Traditional Western-style medicine usually takes a dim view of any types of treatment that don’t adhere to the strict rules and regulations that medical practitioners must follow or face criminal charges.
Elsewhere, especially in the Middle East and Asia, healing practitioners have been using healing therapies and remedies for thousands of years. Only now are some of those practices seeping into our traditional medical practices.
Chinese medicine with its practices of acupuncture and herbal remedies, has evolved during thousands of years and is still practiced to treat or prevent diseases and other health problems. Much of the U.S. population uses traditional Chinese medicine as a complementary treatment to traditional Western medicine.
Medicine originating from India also has a long tradition of such practices as Ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, homeopathy, Siddha, Unani and biomedicine. Most of the practices the Western world uses today are ayurvedic in nature with yoga being the most popular form of remedy.
The Inuit culture inhabits the Arctic regions in Russia, Denmark and Canada and has produced health and healing treatments that have also been around for decades. Much of the medications the Inuit use are taken mostly from animal sources native to such a cold and harsh land.
Other Intuit medicinal components used to cure and treat illnesses are the available berries, plants, trees, herbs, insects and even urine, sand, snow and stones. Snow might be used to treat a nosebleed and raw seal fat can help an earache.
The focus of Inuit theory is that the soul, mind and body should be healthy in tandem to produce a healthy body. Remaining cheerful and a positive attitude are believed to help during a chronic illness.
The continent of Africa is steeped in traditional medicine involving herbalists, diviners and midwives. These traditional and spiritual remedies are said to cure psychiatric problems, high blood pressure, cancer, cholera, venereal diseases and a multitude of other diverse medical conditions.
Much of the traditional medicine techniques from other countries aren’t recognized by Western traditional medicine because of the strict rules and regulations that govern medical practitioners and medicines. Practitioners in the United States must be licensed and adhere to the rules set out for them in their medical practices.
The NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) run by the federal government is funding and using scientific research methods to find out if some of these unusual alternative therapy and remedies really work.
Because the wheels of government agencies sometimes run very slowly, medical tourism to other countries is taking place at a rapidly increasing pace. Medical tourism involves the travel of persons to other countries to obtain medical treatment. Besides the high cost of obtaining health care in the United States driving this trend, some curative remedies are still only available in other countries.
There are risks involved in obtaining health care from other countries, but with the vast amount of information now available on the Internet, some people are finding that the treatment that may cure or help their medical maladies is only available in foreign countries.
This report will discuss some of the interesting unusual remedies and therapies used in foreign countries. Some of these practices have been used in their countries of origins for thousands of years, but because of controversial nature can’t be practiced in the United States and other western societies.
Hijama
The Arabic practice of Hijama (sucking or wet cupping) is practiced by using a vacuum to draw blood from a small incision made in the skin. The practice is reported to have begun from Muhammad, the Islamic prophet, who proclaimed, “Indeed, the best of remedies you have is Hijama.”
Hijama is an integral part of the Islamic prophetic medicine practices and was known to be used to treat the prophet, Muhammad and his disciples for a number of medical ailments and to promote health.
Hijama is often performed at the place where the person is suffering aches or pain. The blood-letting is supposed to help relieve the pain and to cleanse the area so that it can heal.
The actual process of Hijama involves the following:
1. Area is shaved, if needed, to provide a tight seal of the cup.
2. The opening of a cup (plastic, metal or glass) is placed on the skin at the affected body site. (Horns were traditionally used.)
3. A seal is created by a vacuum machine (originally, a small piece of paper or cotton was set on fire inside the cup to create the vacuum).
4. The cup is left on the skin for a few minutes, and then lifted off and small incisions are made in the skin to let blood flow.
5. The cup is placed back on the skin and is taken off again when the blood flow subsides.
Cupping or Hijama is non-invasive and also economical. Even traditional, modern medicine acknowledges the benefits of the practice in certain instances such as lung infection, internal organ maladies and joint pain, although the practice isn’t yet widely accepted in Western practices.
