Mind And Body Movement: The Trager Approach

The Trager Approach was developed by Dr. Milton Trager over a lifetime. This technique, which combines therapeutic touch, massage, yoga, meditation, and other kinds of alternative medical practices, has been used effectively by millions to relieve pain and illness. Although Dr. Trager at first had a difficult time starting his medical career and promotion of this technique, an institute was founded in the 1980's especially for this practice, and it now offers certification in The Trager Approach.

The Trager Approach is a gentle and long-lasting type of therapy. Practitioners stress that the results are cumulative-meaning that the more times you see a professional, the better you will feel. The technique involves both mind and body, providing patients with a relaxing kind of treatment. To begin a session, patient and practitioner use a practice called the "hook up" that is similar to meditation. Here, touch is very important, as the professional will use touch and movement of your body to communicate with your physical and mental health needs.

The Trager Approach has two parts. The first part, done at a practitioner's office, is the "table work." Here, you lie on a padded table, similar to what you would do during a massage or acupuncture treatment. You can be fully clothed or partially clothed during table work, depending on your comfort level. The Trager Approach professional will then move your body in a number of natural ways to increase movement and better your health. The second part of the Trager Approach is called "Mentastics" and can be equated to yoga. You will learn a variety of free-flowing Mentastics movements, which will allow you to explore your body's limits and feel more relaxed. Mentastics is taught in group classes, or you can find a personal coach, much in the same way as someone doing aerobics can search for a personal trainer.

Mentastics techniques, once mastered, can then be practiced at home. Many conditions can be treated with The Trager Approach. Commonly, it is used to treat back pain, stress, diseases causing limited movement, headaches, muscle spasms, depression, sports injuries, and emotional trauma.

The Trager Approach can be used to treat both the physical and emotional sides of disease, so it is preferred by those having trouble coping with pain and illness. Your doctor can tell you more about The Trager Approach and direct you to professionals in your area that can teach you the technique.

Acupuncture Therapy For Your Health

Acupuncture Therapy may be for you if you've tried other various traditional types of medical treatment for an illness, but none have worked to your liking. Acupuncture therapy, which has been used since ancient China to cure everything from back pain to headaches to infertility. Today, doctors are learning more and more about the many real health benefits of acupuncture, so the practice is becoming widely accepted when it was once considered a primitive kind of treatment.

Talk to your doctor so that you can fully understand if acupuncture can help you.Acupuncture works by stimulating certain points on the body to heal you. A certified professional will first do an analysis by asking you questions about your health history and your current condition. He or she will also look at your skin color, tongue appearance, and dental health, as well as other things about your body.

Your acupuncturist will then decide on the best course of action. Traditionally, acupuncture looks for the root of the problem and fixes that rather than simply treating the symptoms. All health problems stem from the dysfunction of energy flow in the body. The acupuncturist will stick small needles into your body at specific points to relieve the stress placed on this energy flow and hopefully correct it. These points are in places all over your body, but the process should not hurt or otherwise feel uncomfortable.

If you are still wary about acupuncture therapy, you can do a special type that involves only points on your hands. This hand acupuncture can still treat illness throughout the body. When done correctly, acupuncture is safe and can be extremely effective. Your acupuncturist should be certified and have a legitimate business, so that you are sure that things stay safe. As with any technique that involves needles, make sure that your acupuncturist uses tools that are sterile.

Your regular doctor should be able to direct you to a high-quality acupuncturist in your area so that you explore this treatment option. Acupuncture works best when used in conjunction with other forms of treatment, and can be used as a preventative method as well, so even if you are not currently suffering from any afflictions, you can use acupuncture to prevent medical conditions. Although it is still a kind of treatment that is met with much skepticism, acupuncture therapy has proven itself in today's medical world. Pursue this option when nothing else has worked, and remember to keep an open mind about it and about all forms of alternative medical treatment.

Rolfing Therapy: A Modern Type of Stress Relief

Rolfing therapy is a physical technique that involves the manipulation of a body's soft tissues. Another term for this technique is structural integration. Rolfing organizes the relationships of soft tissues to each other in order to bring about a harmonious body structure and freer movement patterns. This is said to enhance s person's well being. It is currently being used in many circles of alternative medicine and is thought to be an excellent process for helping a person relieve stress and move more freely.Ida Pauline Rolf is the woman responsible for creating this technique, which has been rightly named after her.

In the 1950's Rolf used her knowledge in biochemistry to develop a method which involves a body's structural realignment in relation to gravity. She called this process Structural Integration of the Human Body. Ever since the 1970's, Rolfing therapy has been used as a technique to realign the body and create a more harmonious state of well-being. The process of Rolfing involves touching the skin of a person in order to find any imbalances in the tissue structure of a body and to separate what Ida Rolf called fascial layers that adhere and muscles that have been pulled out of position due to strain or energy.

