Absolute Beginner's Guide to Alternative Medicine (Absolute Beginner's Guide)

✍ Scribed by Karen Fontaine

• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 382
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The world of alternative medicine can be an intimidating and confusing place - there are so many different practices all claiming success for improved health. Absolute Beginner's Guide to Alternative Medicine guides you through the hype to the heart of alternative therapy, helping you discover which alternative is right for you. It is an easy-to-follow comprehensive resource, covering therapies as diverse as Chinese medicine, aromatherapy, massage, biofeedback, dream study, herbal remedies, meditation, Ayuredic medicine, homeopathy, yoga, prayer, and much more. Written in easy-to-understand language, this book begins with the basics, covering the benefits of each therapy as well as things to watch out for. You then learn how to find a qualified practitioner, how diagnoses are made in each field, and what treatments work best for which ailments. The author also spells out how various therapies are used in conjunction with traditional Western medical treatment in complementary medicine. Find the best alternative therapy for your lifestyle and health needs with Absolute Beginner's Guide to Alternative Medicine!

✦ Table of Contents

Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Alternative Medicine......Page 2
Copyright © 2004 by Sams Publishing......Page 3
Contents at a Glance......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 5
About the Authors......Page 15
We Want to Hear from You!......Page 16
PART I An Introduction to Alternative Medicine......Page 18
CHAPTER 1 What Is Alternative Medicine All About?......Page 20
Why Are People Turning to Alternative Medicine?......Page 21
What We Talk About When We Talk About Health......Page 23
What Are the Theoretical Foundations of the Two Systems?......Page 26
Research Comparing the Two Systems......Page 29
CHAPTER 2 How Does Alternative Medicine Work?......Page 34
Balance......Page 35
Spirituality......Page 37
Energy......Page 38
Breath......Page 46
PART II Non-Western Healing Methods......Page 50
CHAPTER 3 Traditional Chinese Medicine......Page 52
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine?......Page 53
How Does Traditional Chinese Medicine Work?......Page 58
How Can I Get Started With Traditional Chinese Medicine?......Page 64
CHAPTER 4 Ayurvedic Medicine......Page 68
What Is Ayurveda?......Page 69
Balancing the Doshas: The Ayurvedic View of Health and Illness......Page 73
How Does Ayurveda Work?......Page 74
Ayurvedic Treatments Will Change Your Life......Page 75
How Can I Get Started with Ayurveda?......Page 81
CHAPTER 5 Native American Healing......Page 86
What Is Native American Healing?......Page 87
Harmony with All Things: The Native American View of Health and Illness......Page 90
How Does Native American Medicine Work?......Page 91
How Can I Get Started with Native American Healing?......Page 95
PART III Botanical Healing......Page 98
CHAPTER 6 Herbal Medicine......Page 100
What Is Herbal Medicine?......Page 101
How Does Herbal Medicine Work?......Page 102
How Can I Get Started with Herbal Medicine?......Page 107
CHAPTER 7 Naturopathy......Page 116
What Is Naturopathy?......Page 117
How Does Naturopathy Work?......Page 118
Health Comes from Within......Page 119
Naturopathic Diagnosis and Treatment......Page 120
CHAPTER 8 Homeopathy......Page 122
What Is Homeopathy?......Page 123
How Does Homeopathy Work?......Page 124
A Holistic Diagnosis......Page 126
Take Two Drops and Call Me in the Morning: Homeopathic Treatment......Page 127
How Do I Get Started with Homeopathy?......Page 128
CHAPTER 9 Aromatherapy......Page 132
What Is Aromatherapy?......Page 133
How Does Aromatherapy Work?......Page 134
How Can I Get Started with Aromatherapy?......Page 139
PART IV Manual Healing Practices......Page 146
CHAPTER 10 Chiropractic Practice......Page 148
What Is Chiropractic?......Page 149
How Does Chiropractic Work?......Page 150
