Category: Alternative
ModalityLight-touch energy technique taught within a personal-development system
Access Bars is a light-touch technique in which a facilitator touches 32 points on the head, taught within Access Consciousness.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Bars, Access Consciousness Bars, Running the Bars, Access Bar
- Tradition
- Access Consciousness, New Age channelled teachings, Energy psychology
- Related concepts
- 32 points on the head, Stored thoughts, beliefs and emotions, Running the Bars, Facilitator certification
Reference record available.
ModalityManual and body-based
A practice involving the insertion of fine needles at selected points, associated with Chinese medical traditions and contemporary adaptations.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Needling
- Tradition
- Chinese medical traditions
- Related concepts
- Qi
Reference record available.
ModalityDietary approach based on food acid-base classification
The alkaline diet is an eating pattern organized around labeling foods as acid-forming or alkaline-forming.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Acid-ash diet, Alkaline pH diet
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Acid-ash hypothesis, Potential renal acid load, Net acid excretion, Dietary acid load, Urine pH testing, Alkaline water
Reference record available.
CategoryCategory: label for non-mainstream practices used in place of conventional care
Alternative is a label for non-mainstream health practices that are used in place of conventional medical care.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Alternative medicine, Alternative health, Alternative therapies, Unconventional medicine
- Tradition
- Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Traditional medical systems viewed from outside their home regions, US federal research programs on unconventional medicine
- Related concepts
- Alternative versus complementary, Conventional medicine, Integrative health, Non-mainstream approaches, Delayed or replaced treatment, Health claims and consumer information, Operational definitions of CAM
Reference record available.
ModalityBranded animal manual therapy and bodywork technique
Animal Neuro Myofascial Release is a branded hands-on bodywork technique taught for use on dogs, horses and other animals.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- ANMR, Animal Neuro-myofascial Release, Animal Neuro-myofascial Release Technique
- Tradition
- Animal massage and bodywork, Myofascial release, Veterinary rehabilitation (adjacent field)
- Related concepts
- Fascia, Myofascial release, Body alignment, Soft tissue mobilization, Online certification, Veterinary diagnosis first
Reference record available.
ModalityComplementary and rehabilitative therapies applied to animals
Complementary and rehabilitative therapies given to animals, including rehabilitation, massage and acupuncture.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine, CAVM, Integrative veterinary medicine, Veterinary rehabilitation
- Tradition
- Veterinary medicine, Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, Chiropractic, Veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation
- Related concepts
- Physical rehabilitation, Soft tissue mobilization, Joint mobilization and manipulation, Acupuncture, Photobiomodulation, Kinesiology taping, Veterinary supervision and diagnosis
Reference record available.
ModalityPhysician-led medical system derived from anthroposophy
Anthroposophic Medicine is a medical system founded in the 1920s that adds anthroposophy-based therapies to conventional care.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Anthroposophical medicine, Anthroposophic healthcare
- Tradition
- Anthroposophy, Central European anthroposophic hospitals and practices
- Related concepts
- Four levels of formative forces, Threefold constitution (nerve-sense, rhythmic and motor-metabolic systems), Anthroposophic medicinal products, Potentized preparations, Mistletoe (Viscum album) extracts, Eurythmy therapy, Rhythmical massage, Anthroposophic art therapies, External applications (embrocation, compresses, baths)
Reference record available.
ModalityTherapeutic use of honeybee products
Apitherapy is the use of honeybee products, including honey, propolis, royal jelly, pollen and venom, for health purposes.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Bee product therapy, Bee venom therapy, Bee venom acupuncture, Bee sting therapy, Live bee acupuncture
- Tradition
- Egyptian, Greek, Ayurvedic and Islamic medical uses of honey, Korean medicine (bee venom acupuncture and pharmacopuncture), Twentieth-century European apitherapy movement
- Related concepts
- Honey, Medical-grade honey, Propolis (bee glue), Royal jelly, Bee pollen, Bee venom (apitoxin), Live bee sting acupuncture, Bee venom acupuncture, Venom immunotherapy (distinct allergy treatment), Anaphylaxis
Reference record available.
ModalityManual muscle testing assessment system
Applied kinesiology is a chiropractic-derived system that uses manual muscle testing to assess how muscles respond to challenges.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- AK, Muscle response testing, Applied kinesiology chiropractic technique
- Tradition
- Chiropractic, Applied kinesiology (ICAK), Touch for Health
- Related concepts
- Manual muscle testing, Facilitation and inhibition, Therapy localization, Vertebral challenge, Neurolymphatic reflexes, Neurovascular reflexes, Break test, Diagnostic accuracy, Touch for Health
Reference record available.
ModalityBranded abdominal and pelvic bodywork and self-care method derived from Belizean Maya healing
Arvigo Maya Abdominal Therapy is a trademarked external abdominal bodywork method taught by Rosita Arvigo's students.
ComplementaryAlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy, Arvigo Therapy, Arvigo Techniques, ATMAT, Arvigo bodywork protocol, Tul'ix Therapy
- Tradition
- Maya healing, Garifuna bush medicine, Naprapathy
- Related concepts
- Apprenticeship lineage, Five systems of flow, Chu'lel, Uterine position, Self-care massage, Pelvic steams, Cultural exchange and appropriation, Branded protocol
Reference record available.
ModalityAttachment-theory-based interventions and a distinct coercive practice family
Attachment therapy is a label for approaches built on attachment theory and for a separate set of coercive practices.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Attachment-based therapy, Attachment-based interventions, Holding therapy
- Tradition
- Attachment theory (Bowlby and Ainsworth), Developmental and clinical child psychology, Family therapy, Coercive 'attachment therapy' of the 1990s and 2000s, rejected by professional bodies
- Related concepts
- Attachment security, Parental sensitivity, Secure base, Disorganized attachment, Reactive attachment disorder, Disinhibited social engagement disorder, Video feedback, Holding therapy, Rebirthing, Attachment parenting (narrow sense)
Reference record available.
ModalityEar-point stimulation (acupuncture microsystem)
Auricular acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points on the outer ear, usually with fine needles, seeds or pressure.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Ear acupuncture, Auriculotherapy, Auricular medicine, Auricular therapy
- Tradition
- Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (umbrella), French auriculotherapy (Nogier school), NADA acudetox community practice, United States military medical acupuncture
- Related concepts
- Auricular somatotopy (inverted fetus map), Auricular points, Auricular branch of the vagus nerve, Semi-permanent needles, Auricular acupressure (seeds), Vascular autonomic signal, Group acupuncture (NADA protocol), Sham acupuncture
Reference record available.
ModalityAutologous blood re-injection procedure
Autohemotherapy is the re-injection of a person's own drawn blood, sometimes after ozone or other additions.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Autohaemotherapy, Autologous whole blood therapy, Autologous blood therapy, Eigenbluttherapie, Autohemotransfusion
- Tradition
- Complementary medicine, Ozone-based medicine
- Related concepts
- Autologous whole blood, Major autohemotherapy, Minor autohemotherapy, Ozone-enriched blood, Immunomodulation (proposed)
Reference record available.
ModalityDietary approach: staged elimination and reintroduction diet
The Autoimmune Protocol is a staged elimination-and-reintroduction diet adapted from the Paleo diet for autoimmune conditions.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Autoimmune Protocol, AIP, AIP diet, Autoimmune Paleo, Paleo autoimmune protocol
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Elimination diet, Food reintroduction, Intestinal permeability, Paleolithic diet
Reference record available.
ModalityPlant-brew ceremonial and religious practice of Amazonian origin
Ayahuasca is a plant brew, drunk in Amazonian, Brazilian church and retreat ceremonies, that contains DMT.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Ayawaska, Hoasca
- Tradition
- Shipibo-Konibo Amazonian healing, Santo Daime, Barquinha, União do Vegetal (UDV), Neo-shamanic retreat use
- Related concepts
- Plant teacher, Purging, Ceremonial singing, MAO inhibition, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Beta-carboline alkaloids, Integration, Ontological difference
Reference record available.
ModalityHerbal medicine within a traditional Indian medical system
Ayurvedic herbal medicine is the use of plant-based preparations within the Indian medical system of Ayurveda.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Ayurvedic herbalism, Ayurvedic herbal remedies
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Dravyaguna, Rasa (taste), Guna (quality), Virya (energetic nature), Vipaka (post-digestive effect)
Reference record available.
ModalityTraditional healing system of Bali, Indonesia
Balinese spiritual healing is care given by balian, traditional healers of Bali, Indonesia.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- Balian healing, Balinese traditional healing, Balinese traditional medicine, Usada Bali, Balian
- Tradition
- Balinese Hinduism, Balinese traditional medicine (usada), Balinese trance and mediumship traditions
- Related concepts
- balian, usada, lontar, taksu, Tri Hita Karana, niskala (the unseen), loloh, boreh, tampel, melukat, banten offerings, medical pluralism
Reference record available.
ModalityAyurvedic panchakarma procedure (medicated rectal enema)
Basti is an Ayurvedic procedure in which a medicated liquid is given by enema, counted among the five panchakarma therapies.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Vasti, Basti karma, Ayurvedic medicated enema, Medicated enema therapy
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Vata dosha, Panchakarma, Anuvasana (oil-based basti), Niruha (decoction-based basti)
Reference record available.
ModalityApitherapy using honeybee venom by sting or injection
Bee venom therapy is the health use of venom from honeybee stings, given by live sting or by injection into the body.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Bee venom acupuncture, Bee venom pharmacopuncture, Apitoxin therapy
- Tradition
- Korean medicine bee venom acupuncture and pharmacopuncture, Twentieth-century European apitherapy movement, Live bee sting acupuncture within apitherapy
- Related concepts
- Apitherapy (parent page), Bee venom (apitoxin), Melittin, Phospholipase A2 (bee venom), Bee venom acupuncture, Live bee sting acupuncture, Bee venom pharmacopuncture, Venom immunotherapy (separate allergy treatment), Anaphylaxis, Venom hypersensitivity testing
Reference record available.
ModalityAuditory stimulation with paired tones played over headphones
Binaural beats are an auditory illusion in which two slightly different tones, one per ear, produce a perceived pulse.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Binaural beat, Binaural auditory beats, Binaural beat stimulation, Auditory beat stimulation, Brainwave entrainment audio
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Awareness, Attention, Mind-Body Connection
Reference record available.
ModalityInstrument-assisted self-regulation technique
A technique in which sensors show a person a physiological signal, such as muscle activity or heart function, in real time.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Applied psychophysiology, EMG biofeedback
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- operant conditioning, psychophysiology, self-regulation, neurofeedback, pelvic floor biofeedback
Reference record available.
ModalityTuning-fork sound practice based on a biofield concept
Biofield Tuning is a method in which practitioners use tuning forks around and on the body to work with a so-called biofield.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- BT
- Tradition
- Biofield Tuning (Eileen Day McKusick, United States), Biofield therapies (term from a 1992 US National Institutes of Health conference)
- Related concepts
- Biofield, Biofield Anatomy Map, Tuning forks, Sound healing, Distance sessions, Perturbations in the biofield
Reference record available.
ModalityHormone therapy marketed as bioidentical, licensed and custom-compounded
Bioidentical hormone replacement is menopausal hormone therapy using hormones chemically identical to human ones.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Bioidentical hormone therapy, BHRT, Bioidentical hormones, Compounded bioidentical hormone therapy, cBHT
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Bioidentical hormones, Compounded hormone preparations, Salivary hormone testing, Individualized dosing
Reference record available.
