Complementary vs Alternative Medicine Quiz

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

• Complementary medicine involves using non-mainstream approaches in conjunction with conventional Western medical therapies
• Alternative medicine involves using non-mainstream approaches in place of conventional medical therapies

Ayurvedic Medicine

• Based on the theory that the five great elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth) are the basis for all living systems
• Practitioners seek to balance combinations of the five elements seen as basic by this system
• The five elements combine to form doshas (the three vital energies that regulate everything in life)
• The three doshas are: Vata (air and ether), Pita (fire and water), and Kapha (water and earth)

Yoga

• An ancient system of exercises and breathing techniques designed to encourage physical and spiritual well-being
• Some practitioners believe that centers of energy (chakras) are connected to the nerves and spinal cord
• Certain asanas and meditations can positively influence the chakras, improving physical and mental health

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

• A group of ancient healing practices dating back to 200 BCE
• Considers a person's body, mind, spirit, and emotions as part of one complete whole rather than individual parts to be treated separately
• Based on the interrelated theories of Qi, the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, and Meridian theories

Qi (Chee)

• The vital life force that animates all things
• Flows through the 12 meridians that run through the body
• Deficiency can cause problems
• Is spiritual in origin, makes up and moves through all living things, is available in infinite quantities, and is important to all aspects of health

Five Elements Theory

• Based on the perception of relationships between all things
• The five elements are: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water

Yin and Yang Theory

• Everything is made up of two polar energies, yin and yang
• Neither can exist without each other, and they never separate
• Examples of yin and yang properties include: dark and light, feminine and masculine, night and day, soft and hard, contracting and expanding, negative and positive, passive and active, deficiency and excess

Meridian Theory

• There are 12 meridians, 6 yin and 6 yang
• Meridians are channels throughout which qi, blood, and information flow to all parts of the body
• Acupuncture involves stimulating specific points along the meridians to achieve a therapeutic purpose

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Therapy

• Acupuncture stimulates specific points along the meridians to achieve balance by bringing qi to the affected part of the body
• Chinese Herbal Therapy is used to bring balance, classified by the five elements and their yin and yang properties

Qigong and Tai Chi

• Qigong is a part of TCM that involves movement, breathing, and meditation to improve the flow of qi throughout the body
• Tai chi is a form of qigong that improves the flow of qi through the body to encourage balance and harmony

Naturopathy/Natural Medicine

• Introduced in the U.S. by German immigrant Benjamin Lust
• Aims to enable the body's own healing powers by helping it to restore its homeostasis (equilibrium)
• Naturopathic treatment modalities include herbal remedies and hydrotherapy (uses compresses, wraps, hot and cold baths)