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Glossary
of Professional Services |
Acupuncture
Thin, solid, sterile stainless-steel
needles are inserted into specific points to stimulate the body's
natural energy (Qi or Chi). In 1997, the National Institutes
of Health officially recognized acupuncture as an effective treatment
for pain and nausea. |
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Aromatherapy
Pure essential oils are used to treat
stress and anxiety as well as a wide range of other ailments.
Aromatherapy is often used in conjunction with massage therapy,
acupuncture, reflexology, herbology, chiropractic, and other
methods of holistic healing. |
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Ayurvedic Medicine
Ayurvedic medicine is India's traditional, natural system of
medicine that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. This
complete holistic health system for mind, body, and spirit treats
the patient as a whole rather than treating symptoms alone, and
it works as a preventative means of coping with imbalance and
disease. |
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Breathwork
A general term used to describe directed
breathing patterns that take breath to a deeper level, thus improving
one's physical health as well as one's mental and emotional state
of being. Breathwork is an integral part of many types of spiritual/healing
practices such as yoga, chi gong, and meditation. |
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Chinese Medicine
A holistic perspective on health and
illness which treats the relationship of a symptom to the person
as a whole. Traditional Chinese medicine encompasses a vast range
of therapies including acupuncture, herbs, bodywork, exercise
and diet. |
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Chiropractic
Correction of misalignment of the
vertebrae using spinal manipulation and adjustments. Licensed
in all 50 states, chiropractic doctors make up the largest single
group of alternative medicine practitioners in the United States. |
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Craniosacral Therapy
This therapy uses a combination of
gentle pressure and holding on the client's skull to release
tension and to restore balance. It is used to treat chronic pain,
migraine headaches, TMJ, and a range of other conditions. |
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| Exercise And Fitness |
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Healing Touch [CHTP]
Healing Touch is a program of energy techniques developed by
a nurse, Janet Mentgen, in 1989. It is a Certificate program
originally developed for the American Holistic Nurses Assoc.
(AHNA). Healing Touch is used to accelerate wound healing, relieve
pain, promote relaxation, and prevent illness. |
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Herbal Therapy
Natural plants or plant-based substances
are used to treat a range of illnesses and to enhance the functioning
of the body's systems. Though herbal therapy is not a licensed
professional modality in the U.S., herbs are prescribed by a
range of practitioners, form holistic M.D.s to acupuncturists
to naturopaths. |
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| Holistic Health Centers |
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Hypnotherapy
An accepted technique in which hypnosis
is used as a tool to treat a wide variety of psychological, behavioral
and medically related problems. From helping people to overcome
a craving for cigarettes to managing chronic pain from an illness
or accident, trained hypnotherapists work with a wide variety
of problems. |
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Kinesiology
The study of the anatomy, physiology,
and mechanics of body movement. Also known as "muscle testing,"
it can be used to determine the root cause of a condition. Practitioners
view the body as an intelligent computer that knows exactly what
is wrong and what is needed to restore balance. Using certain
methods, a practitioner can identify the problem area and treat
it effectively. It is very effective in treating sports injuries,
as they are often the result of an imbalance in the muscle structure.
There are several branches of Kinesiology, including Applied,
Clinical and Educational. |
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Magnetic Field Therapy
Magnetic field therapy diagnoses and
treats both physical and emotional pain; it relieves symptoms
and retards the cycle of new disease. It is a safe, drugless
and painless therapy often used to work on tissue and bone damage
conditions. A low-frequency magnetic field is directed to a particular
area, penetrating every single cell in its range. The magnetic
energy influences the ions within the cell, enhancing ion exchange
and thus improving the cell's use of oxygen. This helps the healing
and regeneration process. |
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Massage Therapy
A "hands-on" approach that
takes many forms. Some of the many benefits include physical
and mental relaxation, improve circulation & muscle tone,
and aid the efficient functioning of the digestive system. |
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Medical-Holistic
Differing from traditional allopathic
(Western) medicine, holistic medicine looks at the whole person,
including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional,
social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated
modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery,
if no safe alternative exists. It also focuses on education and
self-responsibility to achieve balance and well being. |
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Medical-Osteopathic
Osteopathy is an established recognized
system of diagnosis and treatment, which lays its main emphasis
on the structural and functional integrity of the body. It is
distinctive by the fact that it recognizes that much of the pain
and disability that we suffer from stems from abnormalities in
the function of the body structure as well as damage caused to
it by disease. |
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Meditation
A mental technique for deep relaxation,
meditation helps to focus and calm the mind. It may be used to
heal the body, quiet the mind, and provide a sense of inner balance. |
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Movement Therapy
As a form of psychotherapy, teachers
in this field seek to use rhythmic or guided movement for emotional
and psychological healing. |
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Naturopathic Medicine
Adhering to the principles of holistic
medicine, naturopathic doctors can use various natural methods
to treat patients, including nutritional supplements, herbal
medicine, homeopathy and lifestyle counseling. In many states,
naturopathic doctors (ND) are legally defined as physicians licensed
to diagnose and treat in a general family practice. Some NDs
are also licensed midwives or licensed acupuncturists. Note:
It is recommended that you ask the Practitioner their background
and credentials. |
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NLP-Neuro-Linguistic Programming
A technique to determine how a person
uses the language of the mind to consistently achieve a specific
and desired outcome. NLP practitioners look for clues in a person's
set speech and behavior patterns and then provide the mental
tools that clients can use to alter that behavior. NLP has been
used in work with phobias, learning disabilities, addictive behavior,
as well as the development of more desirable, constructive behavioral
patterns. |
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Nutritional Therapy
Nutritionists counsel clients on a
wide variety of issues ranging from proper levels of vitamins,
minerals and other nutrients to weight loss, food allergies and
optimal health. Many follow a "whole foods" approach
to proper diet. |
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Pain Management
Several kinds of practitioners offer
pain management, including medical doctors, dentists, chiropractors,
psychologists, dietitians, acupuncturists and others. Techniques
vary depending of the practitioner's training. |
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Pilates
The Pilates Method is an exercise
system focused on improving flexibility and strength for the
total body without building bulk. Not surprisingly, some of the
first people to use the Pilates Method were dancers such as Martha
Graham and George Balanchine. The Pilates Method is not just
exercise, however. It is a series of controlled movements engaging
your body and mind, performed on specifically designed exercise
apparatus and supervised by extensively trained teachers. |
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Reflexology
Based on the idea that specific points
on the feet and hands correspond with organs and tissues throughout
the entire body. The practitioner uses fingers and thumbs to
apply pressure to reflex zones to help the self-healing process.
Some of the benefits are the relief of pain in the neck, shoulder
and lower back, to relief of allergic reactions, headaches, upset
stomach and colon discomfort. |
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Reiki
A scientifc method which Practitioners
use light hand placements to activate and balance the life-force
energy (also known as chi ["chee"] or prana]. Reiki
can be used to treat emotional and mental distress as well as
chronic and acute physical pain. |
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Yoga
A system of exercises, postures, breathing,
meditation and relaxation. Students learn self-control and a
state of being at one with oneself. |
