CHAPTER 7: Complementary and Alternative Health Care: Historical Foundations of Holistic Healing Flashcards
what does “healing” mean
means to use the mind,
body, and spirit to control disease, promote a sense of well-being, and enhance the
quality of life. A sense of well-being, comfort, and an integration of the body–mind–spirit are important characteristics of the healing process.
what is the “healers role”
the healer is the one
who restores health or makes a person whole again. - Compassion, empathy, touch, and caring are all significant aspects of the healer’s role
- Scientific knowledge and skill in performing caregiving activities are important foundations bw healer and patient
- recognize their own strength/weaknesses
- model positive health practices
- recognize quality of self
three key features of shamanism
- Shamans can voluntarily enter altered states of consciousness.
- In these states, they may experience themselves journeying to other realms.
- They use these journeys to acquire knowledge or power and to help people in
their community
what is shamanism
shaman means he or she who knows
- cave paintings
- are said to act as intermediaries between the world of men and the gods,
and have the power to descend into the realms of the dead
- The shaman is considered a
mystic, a poet, a sage, and a healer.
sweat lodge
- built as a ceremonial sauna, is used for a purification
ceremony - sweat lodges can be dangerous in terms of dehydration and
elevated body temperature, participants are monitored very closely.
greek asclepions
sancturaties of healing and had their roots in ancient greece
- often shown in pictures as standing with a long wooden staff with a long snake entwined around it
- healing enviormeent
- purification - cleansing baths and purging with a cleansing diet
greek and roman influences on healing
Hippocrates - known as the father of modern medicine
- greeks had extensive knowledge of herbs and herbal properties
- romans and greeks influenced eachother
- developed surgical tools
Chinese Medicine
- herbal medicines and acupuncture therapy are the two aspects most
associated - recognized the
movement of life energy or qi (chi)
acupuncture
used to unblock energy
- inserting steel needles into body parts
Ayurvedic Medicine
traditional system of medicine and india
- means “science of life”
- promote unity of the mind, body, and spirit
- Ayurveda belief is that when energy fields are blocked, they
cause illness; however, in Ayurvedic medicine, the energy fields are identified as chakras
Early Christian Healing
anointing: ceremonial practice to heal the sick sick using oils such as frankincense and myrrh
Scientific Healing Revolution
- occured in the 1800s
- Physicians and nurses began moving towards scientific practices, departing from earlier healing methods
- invented the stethoscope and microscope from disease detections
- Public health laws were passed to protect people from epidemic diseases
CAM as scientifically legitimate
- most of the scientific research on selective forms of alternative medicine practices are being conducted at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
(NCCIH) - provides information regrading grants and training programs
- studying the research and making intelligent choices
psychology and spirituality
- Concepts such as self-discovery, relationships, and eco-awareness are fundamental in many theoretical framework
- Holistic psychology builds on Gestalt, transpersonal, and psychosynthesis theories
- “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
- incorporating psychology into healing
CAM as quackery
most publicized source of CAM criticism comes from Quackwatch
- hold the view that there is no alternative medicine, only scientifically proven evidence based medicine should be studied because it neglects personal choices
- pseudoscience
