Rose Colored Glasses

Chromotherapy or Color Therapy is a form of vibrational medicine. Vibrational medicine is the use of energy to heal. Color is a form of visible light and light is electromagnetic energy. Each color of the rainbow causes a different reaction. For example:

Red invokes feelings of rage and anger

Blue invokes feelings of calmness and peace

This idea comes into play with feng shui and choosing a color for your room. Painting a whole room red would be a bad idea because if you sit in it for too long, you may become angry.

Would you consider using colored contacts to "color your world" in a way that would make it more conducive to your life? (Would you wear blue tinted contacts to make your life seem calmer?)

Massage

For my 18th birthday, my mom took me to a spa and treated me to a massage. I got a head massage and a foot massage. I was so relaxed and I almost fell asleep.

It didn't occur to me that massage was a form of alternative therapy until I began researching it.

According to the site: massagetherapy.com

"Massage is one of the oldest healing arts: Chinese records dating back 3,000 years document its use; the ancient Hindus, Persians and Egyptians applied forms of massage for many ailments; and Hippocrates wrote papers recommending the use of rubbing and friction for joint and circulatory problems. Today, the benefits of massage are varied and far-reaching. As an accepted part of many physical rehabilitation programs, massage therapy has also proven beneficial for many chronic conditions, including low back pain, arthritis, bursitis, fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes, immunity suppression, infertility, smoking cessation, depression, and more. And, as many millions will attest, massage also helps relieve the stress and tension of everyday living that can lead to disease and illness."

Would you consider using massage as a form of therapy?

Detox

I was trying to figure out why everyone talks about "colon cleanse" first rather than other things. A "diet detox" seems more important but then I began reading the information on "The Natural Path" website. It said that cleansing the colon first makes the most sense because it is one of the major organs that gets rid of the "bad stuff" or toxins in your body. After the colon, the kidneys and the liver are also eliminating organs and should be detoxified next.

My cousin Kitt used detoxification to begin her diet. She did the colon cleanse and then began her diet. She found that it worked much better than just trying to diet right away. She has lost over 30 pounds since her detox.

Chelation Therapy

Chelation Therapy is a series of intravenous injections of the synthetic amino acid EDTA, designed to detoxify the body. It can also be used to treat arteriosclerosis. This is an Alternative Therapy that is used in the clinic but is still considered a "non-normal" medical practice.

Rollercaoster Therapy?

So many people talk about having out of body experiences as ways of helping them recooperate from a tramatic event. I would like to propose the idea of rollercoaster therapy... you definitely have an out of body experience while riding a rollercoaster...

The attached video is from my trip to Disneyland with my lacrosse team.



Do you think that could be a form of therapy?

Hyperthermia Therapy

Hyperthermia is commonbly known as heat stroke. Basically it is when you body sweats so much that it has no fluids left to support itself. A controlled hyperthermia is used sometimes to treat illnesses. The patient sits in a sauna and "sweats away the bad things that are inside their body" and then is returned to bed and pumped full of fluids. This is sometimes used to treat cancer. This link shows how that can be done.

Rebirthing Therapy

Rebirthing Therapy is used to treat attachment disorder. Children who are adopted sometimes go through this therapy to create a strengthened bond between themselves and their new parents. Essentially, the child is wrapped in blankets and smothered between pillows on the floor to symbolize the womb of birth. The child is then almost smothered pushed through the hole in the blankets and pillows to be re-born.

This is the story of Candice Newmaker who did not make it through the therapy. She smothered to death. 

Interview about Prolotherapy

My friend Thomas was reading my blog and he responded to the text poll that he had used Prolotherapy so naturally I decided to ask him what it was.

He said that he tore his hamstring and the athletic trainers sent him to "Dr. Walrod's office for an injection of dextrose into the injured area. The injection causes inflamation which then allows the body to send extra healing elements to the area to speed the healing process."

For further information please visit this site.

Autogenic Therapy

Autogenic therapy is kind of like a self-hypnosis where you follow a series of steps that you basically tell yourself... I did this in my choir class during high school. The teacher would put in a CD of a guy talking and we would try to do as he said. He would say things like "your toes are feeling very heavy, and now that heaviness is moving to your feel and ankles..." etc. until we are practically asleep while being awake.

May the Force Be With You!

Gemstone therapy is a therapy in which the "life force" can be returned to your life. Some people believe that as humans are a being of light and have a life force running through us. When we are stricken with a disease or pain, it is because the life force has been obstructed and needs to be cleaned to restore health. Gemstones do that for humans. "As the Earth was forming, life energy was infused into the planet’s crystalline matrices. Thus, the Earth’s gemstones came to embody and express the life force within the planet." (http://www.gemstonetherapy.com/tutorial/tutorial_P01.htm) Different gemstones restore different things to life. For example: the Ruby opens and heals the heart especially in reference to emotions. All of the information about different gems and their healing powers please visit the linked site.

