Complementary health

01 Jul 2013

Often referred to as complimentary medicine, alternative therapies provide a non-conventional and natural way of approaching your health and wellbeing.

Alternative therapies include a long list of crafts however be cautious of solely relying on them to cure your ailment or alleviate pain. As the preferred name suggests, complimentary therapies are best used alongside traditional medicine.

Yoga

Yoga is a series of structured poses linked with your breathing. It’s considered a practice of ancient and spiritual enlightenment, however the modern technique is closely linked with exercise and stress management.

Research has shown that regular yoga sessions may produce health benefits, especially with relation to stress and blood pressure. This is mainly due to the assumption that concentrating of postures and breaths act as a powerful form of meditation.

Practising Yoga relies on holding muscle tension when going through the various poses. This improves cardiovascular fitness and circulation, possibly assisting to normalise blood pressure. Improved circulation may even help with your digestive system.

Yoga also helps with sore joints and muscles. Gentle stretching helps to relieve tension in your body, increases flexibility and eases pressure on your joints.

Remember, if you’re new to the practice of yoga, or if you’ve got particular aches and pains, always practise under the care of a certified instructor.

Pilates

In the 1920s, physical trainer Joseph Pilates introduced the Pilates method, a series of exercises influenced by gymnastics, yoga, and ballet to help injured athletes and dancers recover more quickly and maintain their fitness.

Pilates can be aerobic or non-aerobic, offering improved flexibility and increased muscle strength. In particular, it helps with stabilisation and balance.

When it comes to your muscles, strength comes when you improve the bone mass. This is done by using and strengthening the muscles attached to a particular bone or joint.

There are two main types of Pilates – mat and machine. Mat-based Pilates is a series of exercises and stretches performed on the floor. The technique uses your own body weight and gravity to provide resistance.

Machine-based Pilates uses specific equipment working against spring-loaded resistance.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture helps to stimulate certain parts of the body by penetrating the skin with needles. Acupuncture is one of the oldest healing practices in the world, a component of traditional Chinese medicine.

Generally, an initial consultation will occur. Your pulse will be taken and your tongue will be inspected. Sessions can last anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes, during which needles will be inserted and manipulated in various ways.

Don’t be alarmed by the needles though, treatment is generally pain-free although you may experience tingling, warmth, heaviness or lightness.

Acupuncture has many benefits when it comes to your health including regulating your blood pressure, cholesterol and hormone levels. It’s also said to aid the body’s defensive system. According to the Australian Natural Therapists Association, “Traditional Acupuncturists believe that gentle stimulation at precise acupuncture points applied on the basis of correct diagnosis, will aid the body’s own defensive and self healing systems, thus promoting and maintain good health.”

Just remember, it’s not a quick fix. You’ll have to go for a few sessions to benefit from acupuncture and there’s no guarantee that it will help.

Cupping

Cupping has only recently become a popular method of pain relief and has mainly found fame on the back of celebrities. It’s an ancient Chinese therapy, where a cup is applied to the skin and pressure reduced inside to pull the skin and muscle and skin inside.

It’s most commonly used on the back.

Oils are also used to help the cups move more freely over the skin. A small amount of heat is generated due to the friction of moving cups against the skin. This is emphasised if warming oil is used as well.

Cupping can be used to help with pain relief, gastrointestinal disorders, lung conditions and even paralysis.

However, there are times when cupping should definitely not be used including on inflamed skin, and when the patient has a high fever or a tendency to bruise.

It’s important to remember that even though these complimentary medicines and therapies may help alleviate pain or tension, it may not. There is no guarantee. Also, always speak to your medical practitioner before you try anything new. 

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