HERBALISM

uses natural plants or plant-based substances to treat a range of illnesses and to enhance the functioning of the body’s systems. Though herbalism is not a licensed professional modality in the U.S., herbs are prescribed by a range of practitioners, from holistic M.D.s to acupuncturists to naturopaths.

(See also: HERBALISM, Alternative Health, Healing, Body Mind and Soul)

Herbalism/Herbal Medicine: The use of plants to treat disease can be found in every known human culture and period of history. Today, many holistic practitioners, ranging from acupuncturists to medical doctors to naturopathic physicians, benefit from an explosion of new knowledge and research into the effects of whole plants and botanical extracts on the human body. From St. John's Wort to treat depression to new scientific research from Germany on silymarin's effect on the liver, Western herbalism is entering a new period of intensive activity, interest and growth.

(See also: Herbalism, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Herbalism

is the therapeutic use of plants to facilitate healing. Herbs may be administered in many forms, including teas, tinctures, salves, poultices, capsules, volatile oils, infusions, and decoctions. The practitioner may recommend a single herb or a combination of several herbs.

(See also: Herbalism, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Treatment options vary depending on the precise condition, but include surgery, and drug treatment, reduction of joint stress, physical and occupational therapy, and pain management. There are also numerous herbal remedies that purportedly treat arthritis, including Harpagophytum procumbens. For specifics, see the articles on the individual conditions listed below. In March 2005, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in the USA found that a diet rich in oily fish raised the body's production of ...

See also:

Arthritis, Arthritis - Signs and symptoms, Arthritis - Diagnosis, Arthritis - Treatment, Arthritis - Types of arthritis, Arthritis - History

Read more here: » Arthritis: Encyclopedia II - Arthritis - Treatment

Herbal Wrap: The body is wrapped in a cloth soaked in an herbal solution to eliminate impurities, detoxify the body, and induce relaxation.

(See also: Herbal Wrap, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Traditional Chinese Medicine: An ancient healing system that views the body as an integrated whole, so problems in one area are seen to affect other areas. It bases diagnosis on an individual’s pattern of symptoms and signs such as pulse, and skin and tongue condition. Therapies like acupuncture and herbal remedies are used to rebalance the forces within the body.

(See also: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

naturopathy (natural healing, natural health, natural medicine, natural therapies, nature cure, naturology, naturopathic healing, naturopathic health care, naturopathic medicine): Miscellany that encompasses auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture), Ayurveda, balneotherapy, bioelectronic diagnosis, biofeedback, cupping, electroacupuncture, fasting, the Grape Cure (and other mono-diets), hair analysis, herbalism, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, internal hydrotherapy (e.g., colonic irrigation), iridology, Jin Shin Do, Jungian psychology, macrobiotics, moxibustion, Oriental medicine, Ortho-Bionomy, orthomolecular psychiatry, thalassotherapy, Tuina, and zone therapy.

Naturopathy originated in the latter half of the nineteenth century, in Germany. Dr. John H. Scheel, a German-born homeopath, coined the word naturopathy in 1895, when he opened the Sanitarium Badekur in New York. Vitalism is fundamental to naturopathy.

(See also: Naturopathy, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Traditional medicine , Ethnomedicine, Folk medicine, ,  Folk remedies, Folk remedy, Home remedies, Home remedy, Indigenous medicine, Primitive medicine:

Systems of medicine based on cultural beliefs and practices handed down from generation to generation. The concept includes mystical and magical rituals, herbal therapy, and other treatments which may not be explained by modern medicine.

(See also: Traditional medicine, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

HERBAL MEDICINE: Herbs are used in both Eastern and Western medicine. The aim is to use all parts of the herb and particular emphasis in laid on the energetic content of the herbs and its ability to stimulate healing.###Thus the method of picking the herb and the time of day can affect the potency. The whole herb has a wider healing potential than the single active agent used by the pharmaceutical industry.

(See also: HERBAL MEDICINE, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Herbal Medicine: Herbs have been used throughout history to treat major and minor conditions. Like in modern pharmacology, herbs contain natural chemicals that can influence biological activity. In general certain types of herbs can increase resistance to stress, increase vitality, sooth inflammation, help the body fight pathogens and produce many other responses.

(See also: Herbal Medicine, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

herbal crystallization analysis (HCA, HCA test, herbal identification, Herbal Tracer Test): Ostensibly diagnostic method developed by Prof. George Benner, a Master Herbologist and the author of Herbal Crystals as Curative Patterns (1979).

Benner's primary inspiration was a method of botanical identification developed by occultist Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s (see anthroposophical medicine). Steiner's method involved crystallizing the sap of botanical specimens with a solution of copper sulfate.

The result was a crystalline fingerprint of the herb. Benner similarly processed saliva. He decided that the resultant salivary configurations correlated with the configurations of herbs useful, according to folklore, against the donors' health problems. the number of specimens of a single herb that match a saliva specimen is a barometer of the donor's need for that herb: the more matches, the greater the need.

(See also: Herbal crystallization analysis, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

HYDROTHERAPY

Although ancient Greece and Rome had both adopted the beliefs that water had healing properties, it was the Romans to first integrate hydrotherapy into their social life, building temples and baths near natural springs. Father Sebastian Kneipp from Worshofen, Bavaria, however, was the true father of modern-day hydrotherapy in Germany.