Hijama is also a form of energy medicine believed to unblock the meridians (pathways) of blood flow to the body, but some Hijama practitioners believe that it can also help with “possession” and black magic spells.
Some scientific studies have been conducted to assess the value of Hijama and they showed to have some beneficial effects when combined with other, conventional treatments. Most reviews and trials concluded that the effectiveness of Hijama has many limitations and problems.
Other results indicated Hijama has some advantages in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic headaches and tension. Wet-cupping was also found to have some effectiveness for treating lower back pain that was non-specifically diagnosed.
No evidence of benefits for Hijama treatment of cancer exists. There is actually sparse evidence to show that the practice of Hijama has any lasting health benefits, but many people are using Hijama as a form of alternative medicine. Amazon even offers a “blood letting” kit (made in Korea) available for sale on its site.
Gua Sha
Gua sha (scraping bruises) is a traditional medical treatment used in China for centuries. It involves scraping the skin to produce a light rash of bruises that are supposed to rid unhealthy components from the body and to stimulate blood flow for healing purposes.
Gua sha practitioners believe that when lubrication (such as massage oil) is placed on the skin and a tools is used to create friction along the pathway of meridians (pathways from which energy flows) to open them and increase blood flow.
The technique is most commonly used with a ceramic Chinese spoon or a worn metal coin, but animal bones, horns from a water buffalo or a metal cap that has rounded edges is often used.
When the smooth edge of the instrument is used to scrape or stroke the lubricated skin, it involves pressing firmly and then moving down the muscles along the meridians. Each stroke of the instrument is about four to six inches long.
The constant scraping with the instrument can cause bruising which may fade away in a couple of days. The actual blood capillaries aren’t actually ruptured, but the blood flow to the surface of the skin causes the rash type look.
Similar to Gua sha for treating fatigue or sore muscles from hard work, a piece of ginger root is soaked in rice wine and then used to stroke the spine area from the head to the feet. The wine is supposed to dull the effects of the sufferer and give them a sense of well-being.
The Chinese borrowed the ancient practice of Gua sha from Vietnam, probably between the fifth and seventh centuries, CE. The Vietnamese sometimes used a boiled egg with a coin inserted into the middle of the egg yolk. The egg is then wrapped in cloth and rubbed against the forehead and other parts of the body to relieve fever. When the coin is removed from the egg, it has turned black.
Gua sha is considered a type of folk medicine and this “coining” technique is often found on Vietnamese patients who are seen for treatment. The bruising is considered by Western practitioners to be a form of “abuse”, and doctors are required by law to report it to authorities.
Because of this fear of being reported, those who practice Gua sha are reluctant to be seen by Western health-care providers.
Feldenkrais Method
Moshe Feldenkrais is a Russian-born judo aficionado, physicist, educator and engineer who developed a kinesthetic method of therapy improving the way our body moves and thereby creating a sense of general well-being.
Feldenkrais took a methodical approach of “educating” the central nervous system by using movement patterns to create habits that will eventually help in cases of injury, pain and physical maladies.
After a serious knee injury, Feldenkrais was only given a 50% chance of full recovery and a possibility of having to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Not satisfied with conventional treatment, he developed his own based on the principles of biomechanics and the understanding of the connection between the mind and body.
In this field of alternative medicine, practitioners use gentle movements focusing on the range of motion to improve flexibility, coordination through a better understanding of how the body moves and functions.
Feldenkrais believed that using this movement training, new meridians or pathways around the areas of body damage could be made. Many practitioners use the Feldenkrais method to reduce stress and tension. It’s been used with much success in the treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients or those suffering from injuries that involve the brain, head trauma, or diseases that cause uncoordinated movement such as multiple sclerosis.