Rolfing therapy is a massage-like technique that works to alleviate these tissues of any stress that may have caused them harm. Also, according to Rolfing, all parts of the body aligned, including ankles, pelvis, hips, knees, shoulders, etc. It is only in this way that the body will be balanced with gravity and thus in a state of deep relaxation and happiness. When a body is aligned, gravity is supposed to enhance a person's personal energy and bring about happiness and health. Learning these techniques is hard to do, and a certified Rolfing therapist spends a few years studying the technique, which costs about $10,000.

There is only one school, in Colorado, which teaches this technique, although there a couple other schools that teach similar techniques called structural integration rather than Rolfing. Although they are different in name, the techniques are generally the same. There is some skepticism given to Rolfing, though therapists using the technique have found it to be successful and many clients have said to be relaxed and happy when they leave a Rolfing session. Using tissue therapy and the natural force of gravity, Rolfing therapy is continuing to grow and is becoming a more commonly used technique throughout the world.

Music Therapy Techniques Becoming More Popular

In 1950, the National Association for Music Therapy was formed, bringing music therapy techniques into the realm of professionalism. This was the root for music therapy. Using music as a cure for a person's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well being has been practiced for centuries, although it was never referred to as a professional science.

Even though everyone does not consider it so, music therapy still makes up a significant part of alternative medicine.A physician, a psychologist, or a social worker often refers music therapy to someone, though there are many parents who turn to music therapy to help their children. For whatever reason someone comes under the care of a music therapist, they will always be in good hands. A music therapist is an extremely qualified individual with extensive education and training. Music therapists often work with the physically handicapped, the abused, the elderly, the terminally ill, or mentally retarded.

The techniques used in music therapy are varied, but all pretty much deal with expression of emotions and the calming of the body. For example, a music therapist may tell a patient to sing in order to express unspoken emotions that need to be released. Others may use piano playing as a way to increase fine motor skills, and some others may use instruments to help a patient illustrate his or her feelings.

There are numerous applications for music therapy, making it an exciting and interesting field.Although patients and clients involved in music therapy techniques are sure to increase their skill in using an instrument or in other aspects of music, it is not the main focus. Rather, music therapy focuses on other areas, such as communication, academics and the fine-tuning of motor and social skills. All of these areas can be impacted through the use of music, which has been proven by music therapists time and time again.While music cannot cure or even aid in all types of disabilities or sicknesses, it is a useful tool for those willing to spend the time involved in it.

Music therapy is used in many hospitals, rehab centers, and retirement homes as well as to help children with social problems in school. In fact, with the results music therapy has been getting in these fields, it wouldn't be surprising to see more music therapists popping up, and the act of music therapy techniques becoming more popular in the years to come.

Therapeutic Touch

The world today is seeing a resurgence in alternative medicine and therapeutic approaches to battling stress and disease that were not the mainstream over fifty years ago. Many of these techniques involve the idea of a person having their own energy, and if that energy is clogged and not allowed to flow freely throughout a person, it will experience pain and illness.

Therapeutic touch is a form of "laying on of hands" that involves the exchange of energy from one person to another. This will allow one person to give his or her own energy to a person who is sick or in pain, therefore helping to cure that person.Dolores Krieger developed this technique in the 1970's while she was a professor of Nursing at New York University.

Together with Dora Kuntz, a well-respected "natural" healer and someone who Krieger thought of as a role model, the two developed the healing form known as therapeutic touch. They made it easy to learn, to teach, and to implement so that it would be able to easily work its way into both society and medicine. To this day, Krieger is continuing to research therapeutic touch around the world in order to make a more useful medical technique.

Therapeutic touch is currently taught to over 100,000 practitioners, although only about half of those who are trained in it actually practice the technique. Therapeutic touch involves four steps, beginning with the "centering," a meditative process that is said to align the healer with the patient's energy levels. Next is the 'assessment," where the healer uses his or her hands to detect the energy from a patient and any other forces as well. After the healer has assessed the energy situation of the patient, he or she uses the hands to get rid of excess energy in order to prepare the patient for the final step.

This final step is actually where the healer transfers his or her own excess energy into the patient. There is a form of non-contact therapeutic touch that works the same way, though the hands are held a few inches away from the patient, rather than laid on top.

Therapeutic touch is becoming more and more popular with many therapists and patients alike. With the emergence of more natural ways of dealing with disease, it is a great way to get a holistic and all-natural therapy session in. Although it is a technique that is more debated than some of the other energy-related alternative therapies, it is still held in high regard by many of its practitioners and patients.