ModalityContested term: body-psychotherapy pulsation concepts and a biofeedback device name
Biopulsation is a name shared by body-psychotherapy ideas of bodily pulsation and by a biofeedback device.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Reichian vegetotherapy, Biodynamic psychology (Gerda Boyesen)
- Related concepts
- Pulsation, Orgasm formula, Character armor, Psychoperistalsis, Visceral armor, Id-canal, Biofeedback, Reflex zones
Reference record available.
ModalityDevice-based electromagnetic signal therapy and testing
Bioresonance is a device-based method said to detect and alter weak electromagnetic signals of the body.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Bioresonance therapy, BRT, MORA therapy, MORA bioresonance, BICOM bioresonance, Biophysical information therapy, BIT, Bio-resonance, Frequency-based therapy
- Tradition
- Electroacupuncture-derived biophysical medicine, German complementary medicine
- Related concepts
- Postulated body oscillations, Signal inversion, Biophysical information therapy, Electrodermal testing, Allergen testing by device
Reference record available.
ModalityEnergy-based system using muscle-response testing and light tapping
BodyTalk is a practice founded by John Veltheim in the 1990s that pairs muscle-response testing with light tapping.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Body Talk, BodyTalk System, The BodyTalk System
- Tradition
- International BodyTalk Association, Australian-born alternative health system of the 1990s
- Related concepts
- protocol chart, priority, cortices technique, neuromuscular biofeedback (practitioner term), balancing techniques, innate wisdom, distance sessions, BodyTalk Access
Reference record available.
ModalityDietary approach: sustained or short-term energy restriction
Calorie restriction is a dietary approach that lowers energy intake, studied in aging research and weight management.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Calorie restriction, Caloric restriction, Dietary energy restriction, Calorie restriction with optimal nutrition, CRON
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Energy balance, Energy deficit, Adequate nutrition without malnutrition, Geroscience hypothesis, Biomarkers of aging
Reference record available.
ModalityAnimal-food-only dietary pattern
A dietary pattern made up almost entirely of animal-derived foods such as meat, fish and eggs, with plant foods excluded.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Plant-free diet
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Carbohydrate restriction
Reference record available.
ModalityCannabidiol products sold as wellness supplements
CBD supplements are consumer products containing cannabidiol, a cannabis-derived compound, sold for general wellness.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- CBD, Cannabidiol supplements, CBD oil, CBD wellness products
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Cannabidiol, Cannabinoids, Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum products, Product labeling accuracy, Cytochrome P450 drug interactions
Reference record available.
ModalityReconstructed plant-based and ritual healing tradition drawn from Celtic-language sources
Celtic and Druidic healing is a modern term for plant, ritual and medical lore linked to Celtic-speaking peoples.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Druidic medicine, Celtic medicine, Druid healing, Celtic herbal medicine, Celtic folk medicine
- Tradition
- Early Irish medicine, Medieval Welsh medical texts, Irish and Scottish folk remedies, Druid Revival, Modern Druidry
- Related concepts
- Mistletoe, Oak, Selago, Physicians of Myddfai, Liaig, Sick-maintenance, Folk plant remedies
Reference record available.
ModalityHypnosis-based support for stopping smoking and other habits
Cessation hypnosis is the use of hypnosis sessions to support a person who is trying to stop smoking or a similar habit.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Hypnosis for smoking cessation, Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation, Stop-smoking hypnosis, Quit-smoking hypnosis
- Tradition
- Mesmerism and Braid, Ericksonian hypnosis, Clinical and academic hypnosis
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic induction, Hypnotizability, Suggestion
Reference record available.
ModalitySubtle-body and biofield-based practices
Chakra healing is a group of practices that work with chakras, the subtle-body centres described in Indian tantric traditions.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Chakra balancing, Chakra alignment
- Tradition
- Indian tantric traditions, Hatha and kundalini yoga, Theosophy, Contemporary New Age practice
- Related concepts
- Chakra (cakra), Subtle body, Prana, Kundalini, Biofield, Seven-chakra scheme
Reference record available.
ModalityDrug-based metal-binding treatment with medical and alternative uses
Chelation therapy is the use of drugs that bind metals or minerals in the body so that the body can excrete them.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Chelation, EDTA chelation therapy, Chelation treatment
- Tradition
- Clinical toxicology, Hematology, Alternative cardiovascular practice, Naturopathic and integrative practice
- Related concepts
- Chelating agent, Edetate disodium (Na2EDTA), Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA), Succimer (DMSA), DMPS, Dimercaprol (BAL), Iron chelators, Provoked urine testing, Hypocalcemia, Body burden
Reference record available.
ModalityColored-light and color-association practices
Chromotherapy is the use of colored light, and sometimes colored objects or imagery, for health or mood purposes.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Color therapy, Colour therapy, Chromopathy
- Tradition
- Late 19th-century American color healing (Edwin Babbitt), Spectro-Chrome (Dinshah Ghadiali, 1920s onward), Anthroposophy (Rudolf Steiner's color writings), Western chakra-color schemes (20th century)
- Related concepts
- colored light, chromopathy, color-emotion associations, chakra colors, tonations, sunlight through colored glass, clinical phototherapy (a distinct use)
Reference record available.
ModalityPsychotherapy approach combining hypnosis with cognitive methods
Cognitive Hypnotherapy is a name used for hypnosis combined with cognitive behavioral therapy and for a branded approach.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Quest Cognitive Hypnotherapy, Cognitive behavioral hypnotherapy, Cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy, Hypnosis-enhanced CBT
- Tradition
- Clinical and academic hypnosis, Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Related concepts
- Suggestion, Hypnotizability, Hypnotic induction
Reference record available.
ModalityRectal water irrigation of the colon offered for cleansing or detoxification
Colonic hydrotherapy is the flushing of the colon with water introduced through the rectum, offered as cleansing.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Colonic irrigation, Colon hydrotherapy, Colon cleansing, Colonic cleansing
- Tradition
- Alternative medicine, Naturopathy
- Related concepts
- Autointoxication, Detoxification, Colon cleansing, Enema, Transanal irrigation, Bowel preparation
Reference record available.
ModalityEnergy-work and visualization-based release practice
Cord cutting is a spiritual practice in which imagined energetic links between a person and others are symbolically severed.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Cutting cords, Energetic cord cutting, Psychic cord cutting, Cord release
- Tradition
- Theosophy-influenced esoteric traditions, New Age energy work, Reiki, Contemporary shamanism
- Related concepts
- Energetic cords, Subtle body, Chakras, Energy field, Visualization, Closure ritual, Grief
Reference record available.
TraditionTradition: Modern Western spiritual movements drawing on the idea of shamanism
Modern Western spiritual movements that adapt shamanic methods, notably drumming journeys, apart from Indigenous traditions.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Core shamanism, Neo-shamanism, Core shamanism and neo-shamanism, Neoshamanism, Urban shamanism
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Shamanic journey, Drumming, Animism, Spirit helpers, Altered states of consciousness, Cultural appropriation, Cross-cultural method, Spiritual commodification
Reference record available.
ModalityLight-touch manual therapy
A hands-on practice using light touch between the cranium and the sacrum, derived from cranial osteopathy.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- CST, Cranio-sacral therapy
- Tradition
- Osteopathy (cranial field), Upledger CranioSacral Therapy, Biodynamic craniosacral
- Related concepts
- Primary respiratory mechanism, Cranial rhythmic impulse, Cerebrospinal fluid, Palpation
Reference record available.
ModalityCold exposure and physical-agent therapy (chambers, cabins, immersion)
Cryotherapy is the therapeutic or recreational use of extreme cold, such as chamber air or cold water, on the body.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Whole-body cryotherapy, Whole-body cryostimulation, Cryostimulation, Cold therapy, Cold-water immersion
- Tradition
- Sports recovery, Rheumatology-based physical medicine, Spa and wellness cold exposure
- Related concepts
- Whole-body cryotherapy, Partial-body cryotherapy, Cryostimulation, Cold-water immersion, Delayed-onset muscle soreness, Cryosurgery (separate clinical field)
Reference record available.
ModalityCrystal and gemstone-based energy practice
Crystal Healing is a practice in which crystals or gemstones are worn, carried, held or placed near a person.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Crystal therapy, Lithotherapy
- Tradition
- New Age healing milieu, New Spirituality and vernacular religion, Theosophy, New Thought and spiritualism (historical background)
- Related concepts
- Aura, Chakras, Subtle energy, Crystal property directories, Wearing or carrying stones, Placebo and expectancy, Piezoelectric effect (cited by proponents), Biophoton imaging (Bio-Well)
Reference record available.
TraditionTradition: Latin American and Mexican American folk healing
Curanderismo is the folk healing tradition of Mexico and Latin America, also practiced in Latino communities in the United States.
MetaphysicalAlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- curanderismo, Mexican folk healing, Mexican American folk healing, Latin American folk healing, Mexican traditional medicine, curandero, curandera, curanderos
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Soul, Spirituality, Mind-Body Connection
Reference record available.
ModalityFolk healing tradition with manual, herbal and ritual components
Curanderismo is a Mexican and Mexican American folk healing tradition that includes massage, herbs and ritual.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- Curanderismo, Mexican American folk healing, Mexican traditional medicine, Sobada
- Tradition
- Curanderismo, Mexican American curanderismo, Andean curanderismo, Spanish humoral medicine
- Related concepts
- Curandero and curandera, Sobada, Limpia, Susto, Empacho, Caída de la mollera, Hot and cold, Ventosas, Medical pluralism
Reference record available.
ModalityShort-term dietary cleanse
Short-term diets, often built around juice or fasting, that are marketed as removing toxins from the body.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Detox diets, Detox programme, Detox cleanse, Detoxes and cleanses
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Detoxification, Autointoxication, Juice fasting, Caloric restriction, Electrolyte balance, Oxalate nephropathy
Reference record available.
ConceptConcept: removal of harmful substances from the body, in wellness marketing and in medicine
Detoxification is the idea of clearing harmful substances from the body, used differently in wellness and medicine.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Detox, Cleanse
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Autointoxication, Toxin, Cleanse, Withdrawal management, Chelation, Body burden
Reference record available.
ModalityHormone precursor supplement and licensed vaginal product
DHEA supplementation is the use of dehydroepiandrosterone, an adrenal hormone precursor, as a supplement or vaginal product.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- DHEA, Dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA sulfate, Prasterone
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Adrenal steroid precursor, DHEA sulfate, Dietary supplement, Prasterone, Genitourinary syndrome of menopause, Androgenic effects
Reference record available.
ModalityPrayer-based or intention-based healing directed at a person who is not physically present
Distance healing is the practice of directing prayer, intention or healing energy at a person who is not physically present.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Remote healing, Absent healing, Distant healing intention, Noncontact healing
- Tradition
- Christian intercessory prayer, Spiritual healing, Mental healing and mind-cure movements, Energy healing
- Related concepts
- Intention, Intercessory prayer, Nonlocality (as proposed by proponents), Retroactive prayer, Noetic therapies, Expectancy and placebo effects, Blinding, Informed consent
Reference record available.
ModalityJapanese psychological rehabilitation and body movement method
Dohsa-hou is a Japanese psychological rehabilitation method that uses guided body movement tasks with trainer feedback.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Dousa-hou, Dohsahou, body movement method, Japanese psychorehabilitation
- Tradition
- Japanese psychological rehabilitation, Japanese rehabilitation psychology
- Related concepts
- Intention, effort and movement, Muscle tension and relaxation, Movement tasks, Trainer and trainee roles, Body awareness, Self-regulation, Training camps
Reference record available.
