Looking For Complements?

10 Jan Looking For Complements?

How do you choose the most effective complementary or ‘alternative’ therapy?

If you lack energy, are trying for a baby, suffer unexplained pain and/or stress, or gut health is a concern – among a myriad of other concerns – seeking alternative help can be the solution.

For many, trying a few therapies is the best way to see what works. But this can be pricey and time consuming, let alone off-putting if the treatment doesn’t seem to help.

To make your choice a little easier, we’ve taken a close look at similar treatments regularly utilized globally, so you can better decide what suits your needs:

Naturopathy and Homeopathy

Homeopathy:

• Based on the ideas of German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann, in the 1790s.Central principle is ‘like cures like’. That is, a substance that causes certain symptoms can also help remove those symptoms.
• Offers an ultra-diluted, micro-dose as a remedy. The substance is found in nature (plant or vegetable) with the idea that the dose enhances the body’s normal healing and self-regulatory processes.
• Central task is to understand the patient as a whole person, so practitioner will ask about general wellbeing, emotional state, lifestyle and diet.
• Remedies often used to treat atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as cuts, scrapes and muscle strains or sprains.
• Well-known proponent is Prince of Wales, who announced in 2016 he treats his own cows and sheep with homeopathy.

Naturopathy:

• Emphasis on treating the causes of the issue and to stimulate the body’s natural healing powers.
• Offers nutrition and supplementation advice, lifestyle counselling (exercise, stress management, new habit formations) and some physical manipulation and adjustments (such as acupuncture).
• Most commonly treats allergies, chronic pain, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, obesity, respiratory conditions, fertility problems, menopause, adrenal fatigue, cancer, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Promotes holistic healing (mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually) from the root of the issue.

Osteopath And Chiropractor

Osteopath:

• Focuses on how the skeleton, joints, muscles, nerves, circulation, connective tissue and internal organs function holistically.
• Uses hands-on techniques to identify dysfunction. Methods include stretching and massage of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) and/or mobilisation of specific joints and soft tissues.
• Are primary healthcare practitioners trained to recognize conditions that may require medical referral. Also trained to perform standard examinations of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems.

Chiropractor:

• Uses hands-on spinal manipulation. Theory is that proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure, particularly the spine, will enable it to heal itself.
• Aim is to restore mobility to joints restricted by tissue injury, possibly from a sports injury, fall or repetitive stress from sitting without proper back support or posture.
• Primarily used as a pain relief alternative for muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissue, such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons and is sometimes used in conjunction with conventional medical treatment.

Foam Roller And Yamuna® Body Rolling

Foam Roller:

• Regular use can help prepare muscles for the workout ahead and also with post workout muscle recovery.
• Foam rollers are cylindrical and therefore work in a linear manner. Many are made of dense, hard foam with little to no give.
• Can help improve your mobility so every exercise is more efficient and effective.
• Can be painful. If the pressure is too intense, the body perceives pain and the body reflexively tenses. Can make it difficult to relax the muscle in order to create positive change and correction.

Yamuna® Body Rolling:

• Created by Yamuna Zake, New York-based yoga teacher, who found her style of body rolling improved physical damage from sports and/or incorrect workout injury.
• Aims to create space within muscles for fuller function. Lack of space – often caused by overuse, incorrect movement and/or posture – manifests as muscle tightness or contraction.
• Yamuna® balls are 3-dimensional and come in a variety of sizes and densities to accommodate different areas of the body.
• Allows connection with most of the body, ideally to make positive change more efficiently and with less pain.

Applied Kinesiology And Reiki

Applied Kinesiology:

• Created in the 1960s by George J. Goodheart, a chiropractor, its aim is to diagnose illness or choose treatment by testing musclesfor strength and weaknesses, otherwise known as Manual Muscle Testing.
• Practitioners use various body balancing techniques – light touch or pressure to specific points or reflexes.
• Aim is to activate the body’s intrinsic healing process so it can heal itself more quickly and effectively.
• Often used to treat anxiety, chronic stress, bad habits/addictions, self esteem issues.

Reiki:

• Often called palm healing or hands-on-body healing, as a practitioner places hands lightly on or over a patient’s body to facilitate the process of healing through balancing the body holistically.
• Combines the Japanese and Chinese word-characters of rei (spiritual or supernatural) and ki (vital energy).
• The belief is that Reiki energy flows through the practitioner, out of his or her hands to the person who’s lying on the table.
• It’s believed that it’s related to electromagnetic-type energy and that it interacts with a person’s electromagnetic field.
• Aids relaxation to help your system balance itself. Considered beneficial for stress, anxiety, digestive and skin problems.

Looking to try something out? Flex is running two Yamuna® Body Rolling Workshop with highly trained Mika Childs, Yamuna® Body Rolling for Stronger Bones on February 25, 1pm-2.15pm in Central and Tuesday, February 27, 12.45pm-2pm and Yamuna® Body Rolling for Better Circulation on Sunday, May 20, 1pm-2.15pm in Central and Tuesday, May 27, 12.45pm-2pm.

Or go a step further and join us on a very special retreat to the stunning Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand, from May 1-6. Join Flex director Heather Thomas Shalabi, homeopath and yoga instructor Michelle Ricaille and Yamuna® Body Rolling practitioner Mika Childs for a series of life changing sessions, restorative treatments and sumptuous culinary delights. There are limited places, so early booking essential.

Flexhk.com

https://flexhk.com/retreats/