Glossary of Natural Health Terms

Acupressure

Acupressure is a variation of acupuncture, an ancient Chinese system of healing that was developed from theories that the body has an energy force (known in traditional Chinese medicine as Qi) running through it along specific pathways called meridians. In order to maintain health, the flow of Qi must remain balanced and uninterrupted, and acupressure is one method for correcting imbalances and removing blockages. In acupressure, finger pressure is used at specific points where meridians come to the skin’s surface.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese system of healing that was developed from theories that the body has an energy force (known in traditional Chinese medicine as Qi) running through it along specific pathways called meridians. In order to maintain health, the flow of Qi must remain balanced and uninterrupted, and acupuncture is one method for correcting imbalances and removing blockages. In acupuncture, very fine needles are inserted into the skin at specific points where meridians come to the skin’s surface.

Allergen

A substance that is foreign to the body and can cause an allergic reaction in certain people. For examples, pollen, dander, mold.

Allergy

An inappropriate or exaggerated reaction of the immune system to substances that cause no symptoms in most people, eg, reactions to chemical exposure, respiratory reactions to dust, pollen or other substances, reactions to food.

Allopathy

Allopathy is a system involving use of medicines that produce effects different from those produced by the disease. In contrast to holistic approaches, allopathy views the body as a set of systems separate from the mind. The allopathic approach introduces drugs and surgery to “fix” the body rather than assisting its natural healing process. This is the most prevalent and well-known form of addressing ill health in Western culture. Allopathic physicians successfully complete a formal medical degree and are trained to diagnose and treat illness and disease from the approaches of medication (often synthetic) and invasive surgery. Most physicians follow this medical model of treatment, which is preset.

Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine incorporates nontraditional methods of treatment in the overall medical treatment of illness and disease. This includes, but is not limited to, homeopathy, herbalism and bodywork therapy.

Alternative Therapies

Approaches to healing that are not included in the traditional medical model of treatment are considered alternative. These include, but are not limited to, massage therapy, nutritional supplementation, using herbal formulas, guided imagery and hypnotherapy.

Anaphylaxis

An immediate and severe allergic reaction to a substance (eg food or drugs). Symptoms of anaphylaxis include breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness and a drop in blood pressure. This condition can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention.

Arthritis

The inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and sometimes change in structure.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy involves the use of unadulterated fragrant essential oils that are extracted from various plants. In nature, these act to protect the plant from parasites and diseases. Distilled, the essential oils are mixed with neutral-scented carrier oil and then may be applied to the skin, sprayed into the air, added to bath water, etc. Some fragrances are stimulating, while others promote relaxation. Aromatherapy is used to promote healing from various physical, mental, and emotional conditions.

BioSET®

BioSET® (Bioenergetic Sensitivity and Enzyme Therapy) is a natural holistic health care system that is based on energetic medicine and meridian therapy to prevent and resolve chronic health conditions. Click here to learn more about BioSET®.

Bodywork

Bodywork refers to therapies such as massage, deep tissue manipulation, movement awareness, and energy balancing - a general collection of modalities, all of which improve the structure and functioning of the human body. They may or may not involve physical touch, but they all facilitate the body's own healing response. Bodywork in all its forms helps to reduce pain, soothe injured muscles, stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation and promote deep relaxation.

Conventional Medicine

Conventional medicine is medicine practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. Other terms for conventional medicine include allopathy and allopathic medicine; Western medicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, regular medicine and biomedicine.

Detoxification

The human body creates and is exposed to many toxins simply through the normal processes of life. Under ordinary conditions, various body systems – including the liver, kidneys, intestines, lymph, and circulatory systems – eliminate toxins without a problem. However, a poor diet and lifestyle habits, as well as excessive exposure to environmental toxins, can sometimes overwhelm the body’s natural processes, allowing toxins to accumulate internally. Signs of a toxic condition include headaches, digestive disorders, increased allergic reactions, and fatigue, among many others. Various methods are used to stimulate detoxification, such as fasting, the use of herbs, and following specific cleansing diets.

Disease

Disease is an actual physical, pathophysiological process which can cause an abnormal condition (discomfort, dysfunction, or distress) of the body or mind to the person affected.

Eczema

An inflammation of the skin, usually causing itching and sometimes accompanied by crusting, scaling or blisters. A type of eczema often made worse by allergen exposure is termed "atopic dermatitis."

Energetic Medicine

Energetic medicine is an approach towards personal health and wellness that is based on biophysics and not biochemistry as traditional allopathic medicine is. In Europe it is known as regulative or virtual medicine. It examines and assesses the body’s health through fields that transmit information throughout the body. Disturbed informational fields produce health imbalances. Energetic medicine is not intended to supplant, but rather complement traditional allopathic medicine, by correcting problems in the informational fields which can help speed up the healing process.

Enzymes

Enzymes are protein molecules that are produced in animals and plants. They assist in optimal digestion of food and absorption and utilization of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals which result in abundant energy, longevity, and peace of mind.

Herbology

The study of herbology is one of the oldest sciences in the world. It is the study of plants and their physical attributes as used for healing, food, flavoring, scents, and dyes. Herbologists study the effect of plants upon the body, stressing the use of whole plants. Herbology may include: the study of the part of plant that is used, plant gathering methods, and method of preparation of the plant. Herbology systems in use today include: Western, Native American, Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese, and European. Herbology has been important to the following professions: herbalism, naturopathy, homeopathy, aromatherapy, botany, nutrition, pharmacy, dietetics, dentistry, midwifery, chemistry and medicine.

