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Advantages of complementary and alternative medicine
Advantages of complementary and alternative medicine
Benefits of alternative medicine over conventional medicine
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BSTRACT
In the face of rapid technological advancement and medicalization of lifestyle, is there space and need for alternative forms of medicine?
The purpose of this research proposal is to focus on the advantages and benefits of complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Taking Yoga as an example of CAM, its effects on anxiety disorders will be studied. Yoga is a program that integrates all the life aspects of mind, body, and spirit may allow participants to find greater improvements of overall well-being. This will further help individuals to broaden their view of psychopathy and understand the importance of the connection between the mind and body. Patients with anxiety disorders will be prescribed Yoga Therapy for a period
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What is missing from all of these therapies is a focus on the spiritual component of life. There is a definite lack of approaches that address the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yoga has recently emerged in the literature as a holistic mind, body, and spiritual method of intervention (Varambally & Gangadhar, 2012). CAM therapy of Yoga reviewed here seems to mirror established pharmacological agents, such as impact on neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, and monoaminergic, glutaminergic and HPA axis activity. In addition, CAM therapies are well tolerated and may help to alleviate side effects associated with conventional medicine. Thus, this proposal provides a rationale for further exploration of Yoga Therapy as form of CAM on anxiety disorders.
In the Indian tradition, Yoga has been a pathway to achieve a spiritual goal. However, with the influence of evidence-based scientific research and modern medicine, over the last few decades there has been much attention given to the ‘byproducts’ of yogic practices. A program that integrates all the life aspects of mind, body, and spirit may allow participants to balance their whole being and find greater improvements of overall well-being. A model that includes CBT strategies, mindfulness, meditation and yoga, and spirituality fits with the perspective of holism (Heather Marie Boynton,
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, throughout many cultures to help with the balance of physical and mental well-being. Throughout the years yoga has also been incorporated with many healings, whether with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or many other things that cause us mental and physical pain. However, recently yoga has been intertwined with cancer patients who have just been diagnosed, are currently going through the treatments, and for the miraculous people who have survived this destructive disease.
Streeter, C. C., Gerbarg, P. L., Saper, R. B., Ciraulo, D. A., & Brown, R. P. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical hypotheses, 78(5), 571-579.
For many centuries, humanity has been on an eternal quest for cures and treatments for many chronic conditions. At the present time, conventional medicine is mostly performed by doctors and other health care professionals, with the extensive use of pharmaceutical drugs, surgery or radiation treatments for disease treatment. Conversely, even though not as popular, complementary and alternative medicine and treatment options are slowly gaining popularity and becoming an addition to traditional medicine.
There has been a growing trend over the past few years in health care using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) or also known as Eastern medicine. The new and emerging type of health care has been around for thousands of years, but in recent years have been more accepting in Western culture. CAM is described as, “a wide range of practices, technologies and treatments not traditionally associated with the medical professions or medical curriculum” (Solomon & Adams, 2015). There are many different types of CAM health care. Some of the more popular practices include acupuncture, massage therapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal remedies. Each of these therapies are used in different ways to help with the overall
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
...biology of Meditation and its clinical effectiveness in psychiatric disorders. Biological Psychology, 82(1), 1-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2009.04.003
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
This qualitative case study is an approach to research how yoga can affect the human mind in a positive way and lead to a healthy lifestyle using 2 sources one being a book called The Science Of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards by William J. Broad 2012. And the other being a private interview with a 22 year old male Yogi. This ensures that the issue is not getting explored through one side, but rather a variety of sides which allows for different inputs to be reveled and understood. There are two key approaches that help determine if yoga helps affect the human mind in a positive way. One flourished by William J. Broad (2012) which explores different factors on how yoga contributes to a healthy lifestyle and interviews fellow yogis who give there insight on the matter. And the second being a personal webcam interview conducted by the researcher ...
