Home > Advice centre > Keeping well > CAM s - z
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
S
Shamanism
A mystical process, shamanic healing claims to use the friendly support of spirit helpers and power animals to retrieve lost parts of the psyche, and drive out unwanted energies from your life. Unwanted energies may manifest themselves as almost anything, from depression, through coma and addiction to major illness or bad dreams. Healing can be accomplished on the spot or at a distance, alone or in conjunction with orthodox medicine.
Shaw's Technique
A variation of Alexander Technique applied to swimming. Steven Shaw swam competitively as a teenager, but found that he was enjoying it less and less, and hurting more and more. Through Alexander Technique he learned that the way he moved in the pool was counter-productive: because of tension and poor alignment he was not deriving the benefit that was possible from swimming, nor improving his speed and stamina as he wanted. The Shaw Technique is his method for overcoming fear and tension in water, so that you can swim comfortably, without stress, and gain maximum benefit from the exercise.
Shi-zen, No-Hands Massage
Massage carried out with the forearms, rather than the hands. The technique was developed in Britain by Gerry Pyves, a successful traditional masseur, who realised that he was developing such pain from the repetitive use of his hands and fingers in his work, that he could no longer continue in the same way. An intensely relaxing, deep tissue massage.
Shiatsu
A Japanese development of Chinese acupuncture - but without needles.
The basic philosophy is that vital energy (known as Ki in Japanese) flows
through your body in channels called meridians. If the Ki stops flowing
freely for any reason, this produces symptoms if disease. The Shiatsu
practitioner uses a variety of techniques to improve the energy flow,
including gentle holding, pressing with palms, thumbs, fingers, elbows,
knees and feet on the meridians and, when appropriate, more dynamic rotations
and stretches. It has been independently verified as successful in combating
the nausea caused by chemotherapy.
Swedish Massage
Developed in the 19th century by a Swedish physiologist, Per Henrik Ling, this is the first organized and systematic method of modern massage therapy in the western world.
T
T'ai Chi
An ancient Chinese discipline, and part of the repertoire of Chinese traditional medicine, T'ai Chi consists of a set of flowing physical movements synchronised with breathing, which encourage the development of balance, good timing, and physical integration. It aims to stimulate and regulate the flow of chi - or qi - (energy) so that you are able to become a more willing participant in the process of change, understanding that it is inevitable anyway.
Ti Tree Oil
Melaleuca alternifolia is a fairly recent introduction to western therapies, though it has been used for centuries by the aboriginal peoples of Australia, where it grows. Ti Tree (or Tea Tree, as it is also known) is unusual and highly valued because it is active against all three categories of infection - viral, fungal and bacterial. It also stimulates the immune systems, so helping the body to fight off infections. Enthusiastically embraced by aromatherapists, it is also used by naturopaths and other holistic healers, to treat a range of conditions from cold sores, candida and verrucas to acne, flu and even glandular fever.
Tens (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)
An electrical variation on acupuncture - a portable machine delivers small electrical pulses via pads which are placed on or near the area of pain. These travel through the skin and along the nerve fibres to suppress pain signals to the brain. It is always controlled by the user, not a therapist. Tens also encourages the body to produce higher levels of its own natural pain killing chemicals called endorphins and encephalins. It is used for pain relief in a wide variety of situations, from childbirth to rheumatism, post-surgical pain, shingles... it has also been shown to reduce nausea during chemotherapy. Whilst not effective for everybody who tries it, Tens does seem to deliver a high degree of relief for some.
Thai Yoga Massage
Part of traditional Thai medicine, this combines gentle stretching with acupressure and being placed in yoga-like positions. It is sometimes rather derisively known as 'lazy man's yoga'. The therapist applies pressure in flowing sequences, using their feet, hands and elbows, to stimulate the flow of energy through the sen channels (meridians in acupuncture).
Tragerwork
A light and gentle massage system developed nearly 70 years ago by a physician named Milton Trager, which uses rhythmic movements to release muscle tension. The practitioner works in a meditative state known as 'hook up', and aims to reach into the patient's unconscious during the treatment. It is claimed to be helpful for people with chronic neuromuscular pain, including back problems and sciatica, and has also been advocated for stress-related conditions, high blood pressure, strokes, migraine, and asthma. In between treatment sessions, there are relaxation exercises to be practised, known as Mentastics (mental gymnastics).
Tuina
Pronounced 'tween - ah' and part of Chinese traditional medicine, this is a massage therapy which has been practised for some 2,300 years. It works on the energy channels and points, using the same principles as acupuncture, but with hands and fingers, rather than needles. Using a wide variety of techniques (soft or hard, superficial or deep, general or more precise, slow or fast, etc.) the practitioner can balance the Qi (energy), and thus the internal organs on which the health of a person’s body and mind depend. It is claimed to be effective for back pain, headaches, arthritis, RSI, trapped nerves, sports injuries, as well as stress, digestive problems, painful or irregular periods, etc.
U
Urine Therapy
Urine therapy refers to ingesting your own urine in order to prevent or cure sickness, to enhance beauty or to cleanse the system. Most enthusiasts drink the midstream of their morning urine. The reasoning behind this practice is that the kidneys are excreting many elements that the body does not apparently require in order for the chemical balance of the blood to remain constant - but that nevertheless, these have medicinal value, and when reintroduced to the body, may boost the immune defenses and stimulate healing.
V
Visceral Manipulation
This technique was developed as a response to the discovery made by Jean Pierre Barral that the body's internal organs are in a state of constant motion, moving forward and away from the midline of the body at a rate of 7-8 cycles per minute. According to practitioners, complete health is only possible when this motion between the organs and their connective tissues is free and open. Various factors are thought to impede it, including surgery and scar formation, stress and trauma. Visceral manipulation uses specific 'soft manual forces' to restore normal mobility and tone.
W
Wave Therapy
A term grouping together a number of different therapies based on waves - light, sound and magnetism.
X
Y
Yoga
The 'big daddy' of eastern lifestyle therapies which has been enthusiastically embraced in Britain as a means of keeping fit, is really an ancient Hindu discipline. It combines exercises which stretch the body with controlled breathing and meditation. There are many different variations, including ashtanga yoga, which is very much more dynamic and fast-moving than other types. Yoga is regarded as a means of reducing stress, improving breathing and circulation, and increasing flexibility.
Z
Zero Balancing
A light form of physical manipulation developed as a concept by Fritz Smith, and American osteopath and doctor, which uses finger pressure to increase and balance the flow of energy through the bones. Combining oriental views of energy with the western science of functional anatomy, the aim is to align the body's energy field with its physical structure. Practitioners use gentle forms of osteopathic and acupressure techniques to relieve pain and stress..
Please note that any information provided on this site is offered without guarantees or any acceptance of liability. We do our best to verify accuracy, but are not offering advice. You should consult a suitably qualified medical practitioner before undertaking any treatment.