ModalityModern hybrid therapy using Aboriginal Dreaming language, not a traditional practice
Dreamtime Healing is the name of a modern hybrid therapy, distinct from traditional Aboriginal Dreaming concepts.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Dreamtime Healing using Holographic Kinetics, Holographic Kinetics
- Tradition
- Tjukurpa (Anangu), as a traditional framework distinct from this therapy, Aboriginal Australian healing on Country, Contemporary New Age and hypnosis-influenced therapy
- Related concepts
- Tjukurpa, The Dreaming, Ngangkari, Holographic Kinetics, Cellular memory, Dimensions, Cultural safety
Reference record available.
ModalityHeat-based ear procedure using a lit wax cone
Ear candling is a practice in which a hollow, wax-coated fabric cone is placed in the outer ear and lit at its far end.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Ear coning, Ear candles, Thermal-auricular therapy, Thermo-auricular therapy, Hopi ear candling, Hopi ear candles, Coning
- Tradition
- Complementary therapy and beauty-salon practice, Home self-care
- Related concepts
- Chimney effect, Negative pressure, Cerumen (earwax), Cerumen impaction, Candle residue, Tympanic membrane
Reference record available.
ModalityBarefoot or conductive contact with the ground
Earthing, also called grounding, is contact between the body and the ground, barefoot or through conductive products.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Grounding, Barefoot grounding, Electrical grounding of the body
- Tradition
- Modern wellness and natural-health movements
- Related concepts
- Free electrons, Antioxidant hypothesis, Conductive mats and patches, Barefoot walking, Electromagnetic hygiene
Reference record available.
ModalityHerbal remedy and dietary supplement ingredient
Echinacea is a North American coneflower plant whose roots and aerial parts are made into extracts, teas and tablets.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Coneflower, Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea pallida
- Tradition
- Native American traditional use, Eclectic medicine, German phytotherapy
- Related concepts
- Immune stimulation, Species and plant-part variation, Standardization of extracts
Reference record available.
ModalityInstrument-assisted self-regulation technique
A form of biofeedback in which a person sees their own brain electrical activity (EEG) and learns to change it.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Neurofeedback, EEG neurofeedback, EEG operant conditioning
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- operant conditioning, electroencephalography (EEG), sensorimotor rhythm (SMR), alpha rhythm, neurofeedback, biofeedback
Reference record available.
ModalityAcupoint tapping psychological technique within energy psychology
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a brief psychological method pairing acupoint tapping with attention to distress.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques, Emotional Freedom Technique, Clinical EFT, EFT tapping, Tapping
- Tradition
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Related concepts
- Qi, Mind-Body Connection, Attention, Awareness, Exposure, Meridians
Reference record available.
ModalityHistorical medical system of pharaonic Egypt
Egyptian medicine is the medical knowledge and practice of pharaonic Egypt, known mainly from medical papyri.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Ancient Egyptian medicine, Pharaonic medicine, Medicine of ancient Egypt
- Tradition
- Pharaonic Egypt (c. 3000 BC to the Greco-Roman period), Egyptian medical papyri tradition, House of Life temple scholarship
- Related concepts
- Swnw (physician), Medical papyri, Edwin Smith papyrus, Ebers papyrus, Kahun papyrus, Mtw vessels, Wekhedu, Heka, Sekhmet, Thoth, Imhotep, Honey as a wound dressing (historical), Retrospective diagnosis
Reference record available.
ModalityLight finger-pressure manual therapy
The Emmett Technique is a manual therapy using brief, light finger pressure at specific points on the body.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Emmett therapy, Emmett muscle release therapy
- Tradition
- Developed in Queensland, Australia
- Related concepts
- EMMETT points, Muscle release, Light touch, Power of three (three applications per point), Myofascial release (as framed in one dissertation), Trigger points (as framed in one dissertation)
Reference record available.
ModalityBranded energy healing method using muscle testing and magnets
The Emotion Code is a branded method in which practitioners use muscle testing to find and release so-called trapped emotions.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Applied kinesiology, Chinese meridian theory (as adopted by the method), Distant intention and prayer
- Related concepts
- Trapped emotions, Muscle testing, Proxy testing, Chart of emotions, Governing meridian, Heart-Wall, Energy body
Reference record available.
ModalityEnergy-field and spiritual cleansing practices
Energy clearing is a set of practices said to remove stagnant or negative energy from a person or place.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Aura cleansing, Aura therapy, Auric clearing, Energy cleansing
- Tradition
- Theosophy, Healing Touch (nursing-linked energy therapy)
- Related concepts
- Aura, Biofield, Energy field, Subtle energy, Chakras, Qi, Prana
Reference record available.
ModalityBiofield-based touch and non-contact healing practices
Energy healing is an umbrella term for practices in which practitioners aim to influence a person's energy field.
MetaphysicalAlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Biofield therapy, Biofield therapies, Energy medicine
- Tradition
- Reiki (Japanese origin), Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, External qigong, Theosophy-influenced healing
- Related concepts
- Biofield, Human energy field, Vital force, Qi, Prana, Ki, Attunement, Centring, Intention, Local and distant healing, Animal magnetism
Reference record available.
ModalityTapping-based psychotherapy methods linked to energy concepts
Energy psychology is a group of therapies that pair tapping on body points with attention to distressing thoughts or memories.
AlternativeMetaphysicalComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Acupoint tapping, Meridian tapping, Tapping therapies, EFT tapping
- Tradition
- Thought Field Therapy, Emotional Freedom Techniques, Traditional Chinese medicine (borrowed acupoint concepts)
- Related concepts
- Acupoint tapping, Energy meridians, Setup statement, Reminder phrase, Subjective units of distress, Imaginal exposure, Cognitive restructuring, Clinical EFT, Memory reconsolidation
Reference record available.
ModalityFamily of face-based character, fortune and health interpretation traditions
The practice of interpreting personality, emotional tendencies or health from facial structure, features and expression.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Physiognomy, Mian Xiang, Mien Shiang
- Tradition
- Chinese physiognomy (xiangshu), Greek and European physiognomy, Indian body-reading texts (Samudrika Shastra), Arabic firasa, Japanese physiognomy, Traditional Chinese medicine facial inspection
- Related concepts
- Five phases body types, Animal resemblance, Facial complexion, Body-spirit interaction, Facial trait inference, Facial action coding, Criminal anthropology
Reference record available.
ModalitySuction-cup facial and neck treatment, cosmetic use of cupping
Facial cupping is the use of small suction cups on the face and neck, offered as a cosmetic treatment and in home kits.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Face cupping, Cosmetic cupping
- Tradition
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Related concepts
- Qi, Cosmetic acupuncture
Reference record available.
ModalityGroup-based systemic arrangement process
Family constellation is a group method in which participants stand in for family members to show relationships in space.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- Family Constellations, Systemic Constellations, Family Constellation Therapy, Familienaufstellung, Familienstellen, Systemaufstellung
- Tradition
- Hellinger family constellations (Germany), Family sculpture and systemic family therapy, Spiritual family constellation (later Hellinger form), Organisational constellations
- Related concepts
- Representatives (Stellvertreter), Orders of love, Entanglement (Verstrickung), Knowing field (wissendes Feld), Family sculpture, Ritual sentences, Role release (de-roling)
Reference record available.
ModalityChinese system of siting and arranging buildings, spaces and graves
Feng shui is a Chinese practice of siting and arranging buildings, graves, rooms and objects by qi and landscape.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Fengshui, Feng-shui, Chinese geomancy, Kanyu, Wind and water
- Tradition
- Taoism, New Age spirituality
- Related concepts
- Qi
Reference record available.
ModalityVibrational or energy-based remedy system using flower preparations
Flower essence therapy is the oral use of dilute flower preparations selected by emotional state.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Flower essences, Bach flower remedies, Flower remedies, Flower therapy, Floral therapy
- Tradition
- Bach flower remedies (England, 1930s), Californian flower essences, Australian Bush flower essences, Homeopathic-influenced complementary practice
- Related concepts
- Emotional states, Energetic imprint, Stock bottle, Mother tincture, Sun method, Boiling method, Combination remedy, Placebo response
Reference record available.
ModalityWellness practices built on assigning effects to sound or device frequencies
Frequency-based therapy is an umbrella term for practices that assign health roles to specific sound or device frequencies.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- Frequency therapy, Frequency healing, Healing frequencies, Solfeggio frequencies, Rife frequency therapy
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Attunement
Reference record available.
ModalityBelief system and dowsing-based site assessment
Geopathic stress is a belief that certain ground locations emit harmful earth energies, located by dowsing.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Erdstrahlen, E-rays, Earth rays, Geopathic zones, Geopathic radiation
- Tradition
- New Age spirituality
- Related concepts
- Vitalism
Reference record available.
TraditionTradition: German non-physician practitioner profession and naturopathic practice
German Heilpraktiker practice is the work of licensed non-physician health practitioners in Germany.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Heilpraktiker, Heilpraktikerin, German Heilpraktiker practice, Non-medical practitioner (Germany), Non-medical naturopathic practitioner, Natural health practitioner (Germany)
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Naturopathy, Non-medical practitioner, Complementary and alternative medicine, Lay healing, Neue Deutsche Heilkunde, Kur (spa stay), Primary care, Professional regulation, Patient safety
Reference record available.
ModalityPercussive bodywork term with no standardized definition
Hammer tapping is a term for striking the body with a hammer or similar tool in bodywork, with no standard definition.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Percussion, Tapotement, Reflex hammer, Percussive massage
Reference record available.
ModalityCeremonial nasal tobacco snuff of Amazonian peoples
Hapé, also written rapé, is a powdered tobacco snuff used by Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and blown into the nose.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Rapé, Rapê, Hapé, Hapê, Rapé snuff, Dume deshke (Huni Kuĩ term), Amazonian tobacco snuff
- Tradition
- Huni Kuĩ (Kaxinawá, Cashinahua), Yawanawá, Katukina, Apurinã, Paumari, Jarawara, Suruwahá, Jamamadi, Kulina, Deni
- Related concepts
- Nicotiana rustica (mapacho), Tobacco and tree-bark ash, Tepi (applied by another person), Kuripe (self-applied pipe), Forest medicines (medicinas da floresta), Nasal nicotine absorption, Shamanic communication with spirits, Circulation from villages to cities, Commercialization and cultural appropriation
Reference record available.
ModalitySelf-applied finger-position and focused-attention method linked to energy concepts
The Healing Codes is a self-applied method of holding finger positions near the head and neck while focusing on a memory.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- The Healing Codes, The Healing Code, Healing Codes system, Self-healing training (Healing Codes)
- Tradition
- Energy psychology, Thought Field Therapy (cited by critics as the source), Christian prayer practice (as framed by the developer)
- Related concepts
- Healing centers, Cellular memories, Truth focus statements, Custom codes, Human energy field, Heart rate variability (developer's measure)
Reference record available.
ModalityPlant-based medicine (herbalism and phytotherapy)
Herbal medicine is the use of plants and plant extracts, such as teas, tinctures and capsules, for health purposes.
AlternativeComplementaryHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Herbalism, Phytotherapy, Botanical medicine, Western herbal medicine, Western herbalism, Medical herbalism
- Tradition
- Western herbalism, Modern European phytotherapy, Nineteenth-century American botanical medicine (Thomsonianism), Greco-Roman materia medica
- Related concepts
- Materia medica, Plant extract, Individualized herbal formula, Fluid extract and tincture, Herb-drug interaction, Product authentication, Adulteration and contamination
Reference record available.
ModalityIntravenous nutrient infusion (ascorbic acid)
High-dose intravenous vitamin C is the infusion of ascorbic acid into a vein, giving blood levels that oral intake cannot.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- IV vitamin C, IV Vitamin C Therapy, Intravenous ascorbic acid, Intravenous ascorbate, Pharmacological ascorbate, High-dose IV vitamin C, IV ascorbate, IVC
- Tradition
- Orthomolecular medicine
- Related concepts
- Pharmacological ascorbate, Plasma concentration by route of administration, Hydrogen peroxide generation (laboratory hypothesis)
Reference record available.
