Pharmacology

NATURAL MODALITIES

The practice of natural medicine is holistic. This means that a properly trained
natural medicine practitioner will consider the person, not a named health
condition. Of course symptom relief is important and is one of the aims of a
holistic natural medicine treatment. However, holistic practitioners also consider
areas like lifestyle and diet to identify possible underlying causes of ill health and
loss of full wellbeing.

The holistic practice of natural medicine also extends to identifying the most
appropriate modality, or type of therapy, both for the individual and the
presenting health concerns.
Qualified natural medicine practitioners can offer advice and guidance. However
it is often the person seeking better health who will first make this decision, based
on their likes and dislikes.

1. Acupuncture - Acupuncture involves the use of thin solid metal needles

which are inserted in the body at very specific points.
2. Aromatherapy - encompasses human pathology and the treatment of
different conditions both emotional and physical with essential oils.
3. Ayurveda - rely heavily on herbs and other plants – including oils and
common spices. Currently, more than 600 herbal formulas and 250 single
plant drugs are included in the pharmacy of Ayurvedic Medicine. Ayurvedic
medicine continues to be practiced in India, where nearly 80 percent of the
population uses it exclusively or combined with conventional (Western)
medicine.
4. Bowen Therapy - is a remedial, hands-on technique based on the use of
gentle pressure and release of the soft connective tissue (fascia) of the
body. This involves a sequence of light, cross-fibre movements of varying
pressure at specific sites on the body using thumbs and fingers in a specific
manner. There are also specific timings applied between some of the
moves when the therapist is required to wait for a number of minutes.

5. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - This view is based on the ancient

Chinese perception of humans as microcosms of a larger, surrounding
 universe (macrocosm) and their relationship with nature and its forces.
What happens to one part of the body affects every other part of the body.
The mind and body are not viewed separately, but as part of an energetic
system. Similarly our organs are viewed as interconnected structures that
work together to keep the body functioning in balance and harmony.
6. Chiropractic - is a health care discipline based on the scientific premise that
the body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. These important
functions are controlled by the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of the
body. “Chiropractic” comes from the Greek word Chiropraktikos, meaning
“done by hand.”
7. Homoeopathy - follows legal and therapeutic guidelines for the preparation
and the prescription of medicines to assist a patient self-heal. These
medicines have been prepared in a specific way by a poetizing process that
involves serial dilution with undercurrent succession (shaking hard). The
potency and dose prescribed can vary, depending on each patient’s
individual needs. The medicines are usually taken orally and can be
provided in pills, powders, tablets, sprays or drops.
8. Clinical Hypnotherapy - is the process in which the state of Hypnosis is
utilized for therapy. A person enters the hypnotic state with the aim of
achieving deep relaxation or changing specific behaviors, habits and
physical conditions by addressing conflicting emotions, attitudes and
beliefs.
9. Kinesiology - is a specialized natural health care modality that draws on the
ancient wisdom of Eastern cultures and the latest research and
understandings from the West of how the body and brain work together, to
heal, create balance and to function efficiently and effectively. Kinesiology
looks beyond symptoms recognizing that the flow of energy within the
body not only relates to the muscles but to every cell, tissue and organ that
make the body a living ever changing organism.
10. Naturopathy - A naturopathic practitioner deals with internal health
problems, metabolic disorders and imbalances, through treatment of the
whole person. In general, a wide range of assessment techniques are
employed to uncover the causative factors and treatment may involve
 nutritional advice, dietary changes, herbal medicines, homoeopathy,
bodywork or nutritional supplements. Naturopaths will not necessarily
utilize all of these therapies, but will have a range of therapies they
specialize in.
11. Nutrition - is the science of food, the nutrients in foods and how the body
uses those nutrients. It includes the process of ingestion, digestion,
absorption, metabolism, transport, storage and excretion of those
nutrients. It also includes the environmental, psychological and behavioral
aspects of food and eating. The six classes of nutrients include:
carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water.
12. Osteopathy - An osteopathic physician will focus on the joints, muscles, and
spine. Treatment aims to positively affect the body's nervous, circulatory,
and lymphatic systems. Manual medicine means that both diagnosis and
treatment are carried out with the hands.
13. Reflexology - The basic principle of Reflexology is that congestion/tension
in any part of the foot mirrors the congestion/tension in a corresponding
body part. These body parts or reflex points can also be found on the hands
and other body parts; however, the most commonly treated area is the
feet.
14. Remedial Massage - is the systematic assessment and treatment of the
muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues of the body to assist in
rehabilitation, pain and injury management. It is performed to create
favorable conditions for the body to return to normal health after injury,
and is defined by the premise that the treatment can reasonably reverse
certain physical effects that are present in patients. If a patient has suffered
a moderate injury resulting in structural pain and/or loss of function, then
remediation may be required to reduce or eliminate pain and help restore
the body’s function to normal.
15. Shiatsu - incorporates the use of a range of techniques to apply pressure to
various parts of the body to stimulate a therapeutic effect. The pressure
used may be firm or light, using not only thumbs but feet, elbows, knees
and palms. This may be combined with stretches and techniques to
improve joint mobility to give an all-over body treatment which aims at
 treating with a holistic focus. Treatment is carried out fully clothed, usually
with the patient lying or sitting on a futon mat on the ground.
16. Tibetan Medicine - employs a complex approach to diagnosis,
incorporating techniques such as pulse analysis and urinalysis, and observes
behavior, dietary advise, the use of medicines composed of natural
materials (e.g: herbs and minerals) and physical therapies such as massage,
Tibetan acupuncture and moxibustion to treat illness.
17. Traditional Chinese Massage has been practiced for around 2,000 years.
Tui Na Massage is one of the most popular forms of Chinese Massage
today. It involves deep massage techniques that are applied over the whole
body, especially the back, with many repetitions. Tui Na Massage is often
used for treating ailments such as chronic pain, musculoskeletal problems
like sprains and strains, arthritis, problems of the digestive system, liver and
the spleen. An Mo Massage also incorporates many Chinese Massage
techniques which are applied to the entire body. An Mo Massage is used to
balance, calm and relax the entire body by using yang techniques.
18. Thai Massage - It is performed on a client who is fully clothed and lying on a
floor mat. During a session, a practitioner guides the client through a series
of passive stretches, using their hands, forearms, elbows, knees, and feet to
compress and palpate the muscles of the body. Rhythmic rocking and
pressure point techniques are used throughout the treatment to restore
energy and bring the client to a state of relaxation. It is the combination of
energetic and physical techniques that makes Thai Massage unique and so
effective. Thai Massage is a full-body treatment, starting at the feet and
progressing up to the head.
19. Herbal medicines - include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations,
and finished herbal products that contain parts of plants or other plant
materials as active ingredients. Herbs contain a large number of naturally
occurring chemicals that have biological activity and compounds from
plants that are used to produce reliable pharmaceutical drugs.