Homeopathy Medicine Vs Traditional Medical Options

Alternative medical options such as homeopathy medicine are becoming increasingly popular in our modern culture, since people are wary of what goes into their bodies. Traditional medical options often introduce harmful chemicals into the body or otherwise are at an organic disadvantage. However, most forms of alternative healthcare are safe and gentle on the bodies systems, so many patients prefer these options.

Countless studies are now being completed to show the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of these alternative health options. One such practice being studied that many people are using is homeopathy. Classical homeopathy can help with a number of illnesses and pains including, but not limited to AIDS, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, PMS, dyslexia, insomnia, infertility, depression, digestive disorders, autism, and asthma.

Your doctor or a professional who specializes in homeopathy should be able to help you learn more about the many varied adverse medical conditions with which homeopathic medicine can help. It is important to speak with your regular doctor before beginning any kind of homeopathic treatment so that you can be sure this option will work well for you and not further damage your body. Homeopathic doctors look at disease and pain in a different light. With normal medical treatment, you go to the doctor who then diagnoses your condition and gives you medicine to heal the symptoms. Homeopathic professionals, however, assert that treating the symptoms leaves the underlying problem unattended. In short, your pain will return over and over again, because you are not fixing the root problem.

This is a view on medicine that is shared by other alternative health professionals, such as acupuncturists and acupressurists. Homeopathic appointments begin with a total assessment of mental and physical health. The first appointment will try to understand your state of well being in as complete of a way as possible, so it is important to know your health history as well as be completely honest about your current state of health. Natural remedies are then prescribed to help the entire system, rather than simply treating specific pains and other symptoms.

These remedies are made from minerals and plant matter and are very organic, so harmful chemicals are not introduced into your body. Homeopathic medicine is used in very small amounts and is meant to help the body heal itself. Homeopathic techniques are extremely effective when patients are suffering from chronic illnesses and have found that no traditional treatment works. If you believe that homeopathy medicine can help you overcome disease, speak with your doctor for more information.

Polarity Therapy

Polarity therapy is a technique that is based off the human energy field, which is comprised of the electromagnetic patterns expressed in mental, emotional, and physical responses. When someone is sick, it is said that their human energy field is in bad condition, and thus needs to be repaired through polarity therapy. Using energy-based bodywork, exercise, dieting, and self-awareness, polarity therapy is said to give the body a strong human energy field, and thus make it healthier.

Polarity therapy was first practiced by Randolph Stone, who published a total of seven works by 1954 that spoke of his findings in his research into using energy in the healing arts. He found that the human energy field is affected by touch, diet, movement, sound, attitudes, relationships, life experiences, trauma, and environmental factors. He applied his findings and theories during his medical career in Chicago and had tremendous success with the majority of his patients. After his retirement, some of Stone's students carried on his work and in 1984 the American Polarity Therapy Association was formed, Ever since then, polarity therapy has become an increasingly used form of medicine and has also become more diverse than when it was first thought up.

The energy of a person is supposed to flow smoothly and clearly. When it does so, a person is said to be healthy. However, blockages in the flow of energy can occur due to stress or other factors. When this happens, a body will become less healthy and pain and illness will occur. Polarity therapy looks for these blockages and attempts to get rid of them, allowing energy to flow freely once again and for health in a person to be restored. A typical polarity therapy session takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. During this time, various forms of touch and verbal interactions occur.

The practitioner will use all degrees of touch on the client, whether it is light or firm, in order to help muscles relax, which is a great stress fighter. Also, the practitioner will try and make the client more self aware of the energy in his or her body, allowing the client to try and make the energy flow more smoothly himself.

Polarity therapy has been an excellent cure for many people, and often has great success in the realm of stress relief. After a therapy session, a person will generally feel more relaxed and happier. It's a great way to relieve tension and bring about a stronger sense of self-being.

Apitherapy Buzz

New treatment options for old diseases and pains are being explored every day. While you may have heard of some of the major alternative medicine treatment options, like hypnosis and acupuncture, one you may not have heard about is called apitherapy. Apitherapy is the use of bee products to cure your pains, prevent serious medical conditions, or make life more comfortable for those suffering from chronic illnesses.

Most people do not know about this technique, but you should explore it with your regular doctor to see if it may help you.Apitherapy has been used in a number of ways to treat hundreds of illnesses, including heart disease, allergies, pneumonia, kidney and liver diseases, arthritis, insomnia, back pain, influenza, sore throat, acne, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, diabetes, lymphoma, stomach ulcers, malaria, schizophrenia, and alcoholism.

As you can see, it treats a very wide variety of medical conditions, ranging from more serious diseases (like cancer), to uncomfortable but less threatening conditions (like hair loss). Your doctor can tell you more about the different diseases apitherapy can be used to treat.Bee products can be introduced to your system in a variety of ways. First, you can take them orally. Pollen and honey can be made into capsules, powders, and liquids for your use. You can also be injected with bee products to get them into your system. Bee venom is especially used in this way. For the past few years, bee products have also been made into creams and ointments to apply to the skin. Eye and nose drops can be made with bee products as well.