ModalityBranded Aboriginal-informed trauma and energy healing method
Holographic Kinetics is a branded healing method developed by Steve Richards and taught as an Aboriginal modality.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- HK, Dreamtime Healing
- Tradition
- Aboriginal Australian Lore (as described by the founder), Dreamtime and the Dreaming (English-language terms)
- Related concepts
- Lore, Hologram of time, Cellular memory, Integration, Dimensions of time, Invisible bodies, Intergenerational trauma, Thought forms
Reference record available.
ModalityBreathwork: accelerated breathing with music and bodywork in group sessions
Holotropic Breathwork is a group practice of accelerated breathing, music and bodywork developed by Stanislav and Christina Grof.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Holotropic breathing, GROF Breathwork
- Tradition
- Transpersonal psychology, Pranayama and yoga breathing traditions (antecedent named by Havenith et al.)
- Related concepts
- Breathwork (umbrella family), Volitional hyperventilation, Non-ordinary states of consciousness, Perinatal matrices model, Evocative music in five phases, Mandala drawing, Group sharing without interpretation, Circular breathwork, Conscious-Connected breathwork
Reference record available.
ModalityAlternative medical system using serially diluted preparations
Homeopathy is a medical system founded by Samuel Hahnemann that uses serially diluted, shaken preparations.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Homoeopathy, Homeopathic medicine
- Tradition
- Hahnemannian homeopathy (Germany, from the 1790s), Individualized homeopathy, Clinical homeopathy
- Related concepts
- Principle of similars (similia similibus curentur), Medicine trials on healthy volunteers (provings), Potentization (dynamization), Succussion, Centesimal (C) potencies, Fifty-millesimal (Q) potencies, Isopathy, Chronic miasms (Hahnemann, 1828), Individualized prescribing
Reference record available.
ModalityImplanted hormone delivery (medical treatment)
Hormone pellet therapy places small testosterone or estradiol implants under the skin to release hormone over months.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Pellet therapy, Subcutaneous hormone pellets, Hormone implants, Subcutaneous testosterone pellets
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Bioidentical hormones, Compounded hormone therapy, Route of hormone administration, Supraphysiological hormone levels
Reference record available.
ModalityElective hormone use for aging, body composition or performance
Elective use of human growth hormone or releasing agents for aging, body composition or performance, outside medical need.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- HGH, HGH therapy, Human growth hormone therapy, Growth hormone anti-aging therapy, Recombinant human growth hormone, rhGH, Somatropin
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Growth hormone and IGF-1 axis, Adult growth hormone deficiency, Growth hormone secretagogues, Growth hormone-releasing hormone analogues, Lean body mass and fat mass, Insulin resistance, WADA Prohibited List S2
Reference record available.
ModalityWater-based physical therapies
Hydrotherapy is the therapeutic use of water, including baths, compresses, temperature applications and pool exercise.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Hydropathy, Water therapy
- Tradition
- Priessnitz hydropathy (Gräfenberg), Kneipp medicine, Viennese scientific hydrotherapy, German naturopathic movement
- Related concepts
- Cold water applications, Contrast water therapy, Compresses and wraps, Aquatic exercise, Cold-water immersion, Hot tub and spa use, Balneotherapy (separate page)
Reference record available.
ModalityPressurized-chamber oxygen therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is breathing oxygen inside a pressurized chamber at above normal atmospheric pressure.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- HBOT, Hyperbaric oxygen, HBO2 therapy, Hyperbaric oxygenation, Recompression therapy
- Tradition
- Hospital hyperbaric medicine, Diving and undersea medicine, Wellness-center and home soft-chamber use
- Related concepts
- Atmospheres absolute (ATA), Monoplace and multiplace chambers, Recompression, Decompression illness, Hyperoxia, Mild hyperbaric exposure, Soft-sided chambers, Middle ear barotrauma, Central nervous system oxygen toxicity, Indication lists
Reference record available.
ModalityPsychotherapy approach combining hypnosis with psychodynamic ideas
Hypnoanalysis is the use of hypnosis within psychoanalytic or psychodynamic therapy to explore memories and meanings.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Analytical hypnosis, Hypnoanalytic therapy, Hypnotic psychoanalysis, Psychoanalytic hypnotherapy
- Tradition
- Clinical and academic hypnosis, Psychoanalysis
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic induction, Hypnotizability, Suggestion, Focused attention, Awareness
Reference record available.
ModalityGuided suggestion-based psychological therapy
The use of hypnosis, a state of focused attention and responsiveness to suggestion, within therapy for a concern or habit.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Clinical hypnosis, Hypnosis therapy
- Tradition
- Mesmerism and Braid, Ericksonian hypnosis, Clinical and academic hypnosis
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic induction, Hypnotizability, Suggestion, Focused attention
Reference record available.
ModalityHypnosis and guided imagery used for inner child work
Hypnotherapy for Inner Child Healing is the use of hypnosis or guided imagery to engage a client's imagined younger self.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Clinical and academic hypnosis, Jungian analytical psychology
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic induction, Suggestion, Focused attention
Reference record available.
ModalityCentral African initiatory religion using a plant sacrament, plus extracted-alkaloid use
Bwiti is a Central African religion that uses the iboga plant in initiation; ibogaine is the alkaloid extracted from it.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Bwiti, Bouiti, Bwete, Iboga ceremony, Tabernanthe iboga, Ibogaine
- Tradition
- Bwiti (Gabon), Mitsogho Bwete, Apindji Bwiti, Fang syncretic Bwiti, Ombwiri cult, Western ibogaine treatment settings
- Related concepts
- Initiation, Baptism by iboga, Ancestors, Communion, Tabernanthe iboga, Ibogaine, Noribogaine, QT interval prolongation, Sustainability of wild harvest, Benefit sharing
Reference record available.
ModalityUmbrella family of distinct Indigenous and traditional healing and ceremonial practices
A family label for many distinct healing, ceremonial and medicinal practices held by Indigenous peoples worldwide.
HolisticMetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- First Nations, Native American, Native Canadian, Aboriginal Practices, Indigenous Traditions, Indigenous Health, Amazonian Traditions, Sacred Ceremonies, Ceremonial Practices
- Tradition
- Māori (rongoā), Anangu (ngangkari), Native American Church, Huni Kuin and other Amazonian peoples, Saraguro (Ecuador), Mazatec, Bwiti (Gabon), Native Hawaiian (lomilomi), Sangoma and nyanga (South Africa), Mexican curanderismo, First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada
- Related concepts
- Cultural safety, Traditional knowledge, Health equity, Relationality, Land and wellbeing, Ceremony, Plant medicines, Cultural appropriation
Reference record available.
ModalityHeat exposure in a radiant-heat sauna cabin
Infrared sauna is a heated cabin using radiant far-infrared heaters, used by people in wellness and medical settings.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Far-infrared sauna, FIR sauna, Infrared cabin, Waon therapy
- Tradition
- Japanese Waon therapy, Commercial wellness saunas
- Related concepts
- Far-infrared radiation, Thermal vasodilation, Passive heat therapy, Sweating, Heat strain
Reference record available.
ModalityIntravenous or injected delivery of an antioxidant peptide
Intravenous glutathione is the injection or infusion of glutathione, an antioxidant tripeptide made in the body.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- IV glutathione, Glutathione infusion, Glutathione drip, Glutathione injection, Parenteral glutathione, Glutathione IV
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Antioxidant, Redox balance, Oxidative stress, Melanogenesis
Reference record available.
ModalityIris-based assessment and constitutional analysis
Iridology is an alternative practice that claims to assess health by examining the iris of the eye.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Iris diagnosis, Iridodiagnosis, Irisdiagnose, Iris analysis
- Tradition
- Nineteenth-century European naturopathic and homeopathic medicine, German Heilpraktiker practice, North American naturopathic practice
- Related concepts
- Iris charts, Iris zones, Constitutional types, Iris markings and pigmentation, Diagnostic accuracy
Reference record available.
ModalityHistorical and contemporary medical traditions of Muslim societies
Islamic medicine is a term for medical learning and practice linked to Muslim societies, used in several distinct senses.
HolisticAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Arabic medicine, Arab-Islamic medicine, Islamic medical tradition
- Tradition
- Classical medicine of the Islamic Golden Age, Prophetic medicine (al-ṭibb al-nabawī), Hijama (cupping) as practised in Muslim communities, Contemporary Islamic bioethics
- Related concepts
- Greco-Islamic medical theory, Bimaristan (hospital), Hadith literature, Honey, Black seed (Nigella sativa), Hijama (cupping), Bloodletting, Spiritual and physical care
Reference record available.
ModalityElective intravenous fluid and vitamin infusion services
IV hydration therapy is the elective infusion of saline-based fluids, often with added vitamins, outside hospital care.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- IV hydration, IV drip, IV drip therapy, vitamin drip, drip bar services, mobile IV therapy, wellness IV drip, Hydration therapy
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Intravenous infusion, Drip bar, Dehydration, Oral rehydration, Fluid overload, Electrolyte balance
Reference record available.
ModalityIntravenous infusion of fluids, vitamins and other substances
IV therapy is the delivery of fluids, vitamins, minerals or other substances directly into a vein by infusion.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- intravenous therapy, IV drip therapy, vitamin drip, intravenous nutrient therapy, intravenous micronutrient therapy, nutrient cocktail
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Intravenous infusion, Myers' cocktail, Vitamin C, Glutathione, G6PD deficiency, Oxalate nephropathy, Fluid overload, Peripheral intravenous catheter, Drip bar, Anti-doping rules
Reference record available.
ModalityTraditional herbal medicine of Indonesia
Jamu is the herbal medicine tradition of Indonesia, especially Java, made from roots, leaves and spices.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Indonesian traditional herbal medicine, Jamu wellness culture
- Tradition
- Javanese herbal medicine, Indonesian traditional medicine
- Related concepts
- Hot and cold balance, Jamu gendong (street-sold fresh jamu), Industrial packaged jamu, Jamu saintifik (scientific jamu), Jamu scientification program (saintifikasi jamu), Polyherbal formulas
Reference record available.
ModalityLight-touch energy practice (hand-hold sequences, with a self-help form)
Jin Shin Jyutsu is a Japanese-origin practice in which hands are held on set body points, by a practitioner or oneself.
HolisticAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Jin Shin Jitsu, JSJ, Jin Shin Jyutsu physio-philosophy
- Tradition
- Japanese practice attributed to Jiro Murai (1886-1960), Mary Burmeister's United States transmission (from 1965), Haruki Kato's Japanese line, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Inc. teaching organisation
- Related concepts
- Safety Energy Locks, Energy pathways and flows, Mudras (hand positions), Main Central Vertical Flow, Self-help practice, Tai-eki (body fluids), The Depths
Reference record available.
ModalityDietary approach: juice-only fasting and cleanse programs
Juice fasting is a dietary practice in which fruit and vegetable juices replace solid food for a limited period.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Juice Fast, Juice Cleanse, Juice Detox, Juice Detoxification, Juice-Only Diet, Juice Cleansing
- Tradition
- Naturopathy
- Related concepts
- Detoxification, Dietary cleansing
Reference record available.
ModalityAmazonian skin-secretion ritual and its Western adaptations
Kambo is the dried skin secretion of the Amazonian giant monkey frog, applied to small skin burns in ritual practice.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Kambô, Sapo, Toad vaccine, Vacina do sapo, Giant monkey frog secretion
- Tradition
- Katukina, Yawanawá, Kaxinawá (Huni Kuĩ), Matsés, Mayoruna, Rubber-tapper and Brazilian ayahuasca-religion settings, Western neoshamanic ceremonies
- Related concepts
- Phyllomedusa bicolor, Panema, Cleansing and purification, Phyllokinin, Dermorphin, Deltorphin, Phyllocaerulein, Sauvagine, Hyponatremia, Cultural appropriation and benefit-sharing
Reference record available.
ModalityTraditional herbal medical system
Kampō Medicine is the Japanese adaptation of Chinese herbal medicine, usually prescribed as fixed multi-herb formulas.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Kampo, Kampo medicine, Japanese Kampo, Traditional Japanese herbal medicine
- Tradition
- Japanese Kampo, adapted from Chinese herbal medicine, Gosei-ha school (sixteenth century onward), Koho (old-formula) school of the Edo period
- Related concepts
- Sho (presentation matched to a formula), Ki, ketsu and sui (qi, blood and body fluids), Kyo-jitsu (hollow-full), Netsu-kan (heat-cold), Yin-yo (yin-yang), Four diagnostic approaches (shi-shin), Abdominal examination (fukushin), Standardized extract formulations
Reference record available.
ModalityMedical and lifestyle dietary pattern
The Ketogenic Diet is a very low carbohydrate, high fat eating pattern that shifts metabolism toward ketosis.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Keto diet, Ketogenic dietary therapy, Very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet, VLCKD
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Ketosis, Ketone bodies, Carbohydrate restriction
Reference record available.
ModalityHand-point acupuncture microsystem (Korean)
Korean hand therapy is a hand-point acupuncture system that treats areas of the hand as corresponding to the whole body.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Koryo Sooji Chim, Koryo Hand Therapy, Korean Hand Acupuncture, Koryo Hand Acupuncture, Sooji Chim, KHT, Korean Hand Acupressure
- Tradition
- Korean acupuncture, East Asian medicine, Korean nursing practice
- Related concepts
- Hand as a body microsystem (homunculus), Correspondence points, K-point labels (K-D2, K-A20), Tender-point location, Hand moxibustion, Capsicum or capsaicin stimulation, Sham stimulation
Reference record available.
ModalityBotanical product (herbal substance with opioid-like and stimulant-like effects)
Kratom is a Southeast Asian tree, Mitragyna speciosa, whose leaves are sold as powders, capsules, teas and extracts.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Mitragyna speciosa, Kratom leaf
- Tradition
- Southeast Asian traditional use
- Related concepts
- Mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, Partial mu-opioid receptor agonism, Self-treatment of pain and opioid withdrawal
Reference record available.
ModalityApplication of live medicinal leeches (hospital device use and traditional or elective use)
Leech therapy is the application of live medicinal leeches to the skin, called hirudotherapy, in surgical and traditional use.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Hirudotherapy, Medicinal leech therapy, Leeching
- Tradition
- Ayurveda, Unani medicine, Persian medicine, Greco-Roman humoral medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine
- Related concepts
- Venous congestion, Hirudin, Leech saliva, Bloodletting, Microsurgery, Aeromonas infection, Antibiotic prophylaxis
Reference record available.
ModalityNon-clinical personal-development coaching (umbrella for related coaching practices)
Life coaching is an umbrella term for goal-focused, non-clinical coaching on personal development.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Inner Game, GROW model, Solution-focused coaching, Cognitive-behavioural coaching, Positive psychology, Humanistic psychology
- Related concepts
- Goal setting, Goal attainment, Coaching agreement, Non-clinical population, Referral to a mental health professional, Well-being, Hope, Strengths, Self-regulation, Core competencies, Code of ethics, Coaching supervision
Reference record available.
ModalitySpontaneous vocal, written or gestural spiritual expression
Light language is a contemporary spiritual practice of unplanned sounds, symbols or gestures held to carry non-verbal meaning.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Light Languages, Language of Light, Angelic language, Tongues of angels, Tonguespeak, Non-religious glossolalia
- Tradition
- New Age spirituality, Channelling and energy-work communities
- Related concepts
- Glossolalia, Vibrational communication, Altered states of consciousness, Channelling, Toning, Activation, Higher self, Light codes, Xenoglossy
Reference record available.
ModalityDietary system and lifestyle philosophy of Japanese origin
A Japanese-origin dietary system built around whole grains and vegetables and framed by yin-yang ideas.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Macrobiotics
- Tradition
- Japanese macrobiotics
- Related concepts
- Yin and yang
Reference record available.
ModalityMagnetic field exposure from wearable or bedding products
Magnet therapy is the use of static magnets, worn or placed against the body, for health or pain-related purposes.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Magnetic therapy, Magnetic field therapy, Static magnetic field therapy, Magnetotherapy
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Static magnetic field, Permanent magnet, Animal magnetism, Magnetic field strength (gauss), Placebo control, Pulsed electromagnetic field (context)
Reference record available.
ModalityLiquid-only detox diet
The Master Cleanse is a liquid-only detox diet, also called the Lemonade Diet, promoted for cleansing the body.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Lemonade Diet, Master Cleanser, Lemon Detox Diet
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Detoxification, Fasting, Very low calorie diets
Reference record available.
ModalityEFT-based tapping and memory-imagery method (energy psychology)
Matrix Reimprinting is a tapping-based method that adapts EFT to revisit and re-picture memories of past events.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- Matrix Reimprinting using EFT, MR (Matrix Reimprinting), EFT Matrix Reimprinting
- Tradition
- Traditional Chinese Medicine, New Age spirituality
- Related concepts
- Qi, Mind-Body Connection, Memory reconsolidation
Reference record available.
TraditionTradition: Maya medical and healing traditions of Mesoamerica
Maya healing is the set of medical and ritual traditions of Maya peoples in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.
MetaphysicalAlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Maya healing, Masewal Maya healing in Belize, Maya midwifery, Arvigo Institute and Tul'ix lineage, Maya traditional medicine, Mayan healing
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Cosmovision, Fright-related illness, Traditional midwifery, Bonesetting, Medicinal plant knowledge, Intercultural health, Tsak (healing)
Reference record available.
ModalityAbdominal and pelvic bodywork attributed to Maya healing traditions
Mayan abdominal massage is an external abdominal and pelvic massage attributed to Maya healing and midwifery traditions.
HolisticAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Maya abdominal massage, Maya abdominal therapy, Mayan abdominal therapy, Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy, Arvigo Maya Abdominal Therapy, ATMAT
- Tradition
- Maya healing, Kaqchikel Maya midwifery, Q'eqchi Maya midwifery, Mexican sobada
- Related concepts
- Sobada, Womb repositioning, Chu'lel, Self-care massage, Five systems of flow, Pelvic steams, Uterine position, Apprenticeship lineage
Reference record available.
ModalityIntuitive health assessment (claimed extrasensory perception of health conditions)
Medical intuition is the claimed ability to perceive information about a person's health by intuition rather than examination.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Medical Intuitive, Medical Intuitive Reading, Intuitive Diagnosis
- Tradition
- Trance readings (Edgar Cayce lineage), New Age and holistic health movement, Energy medicine
- Related concepts
- Intuitive diagnosis, Remote or at-a-distance reading, Energy anatomy, Biofield, Reading (session), Scanning
Reference record available.
ModalityMild pressurized-chamber oxygen exposure
Mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy is breathing oxygen in a chamber pressurized slightly above normal air pressure.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- mHBOT, Mild HBOT, Mild hyperbaric oxygenation, Soft-sided hyperbaric oxygen, Mild hyperbaric treatment
- Tradition
- Wellness-center and spa use, Sports recovery and performance research, Hospital hyperbaric medicine (for contrast)
- Related concepts
- Atmospheres absolute (ATA), Soft-sided chambers, Hard-sided mild chambers, Hyperoxia, Middle ear barotrauma, Chamber fire risk, Clinical hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Placebo chamber pressure, Oxygen partial pressure
Reference record available.
ModalityHeat-based point stimulation in East Asian medicine
Moxibustion is the burning of mugwort herb on or near the skin, usually at acupuncture points, in East Asian medicine.
ComplementaryAlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Traditional Chinese medicine, Kampo (Japanese traditional medicine), Japanese direct moxa (okyu), Traditional East Asian medicine
- Related concepts
- Moxa (Artemisia vulgaris or Artemisia argyi), Direct moxibustion, Indirect moxibustion, Moxa sticks, Moxa cones, Acupuncture points, Bladder 67 (BL67, Zhiyin), Smokeless moxa, Channels (meridians)
Reference record available.
ModalityIntravenous vitamin and mineral infusion
The Myers' cocktail is an intravenous infusion of vitamins and minerals named after a physician, John Myers.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Myers cocktail, Myers' cocktail, Intravenous micronutrient therapy, IV micronutrient therapy, IVMT, Intravenous vitamin therapy
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Intravenous micronutrient therapy, Placebo response, Fluid and electrolyte load
Reference record available.
ModalityManual therapy and self-applied soft tissue techniques
Myofascial release is a family of manual and self-applied techniques aimed at fascia and the muscles around it.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Myofascial, MFR, Myofascial release therapy, Myofascial release technique
- Tradition
- Osteopathic manual medicine, Physical therapy, Massage and bodywork, Structural integration lineage
- Related concepts
- Fascia, Fascial system, Tissue release, Direct and indirect techniques, Self-myofascial release, Foam rolling, Myofascial pain syndrome
Reference record available.
ModalityIntravenous coenzyme infusion offered in wellness and integrative settings
NAD+ IV Therapy is the infusion of the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide into a vein in wellness settings.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- NAD+ infusion, NAD IV therapy, Intravenous NAD+, NAD+ infusion therapy, IV NAD+
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD+ precursors, Nicotinamide riboside, Nicotinamide mononucleotide, Sirtuins, Mitochondrial energy metabolism
Reference record available.
ModalityPulse examination within Ayurvedic diagnosis
Nadi Pariksha is the Ayurvedic examination of the pulse, used in that tradition to assess the doshas.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Nadi Vigyan, Nadi Nidan, Nadipariksha, Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis, Ayurvedic pulse examination
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Dosha, Prakriti, Tridosha (vata, pitta, kapha), Ashta sthana pariksha (eight-point examination)
Reference record available.
ModalityAyurvedic nasal medication procedure within panchakarma
Nasya is an Ayurvedic procedure in which medicated oils, juices or powders are administered through the nose.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Nasya karma, Errhine therapy, Ayurvedic nasal instillation
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Panchakarma, Shodhana (purification procedures), Pratimarsha nasya, Marsha nasya, Dinacharya (daily regimen)
Reference record available.
ModalityMulti-modality system of natural and lifestyle-based care
Naturopathy is a system of care built on diet, lifestyle, herbs, water treatments and other non-drug methods.
AlternativeComplementaryHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Naturopathic medicine, Naturheilkunde, Traditional European Naturopathy, Nature care
- Tradition
- German natural healing movement (Naturheilkunde), Kneipp therapy, North American naturopathic medicine, German Heilpraktiker practice, Yoga and naturopathy in India
- Related concepts
- Vis medicatrix naturae (healing power of nature), Tolle causam (identify and treat the cause), Primum non nocere (first do no harm), Docere (doctor as teacher), Tolle totum (treat the whole person), Prevention, Hydrotherapy, Herbal and nutritional medicine, Lifestyle counseling, Tonic remedies
Reference record available.
ModalityMind-body technique using muscle testing, developed in chiropractic
Neuro Emotional Technique is a chiropractor-developed method that pairs muscle testing with a manual correction.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- NET, Neuro-Emotional Technique, Neuro Emotional Technique (NET)
- Tradition
- Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chiropractic
- Related concepts
- Qi, Mind-Body Connection, Awareness
Reference record available.