Various hydrotherapy massage techniques exist and are generally utilized by massage/bodywork practitioners, physical therapists, physicians, and spa technicians. These include underwater massage, herbal baths, thalassotherapy, Kneipp therapy, vichy treatments, scotch hoses, and Swiss showers.

(See also: HYDROTHERAPY, Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

magical herbalism (herbal magic): Branch of herbalism expounded by freelance writer Scott Cunningham (1956-1993), who defined herbs as magical substances, infused with the energy of the Earth.

For the removal of sickness, Cunningham recommended a procedure that involves digging a hole, dropping into it a bean for every sickness, and saying something like: As this bean decays, so my sickness will go away. Magical herbalism encompasses clairvoyant diagnosis, absent healing, and the use of amulets.

(See also: Magical herbalism, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Chinese herbalism (Chinese herbal system): Form of herbalism with three fundamental classes of herbs. The Inferior Class consists of assistants: herbs that, control the curing of illnesses and are advisable to remove cold, heat, and other evil influences from the body. The General Class consists of herbs that control the preservation of human nature. The Superior Class consists of rulers (see Superior Herbalism).

(See also: Chinese herbalism, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM, Zhang Yao): A major pillar of Chinese medicine. According to its theory, herbs can influence the yin and yang energy patterns of the body. (See Chinese herbalism.)

(See also: Chinese herbal medicine, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE: The philosophy and practice of treating disease by following the principles and laws of nature, rather than utilizing chemicals, drugs, surgery, or other "artificial" or "intrusive" methods. Naturopaths endeavor to stimulate the innate healing resources of the body itself, through a variety of methods.

These include fasting to eliminate toxins, physical manipulative therapies like osteopathy and chiropractic, techniques like acupuncture and shiatsu which stimulate energy flow, and approaches like hypnosis and biofeedback which tap the "inner potential".

Herbal remedies, mineral and vitamin supplements, and homeopathic treatments are frequently employed, and some naturopaths also practice iridology, a technique of identifying disease symptoms through the different zones of the iris.

(See also: Naturopathic medicine, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Dr. Lynch's Holistic Self-Health Program: Variation of self-healing developed by James P.B. Lynch, D.C. The primary tool of this program and lifestyle is the Holistic Triangle or Holistic triad, a philosophy that consists of:

(a)           a physical side, which encompasses acupressure, acupuncture, shiatsu, and chiropractic;

(b)          a chemical side, which encompasses food combining, herbalism, homeopathy, macrobiotics, scientific fasting, and vitamin therapy; and (

(c)           a mental/spiritual base, which encompasses biofeedback and self hypnosis.

(See also: Dr. Lynch's Holistic Self-Health Program, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

shamanic herbalism: Group of ancient techniques advanced by Susun S. Weed, author of the Wise Woman Herbal and Menopausal Years. According to its theory, plants repulse spells and act as messengers to unseen worlds.

(See also: Shamanic herbalism, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Superior Herbalism: A form of Chinese herbalism that involves consuming Superior Herbs, also called Tonic Herbs. These superfoods number less than a hundred and, strengthen bodily energies and help to balance emotional and psychic energy.

(See also: Superior Herbalism, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

traditional herbal diagnosis: a means of making appropriate dietary and herbal recommendations. It includes pulse diagnosis (traditional Chinese pulse diagnosis) and tongue diagnosis.

(See also: Traditional herbal diagnosis, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Tibetan herbal medicine: Tibetan herbalism. Its theory posits humoural imbalances.

(See also: Tibetan herbal medicine, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

There is no cure for bipolar disorder; the emphasis is on management of the symptoms. A variety of medications are used to treat bipolar disorder; many people with bipolar disorder require multiple medications. Some people with bipolar disorder add to or replace their Western medication with herbal or holistic options. Still, even with optimal medication treatment, many people with the illness have some residual symptoms. Cognitive therapy may work to lessen the severity of mood swings by recognizing and managing triggering symptoms or event ...

See also:

Bipolar disorder, Bipolar disorder - Diagnostic criteria, Bipolar disorder - Epidemiology, Bipolar disorder - Etiology, Bipolar disorder - Comorbid conditions, Bipolar disorder - Cycles in bipolar disorder, Bipolar disorder - Domains of bipolar disorder, Bipolar disorder - Mania, Bipolar disorder - Hypomania, Bipolar disorder - Bipolar depression, Bipolar disorder - Cognition, Bipolar disorder - The Mood Spectrum Perspective, Bipolar disorder - Environmental factors affecting mood in bipolar disorder, Bipolar disorder - Treatment of bipolar disorder, Bipolar disorder - Principles, Bipolar disorder - Prognosis, Bipolar disorder - Lithium salts, Bipolar disorder - Anticonvulsant mood stabilizers, Bipolar disorder - Atypical antipsychotic drugs, Bipolar disorder - Omega-3 fatty acids, Bipolar disorder - Psychotherapy, Bipolar disorder - Electroconvulsive therapy, Bipolar disorder - Medical Marijuana, Bipolar disorder - Alternative treatments, Bipolar disorder - Treatment issues, Bipolar disorder - Research findings, Bipolar disorder - Heritability, Bipolar disorder - Recent genetic research, Bipolar disorder - Medical imaging, Bipolar disorder - Personality types, Bipolar disorder - Research into new treatments, Bipolar disorder - Bipolar disorder and creativity, Bipolar disorder - Sources

Read more here: » Bipolar disorder: Encyclopedia II - Bipolar disorder - Treatment of bipolar disorder