Apitherapy can be used (and most often is used) in conjunction with other medical practices. For example, your massage might include an application of warm honey to the massaged areas or your dentist can use a bee product to rub on your gums, teeth, cheeks, lips, and tongue. There are some health concerns with apitherapy, especially bee venom injection.

It is illegal for anyone other than certified doctors to inject bee venom, so be sure that you are visiting a trained professional. Also, this can react with other medications, especially those for heart conditions, so tell your doctor what other medications you are taking before being injected. There are also specific doses that you should take to best treat your condition if you choose to pursue oral apitherapy, so speak with your doctor to regulate these doses correctly. He or she can help you use bee production in this unconventional way, and when paired with other medical treatments, this can be very effective in fighting your pain

Hypnosis as an Alternative Medical Treatment

One form of alternative medical treatment that can be used for treating a large number of illnesses and medical conditions is hypnosis. The exact dangers and benefits associated with the practice of hypnosis are still being studied, but many patients have had great success with this technique. If you suffer from an illness that you think hypnosis could help you overcome, talk to your doctor or a mental health care professional for more information. Research the hypnotic option carefully and thoroughly before making any decisions about its validity in the medical world.Medical hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, can be used to treat a variety of conditions.

Hollywood has caused a number of stereotypical misunderstandings to shadow the world of hypnosis, but the fact is that most hypnotists do not cause their patients to perform funny or embarrassing acts. These hypnotists, who often travel doing comical performances, represent a very minute number of hypnotists in the world and do not accurately represent how hypnotism can help someone.Hypnotherapy is not done on a stage, but in a doctor's office. Hypnotism is natural-if you've ever been driving and suddenly reached your destination without remembering the drive or if you've ever been so engrossed in a book that you didn't hear someone talking to you, you've hypnotized yourself. Hypnotism doesn't cause you to sleep or becoming unconscious, it simply opens up your subconscious mind to the power of suggestion.

Hypnotism is usually done with verbal guidance, in which a licensed professional will ask the patient to visualize certain things. The mind then opens in a unique way so that the hypnotist can plant suggestions into it. Hypnotism is, therefore, especially useful for those battling alcoholism or drug addiction. A therapist can also reach a person's memory at a deeper level when the person is hypnotized, so it is useful for patients with mental disorders. Some people are more easily hypnotized than others, so it is not a treatment for everyone. After treatment, the patient usually feels very calm and rested, but it affects everyone differently.

Consult your regular doctor before beginning to see a hypnotist to make sure this option is healthy for you and your body. Hypnotism should be included when you are searching for treatment options. Although it is still being studied by many skeptics in the medical field, many people have found great success with hypnotism when other treatments have failed.

Choosing Alternative Health Therapy

If traditional medical treatments are not helping your recover from or prevent illness or pain, you may wish to consider an alternative health therapy to take the place of traditional options or to use in conjunction. These alternative therapies are now being widely studied, as many people are having miraculous results with them. However, within the alternative medical world, there are a number of choices for treatment. Choosing a medical treatment plan can be difficult, so research the many options carefully before choosing any kind of alternative therapy treatment.

There are many types of alternative health therapies you can learn about. The most commonly known alternative medical option is chiropractic. Acupuncture and acupressure are also very widely known and accepted ways of treating illness and pain. In the place of medications, herbal remedies and homeopathic remedies can be used, and a detox diet is also the cause of medical well being for many people who wish to stop using medicines, which contain many harmful chemicals and can increase risks and cause side effects. Some types of alternative therapies focus specifically on the sense of touch. These include massage, Rolfing, reiki, and therapeutic touch. There are also alternative therapy treatments that involve your other senses.

Aromatherapy is triggered by sense of smell; color therapy and light therapy both have to do with your sense of sight, and music therapy involves your sense of hearing. If none of the aforementioned alternative medical options strike your fancy, you can also try prayer, meditation, yoga, hypnosis, magnetic therapy, polarity therapy, apitheraphy, or biofeedback techniques. There are many other kinds of alternative therapies as well and your doctor should know a little bit about all of them. Use this as a starting point to narrow down the list and then research each to choose what is best for your body.Once you have chosen an alternative health therapy option, you must next find a professional for treatment. Be wary of anyone not certified.

Most alternative therapies have certification programs or are practiced by medical doctors. In many cases, practicing without certification is illegal. Certification programs help you feel at ease with your professional. Shop around for the best prices and ask your regular doctor for recommendations. Word of mouth is a great way to find medical professionals, so talk to friends, family members, and co-workers about the local businesses. You can also read reviews online and contact the Better Business Bureau for more information. Your health care is important, so make the best decisions possible.