COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES

The terms ‘complementary therapies’ or ‘complementary medicine’ cover a very wide range of methods of treating people for ailments of one kind or another. Conventional medical circles now recognise certain complementary therapies and, in recent years, there has been a significant positive shift in attitude towards such treatments in general. 

Here we highlight several of the more popular therapies, some of which are now fully accredited. 

Many private medical insurance policies now include some complementary therapies. If you are intending to claim it is important that you check which ones are included before you begin a course of treatment with a therapist. It is also important to check with the therapist the arrangements they have for dealing with medical insurance companies. 

With regard to registered qualifications for complementary therapies, they can vary between different therapies. It is important therefore to check: 

• The therapist’s experience, qualifications and professional insurance status
• The medical insurance company’s criteria before they will pay out. 

The Health and Care Professions Council covers professions such as podiatrists and physiotherapists but there is no one body that covers all complementary therapies. 

ACUPUNCTURE is an ancient therapy of Chinese origin in which needles are inserted into the body at certain key points. Two somewhat different forms are available today, one firmly rooted in the ancient Chinese tradition and one based on Western medical thinking. The latter is practised by some GPs and hospital doctors to complement the more conventional treatments that are generally available. They may use it for pain relief or to treat a range of conditions, including some allergies. Followers of  the Chinese method, however, say that the treatments they give can be used to deal with a wider range of ailments. 

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE is a means of improving poor posture which otherwise can result in back, shoulder and neck pain, together with other problems. It helps to ensure the body is properly aligned, thus removing stress and tension. The technique is based, in part, on self-help in that people are taught how to overcome problems of posture that can lead to health problems as the energy enters their body. 

AROMATHERAPY uses essential oils from various aromatic plants and flowers to enhance health and wellbeing. The oils are usually applied by massage, although they can also be used in baths for relaxation or applied to the body on a compress. 

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY is a very gentle therapy that can be used with anyone from babies to elderly people. In treatments, the therapist applies their hands very lightly to the patient’s fully clothed body, detecting and relieving pain or tension. Craniosacral therapists work with people who have a very wide range of conditions including, among others, asthma, bronchitis, depression, insomnia, rheumatism and migraine. 

HOMEOPATHY involves treating people holistically; that is to say treating the person as a whole and not just the ailment from which they are suffering. It also encourages the body to heal itself. Different homeopathic remedies may be given by the same practitioner to different people presenting with the same ailment, because it may be perceived that the causes of their ailment may be different. 

HYPNOTHERAPY is based on placing people into a state of hypnosis and then applying various psychological techniques to help them with their particular problems. 

It is used to help people with addictions such as smoking, to help overcome anxiety, nervousness and stress, among other things. 

NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING  (NLP) is now a well-known way of  helping people access successful strategies to eliminate negative habits and improve their lives. Used with or without hypnosis, it is proving increasingly popular in coaching and health circles, and focuses on how people think, behave and change. 

You may find the two sites listed below useful if you wish to investigate how these strategies may improve your health and find a reputable practitioner:

www.anlp.org

www.chisuk.org.uk 

REFLEXOLOGY practitioners apply pressure to key points on a patient’s feet, or sometimes their hands. This is based on the principle that all organs in the body are reflected on the hand or foot. As with many other therapies, reflexology works holistically, treating the whole person and not just the symptoms they are presenting. The therapy works on the basis that illness or injury may have caused a person’s energy pathways to be blocked. Practitioners identify the blockages and release them, allowing energy to flow around the body again and help it to heal itself. 

REIKI is derived from ancient natural healing beliefs and principles. Patients are fully clothed and practitioners place their hands very close to or lightly touching key parts of the body. They then channel energy through themselves via their hands to the patient who may experience warmth as the energy enters their body. 

REMEDIAL MASSAGE is mainly used to treat painful problems with muscles, tendons and joints. Practitioners establish with each individual client how the pain began so that they can trace the actual cause. This then enables them to address the problem in the most appropriate way. Among the wide range of conditions for which remedial massage is used are muscle spasms, pain resulting from scar tissue, joint pain, muscle ache and repetitive strain injury. 

SHIATSU is a Japanese therapy that encourages relaxation and helps people to reduce their stress levels. It is based on the principle that vital energy (or ‘ki’) flows through the body. If this energy flow is stopped then health problems can result. Practitioners manipulate various parts of the body to encourage the energy flow. In doing so, they treat a number of conditions including painful joints, backache, sports injuries, headaches, migraine and depression.