The Limits of Misalignment......Page 151
About Chiropractic Treatment......Page 152
CHAPTER 11 Massage......Page 158
What Is Massage?......Page 159
How Does Massage Work?......Page 161
What Are the Different Types of Massage?......Page 164
Trying Massage at Home......Page 168
CHAPTER 12 Pressure-Point Therapies......Page 172
What Are Pressure Point Therapies?......Page 173
How Do Pressure Point Therapies Work?......Page 174
What Happens During a Pressure-Point Session......Page 177
Putting Pressure on Yourself: Therapies to Try at Home......Page 179
CHAPTER 13 Energy-Balancing Therapies......Page 184
What Are Energy-Balancing Therapies?......Page 185
How do Energy-Balancing Therapies Work?......Page 186
The Experience of Energy-Balancing Healing......Page 189
How Can I Get Started with Energy-Balancing Therapy?......Page 192
CHAPTER 14 Combined Manual Therapies......Page 194
How Do Combined Therapies Work?......Page 195
What Is a Combined Therapy Session Like?......Page 197
PART V Mind-Body Techniques......Page 204
CHAPTER 15 Yoga......Page 206
What Is Yoga?......Page 207
The Nature of Yogic Health......Page 210
How Does Yoga Work?......Page 211
How Do I Begin a Yoga Practice?......Page 213
CHAPTER 16 Meditation......Page 218
What Is Meditation?......Page 219
How Does Meditation Work?......Page 220
How Do I Start a Meditation Practice?......Page 224
CHAPTER 17 Hypnotherapy......Page 232
What Is Hypnotherapy?......Page 233
The Nature of Hypnotherapy......Page 234
You Are Feeling Sleepy, Very Sleepy: The Process of Hypnosis......Page 236
Benefits and Applications of Hypnotherapy......Page 238
How Do I Get Started with Hypnotherapy?......Page 241
CHAPTER 18 Dreamwork......Page 244
What Is Dreamwork?......Page 245
How Does Dreaming Work?......Page 246
Why Do We Dream?......Page 248
Making Meaning, and Healing, for Our Dreams......Page 250
CHAPTER 19 Biofeedback......Page 258
How Does Biofeedback Work?......Page 259
How Do I Start Using Biofeedback?......Page 262
CHAPTER 20 Movement-Oriented Therapies......Page 264
How Do Movement-Oriented Therapies Work?......Page 265
Qigong......Page 266
How Do I Begin Using Movement-Oriented Therapies?......Page 270
PART VI Spiritual Therapies......Page 274
CHAPTER 21 Shamanism......Page 276
Becoming a Shaman......Page 277
How Does Shamanism Work?......Page 278
The Shamanic View of Health and Illness......Page 281
CHAPTER 22 Faith and Prayer......Page 286
Religion as a Healing Practice......Page 287
How Does Spiritual Healing Work?......Page 288
How Do I Begin Taking a Spiritual Approach to My Health?......Page 293
PART VII Other Therapies......Page 298
CHAPTER 23 Bioelectromagnetics......Page 300
What Is Bioelectromagnetics?......Page 301
How Does Bioelectromagnetics Work?......Page 305
Getting Started with Bioelectromagnetic Healing......Page 307
CHAPTER 24 Detoxifying Therapies......Page 312
Hydrotherapy: A Nice, Hot Bath......Page 313
Colonics: A Deeper Feeling of Clean......Page 314
Chelation Therapy: No More Heavy Metal......Page 315
Getting Started with Purification Therapies......Page 317
CHAPTER 25 Animal-Assisted Therapy......Page 320
What Is Animal-Assisted Therapy?......Page 321
What’s the Idea Behind Animal-Assisted Therapy?......Page 322
PART VIII Appendix......Page 332
APPENDIX A Alternative Therapies for Common Health Problems......Page 334
Allergies......Page 335
Anxiety......Page 336
Asthma......Page 337
Back Pain......Page 338
Bee Stings/Insect Bites......Page 339
Burns (Minor)......Page 340
Chest Congestion......Page 341
Common Cold......Page 342
Cough......Page 343
Diabetes......Page 344
Emotional Distress......Page 345
Feet (Tired)......Page 346
Headache (Tension)......Page 347
Hemorrhoids......Page 348
Infection (Bacterial)......Page 349
Insomnia......Page 350
Memory Loss......Page 351
Migraine Headaches......Page 352
Osteoarthritis......Page 353
Poison Ivy and Poison Oak......Page 354
Psoriasis......Page 355
Sinus Problems......Page 356
Sprain and Strains......Page 357
Tension......Page 358
Weight Control......Page 359
Wounds......Page 360
Index......Page 362