A Glossary of Holistic Health Terms

Acupressure: A ancient method of healing related to acupuncture (see below). Acupressure and acupuncture practitioners stimulate the same anatomical points and meridians on the surface of the skin as part of their approach to healing.  However, acupressure practitioners use their fingers, rather than needles, to create the stimulation.  Acupressure practitioners may also include other bodywork and energy therapies in their approach to healing.

Acupuncture: A method of healing developed in China at least 2,000 years ago. Today, acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.

Aromatherapy:  Involves the use of essential oils (extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs, and trees to promote health and well-being. Often incorporated as part of the holistic approach to healing.

Ayurveda ("ah-yur-VAY-dah"): An alternative medical system that has been practiced primarily in the Indian subcontinent for 5,000 years. Ayurveda includes diet and herbal remedies and emphasizes the use of body, mind, and spirit in disease prevention and treatment.

Chiropractic: An alternative medical system. It focuses on the relationship between bodily structure (primarily that of the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. Chiropractors use manipulative therapy as an integral treatment tool.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM): A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered an integral part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. Some health care providers practice both CAM and conventional medicine.

Conventional medicine: A whole medical system practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. Other terms for conventional medicine include allopathy; Western, mainstream, and orthodox medicine; and biomedicine.

Dietary supplements.: A dietary supplement is a product (other than tobacco) taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. Dietary ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, and metabolites. Dietary supplements come in many forms, including extracts, concentrates, tablets, capsules, gel caps, liquids, and powders. They have special requirements for labeling. Under DSHEA, dietary supplements are considered foods, not drugs.

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs, also called electric and magnetic fields): Invisible lines of force that surround all electrical devices. The Earth also produces EMFs; electric fields are produced when there is thunderstorm activity, and magnetic fields are believed to be produced by electric currents flowing at the Earth's core.

Essential oils: Concentrated liquids containing aromatic compounds extracted from plants (e.g., lavender); used in aromatherapy applications.

Fibromyalgia: A complex chronic condition having multiple symptoms, including muscle pain, fatigue, and tenderness in precise, localized areas, particularly in the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. People with this syndrome may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and other symptoms.

Homeopathic medicine: An alternative medical system. In homeopathic medicine, there is a belief that "like cures like," meaning that small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms.

Massage Therapy:  A form of body manipulation in which practitioners manipulate muscle and connective tissue to enhance function of those tissues and promote relaxation and well-being.

Meridian: A traditional Chinese medicine term for each of the 20 pathways throughout the body for the flow of qi (see below), or vital energy, accessed through acupuncture points. The concept of meridians is incorporated into many therapies used in the holistic approach to health.

Naturopathic medicine (or naturopathy): An alternative medical system. Naturopathic medicine proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Practitioners work with the patient with a goal of supporting this power, through treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.

Osteopathic medicine: A form of conventional medicine that, in part, emphasizes diseases arising in the musculoskeletal system. There is an underlying belief that all of the body's systems work together, and disturbances in one system may affect function elsewhere in the body. Some osteopathic physicians practice osteopathic manipulation, a full-body system of hands-on techniques to alleviate pain, restore function, and promote health and well-being.

Parasympathetic nervous system: That part of the autonomic nervous system that creates what some call the "rest and digest" response. This system's responses oppose those of the sympathetic nervous system (see definition, below). For example, it causes heart rate and breathing rate to slow down, the blood vessels to dilate (improving blood flow), and activity to increase in many parts of the digestive tract.

Placebo: An inactive pill or sham procedure given to a participant in a research study as part of a test of the effects of another substance or treatment. Scientists use placebos to get a true picture of how the substance or treatment under investigation affects participants. In recent years, the definition of placebo has been expanded to include such things as aspects of interactions between patients and their health care providers that may affect their expectations and the study's outcomes.

Qi ("chee") is a Chinese term for vital energy or life force. In traditional Chinese medicine, qi  is believed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance, and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin and yang. The concept of qi, or some similar vital force, is incorporated into many therapies used in the holistic approach to health.

Qi gong ("chee-GUNG"): A component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of qi (an ancient term given to what is believed to be vital energy) in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance immune function.

Reflexology: A therapeutic approach in which pressure is applied to specific reflex points on the feet, hands, and ears. Reflexology assumes that the entire body is a mapped onto these reflex points.  As a result, the pressure applied is believed to affect more distant, internal organs.

Reiki ("RAY-kee"): A Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy. Reiki is based on the belief that when spiritual energy is channeled through a Reiki practitioner, the patient's spirit is healed, which in turn heals the physical body.

Sympathetic nervous system: The part of the autonomic nervous system that helps mobilize the body for action. When a person is under stress, it produces the fight-or-flight response. For example, heart rate and breathing rate go up, the blood vessels narrow (restricting the flow of blood), and muscles tighten.

Therapeutic Touch: A healing approach derived from an ancient technique called laying-on of hands. It is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient's recovery; healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance; and, by passing their hands over the patient, healers can identify energy imbalances.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM): The current name for an ancient system of health care from China. TCM is based on a concept of balanced qi (pronounced "chee"), or vital energy, that is believed to flow throughout the body. Qi is proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin (negative energy) and yang (positive energy). Disease is proposed to result from the flow of qi being disrupted and yin and yang becoming imbalanced. Among the components of TCM are herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, meditation, acupuncture, and remedial massage.

Yoga:  A spiritual practice that developed in India thousands of years ago. Yoga combines specialized postures, breathing exercises, and meditation in an effort to integrate mind, body, and spirit. Yoga has been shown to alleviate stress and may be useful in the treatment of certain physical conditions such as arthritis.