, including traditional Chinese medicine and scientific studies demonstrating its efficacy for certain conditions. Before embarking on any alternative therapy regime, however, it’s wise to consult with your physician first – they can assist in finding a safe practitioner as well as ensure it does not interfere with existing treatments or adversely impact others.
Some forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are known as whole systems of complementary and alternative medicine (WSCAM), such as Traditional Chinese Medicine – including acupuncture, herbal remedies, Tui na massage and Tai chi; Ayurveda; classical homeopathy are based on the belief that imbalances within one’s overall constitution – not disease localized to specific organs – are at the source of symptoms.
Though acupuncture and other alternative therapies have become more widely utilized among patients, their efficacy remains highly controversial. While some patients report improvements following sessions, other research indicates this might simply be down to placebo effect or natural illness progression; furthermore, some researchers even believe some alternative treatments such as homeopathy and reiki could potentially be harmful.
Although many physicians and healthcare professionals remain wary of alternative techniques, many remain open to them when integrated within an interprofessional team setting. Here, physicians can work closely together with other health care providers to integrate various modalities into comprehensive care plans as part of an interprofessional team approach and educate patients about potential risks or benefits of these modalities. Furthermore, an integrative holistic approach may improve clinical outcomes such as working with an acupuncturist or multidisciplinary setting such as physical therapy office, primary care clinic or integrative medicine practice.
Massage
Massage therapy is an alternative therapy that uses pressure, rubbing, and manipulation of skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments and/or other soft tissue structures for therapeutic effects. Massage can be part of integrative medicine as an additional approach or used alone as part of mental health treatments; massage may even help cancer patients feel more relaxed while controlling pain more efficiently as well as speed up healing at incision sites and reduce discomfort post surgery.
Massage may seem like a luxurious spa treatment, but it can actually be part of an effective holistic health plan. Massage therapy can help manage side effects from chemotherapy and radiation treatments while being beneficial to those living with conditions like heart disease or depression.
Even though many may dismiss complementary and alternative therapies as ineffective or worthless, they may actually help to enhance overall health and reduce stress. It’s best to speak to your doctor first before trying any of these therapies as they can help find a combination of medications and therapies to meet your specific needs.
CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is defined by the National Institutes of Health as any approach that falls outside conventional medical approaches and does not currently belong in mainstream health care; examples include herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, meditation and music therapy – practices found across cultures across the globe.
