Natural Selection

 

Alternative therapies, which aim to help the body heal itself, are relied on by up 80% of the global population and the total market for herbal medicines is worth €45 billion says the World Health Organization. Over 50% of us have tried them.

 

 

 

A

 

 

B Biofeedback. Many health problems are caused by habitual body reactions, such as clenching muscles. With biofeedback, you learn to relax by (machine) monitoring your heart rate and temperature and gradually training yourself to control these. Its used to treat conditions such as migraine, high blood pressure, asthma and stress.

 

Colour therapy Said to have been practised by the ancient Egyptians, colour therapy relates different colours to our different chakras or energy centres- each of which governs a different area of mind and body health. Colour therapists may check the colours of your aura to determine your problem areas. Treatments include : exposure to coloured light, eating foods of a certain colour, and 'colour breathing'- thinking of a colour while breathing deeply.

 

Dophins Swimming with dolphins can help those with disabilities  such as Down's syndrome and austism to learn new skills, say therapiest. Sceptics say playing with a dog would work just as well, because patients simply enjoy interacting with animals, but many believe that dolphins' sonar has a special healing quality.

 

Ear Candling of obscure origins, ear candling is used to cleanse the ears and relieve the sinuses. A hollow candle is inserted into the ear while the patient lies down. The candle is lit and creates a sort of suction. The technique is related to cupping, a folk healing method known in most cultures, and moxibustion, a method of burning incense over affected areas which is also widely found.

 

Flotation. The sensory deprivation induced by floating in warm water in a dark capsule has a calming effect. Positive results have been shown for stress, hypertension, arthritis, and various mental and emotional problems. And its possible to simulate this therapy at home, with a warm bath and an eye mask...

Green tea Loaded with anti -oxidants, green tea is believed to offer protection against cancer and to relieve arthritis, heart conditions and infections- so no wonder it's been used as a medicine in china for 4.000 years. Brocoli, cabbage, grapes, and red wine also have useful anti-oxidants properties.

 

Homeopathy According to homeopathic theory, the very diluted extract of a substance can treat sysmptoms caused by the same substance. So, according to this 'like cures like' idea, diluted arsenic helps stomach cramps and diarrhoea, and diluted onion essence soothies itchy, red eyes caused by hay fever. The idea dates back to ancient Greece and was revived by German doctor Samuel Hahnemann about 100 years ago.

 

Iridology This is a diagnostic systems : iridologists believe that problems elsewhere in the body (such as nutritional deficdiencies) appear as irregularities in the iris. Hungarian physician, Ignatz von Peczely developed iridology after accidentally breaking the leg of an oel as a child. He noticed that a black stripe suddenly appeared on the bird's iris then disappeared when the owl recovered.