Yoga

According to the Yoga Basics website:

The main philosophy of yoga is simple: mind, body and spirit are all one and cannot be clearly separated. Yet there is a multitude of philosophical ideas developed by looking into the deeper dimensions of the body, mind and spirit.

Many people use yoga as a form of exercise as well as a way to focus the mind.

Commonly Used Therapy in Athletic Training

Micro Current Electro Therapy, also known as electro stim to most athletes, is basically a little machine that sends small amounts of electricity through the body in a concentrated area. The treatment causes increased stimulation to the troubled area causing it to heal more rapidly.

I used this to regain feeling over a scar in my hip from a bone marrow donation.

For more information, visit this site.

Reflexology

According to an online reflexology research project:

Reflexology is the physical act of applying pressure to the feet and hand with specific thumb, finger and hand techniques without the use of oil or lotion. it is based on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands with a premise that such work effects a physical change to the body.

Aromatherapy

Using essential oils mainly from plants, aromatherapy is used to treat many emotional disorders such as stress and anxiety. Some oil massages also use oils to stimulate the senses within your skin.

Personally, I love the scent of jasmine and generally use it during stressful times such as finals week.

Cupping

Cupping is a traditional Chinese medical technique which applies suction to diseased parts of the body using ceramic, glass, or bamboo cups in order to increase the circulation in that part of the body. This promotes and increases healing.

In ancient times, an animal's horn would be used instead of the modern cup.

Magnet Therapy

According to an article on InteliHealth:

Some practitioners have theorized that magnet therapy may improve circulation, increase blood oxygen, alkalinize bodily fluids, decrease deposition of toxic materials in blood vessel walls (such as cholesterol plaques) or relax blood vessels through effects on cellular calcium channels. Other theories describe altered nerve impulses, reduced edema or fluid retention, increased endorphins, muscle relaxation, cell membrane effects or stimulation of acupoints. Some traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners suggest that magnets may affect patterns of flow of the body's life force, known as chi (qi). None of these theories has been adequately assessed by scientific research.

Please Vote :)

Acupressure

Acupressure is a therapy similar to acupuncture but instead of using needles, it uses pressure. Therapists simply use different parts of their hands to apply pressure to the pressure points in the body. This relieves pain and helps to treat chronic conditions.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a therapy where fine needels are inserted at specific points to stimulate, disperse, and regulate  the flow of vital energy, and restore a healthy balance. In addition to pain relief, acupuncture can be used to treat chronic illnesses in humans.

Audio Pal

Exercise Therapy

Can running on a treadmill alleviate clinical depression?

Ever since I joined the women's lacrosse team at my college, I seem to be a happier person. It may be just that i have a team supporting me, but i think working out and running through a structured activity in an effective way. We also just got back from Alabama with my team, and even though we were tired, i think we were less stressed when we got back. We had fun as a team with our "swamp march" and seeing our team improve as a whole as well as individually.

Below is an article i found online that talks about exercise therapy by Amanda Daley. (Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2002) 8: 262-270) 


http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/8/4/262


Please read through the article and respond with what your opinion is about "exercise therapy as an option for depression treatment."

Sports Therapy

I know if I am having a stressful day, I can't wait to get on the field for practice. I am a women's lacrosse goalie and practice is a time for me to work out my frustrations of the day. I walk on the field, leave my problems off the field, pick up my goalie stick and start passing with a teammate, and all my problems seem non-existent. I think a big part of it is that i am able to leave my problems off the field so it doesn't interfere with the game. Another part of it is that i have my whole team to support me. Having a group of people there to support you makes a big difference in life when you are going through some rough times. Our coach is also a mentor for us, and she makes a big difference in my life.

I think it is important for everyone to get involved on a team of some sort and having a sports team to work with is another plus. You get to work out your frustrations as well as have support.

The picture i have attached above is a picture of us from our training trip to California.

Dance Therapy

Today in class one of the groups presented about incorporating dance into the classroom. One of the reasons it is a big help in classrooms is for the kinesthetic learning possibilities. Basically, dance is a "hands-on" way of learning. Another reason incorporating dance into the classroom is because of its stress relief possibilities. Dancing releases endorphins which lowers stress levels and also helps keep you awake.

After learning about bringing dance into the classroom, I began to think of other ways dance could be used as a therapy. I decided to google it and I found the cite for the ADTA or the American Dance Therapy Association. This is the video that describes what they do.




I think that when I am angry next time I might try dancing or having a dance party with friends to relax.

Doctor's Office

I was waiting in the Dr.'s office for a friend and I picked up a magazine that was for parents... I am not a parent nor do i hope to be in the near future but they have some good ideas to use as a teacher as well. One of the things in the magazine was an ad for aromatherapy pillows for children. CloudB is the website that appeared in the magazine. I think it is a fantastic idea... some children have a hard time falling asleep at night and there are scents, sounds, and colors that that will induce sleep for people. Lavender, soft light, and falling rain are the sounds, smells, and lights that make me fall asleep. I think i would definitely use this for my child if they were having a rough time sleeping at night.