Anxiety impacts approximately 25% of 13-18 at some point (Merikangas et al., n.d.). Anxiety that no longer signals danger can become pathological when it is excessive and persistent (Upadhyay, 2016). According to Upadhyay (2016), this type of pathological worry known as anxiety is a major component of an unhealthy lifestyle. Excessive worry is an indicator of anxiety and it is believed that yoga is effective due to its emphasis on focusing on the present moment rather than focusing on the past or future (Khalsa et al., 2011). Yoga outside of psychotherapy can improve emotional regulation and mental health functioning in youth. Participants obtained skills to breathe and use movement to calm down and learned to pay better attention to their thoughts, body, and feelings (Beltran, et al., 2016). Another study conducted by Upadhyay (2016) found that after a 12-week yoga program adolescents saw a decrease in anxiety scores on Becks Anxiety Inventory and reported a decrease in tension, depression, and anger. Another unique form of therapy that is utilized for anxiety is Yoga-Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Y-BT) (Khalsa, et al., 2011). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a theory used in a clinical setting that targets maladaptive thought patterns to seek behavioral change. Y-CBT uses this therapeutic process and also incorporate yoga during the process. This is because CBT trains the individual to identify and replace maladaptive thoughts and yoga and meditation often reduce the tendency for the thoughts to happen in general. The study utilizing Y-CBT saw a significant improvement in anxiety levels and a significant decrease in symptoms of comorbid depression and panic in participants diagnosed with ...
They noticed that the conditions related to their muscular system, respiratory system, nervous system, and the digestive system improved notably. It has been studied and suggested that regular practice of Yoga increases the brain gamma-Aminobutyric acid levels which helps in regulating the excitability of the nervous system and muscle tone as well. This helps in reducing anxiety and improving mood functions, letting people lead much more emotionally balanced lives. Apart from the abovementioned advantages, yoga also helps in keeping cardiovascular diseases in check. The three principles of yoga: asana (exercise), pranayama (breathing), and drishti (meditation) help in monitoring heart activities and keeping it functioning healthily. It does so by reducing blood pressure, speeding up recovery related to heart failures or cardiac arrests, and lower other cardiovascular risk factors that some people might have genetically imbibed in them. Similarly, it helps people with chronic back aches. Regular practice of yoga can bring relief over a period of time, than medications alone. Pain medications for back ache or spine-related spasms generally have dangerous side effects such as gastric problems, nausea, and the relief they provide last for a very short period of time. Yoga on the other hand gives back pain sufferers a much necessary relief through stretching exercises and also by meditating which plays a major role in alleviating any kind of
Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 36:2, 67-68. Simon, D. (2004). The 'Secondary'. Practicing Mind-Body-Soul Medicine. Alternative Therapies, 10:6, 62-68.
In a world full of skepticism towards the alternative, Yoga has created a place of growing belief for itself. As Timothy McCall, M.D. states in his book Yoga As Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health & Healing: A Yoga Journal Book:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). (2010). Health info. Meditation: An introduction. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
Through the practice of yoga, I have begun to learn many things about myself that I did not know before. These new findings are due to the implementation of the practice of yama and niyama into my everyday life. Yama means restraint or behavior to avoid. While, niyama means observance or conduct to cultivate. Yama principles focuses on a person’s interactions with the world while niyama is more of a self observation and how to deal with ourselves. I find that these ten commandments of yoga have caused me to examine myself and the world around me in a way that isn’t negative but of understanding. I think that as humans we tend to fear the unknown but the unknown is only unknown until we actively engage in finding the truth. Thus, we can go on in life being afraid of the things that we don’t know about ourselves and the world around us or we can enthusiastically search for the truth.
The goal of this study was to identify the ways in which engaging in yoga practices would alter psychological well being, and allow people to engage more fully in their lives and flourish in health and happiness. The pre and post test set up of this study allowed the researchers to see the ways in which students had been affected by their participation in the yoga teacher training. Yoga training students were engaged in a four week program. They were administered tests and the beginning of the study, prior to engaging in the program, at the end of the program, after completion, and then again at a 3 month follow up. Multiple factors were assessed, however the significant and important ones which relate directly to our understanding of healthy, happiness and wellness and the course content are extremely