Optimal Health Integrative Therapies

Optimal Health Integrative TherapiesThere are many different integrative therapies that people seek out when they strive to reach their optimal health. Many people do this in conjunction with their regular, Western healthcare practices such as medicines, therapies and treatments, while some people now prefer to go completely holistic, or as holistic as modern American society will allow them to.

Acupuncture is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that utilizes very thin needles inserted at strategic points in the body to alleviate pain and to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions. It is based on the theory that energy known as chi or qi (chee) or life force, flows along 12 main meridian channels in the body. These meridians represent the major organs and functions of the body and it is believed that channeling them will rebalance them and the flow of the body’s life force. Blocked or imbalanced chi causes illness and unfavorable conditions. The needles are used to stimulate, disperse or regulate energy along the meridians.
Acupressure applies the same principles as acupuncture to promote relaxation, wellness, and to treat disease, and mental and emotional conditions. In very simple terms, it channels energy flow without the use of needles. Like acupuncture, this has been used in China for thousands of years before it was introduced to mainstream American public towards the mid to late 21st century.
Chiropractic is a system of integrative medicine based on manipulating soft tissues and misalignments of the joints. It focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous systems, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic typically focuses on adjustments to the spinal column to correct disorders affecting nerves, muscles and organs.
Herbalism or herbal medicine is the study or practice of medicinal and therapeutic uses of plants. Human populations throughout the world have long histories of using crude plant material such as leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, stems, wood, bark, roots, and rhizomes. These may be used in their original form or made into powders, extracts, tinctures, pills, etc. Depending on what a particular herb or combination of herbs is trying to fix, the plants may be used in topical, ingested, sublingual and other forms.
There are many different forms of meditation and mindfulness throughout the world. Different people have found that different types of meditation have helped them to improve their overall health and well being.
Nutrition therapy uses treatments based on nutrition. These practices often involve a counselor checking a patient’s nutrition status and making a plan and program to improve the nutrients the patient puts in their body. It often is used to treat conditions caused by problems such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Nutrition therapy typically involves simple changes in a person’s diet such as taking out certain foods or ingredients and/or incorporating more of certain kinds of foods such those that are dense in nutrients, high in antioxidants, and/or a particular vitamin or mineral. A branch of nutrition therapy is medical nutrition therapy which may recommend intravenous or tube feeding in extreme medical situations

There are many more integrative therapies than the ones mentioned here that are helping everyday people to reach their optimal health. Depending on your particular health needs, there may be other therapies that are more suitable for you than the ones mentioned on this website. It is important to educate yourself on your own health needs as well as what integrative medicine and therapies may be able to help you reach your optimal health.