Glossary of alternative medicine
Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM).
A
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting very thin needles in specific acupuncture points or combinations of points on the body to improve health and well-being.
Allopathy
The term "allopathy" was coined by Samuel Hahnemann. The term "allopathic medicine" is used most frequently in the context of critiques of conventional medicine.
Alternative Medical Systems
Alternative medical systems is the precise name of a NCCAM classification for those forms of alternative medicine that are built upon a complete system of theory and practice.
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is a broad term for any diagnostic method, method of treatment or therapy whose theoretical bases and techniques diverge from generally accepted medical methods. It is generally considered to be the most dangerous form of CAM by the scientific community because it is used in place of conventional medicine. (See criticisms of alternative medicine for details.)
Asklepios
Asklepios, (Latinate spelling Asclepius) the Greek god of medicine treated the sick with the help of his daughters, Hygeia and Panacea.
B
Bates method
The Bates method is an alternative approach to eyesight improvement and maintenance.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback links the mind with the body through high-technology devices that allows the mind to control certain bodily functions. In this treatment method, an individual is hooked up to monitoring devices which provides an indication of how brain waves, breathing patterns, muscle activity, sweat gland function, pulse, skin temperature, and blood pressure are responding to relaxation techniques, such as meditation.
Biologically Based Therapies
Biologically based therapies, is the precise name of a NCCAM classification, for alternative treatments that use substances found in nature and/or some other natural therapy.
Biomedical Model
The Biomedical model of health is a conceptual model of illness that excludes psychological and social factors and includes only biological factors in an attempt to understand a person's illness.
Biopsychosocial Model
The Biopsychosocial model of health sees health, illness and healing as resulting from the interacting effects of events of very different types, including biological, psychological, and social factors.
Body Work
Body Work is a new name for massage treatments which is how this health profession is trying to disassociate itself from the sex industry.
C
CAM
CAM is an acronym for complementary and alternative medicine. It, also, includes the recent addition of integrative medicine.
Chinese medicine
The group of philosophies embodied by Chinese medicine are, more accurately, referred to as Oriental Medicine with roots in many different Asian countries. This centuries old Asian medical tradition works to bring balance to the body through acupuncture, massages, Eastern herbalism, diet; and lifestyle changes such as martial arts and meditation.
Chiropractic medicine
Chiropractic is a popular form of alternative medicine whose physical mode of action is spinal manipulations that allegedly unblock nerve signals sent by the brain so that the body can heal itself.
Complementary medicine
Complementary medicine are alternative treatments that are used alongside conventional medicine, especially as palliative care.
D
Doctrine of Signatures
Was developed around 1500 and claims that a plant's physical appearance reveals its medical value. The Doctrine of Signatures is often assoicated with Western herbalism.
E
Eclectic Medicine
Eclectic Medicine was a nineteenth-century system of medicine used in North America that treated diseases by the application of single herbal remedies to effect specific cures of certain signs and symptoms.
Energy Therapies
Energy therapies, is the precise name of a NCCAM classification, for alternative treatments that involve the use of energy fields.
Enlightenment
Enlightenment is a knowledge classification that is reserved for branches of alternative medicine that essentially are about achieving knowledge through some type of inner / mental transformation.
F
G
Golden Age of Quackery
Eighteenth-century England is remembered as the Golden Age of Quackery, since Queen Anne patronized and gave credibility to myriad swindlers and frauds.
Grahamism
Grahamism recommended hard mattresses, open bedroom windows, chastity, cold showers, loose clothing, pure water and vigorous exercise.
Green prescription
A green prescription is a card given by a doctor or nurse to a patient, with exercise and lifestyle goals written on them.
Group Modalities
Group modalities are forms of CAM that an individual must seek out and perform with a group of like minded people.
H
Healer
A healer is a practitioner of alternative health practices who works with, rather than against, the natural recuperative self-healing properties of the body. Healers are said to heal because all healing comes from within the body. Healers heal the body by applying treatment from without the body.
"Healing with Animals"
"Healing with Animals" is a documentary about healing relationships between animals and people.
Herbalism
Herbalism is the practice of making or prescribing herbal remedies for medical conditions.
Herbology
Herbology is the traditional Chinese medical practice of using plants, minerals, and parts of animals for medical treatment.
Heroic Medicine
Heroic medicine is any medicine or method of treatment that is aggressive or daring in a dangerously ill patient.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is an alternative medical practice founded on resemblances. The underlying theory is that disease are cured by remedies which produce, on a healthy person, similar effects to the symptoms of the patient's complaint.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is the treatment of a symptom, disease, or addiction by means of hypnotism.
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is the external use of water in the medical treatment of disease.
I
Integrative medicine
Integrative medicine, as defined by NCCAM, combines conventional medical treatments and CAM alternative treatments for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of their safety and effectiveness.
