What Are the Most Popular Holistic Medicine Treatments?
Alternative medicine refers to traditional therapies that help people improve their health. Many describe it as complementary or integrative medicine.
Many people in Ireland say that they use one kind of alternative medicine at some point in their lives. Many would call a reflexologist when they have an asthma attack or a balneotherapy when they have an acne breakout. These holistic treatments are gaining traction worldwide, and many people find them preferable to going into the hospital.
Introduction to Alternative Medicine
The term alternative medicine refers to the treatments that don’t meet the standards of the medical practice of the West. When they are used alongside traditional medical methods, they are often described as “complementary,” which helps the patient recover faster. For example, a patient may practice meditation while taking prescribed medications from his doctor, making healing faster.
The field is so diverse that it’s challenging to have a broad definition of alternative medicine. Some of the things that are practiced include chiropractic treatments, hypnosis, acupuncture, changes in diet, exercise, and more.
Although more in-depth studies are needed to see if these are really working, it didn’t stop people from checking these all out. You can know more about these by visiting Your Holistic Academy in Ireland and get more information about the different treatments available. The efficacy may depend on the people doing the treatments and the overall health condition of the patients.
Examples of Alternative Treatments
1. Acupressure
Acupressure is similar to the process of acupuncture, but there are no needles involved. Many practitioners use their feet, hands, and elbows to apply pressure on specific points of the patients’ bodies. These points are often known as “meridians.”
The theory behind acupressure is that there’s ch’i or life energy in the meridians. They are available in many parts of the body. The reasoning behind applying pressure is that illness can occur when the meridians become blocked, or imbalance and they should be restored immediately.
Pressure will relieve any blockages, and then the ch’i can flow freely again. The free flow of life energy restores wellness in the body. Many patients have found positive results, and some who were suffering from insomnia were able to sleep better. You can know more about acupressure on this site here.
2. Acupuncture
Acupuncture may bring sharp needles to mind. However, in Chinese medicine, the process stimulates some vital points in one’s body. Practitioners will often penetrate the skin with thin needles, but others who don’t want to be pricked can also choose electrical stimulation.
The acupuncture treatments were known to positively affect people with PMS, arthritis, neck pain, and insomnia. Studies regarding acupuncture look promising when about 2,000 participants with chronic headaches reported that they had improved a lot afterward.
Others may think about placebo effects but a meta-analysis done in 2017 confirmed that this is not so. In essence, acupuncture is an excellent treatment for people who are experiencing chronic pain regularly.
3. Aromatherapy
The use of essential oils is prevalent in many homes. High-concentrated extracts from leaves, roots, plant blossoms, and seeds are soothing to the senses. Aromatherapy promotes relaxation, and some even say that it helps reduce inflammation.
Researchers proved that aromatherapy could decrease nausea, anxiety, insomnia, pain, and even depression in studies that were performed in clinical settings. Lavender was found out to reduce anxiety attacks and promote sleep to a lot of people.
In a 2017 research, female nurses who were working at night were given a massage with aromatherapy. The sweet essential oils like marjoram were found out to improve the quality of sleep of the nurses. Pregnant women who inhaled lavender and mint even felt calmer and less stressed after just 5 minutes.
4. Ayurvedic Medicine
Ayurveda originated in India, and it has been around for some time now. You can learn more about Ayurveda here: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ayurveda. Practitioners in ayurvedic medicine would use massages, herbs, and specialized diets to balance the spirit, mind, and body.
Specific practices involved in Ayurveda involved using turmeric to reduce inflammation. Neti pots are also used to clear any blockages in the nose irrigations.
Another popular technique mentioned in Ayurvedic texts is yoga. A lot of people doing meditation and yoga have reported that they have improved a lot. Some said that their high blood pressure significantly decreased, and they can sleep better at night when they started practicing yoga.
