Alternative Medicine / Health Terminology - Medical terms for alternative medicine
Glossary of medical terminology used in alternative medicine / health
Definitions of alternative medicine terms
Absent healing - Healing from a distance.
Acupuncture - Inserting needles into meridians to affect the flow of energy (chi).
Alexander technique - Techniques to use minimal muscle energy to produce maximum efficiency, relieve pain, and improve body posture.
Allopathic medicine – Opposite of homeopathy, alternative medicine (including Ayurveda).
Alternative medicine – Unconventional therapy.
Applied kinesiology - Muscle testing to find out weaknesses due to nutritional deficiency and health problems.
Aromatherapy - Healing with the help of essential oils from plants, including massaging.
Art therapy - Also called expressive art therapy by allowing patients to get involved in arts, including drawing pictures to alleviate emotional problems.
Ayurveda - Science of life. Healing and promoting health through body-mind connection by applying mediation, yoga, purification, and detoxification.
Biofeedback - Collection of physiological (heart beat, muscle activity, etc.) information to control, change, or regulate for better health.
Botanical medicine - Medicine obtained from plants to prevent disease and promote better health.
Breathing therapy - Breathing techniques for therapeutic purposes.
Chi - Qi, ki - Vital energy that exists in the body and the universe.
Chiropractics – Manipulative therapy concentrated on the spine and body structure.
Crystal therapy - Using crystals and gems to establish emotional, spiritual, and physical balance.
Detoxification - Elimination of toxins and poisons (cleansing) with the help of diet, massage, and herbs.
Dietary supplements - Vitamins, minerals, herbs, and similar botanical products in addition to regular diet as prescribed in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.
Dosha - Physical, emotional, and spiritual categorization of human beings (vata, pitta, and kappha).
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) – Electrical fields originating from the magnetic center of the earth.
Enzyme therapy - Healing digestive problems by using botanical supplements and animal enzymes.
Etheric body - Energy fields of body originating from physical body.
Fasting - Abstaining or reducing intake of food to minimal level for a certain period of time.
Healing touch - Activating body's energy points by using hands to balance energy fields of the body.
Herbalism - Using herbs and minerals in healing illnesses.
Holism (Wholism) - Taking into consideration body, mind, and spirit in promoting health.
Holistic medicine - Medicine taking into consideration the body, mind, and soul, and also different body systems.
Hydrotherapy - Application of water to affect immune and cardiovascular system.
Hypnotherapy - Hypnosis. Cognitive approach to create changes in perception, memory, mood, and physiology for the purpose of healing and reaching higher level of consciousness.
Magnetic therapy - Using magnets in healing illnesses and correcting imbalances.
Manual therapy - Manipulative therapy. Healing by touching or exerting force by hands.
Massage – Manipulative therapy concentrating on muscles and connecting tissues.
Meditation - Increasing awareness, reducing stress, and develop spiritual growth by concentrating on a mantra (special word), a subject, or breathing.
Meridians - Energy lines (12 main channels) of the body to apply acupuncture, acupressure, shiatsu, or other balancing and regulating therapies.
Naturopathic medicine - Believing in body's natural healing power by making life style changes, applying certain diets, homeopathy, and botanical medicine.
Osteopathic medicine – Medical treatment concentrating on diseases related to musculoskeletal system.
Polarity therapy - Balancing positive and negative energy charges of the body by massaging.
Prana - Invisible life force originating from breath and traveling through the universe.
Pranayama - Regulating breathing to create therapeutic and spiritual effects.
Qi gong – Breathing to enhance the flow of qi or chi and further improve circulatory and immune system in traditional Chinese medicine.
Radionics - Using metal object as a pendulum to detect energy levels in certain parts of the body to diagnose diseases and imbalances.
Reflexology - Application of pressure (acupressure) to certain points of foot to relive stress, prevent sickness, and promote health.
Reiki – Universal life energy in Japanese.
Shiatsu - Therapy by using fingers on certain points of body to promote energy balance.
T'ai chi - Body movements in meditative state to promote physical and mental health.
Therapeutic touch – Use of hands in diagnosing and healing energy imbalances in the body.
Traditional Chinese medicine - Very ancient Chinese understanding of body and universe in restoring balance and harmony.
Vegetarianism - Life style that excludes animals, birds, and fish in diet.
Yin and yang - Feminine (yin, negative) and masculine (yang, positive) characteristics of body organs in reaching physical and mental balance and harmony.
Yoga - Ancient Indian practice of stretching, breath control, and meditation to promote wellbeing and develop awareness.