Intervention
Interventions are any attempt to modify a medical or health condition.
J
Journaling
Journaling is a technique for reducing stress by writing about stressful events in your life.
K
L
Lifestyle
Lifestyle describes the particular attitudes, habits or behaviors associated with an individual.
M
Manipulative and Body-Based Methods
Manipulative and body-based methods, is the precise name of a NCCAM classification, for alternative treatments that are based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body.
Massage therapy
Massage therapy involves the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body with many different techniques such as rubbing, kneading, slapping, tapping, rolling, and pressing.
Mind-Body Connection
The mind-body connection says that the causes, development, and outcomes of an illness are determined as much from the interaction of psychological and social factors as they are due to the biological factors of health.
Mind-Body Interventions
Mind-body interventions, is the precise name of a NCCAM classification, that coves a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms.
Modality Classifications
This is a classification by who is performing the CAM treatments.
Moxa
Moxa is an herbal preparation of mugwort dried and rolled into a pole which resembles a cigar. It is not smoked, but used for warming regions on the body including acupuncture points. Use of moxa is called moxibustion. It is one of the techniques used in traditional Chinese medicine.
N
Nature cure
Nature Cure is the progenitor of naturopathy in Europe. It postulates that all disease is due to violations of nature's laws, and that true healing consists in a return to natural habits.
Natural health
Natural health is an eclectic self-care system of natural therapies that purports to build and restore health by working with the natural recuperative powers of the human body.
Natural Hygiene
Natural Hygiene is a variation of the nature cure. Its major practices are fasting, food combining, and a raw food diet.
Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathy is an eclectic practice with Naturopaths using many different natural therapies as treatment. The original method of treatment of Naturopathy was the water cure
Natural Therapy
Natural therapy is the treatment method used by advocates of natural health.
NCCAM Classifications
NCCAM has classified CAM therapies into five different categories, or domains.
- Alternative Medical System
- Mind-Body Intervention
- Biologically Based Therapy
- Manipulative Methods
- Energy Therapy
O
Orthopathy
Orthopathy started in 1802 in the US and developed into natural hygiene.
P
Physical educators
Physical Educators teach physical fitness and exercise.
Plum Blossom
Plum Blossom is the name of both a tool and a technique in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as a metaphor used by several different Chinese martial arts.
Professionalized Modalities
A professional used in this context is referring to a person engaging in a given activity as a source of livelihood or as a career. It refers to all doctor - patient relationships where the professional is functioning in the role of a doctor, whether legal or not. The professional, in short, is providing some type of treatment or therapy which the patient cannot perform on themselves.
Protoscience
Protoscience describes a new area of scientific endeavor in the process of becoming established. It can be distinguished from pseudoscience by its adherence to the scientific method. This knowledge classification is reserved for branches of alternative medicine that have been shown to work, in the article, with footnotes to several published research studies.
Pseudoscience
A pseudoscience claims to offer insight into the physical world by allegedly scientific means that are in conflict with traditional scientific methods. This category would include any theory or concept about reality that cannot be tested scientifically by Western standards.
Q
Quack
A quack is a person who pretends to be a physician, or sells fraudulent health care products.
R
Real Science
Real science offers the highest of standard of knowledge or quality of evidence by Western standards. This knowledge classification is reserved either for evidence-based medicine or a form of integrative medicine.
S
San Jiao
The San Jiao or Triple Burner is an organ found only in traditional Chinese medical theory, and with no tangible existence. It is a concept of Qi flow and fluid metabolism.
Self-care Modalities
Self-care modalities are forms of CAM that an individual can perform by themselves, even if they need to be trained to do so. These cover techniques that can be self-taught with the aid of books or instructional videos, or can be learned from an experienced practitioner. Although some initial training is needed, once these techniques are learned, you will need no additional outside assistance.
Standards of Knowledge Classifications
Is a classification that measures the standard of knowledge used or the quality of evidence provided.
Supernatural
Supernatural knowledge are forms of knowledge that transcends the natural (i.e., have no physical form of existence). This knowledge classification is reserved for branches of alternative medicine that essentially are about relationships with or control over spirits, ghosts and other supernatural forces that exist as independent entities with cognitive abilities.
T
Therapeutic nihilism
Therapeutic nihilism is the skepticism regarding the therapeutic value of drugs or medical treatment voiced by physicians.
Thomsonianism
A form of herbalism in use during the 19th century in the US.
Tibetan eye chart
A mandala-like chart used to improve eyesight through exercise.
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an ancient and a holistic system of health care which is based on the Chinese notion of harmony and balance of Qi.
- TCM as a complete alternative medical system consists of the following components.
- Philosophy
- History of traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Japanese medicine
Pre-Western Japanese medicine was strongly influenced by traditional Chinese medicine and is often seen as a sub-category of TCM. It includes the following practices: