Biologically based therapies

Diet-based therapies

Special dietary regimens (e.g., Gerson therapy, Kelly regimen, macrobiotic diet, Ornish diet, Pritikin diet) are used to treat or prevent specific diseases (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disorders) or to improve overall health by achieving a certain balance. Ayurveda uses herbs, massage, yoga, and therapeutic elimination - usually using enemas, oil massage, or nasal irrigation - to restore balance to the body and nature.

Selected Therapies	Description
Biological therapies	Substances (eg, shark cartilage) or molecules (eg, S-adenosyl-L-methionine, glucosamine) occur naturally in animals and are used to treat disease
Herbal treatment	Plants (herbs) are used to treat diseases and improve health.
Orthomolecular Therapies	Molecules normally found in the body (e.g. hormones, vitamins, nutrients) are used to treat disease and improve health

Manipulative methods and body methods

Chiropractic	Chiropractic is based on the relationship between the structure of the spine and the functions of the nervous system; bones and joints are manipulated to restore balance to the body.
Massage	Tissues are manipulated to improve well-being and reduce pain and stress.
Posture retraining	Movement and contact are used to help patients relearn correct and healthy body postures. Methods include Alexander, Feldenkrais and Trager. Therapies aim to break habitual, harmful ways of holding the body, focusing the patient's attention on recognizing the benefits through movement.
Reflexology	Manual pressure is applied to specific areas of the legs, which theoretically correspond to different organs or systems of the body.
Deep massage	The fascia is manipulated and stretched to restore healthy bone and muscle alignment.

Energy Therapies

External Qi Gong	In this form of Chinese medical practice, qi gong, healers use the energy of their own biofield to balance the patient's energy.
Magnetic therapy	Magnets are placed on the body to reduce pain
Pulsating electric field	Damaged areas of the body are placed in an inductive electric field to facilitate healing.
Reiki	In this Japanese-origin technique, practitioners pass energy through their body and the patient's body to enhance the healing process.
Therapeutic contact	This technique is often explained as a "laying on of hands," even though no actual contact is required; it uses the practitioner's healing energy to identify and resolve imbalances in the patient's biofield.

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Ayurveda (Ayurveda)

Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, originated over 4,000 years ago. It is based on the theory that disease is caused by an imbalance in the body's life force (prana). The balance of prana is determined by the balance of 3 physical qualities (dosha): vata, pitta and kapha.

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Homeopathy

Developed in Germany in the late 1700s, homeopathy is based on the principle that like cures like.

A substance which, when given in large doses, produces a certain set of symptoms, is supposed to cure the same symptoms when given in small doses.

Medicines used in homeopathy are derived from naturally occurring substances such as plant extracts and minerals. Very low concentrations are prepared in a special way. The more diluted a homeopathic medicine is, the more powerful it is believed to be.

Conventional scientists have no scientific explanation for how the diluted medicines used in homeopathy can cure disease. Some solutions are so weak that they do not contain any molecules of the "active" component. However, homeopathy does carry some risks; in rare cases, an allergic or toxic reaction occurs.

Naturopathy

This therapy began as a formal health care system in the United States in the early 1900s. Based on the healing power of nature, naturopathy emphasizes the prevention and treatment of disease through healthy living, treating the whole patient, and utilizing the body's natural healing abilities. The system also focuses on ways to discover the cause of disease rather than simply treating symptoms. Some of the principles of this system are not so different from those of modern Western medicine.

Naturopathy uses a combination of therapies including acupuncture, counseling, exercise therapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, natural childbirth, good nutrition, physical medicine and guided imagery.

Traditional Chinese Medicine. Originating over 2,000 years ago, Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on the theory that disease is caused by an abnormal flow of life force (qi). Qi is restored by balancing the opposing forces of yin and yang, which manifest in the body as hot and cold, external and internal, deficiency and excess. Various methods (e.g. acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, meditation) are used to maintain and improve health.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture, a specific therapy within Traditional Chinese Medicine, is one of the most widely accepted alternative therapies in the Western world. Specific points on the body are typically stimulated by inserting fine needles into the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Sometimes additional stimulation of the points is added by applying a very low voltage electrical current, twisting the needle, or heating the needle. Stimulating these specific points is believed to open the flow of qi, causing it to move along the energy meridians, and thus restore the balance between yin and yang. The procedure is not painful, but may cause a tingling sensation. A variation of acupuncture called acupressure uses local massage instead of needles to stimulate the acupuncture points. Acupuncturists are licensed after 3,000 hours of training and passing a state examination; some doctors, most often pain specialists, practice acupuncture after about 300 hours of training. Licensing varies from state to state. Research has shown that acupuncture releases various neurotransmitters (such as endorphins) that act as natural painkillers. There is ample evidence that acupuncture is effective as a pain reliever or anti-emetic. However, acupuncture is not effective for smoking cessation or weight loss. Adverse effects, when done correctly, are extremely rare. The most common are worsening symptoms (usually temporary) and loss of consciousness. The risk of infection is extremely rare; most practitioners use disposable needles.

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