Alternative healing has gained a lot of attention, both in the East and in the West. And while much of alternative healing has its roots in ancient Chinese medicine, other methods are newer, or are variations on old themes. Practitioners of these healing arts often focus on natural healing, eschewing mainstream medicine and drugs in favor of holistic healing methods.
Western science has studied some of these methods, and a few have even made inroads into mainstream medicine. Acupuncture for example, is accepted in some medical circles as an alternative treatment for a small range of illnesses.
And while some health and healing methods derive their theories from ancient studies of medicine and herbology, others take a more spiritual approach. Spiritual healing often does indeed have an impact on health and well being, and is sometimes used in conjunction with mainstream medicine. And while there are certainly high-profile cases of fraud in this regard, there are also instances where spiritual and psychic healing has led to a faster recovery.
Many alternative healing methods embrace different theories of energy, either holding that a healer holds some sort of energy within his or her body and can use that energy as a healing touch, or that certain substances such as crystals or stones have special vibrations or energies that can be used as a healing tool.
Many spirit healing practitioners hold that healing is a channeling of energies, which transfer from the healer to the patient. Still other methods hold that self healing can be a reality, and attempts to awaken a healing energy that is within the patient.
Reiki healing is actually a type of energy form, often used for stress reduction and relaxation. Reducing stress is said to improve overall health, and contribute to the body's own ability to heal itself. Reiki is a type of energy work through which an energy source, sometimes thought of as a healing light, flows from an unlimited energy source to the patient, through the practitioner.
Some treatments focus mainly on stress reduction as an enabler. A healing garden, while not precisely a medicine in itself, can have the effect of providing a conduit for a patient to relax and reduce stress--which can then in turn lead to a quicker recovery. Stress reduction can also come from calming music. Healing music is often used as part of alternative treatments, combining gentle sounds of water and nature with instrumental music played on grand piano, guitar, or any number of nontraditional instruments.
Herbal medicine is truly ancient, and is one of the oldest healing methods on earth. In fact, many modern pharmaceutical drugs are rooted in herbal equivalents. Digitalis, for example, is a very common heart remedy. This comes from the foxglove plant. Herbal practitioners, witches, and healers brewed a tea from foxglove leaves for weak hearts long before Western medicine started using it.
