Lesson 6: Alternative treatments: Non-traditional medicine.
Structural Therapies
Structural therapies include chiropractic, Osteopathy, trigger point therapy, massage, and reflexology.. These practitioners specialize in one form or another of musculoskeletal treatments which manipulate the bones, muscles, ligaments, organs and/or joints as a way of treating pain
Osteopathic and chiropractic treatments are common enough that they almost fit into the framework of traditional medicine.
- Chiropractors believe that maintaining a healthy neuromusculoskeletal system can prevent chronic disease. They use spinal and joint manipulations combined with exercise to correct imbalances and to relieve pain. They believe in relieving pain without the use of drugs.
- Osteopaths manipulate muscles as well as joints to relieve tension, improve blood circulation and correct posture and alignment. Their treatments include massage, stretching, muscle pressure and joint alignment to correct the problems. Unlike chiropractors, osteopaths can also prescribe drugs and/or surgery in critical cases. In fact a D.O. has gone through the same training as an MD except that they have extra training in musculoskeletal diagnosis and manipulations.
- Trigger point therapy involves applying pressure to the tender spots on muscles, tendons and fascia that radiate pain to other areas of the body in order to break the pattern that signals pain between the brain and the affected muscles. This in turn relaxes the muscles. It can be painful - but effective.
- Massage is not curative, but manipulating the soft tissues can relax them and provide temporary relief from pain. Some researchers believe that massage helps increase the brain's productions of endorphins - which are the body's natural painkillers. Many fibro patients find this effective - but others find it too painful to be very useful.
- Reflexology is based on Eastern medicine and uses the theory that reflex points in our feet, hands, and ears correspond to activities in other parts of our bodies. Manipulating these reflex points then should trigger a healing response in those corresponding parts.
While it is wise to see a professional at first, you can practice reflexology on your own at home once you learn which points to work on.
