Chapter 6
Referring to conventional medical care, which uses treatments such as medications, surgery, and other established medical procedures.
Allopathic
A complementary practice in which practitioners move their hands near the body, intending to assess and balance a proposed human energy field.
Therapeutic touch
Treatment using substances that bind certain metals so the body can remove them; medically used for some types of metal poisoning.
Chelation
A coordinated approach that combines conventional care with complementary approaches supported by evidence of safety and effectiveness.
A traditional medical system originating in India that emphasizes balance and uses approaches such as diet, herbs, exercise, meditation, and massage.
Ayurveda
Comprehensive systems with their own theories of health and illness and methods of diagnosis and treatment, such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine.
Whole medical systems
A structured psychotherapy that helps people process distressing memories while using guided eye movements or other alternating stimulation; commonly used for PTSD.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Physical fields associated with electrical and magnetic activity. Some therapies use devices that generate these fields, with effects depending on the device and condition treated.
Electromagnetic fields (EMT)
Health practices used instead of conventional medical treatment.
Alternative medicine
A person’s experience or search for meaning, purpose, connection, or the sacred, which may or may not involve religion.
Spirituality
Products taken to supplement the diet that contain ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, or other substances.
A practice originating in traditional Chinese medicine that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to address symptoms or health problems.
Acupuncture
Communication with, or contemplation directed toward, a deity or sacred presence, often expressing gratitude, seeking guidance, or requesting help.
Prayer
Practices that train attention and awareness, often through focusing on breathing, sensations, a word, or the present moment.
Meditation
Health practices used along with conventional medical treatment.
Complementary medicine
A technique that uses instruments to show bodily activity, such as muscle tension or heart rate, so a person can learn to influence it.
Biofeedback
A complementary practice in which practitioners place their hands lightly on or above a person, intending to direct a proposed healing energy.
Reiki
The use of essential oils from plants, commonly through inhalation or application to the skin, to support comfort and well-being.
Aromatherapy
A traditional medical system developed in China that includes acupuncture, herbal preparations, massage, and practices such as qigong, guided by concepts including qi and yin-yang balance.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
The therapeutic use of creative activities—such as art, music, dance, drama, or writing—to support emotional expression, communication, and coping.
Expressive therapy
An alternative system based on the ideas that “like cures like” and repeated dilution increases a remedy’s effects; these principles are not established scientifically.
Homeopathy
Manipulation of muscles and other soft tissues using pressure and movement to promote relaxation or relieve symptoms.
Massage
A state of focused attention and increased responsiveness to suggestions, used therapeutically to influence perceptions, experiences, or behaviors.
Hypnosis
A health care approach focused on the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, that commonly uses hands-on adjustments or manipulation.
Chiropractic
A medical system emphasizing the body’s capacity to heal and using approaches such as nutrition, lifestyle changes, herbs, and other practices.
Naturopathy
A traditional Chinese practice combining controlled breathing, gentle movements or postures, and focused attention or meditation.
Qi Gong (qigong)