You consider yourself an openminded gal. You’ve tried yoga, you drink green tea, and you’re all about Meatless Mondays. But one area you may still be a bit of a skeptic? The murky realm of integrative and energy medicine.
Not only are many of the treatments themselves confusing—Wait, my chi does what to where?—but it can be hard to discern what works and what doesn’t, too. “Many people still assume that there’s very little scientific evidence regarding complimentary and alternative medicine therapies,” says Daniel Friedland, MD, who specializes in internal medicine and is co-creator of SpaEvidence.com, a website that links dozens of spa/wellness therapies with hard scientific evidence. Yet the studies speak for themselves: Many of these approaches can have an enormous positive impact on your health and wellbeing.
Here, 20 alternative therapies—demystified.
Acupressure
Used to treat: Chronic neck pain, motion sickness, and lower back pain. Learn more ways to prevent lower back pain.
What it is: This ancient Asian technique is similar to acupuncture—without the needles. Practitioners use their hands or tools to apply pressure to various acupoints on the body to open energy flows, release tension, and promote emotional balance.
How it works: Stimulating various points on the body can trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s pain-reducing chemicals, and increase the flow of blood and oxygen to areas of the body to relieve discomfort and soreness.
Acupuncture
Used to treat: Migraines, chronic pain, and insomnia. Find a qualified acupuncturist in your area, visit https://www.acufinder.com/.
What it is: A key component of Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is practiced by inserting extremely thin needles through the skin at strategic acupoints on your body. The goal? To re-balance the flow of energy or life force known as chi. Don’t be frightened by the word “needles”—they’re almost as thin as a strand of hair and most people feel little to no pain.
How it works: Needles stimulate acupoints, which rouses the nervous system to release endorphins and opiumlike compounds to the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. This can change the experience of pain and trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones that influence the body’s internal regulating system.
Not only are many of the treatments themselves confusing—Wait, my chi does what to where?—but it can be hard to discern what works and what doesn’t, too. “Many people still assume that there’s very little scientific evidence regarding complimentary and alternative medicine therapies,” says Daniel Friedland, MD, who specializes in internal medicine and is co-creator of SpaEvidence.com, a website that links dozens of spa/wellness therapies with hard scientific evidence. Yet the studies speak for themselves: Many of these approaches can have an enormous positive impact on your health and wellbeing.
Here, 20 alternative therapies—demystified.
Acupressure
Used to treat: Chronic neck pain, motion sickness, and lower back pain. Learn more ways to prevent lower back pain.
What it is: This ancient Asian technique is similar to acupuncture—without the needles. Practitioners use their hands or tools to apply pressure to various acupoints on the body to open energy flows, release tension, and promote emotional balance.
How it works: Stimulating various points on the body can trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s pain-reducing chemicals, and increase the flow of blood and oxygen to areas of the body to relieve discomfort and soreness.
Acupuncture
Used to treat: Migraines, chronic pain, and insomnia. Find a qualified acupuncturist in your area, visit https://www.acufinder.com/.
What it is: A key component of Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is practiced by inserting extremely thin needles through the skin at strategic acupoints on your body. The goal? To re-balance the flow of energy or life force known as chi. Don’t be frightened by the word “needles”—they’re almost as thin as a strand of hair and most people feel little to no pain.
How it works: Needles stimulate acupoints, which rouses the nervous system to release endorphins and opiumlike compounds to the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. This can change the experience of pain and trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones that influence the body’s internal regulating system.
Aromatherapy
Used to treat: Stress, sleep disorders, and mood disturbances including depression and anxiety
What it is: Aromatic essential oils from plants are extracted, distilled, and typically mixed with other substances like oil, alcohol, or lotion, then applied to the skin, sprayed into the air, or inhaled.
How it works: Inhaling a scent triggers powerful neurotransmitters and other
chemicals that stimulate certain parts of the limbic system (which controls emotions and behavior) in the brain, resulting in an improved mood.
Biofeedback
Used to treat: Urinary incontinence, anxiety, and depression
What it is: This treatment technique trains people to improve their health using signals from their own bodies.
How it works: Sensors are attached to your body to provide instant feedback on things like heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and muscle tension. After reviewing the results on a monitor, the biofeedback therapist then teaches you mental and physical exercises to control those functions. It can also be useful in cementing stress management techniques, according to Kenneth Pelletier, MD, a clinical professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine.
Original Article Here: 20 Mind-Body Treatments That Actually Work
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