Alternative Therapy – a
Therapy Alternative?
Some people swear by it.
Some dismiss it out of hand and others don’t really know enough about it
to have an opinion. Alternative
medicine comes in as many forms as there are opinions on it. Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Bowen Therapy,
Homeopathy, Hypnotherapy, Indian Head Massage, Reflexology, Reiki, Shiatsu, are
just some of the therapies that have gained in popularity over the past
years.
Gwynneth Paltrow swears by a form of acupuncture called
cupping, which involves placing heated cups over the skin and is said to
relieve aches and pains while Kate Moss uses ear acupuncture. Pamela Anderson is a devotee of Homeopathy
and Madonna believes in the powers of herbalism. Prince Charles and Sir Cliff Richards have
also had treatment with alternative therapies.
So that’s all very well for them, I hear you say, What
about the man in the street, isn’t this all a bit ethereal, a bit of a pastime
for those with the time and the money and nothing very seriously wrong with
them? I used to think so, now I’m not so
sure.
I want to tell, you the story of a friend of mine. She had been unlucky enough to have to have
major heart surgery before she was 50.
As if that was not enough of a burden to bear, she developed very severe
arthritis in her hands, which became so disabling that she could barely carry
out even the most basic functions with
them. We used to meet when we were both
on holiday and keep in touch sporadically in between. As summer approached a couple of years ago,
I half expected to hear from her to say that she would not be able to make it
because she could not drive her car.
But no call came and when I bumped into her in our Cornish village, I
could barely believe my eyes. She was
walking like a woman 20 years younger and her hands showed no more signs of
arthritis than mine did! It turned out
she had discovered Reiki. And not only
discovered it she was training to be a Reiki practitioner herself. Reiki is the name given to a system of natural
healing which evolved in Japan.
The method of receiving a Reiki treatment from a practitioner is a
very simple process. The recipient simply lies on a couch and relaxes. If they
are unable to lie down the treatment can be given in a sitting position, the
main thing is for the recipient to be as comfortable as possible. There is no
need to remove any clothing, as Reiki will pass through anything, even plaster
casts. The practitioner gently places their hands non-intrusively in a sequence
of positions, which cover the whole body. The whole person is treated rather
than specific symptoms. A full treatment usually takes 1 to 1½ hours with each
position held for several minutes.
It is possible to heal at any level of being: physical, mental,
emotional or spiritual. Acute injuries can be helped to heal very quickly but
more chronic illness takes longer. In some cases such as terminal illness,
there is not enough time for the progress of the disease to be reversed.
However, in such cases there is usually great benefit and enhancement of the
quality of life giving a sense of peace and acceptance during the time
remaining.
The difference in her was astonishing and from that point
I had to re-think my opinion on alternative therapies. If you would like to know more some links will be posted on the
website.
Please
note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are
provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only
intended as additional information to your general knowledge and is not a
substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay
or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on UK
Health Radio.
Amanda Thomas
UK Health Radio
http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/complementary-and-alternative-medicine