Herbalism

Herbalism involves the practice of using plants for healing, food, flavoring, scents and dyes. It is practiced in all forms of traditional healing worldwide. The philosophy of herbalism is directed at support of the body’s healing processes with the use of plants and foods. In traditional herbalism, not only are plants and foods used, but also exercise techniques, breathing techniques, and various mind/body techniques. Herbalism looks at the whole person – mind, body and spirit.

Herbal Supplements

Herbal supplements are made from natural plants and can be used to supplement traditional medical treatments. Herbal supplements are available in capsules, liquids, and powders.

Holistic Health

This involves viewing individual health in a holistic fashion. Holistic means considering and encompassing body, mind, emotions and spirit. Therefore, factors involving physical wellness/illness, mental/thought patterns, emotional expression and stability, and the individual’s spiritual beliefs all have significant roles in maintaining good health and must be addressed.

Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine is a medical model that focuses on the whole person, not just the body. It focuses on preventing illness and maintaining health.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a system of medicine, developed by Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th Century and founded on the principle that likes will cure likes. That is, a homeopathic remedy, if given full strength to a healthy person, will cause the same symptoms that the very dilute homeopathic formula will remove. This theory has been supported by experimentation and practice over the past 200 years. Two of the major branches of homeopathy are Classical and Constitutional.

Homeostasis

The inherent tendency in an organism toward maintenance of physiological and psychological stability.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy involves using water of any temperature or form – hot, cold, steam or ice – in order to promote healing. Depending on the temperature and form of the water, it can address a wide range of problems, including sore muscles, injuries, fevers, burns, skin problems, and so forth. Warm or hot water has a relaxing effect; cold water reduces inflammation; and alternating hot and cold water acts to stimulate the circulatory system. Water may also stimulate the immune system. This simple form of therapy was fundamental to the nature cure – an ancestor to naturopathy – as it developed in 19th century Europe.

Illness

Impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism. In truth, illness can be a synonym for disease or it can be a person's perception of having poor health.

Integrative Medicine

Used interchangeably with the term “alternative medicine,” this system integrates traditional, allopathic methods with nontraditional methods.

Iridology

In defining iridology, the International Iridology Practitioners Association (IIPA) states that it is “the study of the iris, or colored part, of the eye. This structure has detailed fibers and pigmentation that reflects information about our physical and psychological makeup. It identifies inherited dispositions (how our body reacts to our environment and what symptoms are most likely to occur), risks (what areas or organ systems are more likely to have symptoms) and future challenges (where we are likely to have more problems as we age). Iridology helps identify inherited emotional patterns which can create or maintain physical symptoms, as well as identify lessons or challenges and gifts or talents available to us.”

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body in order to bring about normalization, which in turn promotes healing. Massage affects blood and lymph circulation as well as muscular tension. In addition, it stimulates or relaxes the nervous system, depending on the technique used. Among the benefits of massage are faster healing from soft tissue injury, healthier skin, and stress reduction.

Meridian Therapy

Meridian therapy is a treatment for pain and healing that involves controlled breathing, visualization, and stimulating pressure points along meridians or channels through which qi flows. In applied kinesiology the term "meridian therapy" is often used in place of acupuncture because the latter term refers to stimulating the points by puncturing the skin, however there are other methods of stimulating acu-points.

Modality

A method of treatment.

Natural Health

Natural health means maintaining good health, naturally. This takes into account the air you breathe, the water you drink, the diet (food and fluid) you ingest, your daily physical movement and activities, your rest and sleep and your human interactions. In summary, this is how you live in your body on a daily basis.

Natural Healing

This involves moving the body from a state of non-health to a state of health using only natural (non-synthetic and non-invasive) means. Examples of this include fasting to cleanse the body of mucous, massage therapy to ease aching and painful muscles and the use of herbal formulas to soothe an irritated throat.

Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a system of therapy that employs natural forces such as light, heat, air, water and massage. This system differs most significantly from allopathy by focusing on building health rather than on treating disease. The techniques used are non-invasive and may include foods, herbs, fasting, nutritional supplements, bodywork, hydrotherapy, forms of exercise or body movement and/or meditation.

Nutrition

A process by which the body as a whole is maintained in its normal condition of life and growth by taking in and converting food, drink and other basic nutrients. It is effective in addressing diseases of deficiency that may be caused by poor diet or extreme environmental factors.

Qi

Qi (also spelled chi or ki) refers to the vital energy that keeps our bodies functioning and allows us to remain active. Sources of qi include the air we breathe and the food we eat. Acupressure, acupuncture, and chiropractic involve working on an individual's qi by manipulating a person’s meridians (or channels) of qi. These meridians come near to the body’s surface at certain points, making it possible to modify the qi at those points. You can strengthen, disperse, or calm the qi by helping it to flow smoothly in the body, which results in improved physical and mental health.

Reflexology

Reflexology is a system of bodywork in which the practitioner applies finger pressure to specific points on the feet and/or the hands. Reflexology is based on the correspondence between reflexes in the feet and hands and the various organs and areas of the body. Pressing on these reflexes aids in healing by stimulating a return to homeostasis.

Traditional Medicine

Traditional medicine refers to health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being.

Countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America use traditional medicine (TM) to help meet some of their primary health care needs. In Africa, up to 80% of the population uses traditional medicine for primary health care. In industralized countries, adaptations of traditional medicine are termed “Complementary“ or “Alternative” ( CAM). TM has maintained its popularity in all regions of the developing world and its use is rapidly spreading in industrialized countries. (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs134/en/)

Traditional Chinese Medicine

More than 2000 years old, Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on creating and maintaining balance and harmony between various types of polar opposites. Balance and harmony bring health; imbalance and disharmony bring the opposite. Traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM) takes the entire person, the physical, psychological and spiritual makeup, into account when approaching any problem. The chief methods of treatment of TCM include herbs, foods, and acupuncture.