Music to Your Ears (and Mind, and Body)

When you think of music therapy, what do you think of? Perhaps you think of a person sitting quietly on a park bench listening to their MP3 player. Or maybe you think of a sterile laboratory environment where a patient listens to different types of music and a technician or researcher uses electrodes to observe the patient’s physical changes. While both of these things are not out of the realm of possibility, they are neither of them exactly true.

Music therapy is much more serious a practice than just giving a patient an MP3 player and turning them loose in a park. But it isn�t as impersonal as many types of therapies performed in hospital-like conditions. Music therapy is actually a way of using music to help a patient’s mental abilities by producing calm, concentration, and comprehension. The therapy is applied by a professional music therapist and can be done in a variety of settings � such as a hospital or a home � for almost any illness, physical or emotional.

Rolfing and Criticism

Surprisingly, there is less criticism for rolfing that there is for many other types of alternative therapies and natural healing practices. This is partly due to the fact that rolfing has some proven success. Research has shown that patients suffering from illnesses like cerebral palsy and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as patients suffering from chronic lower back pain, have noted improvement in their physical wellbeing. Unfortunately, there is not conclusive proof to solidify rolfing’s place as a medically recognized therapy.

There is no evidence that rolfing is harmful to the body, so any relief brought to a patient is a benefit. However, as with soft tissue manipulation techniques like massage therapy, people who have skeletal problems, blood clotting disorders, and pregnant women should consult a medical professional before receiving rolfing therapy. This is because there is little scientific study done on rolfing in general, let alone on rolfing as it affects conditions like these.

The History of Acupuncture

The father of Chinese medicine, Shen Nung, is thought to be the first person to have theorized about circulation in the human body. These theories were compiled approximately 5000 years ago, and led to the development of acupuncture.

Shen Nung developed the idea of the Qi, an energy force that flows through the human body. This energy travels through channels called Meridians which run all through the body. The theory is that when the Qi is not flowing correctly, the human body experiences illness. This incorrect flow can be caused by blocked Meridians which causes unbalanced Qi. In order to reestablish the flow of Qi, certain points of the body where the Meridians contact the surface of the skin must be manipulated. These points are accessed through the insertion of needles into the skin, a practice known as acupuncture.

Who Is The Art Therapist?

The profession of art therapist is not a new one, but it is one that is not familiar to many people. Art therapists are professional therapists who have extensive training in both art and psychotherapy. In order to be an art therapist, a person must hold a master’s degree in either art therapy or a similar field. This knowledge and education allows an art therapist to help patients identify emotional problems through artistic mediums.

Most patients of art therapy are able to cope with their problems like stress and personal trauma. Art therapists can bring out in a patient the ability to gain insight into their own minds and feelings, as well as boosting the patient’s ability to establish and maintain healthy relationships. All of these things are important parts of healing, and art therapists are trained to use the artistic processes of the mind to bring these results out of their patients.

Healing Your Body Naturally: Starting at the Bottom

For most things in life, be it a work project, a school assignment, or a home repair task, the best thing to do is to start at the top and work your way down. This usually ensures that everything will get done one time and correctly. Unfortunately, this is not that way that body cleansing should work. The best thing to do when you begin detoxifying your body is to start at the bottom.

Cleansing the colon is the beginning of the long process of detoxification. This is because the colon can become built up, or even backed up, with waste. And if no waste is leaving the body, you body is not cleaning itself properly. After you have used a colon cleansing method recommended by a professional natural health practitioner, you can build up your immune system and internal organs with a natural food diet.

An Alternative to Traditional Health Care

In the last few years, there has been an abundant interest in alternative medical therapies and treatments for all sorts of physical and emotional ailments. The burgeoning interest can probably be attributed to the rising costs of traditional medical care and pharmaceuticals normally used to treat these illnesses.

Many people also have another, related problem: they don’t have health insurance. The lack of health insurance can affect a person’s ability to get proper medical treatment for chronic problems. Using alternative medical treatments can not only be cheaper than traditional treatments, but many people feel that these alternative treatments are just as effective, if not more so. For those who do not have medical insurance, alternative treatments may be the only option they have for symptom relief or for a cure for their problems. Also, since mental health isn’t generally covered by insurance, alternative therapies are sometimes the only viable option.

On Pins and Needles: A Look at Acupuncture

Acupuncture. For many needle-phobics, the idea of having a needle inserted into their skin for any length of time seems a torture. But there is good reason for the popularity and staying power of this alternative medicine practice: it has worked for 5000 years, and continues to improve the wellbeing of those who undergo the treatments.

Acupuncture is the Chinese alternative medical practice of inserting very small needles into the skin in strategic places. These places are specially chosen for their effect on specific parts of a person’s physiology. Sometimes acupuncture needles also work with electricity to induce the physiological benefits of the particular points. Often another alternative therapy called Moxibustion is used with acupuncture; this involves the burning of herbs to elicit physiological benefits. Acupressure is also based in the same principles as acupuncture and is sometimes used in conjuncture with acupuncture.

Rolfing and Yoga: Are There Drawbacks?

There has always been a lot of controversy over natural healing and alternative medicines. And while some of the criticisms are founded in actual concern for the patient � such as physicians being concerned that seriously ill people will not seek traditional medical help – other criticisms are not realistic.

There has been almost no research to show that the average person won’t reap some kind of benefit from both rolfing and yoga. Be the benefits mental, emotional, physical, or social, almost everyone can count of some type of help from participating in these therapies. Of course, as with any physical activity, a doctor should be consulted before you begin; some people with skeletal deformities and other types of physical problems could have problems with these practices, especially if they are not provided by a trained professional.

Reflexology and Stress Relief

While it is debatable in the professional medical community whether or not reflexology actually helps to heal the body and to cure or treat diseases, there is one that that is fairly safe to say about the practice: reflexology does provide stress relief. Most of the body’s stress is begun and held in the hands and feet. As a result, tension in these places results in tension in other parts of the body.

Reflexology, like massage therapy, provides stress relief for the patient. This will ultimately improve the patient’s overall wellbeing, if only temporarily. Reflexology as a way to relieve tension and anxiety has begun to come into fashion in hospitals. However, this is not to say that reflexology should replace conventional methods of medical treatment. Rather, reflexology should be used in conjunction with professional medical treatment.