Modalities
Nutrition – is a science which studies the relationship between diet and states of health and disease. Between the extremes of optimal health and death from starvation or malnutrition, there is an array of disease states that can be caused or alleviated by changes in diet. Deficiencies, excesses and imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on health, which may lead to diseases such as scurvy, obesity or osteoporosis, as well as psychological and behavioral problems. Moreover, excessive ingestion of elements that have no apparent role in health, (e.g. lead, mercury, PCBs, dioxins), may incur toxic and potentially lethal effects, depending on the dose. The science of nutrition attempts to understand how and why specific dietary aspects influence health.
Functional Nutrition – is an integrative science-based healthcare approach that treats illness and promotes wellness by focusing on the bio-chemically unique aspects of individual patient and tailoring interventions to restore physiological, psychological, and structural balance. Functional medicine focuses on understanding the fundamental physiological processes, the environmental inputs, and the genetic predispositions that influence health and disease so that interventions are focused on treating the cause of the problem, not just masking the symptoms.
Acupuncture – is a broad term covering techniques for inserting and manipulating thin needles into “acupuncture points” on the body in order to restore health and well-being. In the West, it is associated with Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM along with herbal medicine and tui na.
Aricular acupuncture – is a technique using thin needles on the ear to treat the patient. It is very effective in accessing and balancing neurotransmission and used often in addiction problems. It is currently used in some prisons to aid inmates withdrawing from addiction. It requires little in supplies, time or cost.
Herbal therapy – also known as phytotherapy, is folk and traditional medicinal practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Plants have an almost limitless ability to synthesize aromatic substances, most of which are phenols or their oxygen-substituted derivatives such as tannins. Most are secondary metabolites, of which at least 12,000 have been isolated, a number estimated to be less than 10% of the total. In many cases, these substances (esp. alkaloids) serve as plant defense mechanisms against predation by microorganisms, insects, and herbivores. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds. The use of and search for drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Pharmacologists, microbiologists, botanists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and leads that could be developed for treatment of various diseases. In fact, many modern drugs have been derived from plants. The use of the pharmaceuticals currently available to Western physicians have a long history of use as herbal remedies, including opium, aspirin, digitalis, and quinine.
Moxibustion (Moxa) – Moxa is also known as mugwort, an herb that is warmed over acupunture points to warm regions and acupuncture points with the intention of stimulating circulation through the points and inducing a smoother flow of blood and qi. Scientific research has shown that mugwort acts as an emmenagogue, meaning that it stimulates blood-flow in the pelvic area and uterus. It is claimed that moxibustion militates against cold and dampness in the body and can serve to turn breech babies. Practitioners consider moxibustion to be especially effective in the treatment of chronic problems, “deficient conditions” (weakness), and gerontology. It is said that moxa can add new energy to the body and treat both excess and deficient conditions.
Gua sha – Gua sha involves firmly rubbing a person’s skin with a ceramic soup spoon or large coin. The goal is to relieve stagnation, or in other words, to clear some illness from the body by getting it to move. Gua sha is used commonly on respiratory illnesses, for example, where the skin of the upper back, neck, and chest may be rubbed.
Cupping – is a therapy involving the placement of glass, plastic, or bamboo cups on the skin with a vacuum. The therapy is used to relieve what is called “stagnation” in Traditional Chinese Medicine terms, and is used in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as the common cold, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Cupping is also used to treat back, neck, shoulder, and other musculoskeletal pain. Its advocates claim it has other applications as well.
Tui na – is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese herbalism and qigong. Tuina uses traction, massage and manipulation in conjunction with the stimulation of acupressure points and is used for both acute or chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as certain non-musculoskeletal conditions. It is an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine
