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Complementary therapy, also known as integrative therapy, may be used along with standard medical treatments of care to promote relaxation, increase comfort level, and support a sense of well being.
Acoustic/Music Relaxation is the use of sound, music and musical interventions in order to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual health. Music can reduce blood pressure, relieve anxiety, provide a way to release emotions, provide a way to express feelings, augment pain management, provide distraction and reduce stress.
Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used procedures in the world. Originating in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture became better known in the United States in 1971, when New York Times reporter, James Reston, wrote an article about doctors in China using needles to ease his pain after surgery. The term 'acupuncture' describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.
Aromatherapy literally means 'treatment using scents,' and is a holistic way to care for the skin with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender and peppermint. The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room. Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue and invigorate the entire body. Essential oils can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.
Art Therapy uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight.
Massage Therapy has become an important part of general health care for many people living in today's stressful world. Traditional healthcare systems throughout the world recognize that therapeutic massage can play an important role in treating illness or chronic ailments, and contribute to a higher sense of general well being. While massage directly addresses the condition of the body, it promotes the integration of the whole mind-body-spirit, resulting in a calmer mind and clearer thinking.
Pet Therapy - Unlike people, with whom our interactions may be quite complex and unpredictable, animals provide a constant source of comfort and focus for attention. Animals bring out our nurturing instinct. They also make us feel safe and unconditionally accepted. It is well known that animals reduce stress levels.
Reflexology is the application of pressure, stretch and movement to the feet and hands to effect corresponding parts of the body. Reflexologists view the feet and hands as a mirror image of the body. By applying technique a reflexologist can break up patterns of stress in other parts of the body. It is known that touch therapies promote relaxation and decrease pain.
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through each of us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then one is more likely to get sick or feel stressed; if it is high, we are more capable of being happy. A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person, body, mind and spirit, creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well being.
Therapeutic Touch is a type of energy medicine whereby the therapist moves his or her hands over the patient's "energy field," allegedly directing the flow of chi or prana. Therapeutic Touch is based on the belief that each living thing has a "life energy field" which extends beyond the surface of the body and generates an aura. This energy field can become unbalanced, misaligned, obstructed, or out of tune. The practitioner of Therapeutic Touch uses his/her hands to assess and pattern the energy field so that the individual's natural healing abilities can function better. Research has shown that Therapeutic Touch promotes relaxation, may reduce pain, and supports a sense of well being. |
