An Alternative Medicine Lexicon

Pinning down a definition of “alternative medicine” is no easy task. To start with, even the term “alternative” generates some controversy — what seems fringe to some people is accepted practice to others. To add to the complexity is the fact that these nonconventional treatments incorporate hundreds of philosophies and procedures and that many of them have roots in different cultures and languages.

Below is a brief description of some of the most common practices, many of which are now included in discount programs of some large insurers. A wealth of information on the background, effectiveness, and techniques of these practices is also available through local practitioners, from your family doctor and on the web.

Acupuncture: An ancient technique with origins in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture involves inserting fine needles into the body at specific points which, according to traditional teaching, corrects an imbalance of the body's energy flow, or ch'i. More conventional explanations for the success of acupuncture suggest that the needles trigger a release of endorphins and stimulate the nervous system. In this country, the most widely accepted use of acupuncture is for pain relief, but proponents believe the treatment has potential in many other types of healing.

Acupressure: Acupressure is a massage technique that stimulates various points on the body to promote circulation and healing.

Alexander Technique: The Alexander Technique focuses on the relationship of head, neck and torso. Practitioners believe that when these three are properly aligned and when unnatural habits of movement and posture are unlearned, the head will lift upward and release the neck and spine. This reaction, they believe, improves overall muscular function and provides patients with a new freedom of movement.

Biofeedback: A type of training that allows people to gain control over physiological reactions that are ordinarily unconscious and automatic. Proponents of biofeedback believe that malfunctions in these automatic responses contribute to a wide variety of medical problems.

Feldenkrais Method: Through touch and guided movement, practitioners of the Feldenkrais Method aim to help patients re-learn how to move their bodies, replacing old ways of movement with new, more efficient habits. The method focuses on improving flexibility, coordination, and range of motion.

Herbal remedies: Herbs have a long history in medicine, and today four-fifths of all people worldwide rely to a large extent on medicines based on plants. Many plant-derived drugs commonly are prescribed by allopathic physicians. Herbalists believe, however, that the materials of flowers, bark, roots or leaves — often taken in the form of teas or ground and taken as tablets — are more effective than are drugs synthesized from plants. The whole plant material, they claim, treats specific conditions and also maintain overall health. According to a 1997 report by the American Medical Association, the American market for herbal remedies doubled between 1985 and 1993 to $1.13 billion. Growth was expected to continue at a rate of 10 to 15 percent per year. One of the most well-publicized herbs in this country is St. John's wort, which is widely believed to help in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.

Homeopathy: Developed by a German physician in the early 1800s, homeopathy is a system of healing that uses remedies made from plant, animal or mineral substances that are highly diluted. Homeopaths believe in the principal “let likes cure like” and that tiny amounts of a substance that can stimulate a set of symptoms will trigger the body to produce a healing response to a disease with similar symptoms.

Naturopathy: Naturopaths, like many alternative medicine practitioners, believe in encouraging the body's innate ability to heal. They practice and integrate may kinds of therapies, like massage, herbs, acupuncture, counseling, nutrition and homeopathy.

Manual Healing Methods: Methods that use physical touch, manipulation or pressure of various parts of the body to reduce stress and tension and encourage healing. Among the many kind of manual healing methods are craniosacral therapy, which involves a gentle touch to the head, spinal column and sacrum; myofascial release, which works on connective tissue and trigger points to release chronic muscular tension; and the Rosen method, which combines gentle touch and communication between the practitioner and the patient to relieve muscle tension and emotional stress.

Sources: Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and the American Medical Association.