Glossaries
Natural Health Practices
Other glossaries available here
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acupressure |
Acupressure is a technique derived from acupuncture that blends acupuncture and pressure. In this traditional Chinese medicine, pressure applied to various points in the body stimulate the meridian system to bring about relief by rebalancing yin, yang and qi. |
| Acupuncture |
Acupuncture is the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes. According to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture points are situated on meridians along which qi (a life energy), flows. |
| Aromatherapy |
Aromatherapy uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and similar aromatic compounds from plants, for improved psychological and physical health. |
| Biofeedback |
Biofeedback provides people with access to detailed physiological information about themselves so that they may gain control of physical processes. This process involves measuring a person's specific and quantifiable bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, sweat gland activity, and muscle tension. Doing so raises the patient's awareness of these functions and thus the possibility that they can consciously control them. |
| Bodywork |
Bodywork is a term used in natural or holistic medicine to describe any therapeutic, healing or personal development work which involves some form of touching, energy work or the physical manipulation of a practically oriented physical and somatic understanding of the body. |
| Cell Therapy |
Cell therapy describes the process of introducing new cells into a tissue in order to treat a disease. Cells are obtained from specific organs or tissues that correspond with the unhealthy organs or tissues of the recipient. The organs and glands used in cell treatment include the brain, pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, thymus, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, heart, ovary, testis, and parotid. |
| Chelation Therapy |
Chelation therapy is a form of care that administers a chelating agent (a substance whose molecules can form several bonds to a single metal ion) to remove metabolic wastes and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic from the bloodstream. |
| Chiropractic |
Chiropractic is a health care discipline and profession that emphasizes diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine. The main treatment involves manual therapy including manipulation of the spine, other joints, and soft tissue; treatment also includes exercises and health and lifestyle counseling. |
| Colon Hydrotherapy |
Colon hydrotherapy or colon cleansing encompasses a number of alternative medical therapies intended to remove fecal waste and unidentified toxins from the colon and intestinal tract. Colon hydrotherapy uses enemas to inject water, sometimes mixed with herbs or with other liquids, into the colon using special equipment. Practitioners believe that accumulations of putrefied feces line the walls of the large intestine and that these accumulations harbor parasites or pathogenic gut flora, causing nonspecific symptoms and general ill-health. |
| Craniosacral Therapy |
Craniosacral therapy (also called CST, cranial osteopathy) is a treatment in which the practitioner gently works with the spine and the skull and its cranial sutures, diaphragms, and fascia. In doing so, the practitioner tries to ease the restrictions of nerve passages, optimizes the movement of cerebrospinal fluid through the spinal cord, and restores misaligned bones to their proper position. Craniosacral therapists use the therapy to treat mental stress, neck and back pain, migraines, TMJ Syndrome, and for chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. |
| D.O. |
Doctor of Osteopathy |
| Detoxification |
Detoxification, or detox for short, is the removal of toxic substances from the body. Doing so may improve immune function, hormone function, and psychological wellness. |
| Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) |
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a form of alternative psychotherapy that works to manipulates the body's energy field by tapping on acupuncture points (without needles) while a specific traumatic memory is focused on, in order to alleviate a psychological problem. The theory of EFT is that negative emotions are caused by disturbances in the body's energy field. |
| Energy Medicine |
Energy medicine refers to therapies that use an energy field—electrical, magnetic, sonic, acoustic, microwave, or infrared—to screen for or treat health conditions through the detection and correction of imbalances in the body’s energy fields. Energy medicine works to restore flow, balance, and harmony within an energy system by tapping, massaging, pinching, twisting, or connecting specific energy points (acupoints) on the skin. |
| Guided Imargery |
Guided imagery (GAI also known as katathym imaginative psychotherapy) uses focused imagery and descriptive language with the patient in a relaxed state of mind to directly affect the physiology of the patient. Through accessing his or her own emotions, the patient gains an awareness of how emotions affect health. Imagery is often used to treat chronic pain and allergies and to accelerate healing and minimize discomfort from injuries. |