Orthopedic problems may also be helped by the Feldenkrais Method such as bone and joint problems associated with arthritis or poor posture. Many such problems are also associated with depression and chronic anxiety. The exercises involved in the Feldenkrais Method may help elevate the moods of the patient and in turn, allow them to achieve more feelings of well-being.
A visit to a Feldenkrais practitioner usually involves a group setting and lessons are taught by the instructor who will lead the group in specified movements while the clients are sitting, lying or standing. Sessions are usually from 30 to 60 minutes in length and vary in difficulty.
There are almost 3,000 practitioners of the Feldenkrais Method worldwide and you can find one that is certified online by going through the International Feldenkrais Federation. Practitioners are required to finish almost 800 hours of instructions and also attend workshops and conferences to discuss new findings.
Pranic Healing
Pranic Healing is a type of energy medicine that was developed by the GrandMaster, Choa Kok Sui and is believed to transform the energy process of the body and bring it into balance by using “prana” (life-force) techniques. Pranic Healing puts the patient in charge of his own body by empowering him to deal with various ailments.
The practice is simple and based on energy healing without touch. The theory is that the body can repair itself by using the life force available from the sun, ground and air. Practitioners believe that life force is all around us, like an ocean, and that we can all draw this force into us.
Pranic Healing is believed to improve quality of life by addressing relationships, wealth, spirituality and health. This type of healing practice is used all over the globe, but has yet to gain any significant following in the United States.
Since no drugs or machines are used in Pranic Healing, there is no physical contact with the patient. The practitioner works on the energy (bioplasmic) body and not the physical part of the body. The practitioner knows where to focus the energy by the knowledge of where the problem resides in the body.
The aura or energy that surrounds the body is interrupted by physical ailments and that energy must be made whole before the body can heal. Anyone can practice the art of Pranic Healing and courses exist that can teach an ordinary person in a short period time.
The courses offer simple steps to learn how to bring prosperity into your life, nourish you soul and retain or restore health to your body. It’s also very safe because it requires no machines or oral remedies to take.
These trainings are offered all over the world and in the United States and are developed to provide a comprehensive education in the esoteric sciences and energy healing.
Siddha Medicine
Siddha medicine originated in India and is considered to be the oldest medicine system known to man. In the ancient past, Siddhars were scientists who were believed to possess the eight supernatural powers (ashta siddhis).
The Siddhars were originally led by Sage Agathiyar and, together with his disciples, he wrote thousands of works of information on the practice of Sihha medicine. The words were written on palm leaf manuscripts, some of which were found in areas of southern India. The writings ranged from arts and sciences to miracle disease cures.
Siddhars believe that a healthy body produces a healthy soul, so they used methods and certain medications that would strengthen the body. Intense yoga was practiced as were periodic fasting and meditation.
Today, there are many Siddha medical colleges which are recognized and run under government supervision. The very meaning of Siddha medicine means “perfect medicine”, and the techniques are believed to rejuvenate and restore organs in the body that may be dysfunctional and causing illness.
Siddha medicine uses fruit, flowers, leaves and roots in their medical remedies – some mixed for extra benefit. Some of these remedies may have over 250 ingredients depending on the diagnosis and the proper herbs and minerals deemed to help cure or alleviate the illness.
Siddha medical practitioners in India usually make a diagnosis after the patient’s visit and then use the methodology of Siddha to choose ingredients and compounds which will make up the remedy.
The practice of Siddha is most similar to the practice of Ayurveda. According to the Siddha type of medicine, psychological and physiological functions depend on seven elements: plasma (responsible for growth,) blood (for helping muscles), muscle (body shape), fatty tissue (oil balance and lubrication of joints), bone (body structure, movement and posture), bone marrow (producing blood corpuscles) and semen (reproduction).
Ayurveda and Siddha medicine classify the components in the makeup of the human body as air, fire and water. Factors that affect these components and may cause diseases are the climate, diet, physical activity, environment and stress. Diet and lifestyle play the most important roles in the health of the human body according to the concept of Siddha medicine.
