Alternative Medicine and the National Institute of Health
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (NCCAM), which is part of the National Institute of Health (NIH),
recognizes four types of alternative medical systems: Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM), naturopathic medicine, homeopathic medicine, and ayurveda.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been practiced in
China, Japan and Korea for more than 2,000 years. It is based on the concept of
balanced “qi,” an energy flow in the body that controls the balance between the
mind and body. A person becomes ill when that energy flow is disrupted. Herbs
and acupuncture, which involves penetrating the skin at strategic points in the
body using very thin solid metal needles, both play an important role in TCM.
Meditation and breathing are also important components of TCM, especially when
treating circulatory and immune disorders.
Homeopathic medicine originated nearly 200 years ago in Germany
and is based on the research of a
physician and chemist named Samuel Hahnemann. The underlying principle behind
homeopathy is that the physical and psychological symptoms of an illness can be
treated with small dilute concentrations of substances that in larger
concentrations would actually cause that illness.
Practitioners of naturopathic medicine believe that the
power to heal and maintain good health comes from within the body itself. Each
individual is treated in accordance with his or her lifestyle, diet, and
personal profile. Naturopathic medicine combines a number of techniques
including nutrition and lifestyle management, dietary and vitamin supplements,
medicinal plants, bodywork, homeopathy, and certain aspects of TCM such as
acupuncture.
Ayurvedic medicine has been practiced in India for more than
5,000 years. It is based on the belief
that illness occurs when the body is out of balance due to a certain lifestyle
or other factors. A holistic approach, which includes diet and herbs, as well as
the power of the mind-body connection is used to treat patients.