ModalityCommunication and behavior-change framework used in coaching and counseling
A communication and behavior-change framework from the 1970s built on preferred sensory modes and modeling.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- NLP, Neurolinguistic programming, Neuro-linguistic programming
- Tradition
- Bandler and Grinder NLP (1970s onward)
- Related concepts
- Preferred representational systems, Rapport, Modeling, Well-formed outcomes, Anchoring, Eye accessing cues, Reframing
Reference record available.
ModalityTraditional oral-care practice (swishing edible oil in the mouth)
Oil pulling is the practice of swishing an edible oil in the mouth and spitting it out, described in Ayurvedic texts.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Gandusha, Gandoosha, Kavala graha, Kavala gandoosha, Oil swishing
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Gandusha, Kavala graha, Dinacharya, Oral hygiene
Reference record available.
ModalityNutrient-based alternative medicine using high-intake vitamins, minerals and amino acids
Orthomolecular medicine uses vitamins, minerals and amino acids at high intakes, based on a theory of optimum body concentrations.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Orthomolecular therapy, Orthomolecular psychiatry, Megavitamin therapy, Mega-vitamin therapy
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Optimum molecular environment, Orthomolecular psychiatry, Megavitamin therapy, High-dose vitamin C, Individual biochemistry
Reference record available.
ModalityMedical gas therapy using oxygen-ozone mixtures
Ozone therapy is the medical use of oxygen-ozone gas mixtures applied to blood, tissues, joints, discs or body cavities.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Oxygen-ozone therapy, Medical ozone therapy, Oxy-ozone therapy, O2-O3 therapy
- Tradition
- German medical ozone practice, North American naturopathy, Indian naturopathy, Interventional pain practice
- Related concepts
- Oxygen-ozone mixture, Medical ozone, Major autohemotherapy, Minor autohemotherapy, Rectal insufflation, Intradiscal injection, Paravertebral injection, Ozonated oil, Ozonated water, Ozone gas bath, Gas embolism
Reference record available.
ModalityDietary pattern based on an evolutionary hypothesis
The Paleo Diet is a modern eating pattern based on foods thought to resemble those of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Paleolithic diet, Palaeolithic diet, Paleo, Caveman diet, Stone Age diet, Paleolithic nutrition, Ancestral diet
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Evolutionary discordance hypothesis, Hunter-gatherer diets, Food-group exclusion
Reference record available.
ModalityHypnosis-based psychotherapeutic approach working with inner parts or ego states
Parts therapy hypnosis is a hypnotherapy approach that addresses aspects of the personality as inner parts during trance.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Parts therapy, Hypnotic parts therapy
- Tradition
- Clinical and academic hypnosis, Psychoanalysis
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic induction, Hypnotizability, Suggestion, Focused attention, Awareness
Reference record available.
ModalityHypnosis-based guided recall of supposed previous lives
Past life regression is a practice in which hypnosis is used to elicit scenes presented as memories of previous lives.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Past-life regression, Past life therapy, Past life regression therapy, PLR
- Tradition
- Indian rebirth traditions (saṃsāra), Theosophy, Twentieth-century hypnotic regression
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic regression, Hypnotisability, Suggestion, False memory, Cryptomnesia, Reincarnation, Rebirth, Karma, Previous personality
Reference record available.
ModalityPendulum-based divination and energy assessment
Pendulum healing is the use of a hand-held suspended weight to seek yes or no answers about health and wellbeing.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Pendulum dowsing, Medical radiesthesia
- Tradition
- French and Swiss radiesthesia (early twentieth century), British dowsing societies, Chakra-based energy assessment, Ideomotor signalling in hypnoanalysis
- Related concepts
- Ideomotor action, Chevreul pendulum illusion, Yes and no calibration, Radiesthetic diagnosis, Chakra charts, Geopathic stress, Authorship misattribution, Implicit knowledge
Reference record available.
ModalityWellness and anti-aging use of unapproved synthetic peptides
Peptide therapy is the wellness or anti-aging use of unapproved short synthetic peptides, often given by injection.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Injectable peptides
- Tradition
- Anti-aging and longevity clinics, Sports recovery and physique culture, Online self-administration (biohacking)
- Related concepts
- BPC-157 (body protection compound-157), Thymosin beta-4, TB-500, Growth hormone secretagogues, Ipamorelin, CJC-1295 (with and without DAC), GHRH analogues, GHK-Cu (copper tripeptide), GH-IGF-1 axis, Research compounds, Peptide stacking, WADA Prohibited List S0 and S2
Reference record available.
ModalityLight-based physical-agent therapy using low-power lasers or LEDs
Photobiomodulation is the application of red or near-infrared light to body tissue, using lasers or LEDs, at low power.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Low-level laser therapy, LLLT, Low-level light therapy, Photobiomodulation therapy, PBM, Red light therapy, Laser biostimulation, Cold laser
- Tradition
- Biomedical laser and light therapy, Supportive oncology care, Physical therapy and dermatology, Consumer wellness devices
- Related concepts
- Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), Red and near-infrared light, Cytochrome c oxidase, Biphasic dose response, Energy density (J/cm2), Power density (mW/cm2), Non-thermal light, Oral mucositis prevention, World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (WALT), Light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
Reference record available.
ModalityAcupuncture-linked methods using planetary, astrological or calendrical correspondences
Planetary acupuncture is a loosely used term for acupuncture or tuning-fork methods tied to planets or astrology.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- Astro-acupuncture, Astrological acupuncture, Planetary tuning-fork acupuncture, Chronoacupuncture
- Tradition
- Traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese astrology and calendrical cosmology, Acutonics (planetary tuning forks)
- Related concepts
- Five planets and five phases, Celestial stems and terrestrial branches, Midnight-noon ebb-flow (Ziwu liuzhu), Eight Methods of the Sacred Turtle (Linggui bafa), Chronoacupuncture, Nine Palaces, Planetary tuning forks, Astral-terrestrial correspondences
Reference record available.
ModalityUmbrella term for plant-based healing practices and plant-derived medicines
Plant medicine is an umbrella term for herbal medicine, ceremonial use of psychoactive plants and plant-derived drugs.
HolisticAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Plant medicines, Botanical medicine, Phytomedicine, Phytotherapy
- Tradition
- Herbal systems of Japan, Indonesia, the Himalaya, India and China, Amazonian ceremonial plant traditions, Andean San Pedro tradition (northern Peru), Mazatec mushroom tradition (Oaxaca, Mexico), Bwiti (Gabon), Native American Church (peyote)
- Related concepts
- Ethnobotany, Herb-drug interaction, Herb-induced liver injury, Natural product drug discovery, Cultural appropriation, Free, prior and informed consent, Benefit-sharing, Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Reference record available.
ModalitySpiritual healing practice working with plant spirits
Plant Spirit Medicine is a modern spiritual healing practice in which healers call on the spirits of plants.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Eliot Cowan lineage, Wixárika (Huichol) teachings, as proponents state, Chinese Five Element theory, as proponents state, Contemporary Western shamanism
- Related concepts
- Plant spirits, Five Elements, Spiritual healing, Balance and harmony, Plant allies
Reference record available.
ModalityEnergy-based bodywork, nutrition and counseling system
Polarity therapy is a system of touch, movement, nutrition and counseling based on Randolph Stone's energy model.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Polarity, Stone's Polarity Therapy
- Tradition
- Ayurveda (as drawn on by Randolph Stone), Osteopathy, Naturopathy, Chiropractic, Biofield therapies
- Related concepts
- Energy flow, Positive and negative poles, Wireless anatomy, Five-element balancing, Bodywork, Nutrition guidance, Stretching and exercise, Counseling and self-awareness, Biofield
Reference record available.
ModalityNon-touch energy healing system with a spiritual curriculum
Pranic Healing is a modern energy healing system, taught in graded courses, that works with prana and the chakras.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Modern Pranic Healing, MCKS Pranic Healing, Pranic Energy Healing
- Tradition
- Theosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, Yoga traditions
- Related concepts
- Qi, Vitalism, Karma, Soul, Spirituality, Spiritual Growth, Awareness
Reference record available.
ModalityInjection-based therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain
Prolotherapy is the repeated injection of an irritant solution, often dextrose, into painful ligaments, tendons or joints.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Proliferative therapy, Proliferation therapy, Regenerative injection therapy, Dextrose prolotherapy, Hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy, Sclerotherapy (historical use)
- Tradition
- Hackett-style prolotherapy (United States, 1950s), Orthopedic and musculoskeletal medicine, Sports and rehabilitation medicine, Integrative medicine
- Related concepts
- Irritant or sclerosing solutions, Hypertonic dextrose, Phenol-glycerine-glucose (P2G), Sodium morrhuate, Ligament and tendon insertions (entheses), Ligament laxity, Intra-articular and extra-articular injection, Perineural injection therapy, Ultrasound guidance, Post-injection pain flare
Reference record available.
ModalityCeremonial ingestion of psilocybin-containing mushrooms in guided settings
Psilocybin mushroom ceremonies are guided rituals in which psilocybin-containing mushrooms are ingested, documented in Mexico.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Sacred mushroom ceremonies, Mushroom veladas, Teonanácatl ceremonies, Magic mushroom ceremonies
- Tradition
- Mazatec (Sierra Mazateca, Oaxaca), Nahua, Zapotec, Mixe, Chatino, Matlazinca, Totonac, Contemporary retreat settings
- Related concepts
- Velada, Chjota chine (people of knowledge), Teonanácatl, Child saints, Curandero, Set and setting, Communitas, Psilocybin-assisted therapy
Reference record available.
ModalityBranded belief-change method using muscle testing and set postures
PSYCH-K is a trademarked belief-change method that uses muscle testing and set postures, taught by its originator's organisation.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- PER-K
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Subconscious beliefs, Balance (PSYCH-K term), Whole-brain state, Muscle testing, Self-limiting beliefs
Reference record available.
ModalityMind-body and energy-based healing practices using quantum vocabulary
Quantum healing is a label for mind-body and energy-based practices that draw on the vocabulary of quantum physics.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Ayurveda-influenced mind-body medicine, New Age and holistic health, Biofield and energy healing
- Related concepts
- Quantum healing (Chopra, 1989), Quantum medicine, Quantum biology, Biofield, Subtle energy, Nonlocality and entanglement as invoked metaphors, Consciousness and observation as invoked in healing, Mind-body medicine, Focused intention, Critiques of quantum mysticism
Reference record available.
ModalityReiki lineage with added Tibetan-attributed elements
Raku Kei is a Reiki lineage associated with Iris Ishikuro and Arthur Robertson that adds Tibetan-attributed elements.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- Raku Kei Reiki, The Way of the Dragon
- Tradition
- Reiki, Usui Reiki (Takata lineage), Usui/Tibetan Reiki, Tibetan Reiki (generic term)
- Related concepts
- Attunement, Raku symbol, Violet Breath, Okuden symbols, Reiki lineage
Reference record available.
ModalityBranded hypnotherapy-based talking and suggestion method
Rapid Transformational Therapy is a branded hypnotherapy-based method created by Marisa Peer and taught through her school.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- RTT, Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT), Marisa Peer method
- Tradition
- Clinical and academic hypnosis
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic induction, Hypnotizability, Suggestion, Focused attention
Reference record available.
