Glossary of Terms

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through your skin at strategic points on your body. A key component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain. Increasingly, it is being used for overall wellness, including stress management.

Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as chi or qi (chee) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance.

In contrast, many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. Some believe that this stimulation boosts your body’s natural painkillers.

ANTHROPOSOPHICAL MEDICINE

Anthroposophic medicine is an integrative approach to treatment that extends and enhances health outcomes by looking outside of isolated symptoms towards a more holistic conception of health. This conception includes physical, psychological and spiritual health, as well as the impact of a person’s environment and social context.

Anthroposophic medicine focuses on how to keep people healthy rather than on why they fall ill; this is called the “salutogenic” approach.

The anthroposophic medical approach is designed to complement conventional medicine. Anthroposophic medical doctors are qualified physicians who have received additional training to integrate anthroposophic medicine into their conventional practices.

BOWEN TECHNIQUE

Bowen therapy, also called Bowenwork or Bowtech, is a form of bodywork. It involves gently stretching the fascia — the soft tissue that covers all your muscles and organs — to promote pain relief.

Specifically, this form of therapy uses precise and gentle, rolling hand movements. These motions focus on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, along with the fascia and skin around them. The idea is to reduce pain by stimulating the nervous system.

CERVICAL ESCHAROTIC TREATMENT

Cervical escharotic treatments are a non-surgical treatment alternative to loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), cryotherapy, conization and laser ablation for individuals who have been diagnosed with cervical dysplasia which is a pre-cancerous condition of the cervix. Naturopathic doctors cervical escharotic treatments to successfully treat dysplasia and HPV.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE

A chiropractic adjustment, also referred to as an osseous adjustment, involves the gentle manipulation of the spine and other areas of the body in order to relieve muscle tension and restore full range of motion. It can be extremely therapeutic, reduce inflammation in the body and improve movement.

COLD LASER THERAPY

Cold laser therapy is the use of light as a medical treatment, which generates continuous and pulsed emissions to encourage anti-inflammatory results. The cold laser uses infrared light, which one cannot see or feel, to reduce inflammation, swelling and pain. The anti-inflammatory effects of the infrared light work at the cellular level. Unlike modalities such as cortisone injections and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pills, laser does not suppress inflammation but rather stimulates the body’s cells to reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain

DERMATOLOGY

Dermatology refers to the branch of medicine dealing with skin, hair and nails and its diseases.

EXOSOME THERAPY

Exosome treatment contains growth factors, messenger RNA, micro RNA, cytokines and other biologically active molecules in conjunction with stem cell therapy to speed up healing benefit. Exosome therapy can be injected into the affected area like in orthopedic injuries or given intravenously for anti-aging.

HOLISTIC

A holistic approach means to provide support that looks at the whole person, not just their mental health needs. The support should also consider their physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. … A holistic approach focusses on a person’s wellness and not just their illness or condition.

HOLISTIC PELVIC FLOOR TREATMENT

Holistic pelvic floor treatment is a combination of gentle, internal bodywork techniques, inter-vaginal assessments, simple breath work, and inter-vaginal massage that physically and energetically aligns the pelvis and supports the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is connected with the root chakra of the body. On a clinical level, the internal massage increases blood and energy flow, revitalizing a woman’s root and enhancing her overall pelvic health.

HOMEOPATHY

Homeopathy is the practice of medicine that embraces a holistic, natural approach to the treatment of the sick. Homeopathy is holistic because it treats the person as a whole, rather than focusing on a diseased part or a labeled sickness.

HORMONE THERAPY

Hormone therapy is used to replace hormones lacking in the body including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone that decrease as the body ages.

HYPNOTHERAPY

Hypnotherapy is a type of alternative medicine in which hypnosis is used to create a state of focused attention and increased suggestibility during which positive suggestions and guided imagery are used to help individuals deal with a variety of concerns and issues.

INFRARED SAUNA

Infrared saunas help to detoxify the body, increase energy production, improve tissue healing, enhance sleep and decrease inflammation.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

Integrative medicine is an approach to care that puts the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect a person’s health.

MODERN ENERGY TAPPING

With Modern Energy Tapping you tap or touch lightly, balancing and energizing your energy system, clearing blockages as you go. The focus is on increasing the flow of energy through the system. As your energy flow increases you begin to feel more positive and energized.

OZONE THERAPY

Ozone therapy refers to the process of administering ozone gas into your body to treat a disease or wound.

QIGONG

Qigong can be described as a mind-body-spirit practice that improves one’s mental and physical health by integrating posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent.

PLATELET-RICH PLASMA THERAPY

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses injections of a concentration of a patient’s own platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. In this way, PRP injections use each individual patient’s own healing system to improve musculoskeletal problems.

POSTPARTUM CARE

The postpartum period begins after the delivery of your baby and ends when your body has nearly returned to its pre-pregnant state, typically 6-8 weeks.

PRENATAL CARE

Prenatal care is the health care you get while you are pregnant. It includes your checkups and prenatal testing. Prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy. It lets your health care provider spot health problems early. Early treatment can cure many problems and prevent others.

THERMOGRAPHY

Thermography is a test that uses an infrared camera to detect heat patterns and blood flow in body tissues and help recognize and diagnose issues and cancer.

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