английский для продолжающих / alternative medicine

Alternative Medicine.

According to the information of World Health Organization

In Europe, North America & other industrialized regions, over 50 % of the population have used complementary or alternative medicine at least one.

70% of the population in Canada have used complementary medicine at least one.

In Germany 90% of the population have used a natural remedy at some point in their life. Between 1995 & 2000? The number of doctors? Who had undergone special training in natural remedy medicine had almost double to 10800.

In San Francisco, London & South Africa, 75% of people living with HIV/AIDS use TM/Cam.

In US, 158 million of the adult population use Complementary Medicine, US 17$ billion was spent on traditional remedies in 2000.

In the UK annual expenditure on alternative medicine is US$ 230 million.

The global market for herbal medicines is above US $ 60 billion annually & is growing steadily.

The WHO developed a new strategy in 2002 concerning traditional medicine:

- develop national policies on the evaluation & regulation of TM/ CAM.

- create a stronger evidence base on the safety, efficacy & quality of the TAM/CAM products & practices

-ensure availability & affordability of TM/CAM including essential herbal medicines

Document traditional medicines & remedies

Perhaps there is only one healer-love.

Understanding of other healing methods and other therapy approaches may help in the treatment of patients using modern methods.

Even though it is thought by the majority in this country that modern methods of treatment are sufficient in themselves.

If I do recommend that a patient would benefit from other therapies I would make it clear that it is just a suggestion.

Other healing methods include acupuncture, reflexology, ayurveda, aromatherapy, reiki, colour therapy, etc.

Acupuncture is probably one of the best established complementary methods of healing.

It is offered by many doctors in hospitals and GP-clinics.

Like most of the complementary therapies acupuncture has been the subject of clinical trials that have proved its effectiveness.

It is based on the system of meridians or lines or chakras that contain energy.

There are 35 meridians on which acupoints are found.

They are reservoirs of energy. Each meridian is connected to a certain organ or pair of organs.

Acupuncture masters stimulate these points to aid the energy to circulate around the body.

The first stone acupuncture needles had been found in Mongolia in Neolithic period.

More than 60 million people practice it only in China now to prevent a disease as well as to cure it.

Acupressure. Pressure is applied to the points on the feet and the hands.

By a reflex action this stimulates energy flow to a related muscle or organ.

Ayurveda. The Indian science of life. Healers consider that one should traet a patient but not a disease. Each patient with one the same disease should be treated differently.

Ayurveda assesses the individual giving advice on nutrition, exercise, lifestyle as well as offering medication.

Reiki. Practice of healing not only body, but mind and spirit, returning a person into the state of harmony.

Reiki is a japanese word meaning “universal in energy”.

They say everything that’s alive contains energy and reiki masters have energy channels opened by placing hands on the patient.

They release block energy thus cleansing the body from toxins and creating the state of balance.

It was first transmitted by doctor Mikao Usui approximately 100 years ago.

Reiki masters activate the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

To treat mental, physical, emotional problems in combination with other therapies it helps relieve insomnia, depression and stress.

Nutritional therapy is used to prevent and treat different illnesses including food allergy, nutritional deficiencies and toxic overload.

Acupuncture is a chinese procedure in which specific areas of the body pierced with fine needles to relive pain or to produce surgical anesthesia and thus to promote treatment.

Ayurveda is the oldest existing medical system practiced mainly in India. The therapeutic modality consists of meditation, a healthy lifestyle, herbal preparations and behavior modifications.

Colour Therapy [CT]

CT is used to improve our mood and emotions but according to the practitioners of CT the link between colours and mood goes deeper than that. They believe that not only colour affects our emotions but it has healing properties too.

Red represents vitality, creativity, energy and power. This colour helps for loosing stiffness. It’s also good for treating anemia and other blood-related conditions. Red can also make you feel warmer, reducing pain that comes from the cold. It also helps people who are feeling depressed. Overstimulation could result in agitation and aggressiveness. It’s not recommended for people who have heart trouble or nervous problems.

Orange is also an energizing colour that is useful for treatment chest and kidney diseases and arthritis. It helps to lift the spirit of those who feel depressed, lonely, of people who believe their life lack direction. However much orange can lead to agitation and restlessness.

Yellow stimulates the intellect and has a cheering effect. It’s useful in facilitating the digesting process and curing sain problems. However like red and orange not recommended for people experiencing great stress. Overstimulation can result exhaustion and depression.

Green reflects balance, harmony and hope. It’s good for people with heart conditions. It stimulates growth and therefore helps to heal broken bones. Too much green bring on a sense of lethargy.

Blue has a cooling and calming effect. It is useful in bringing down fever. It helps to stop bleeding and it is good for burns. And cure a sorethroat. It’s recommended for people, suffering from shock, fevers and inflammation and nervous breakdowns and is not advisable for people with bad circulation. Overstimulation can make a person passive and sad and depressed.

Indigo stimulates intellect and gives a person sense of courage, authority and inner calmness. At the physical level it helps to purify the blood. It’s useful in treatment of diseases of ears, nose and eyes, ulcers and sane-disorders. Overdosage can cause a headache and make you feel sleepy.

Violet is a very powerful colour and has strong links with creativity. It is useful in treating people who are excessively emotionally agitated. And also helps compulsive to come down and control the appetite. It’s not advisable for clinically depressed individuals.

CT can be practiced in several ways:

• coloured-glass windows

• asking to visualize colours

• making suggestions about the colours of the food the person should eat, the colour of his clothes, even his surroundings

• solorized water can be used like a healing tonic

[A clear container of the prescribed colour is filled with water and left in the sun for a couple of hours. The sun’s rays filter through the coloured glass container and energize the water with the vibration of the prescribed colour]