ModalityAyurvedic pharmaceutics of herbo-mineral and herbo-metallic preparations
Rasa Shastra is the branch of Ayurveda concerned with preparing medicines from mercury, other metals and minerals.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Rasashastra, Rasaśāstra, Ayurvedic alchemy, Herbo-mineral medicine, Herbo-metallic medicine
- Tradition
- Hinduism
- Related concepts
- Bhasma, Shodhana, Marana, Dehavada, Lohavada, Herbo-mineral formulations
Reference record available.
ModalityDietary approach: uncooked plant-food diets
The raw food diet is an eating pattern built mainly on uncooked, unprocessed plant foods, sometimes called living foods.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Raw foodism, Raw veganism, Raw vegan diet, Raw vegetarian diet, Living foods diet, Live food diet, Raw diet
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Uncooked food, Living foods, Wheatgrass, Sprouted seeds, Detoxification (practitioner term)
Reference record available.
ModalityBranded hands-off biofield practice
Reconnective Healing is a branded hands-off energy practice founded by the chiropractor Eric Pearl in the early 1990s.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- The Reconnection, RH
- Tradition
- Contemporary biofield and energy healing practices, Chiropractic-origin branded method (Eric Pearl)
- Related concepts
- Reconnective frequencies, Energy, light and information, Biofield, Axiatonal lines, Entrainment, Hands-off practice
Reference record available.
ModalityManual therapy using pressure on mapped reflex areas
Reflexology is a manual practice that applies pressure to mapped points on the feet, hands or ears.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Foot reflexology, Hand reflexology, Reflex zone therapy, Reflexotherapy
- Tradition
- Zone therapy (United States, 1910s), Ingham method of foot reflexology (United States, 1930s), Rwo Shur method
- Related concepts
- Reflex areas, Foot and hand reflex maps, Ten longitudinal zones, Waistline reference line, Reflex points, Complementary therapy
Reference record available.
ModalityHypnosis-based guided return to earlier life events
Regression therapy is a practice using hypnosis to guide a person back to childhood or earlier life events in imagination.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Age regression therapy, Hypnotic age regression, Age regression hypnosis
- Tradition
- Clinical and academic hypnosis, Mesmerism and Braid, Psychoanalysis
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic induction, Hypnotizability, Suggestion, Focused attention, Attention
Reference record available.
ModalityManual soft-tissue and movement education series
Rolfing is a trademarked form of structural integration, a series of hands-on sessions founded by Ida Rolf.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Rolf Method of Structural Integration, Rolfing Structural Integration, Ten Series
- Tradition
- Structural integration (lineage of Ida P. Rolf, United States, 20th century)
- Related concepts
- Ten Series, Fascia, Gravity and vertical alignment, Myofascial chains, Soft-tissue manipulation, Movement education, Rolf Movement, Structural integration lineages
Reference record available.
ModalityIndigenous Māori traditional healing system
Rongoā Māori refers to Māori healing practice in Aotearoa New Zealand, spanning plant remedies, bodywork and spiritual care.
HolisticAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Māori traditional healing, Traditional Māori healing, Māori medicine, Māori healing, Rongoā, Rongoa Maori
- Tradition
- Māori (Aotearoa New Zealand), Te ao Māori, Mātauranga Māori
- Related concepts
- Rongoā rākau (plant remedies), Mirimiri and romiromi (bodywork), Wairua (spiritual dimension), Te Whare Tapa Whā, Mauri (life force), Whakapapa (genealogy), Whenua (land), Tikanga (customs), Kaitiakitanga (guardianship), Tohunga and kairongoā (practitioners), Whānau (family)
Reference record available.
ModalityInhaled dry salt aerosol and salt-environment climate therapy
Salt therapy is the inhalation of fine dry sodium chloride aerosol in a controlled room or underground setting.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Halotherapy, Salt room therapy, Dry salt therapy, Salt cave therapy, Speleotherapy
- Tradition
- Speleotherapy in Central and Eastern European salt mines and caves, Russian halochamber medicine
- Related concepts
- Halotherapy, Speleotherapy, Halochamber, Halogenerator, Dry sodium chloride aerosol, Mucociliary clearance, Hypertonic saline
Reference record available.
ModalityCeremonial use of mescaline-containing columnar cacti
A mescaline-containing Andean columnar cactus used in healing and spiritual ceremonies, and the ceremonies themselves.
AlternativeMetaphysical
Entry details
- Aliases
- Huachuma, Wachuma, San Pedro cactus, Aguacolla, San Pedrillo, Cimora
- Tradition
- Northern Peruvian curanderismo (mesa tradition), Saraguro yachakkuna healing (southern Ecuador), Contemporary ceremonial retreats outside the Andes
- Related concepts
- Mesa, Mescaline, Curandero, Yachak, Limpia, Soplada, Huachuma ceremony, Echinopsis pachanoi, Trichocereus
Reference record available.
ModalityAmazonian plant-derived eye drops used in Indigenous and ceremonial settings
Sananga is an Amazonian eye preparation made from Tabernaemontana root or bark, used in Indigenous traditions.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Colírio da floresta, Forest eye drops, Shane tsamaite
- Tradition
- Huni Kuĩ (Kaxinawá), Yawanawá, Shawanawa, Katukina, Aguaruna, Kichwa peoples of Ecuador and Peru, Forest medicine (medicina da floresta)
- Related concepts
- Panema, Hunting vision (waimatai), Forest medicine, Indole alkaloids, Ocular application, Indigenous science, Biopiracy and knowledge protection
Reference record available.
ModalityHandheld pulsed electrical skin stimulation device therapy
SCENAR is a handheld device that sends pulsed low-frequency electrical signals through the skin, developed in Taganrog, Russia.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- SCENAR, SCENAR-therapy, Self-Controlled Energo-Neuro-Adaptive Regulator, Neuro-adaptive therapy, Neuro-adaptive electrostimulation
- Tradition
- Soviet and Russian physiotherapy, Reflexotherapy
- Related concepts
- Pulsed low-frequency current, Skin impedance, Biofeedback (as described by manufacturers), Dynamic electroneurostimulation (DENS), Sham control, TENS (context only)
Reference record available.
ModalityMineral-salt remedy system derived from homeopathic pharmacy
A remedy system of twelve mineral salts, devised by a German physician in the 1870s from homeopathic methods.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Biochemic tissue salts, Biochemic cell salts, Schüssler salts, Schüßler salts, Biochemic therapy, Biochemie nach Dr. Schüßler, Twelve tissue salts
- Tradition
- German homeopathy (19th century), Biochemic therapy
- Related concepts
- Twelve mineral salts, Cellular mineral balance, Potentized preparations, Inorganic constituents of tissue, Abbreviated therapy
Reference record available.
ModalitySelf-directed hypnosis and autosuggestion practice, including audio-guided and app formats
Self-hypnosis is hypnosis that a person directs on themselves, with or without a recording or app.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Autohypnosis, Self-induced hypnosis
- Tradition
- Mesmerism and Braid, Clinical and academic hypnosis
- Related concepts
- Hypnotic induction, Hypnotizability, Suggestion, Focused attention, Mind-Body Connection
Reference record available.
ModalityOccupational therapy approach to sensory processing difficulties
Sensory integration is an occupational therapy approach that uses structured sensory and movement activities with children.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Ayres Sensory Integration, Sensory integration therapy, Occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration, ASI
- Tradition
- Occupational therapy, Ayres Sensory Integration (University of Southern California, 1960s onward)
- Related concepts
- Sensory integration, Sensory processing, Sensory modulation, Just-right challenge, Goal Attainment Scaling, Fidelity measure, Sensory diet, Weighted vest, Sensory-based intervention
Reference record available.
ModalityDepth-psychology-derived reflective practice
Shadow work is a reflective practice, drawn from Jungian psychology, of examining disowned or unwanted parts of the self.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Shadow integration, Jungian shadow work, Working with the shadow, Shadow self work
- Tradition
- Analytical psychology (C. G. Jung), Depth psychology, Contemporary self-help and personal development
- Related concepts
- Shadow, Personal unconscious, Projection, Individuation, Anima and animus, Integration of disowned material
Reference record available.
ModalitySpirit-centred healing and ritual practices led by practitioners in altered states
A group of spirit-centred healing practices in which practitioners work in altered states of consciousness.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Shamanism, Shamanic practice
- Tradition
- Siberian Tungusic and Khanty shamanism, Nepali jhakri shamanism, Hmong shamanism, Core shamanism and neo-shamanism
- Related concepts
- Altered states of consciousness, Shamanic journeying, Drumming, Soul loss and soul retrieval, Spirit world, Spiritual and physical causes of illness, Core shamanism, Cultural appropriation
Reference record available.
ModalityTraditional Tamil medical system
Siddha medicine is a traditional Tamil medical system that uses plant, mineral and metal preparations and pulse-based assessment.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Siddha system of medicine, Tamil Siddha medicine
- Tradition
- Tamil medical tradition of Tamil Nadu, India, Siddhar tradition, Sri Lankan Tamil Siddha medicine, Indian systems of medicine (Ayush)
- Related concepts
- Siddhars, Vali (Vatham), Azhal (Pitham), Aiyam (Kabam), Udaliyal (body constitution), Sapthadhathu (seven body constituents), Enn vagai thervugal (eight-fold examination), Naadi (pulse), Varmam, Parpam and chenduram preparations, Palm-leaf manuscripts
Reference record available.
ModalityDivination by drawn lots and by chance-opened books
Sortilege is divination by drawing or casting lots, and bibliomancy is divination by opening a book at random.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Sortilege, Bibliomancy, Cleromancy, Sortes, Casting lots, Book divination, Sortes Vergilianae, Sortes Sanctorum, Fal
- Tradition
- Christianity, Islam, Western esotericism
- Related concepts
- Intuition, Spirituality
Reference record available.
ModalityShamanic and neo-shamanic ritual for explained soul loss
Soul retrieval is a ritual in which a practitioner seeks to return a soul believed lost from a person.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Shamanic soul retrieval
- Tradition
- Siberian shamanism, Amazonian shamanism, Andean healing, Hmong shamanism, Core shamanism and neo-shamanism
- Related concepts
- Soul loss, Susto, Core shamanism, Dissociation, Cultural idioms of distress, Soul calling
Reference record available.
ModalityInstrument-based listening and relaxation practice
Sound therapy is a wellbeing practice in which a practitioner plays singing bowls or gongs for listening and relaxation.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Sound healing, Sound bath, Singing bowl therapy
- Tradition
- Contemporary Western sound-healing practice, Buddhist and Himalayan ritual instruments
- Related concepts
- Relaxation, Meditation, Vibration, Sound bath, Voluntary self-regulation
Reference record available.
ModalityHerbal remedy preparation tradition derived from alchemy
Spagyric medicine is a group of herbal remedies made by alchemical steps of separating and recombining plant parts.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Spagyrics, Spagyria, Spagyric art, Spagyric remedies
- Tradition
- Paracelsian medicine (16th century), Nineteenth-century spagyric pharmacy (Zimpel and Mattei), German-language homeopathic pharmacopoeia tradition
- Related concepts
- Separation (Scheidung), Tria prima (sulphur, mercury, salt), Extraction, calcination and recombination, Spagyric tincture, Homeopathic-spagyric remedy, Iatrochemistry (chemical medicine)
Reference record available.
ModalityFamily of spiritual, prayer-based and energy-based healing practices
Spiritual healing is a family of practices in which healing is attributed to spiritual or non-physical agency.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Spirit healing
- Tradition
- British Spiritualist healing, Religious and prayer-based healing, Biofield and energy healing
- Related concepts
- Attunement, Contact healing, Absent healing, Intercessory prayer, Biofield, Spirit guides
Reference record available.
ModalityHypnosis-based spiritual and past-life exploration
Spiritual regression hypnosis is the use of guided hypnosis to explore claimed memories of a spiritual state between lives.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Spiritual regression, Life between lives regression, Life Between Lives hypnotherapy, Between-lives regression, Inter-life regression
- Tradition
- Theosophy, New Age spirituality, Western esotericism, Clinical and academic hypnosis
- Related concepts
- Reincarnation, Karma, Soul, Spirituality, Hypnotic induction, Suggestion, Focused attention, Awareness
Reference record available.
ModalityCell-based medical procedures, from established transplantation to commercial injections
Stem cell therapy uses stem cells, or cells derived from them, to replace or repair damaged tissue.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Stem cell treatment, Stem cell therapies, Cell-based therapy, Stem cell transplantation, Regenerative cell therapy
- Tradition
- Hematology and transplant medicine, Regenerative medicine, Orthopedic biologics
- Related concepts
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Autologous and allogeneic cells, Mesenchymal stromal cells, Stromal vascular fraction, Umbilical cord and placental products, Exosomes, Graft-versus-host disease, Investigational versus unproven treatment, Stem cell tourism, Limbal stem cells
Reference record available.
ModalitySufi ritual whirling and ceremony within the Mevlevi order
Sufi whirling (Sema) is a rotating ritual movement of the Mevlevi Sufi order, performed within a structured ceremony.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Sema, Mevlevi Sema ceremony, Sufi whirling, Whirling dervishes
- Tradition
- Mevlevi (Mevleviye) Sufi order, Sufism within Islam, Anatolian and Ottoman Sufi traditions
- Related concepts
- Sema (samaʿ), Semazen, Semahane, Ayin, Mevlevihane, Whirling around the body axis, Soul awareness and loosening of the material self, Sufi-inspired mindful dance
Reference record available.
ConceptConcept: modern sexual practice labeled with the term tantra
Tantric sex is a modern label for sexual practices often linked to South Asian tantra, a family of ritual traditions.
Alternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- None recorded
- Tradition
- Hindu tantra: Kaula and Shakta-Shaiva lineages (South Asia), Buddhist tantra: Vajrayana Highest Yoga Tantra (South Asia and Tibet), Tantric Yoga meditation movements (modern), Neotantra: Western movement of the late 20th century
- Related concepts
- yogini cult in Kaula ritual, ritual use of sexual union in tantric texts, yoni worship in medieval tantric sects, modern sexual tantra and mindfulness framing, spiritual abuse and coercive control in teacher-student relationships
Reference record available.
ModalityEnergy psychology: self-applied acupressure with a guided mental sequence
Tapas Acupressure Technique is a mind-body method that pairs held acupressure points with a guided mental sequence.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- TAT, TAT Tapas Acupressure Technique
- Tradition
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Related concepts
- Qi, Mind-Body Connection, Awareness, Attention
Reference record available.
ModalitySomatic self-regulation exercise sequence that aims to evoke involuntary muscle tremor
Tension & Trauma Releasing is a sequence of seven stretching exercises meant to bring on involuntary body tremors.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- TRE, Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises, Trauma Releasing Exercises, Tension, Stress and Trauma Releasing Exercises, Tension and Trauma Release Exercise, Self-induced unclassified therapeutic tremors
- Tradition
- Contemporary somatic and mind-body practice, Trauma-focused body-oriented approaches
- Related concepts
- Neurogenic tremor, Therapeutic tremor, Psoas and hip flexor muscles, Autonomic nervous system regulation, Polyvagal theory, Fight, flight and freeze responses, Self-induced tremor, Mind-body technique, Self-practice after instruction
Reference record available.
ModalityBranded meditation and belief-work method
ThetaHealing is a trademarked meditation and belief-work method whose practitioners say it draws on a theta brainwave state.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- ThetaHealing, ThetaHealing technique
- Tradition
- Contemporary spiritual healing methods (United States, from 1995)
- Related concepts
- Theta state, Limiting beliefs, The Creator, Seven planes of existence, Belief work, Dual-brain EEG, Law of Attraction
Reference record available.
ModalityEnergy psychology: acupoint tapping psychotherapy method
Thought Field Therapy is a tapping-based psychological method developed by US psychologist Roger Callahan.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- TFT, Callahan Techniques
- Tradition
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Related concepts
- Qi, Mind-Body Connection, Attention, Meridians, Subjective units of distress
Reference record available.
ModalityTibetan-language medical system with Buddhist foundations
Tibetan medicine (Sowa Rigpa) is a Tibetan-language medical tradition using examination, diet, medicines and external therapies.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Tibetan medicine, Sowa Rigpa, Traditional Tibetan medicine, Science of healing, Amchi medicine, Traditional Mongolian medicine
- Tradition
- Tibetan Buddhist medicine, Sowa Rigpa family (Tibetan, Himalayan and Mongolian branches), Amchi medicine of Ladakh and the Himalaya, Traditional Mongolian medicine, Bhutanese traditional medicine, Tibetan medicine in exile (Men-Tsee-Khang)
- Related concepts
- Four Medical Treatises (rGyud bzhi, Four Tantras), Three-part framework: rLung, mKhris-pa, Bad-kan (nyes pa), Pulse examination, Urine analysis, Materia medica of plants, minerals and animal products, Precious pills (rin chen ril bu), Tsotel (processed mercury sulfide), Lum medicinal bathing, Ye shes (practitioners' account of knowledge)
Reference record available.
ModalityAuditory stimulation with filtered music and voice
The Tomatis Method is an auditory-stimulation program that plays filtered music and voice through headphones.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Tomatis, Audio-psycho-phonology, Tomatis Listening Training, Tomatis sound therapy, Tomatis auditory stimulation
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Attention
Reference record available.
ModalityUmbrella of related Japanese medical, dietary, bathing, nature and exercise practices
Traditional Japanese health is a grouping of related Japanese medical, dietary, bathing, nature and exercise practices.
HolisticAlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Japanese traditional health practices, Japanese traditional wellness, Traditional Japanese wellness practices
- Tradition
- Kampo, Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion, Anma and shiatsu, Washoku, Onsen bathing, Shinrin-yoku
- Related concepts
- Kampo, Shiatsu, Washoku, Fermented foods, Hara hachi bu, Green tea, Shinrin-yoku, Onsen, Sento, Ikigai, Radio taiso
Reference record available.
ModalityBody-based exercise method for tension and stress release
A body-based method in which a sequence of leg and hip exercises is used to evoke shaking, taught for stress release.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- TRE, Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises, Tension and Trauma Release Exercise, Trauma Releasing Exercises, Tension Trauma Releasing Exercises
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Mind-Body Connection, Neurogenic tremor
Reference record available.
ModalitySound-based practice using struck tuning forks
Tuning forks used therapeutically are metal forks struck to make a tone and held near or against the body by a practitioner.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Tuning fork therapy, Sound healing with tuning forks, Vibrational acupuncture
- Tradition
- Not assigned
- Related concepts
- Attunement
Reference record available.
ModalityHerbal remedy and dietary supplement (spice-derived)
Turmeric and Curcumin covers the spice Curcuma longa, its traditional medicinal uses and curcumin supplements.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Turmeric, Curcumin, Curcuma longa, Curcuminoids, Turmeric supplements, Curcumin supplements, Haldi
- Tradition
- Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Related concepts
- Curcuminoids, Bioavailability, Piperine, Herb-induced liver injury, Spice adulteration, Dietary supplement quality
Reference record available.
ModalityTraditional medical system (Greco-Arab humoral medicine)
Unani medicine is a Greco-Arab traditional medical system based on humoral theory, practised mainly in South Asia.
AlternativeComplementaryHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Unani-tibb, Unani Tibb, Unani system of medicine, Greco-Arab medicine
- Tradition
- Greco-Arab medicine, Hippocratic and Galenic medical tradition, Persian and Arab medical scholarship, Unani tibb of the Indian subcontinent
- Related concepts
- Mizaj (temperament), Four humours: dam, safra, balgham, sauda, Hot, cold, moist and dry qualities, Regimenal therapy (ilaj bit tadbeer), Dietotherapy, Pharmacotherapy, Hijama (cupping), Preservation of health
Reference record available.
ModalityDietary approach: prolonged fasting in supervised clinics and religious settings
Water fasting is the voluntary intake of water without food for a limited period, for health or religious reasons.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- Prolonged water-only fasting, Therapeutic fasting, Medical fasting, Water-only fasting, Fasting therapy, Buchinger fasting, Heilfasten
- Tradition
- Naturopathy, Islam
- Related concepts
- Fasting therapy, Modified fasting, Refeeding, Medical supervision
Reference record available.
ModalityTraditional cupping procedure with superficial skin incision
Wet cupping (hijama) is a traditional practice of applying suction cups, superficially cutting the skin and reapplying the cups.
ComplementaryAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Hijama, Hijamah, Al-Hijamah, Wet cupping, Bleeding cupping, Blood-letting cupping
- Tradition
- Islam, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Greek medicine
- Related concepts
- Prophetic medicine, Bloodletting, Temperament in Persian medicine
Reference record available.
ModalityBreathing and cold-exposure training method
A branded self-practice method combining cyclic hyperventilation and breath holds with cold exposure and a commitment practice.
AlternativeComplementary
Entry details
- Aliases
- WHM, Wim Hof breathing, Wim Hof breathing method, WHBM
- Tradition
- Modern branded self-practice method, High-ventilation breathwork
- Related concepts
- Three pillars: breathing, cold, commitment, Cyclic hyperventilation, Breath retention at low lung volume, Recovery breath, Respiratory alkalosis, Intermittent hypoxia, Graded cold exposure, Experimental endotoxemia, Voluntary sympathetic activation
Reference record available.
ModalityModern spiritual and energy-based women's wellness practice
Womb healing is a modern spiritual practice that treats the womb as a symbolic and energetic center.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Womb wisdom, Womb clearing, Womb blessing, Sacred womb work, Womb work
- Tradition
- Modern feminist spirituality, Goddess spirituality movement, Red Tent and women's circles, Mesoamerican abdominal massage traditions (borrowed or adapted)
- Related concepts
- The womb as a symbolic or energetic center, Menstrual cycle awareness, Divine feminine, Ritual and ceremony, Stored emotional memory (practitioner belief), Women's circles
Reference record available.
ModalityHerbal steam applied to the genital area
A practice in which steam, often from herbal water, is directed at the vulva and vagina in several regions.
AlternativeHolistic
Entry details
- Aliases
- Vaginal steaming, V-steaming, Yoni steam, Vaginal steam bath, Genital steam bath, Chai-yok
- Tradition
- Afro-Surinamese genital steam baths, Maya household steambathing (whole-body, not specifically vaginal), Lao postpartum steam sauna and steam bath, Western wellness and spa offerings
- Related concepts
- Vaginal steam bath, Postpartum steam practices, Dry sex, Vaginal hygiene practices, Intravaginal practices, Vital warmth (Maya ethnophysiology), Female genital modification discourse
Reference record available.
ModalityWest African religious and healing tradition with diaspora forms
The Yoruba tradition is the religious and healing system of the Yoruba peoples of West Africa and its diaspora forms.
MetaphysicalAlternative
Entry details
- Aliases
- Yoruba religion, Yoruba traditional religion, Yoruba traditional medicine, Ifá-Òrìṣà, Orisha tradition, Lucumí, Santería, Candomblé
- Tradition
- Yoruba religion, Ifá, Òrìṣà worship, Lucumí / Regla de Ocha-Ifá (Cuba), Santería, Candomblé
- Related concepts
- Orí, Ara, Ẹ̀mí, Olódùmarè, Òrìṣà, Àṣẹ (aché), Babalawo, Iyanifa, Terreiro, Medical pluralism
Reference record available.