Library

Complementary Medicine

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of medicine developed to prevent and treat disease. Its roots are in writings and practices which were developed over millennia.

  • Acupuncture is one of the oldest treatment methods in the world. It is also probably the most widely recognised form of so-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) which also includes homeopathy and herbal medicine.

  • The term acupuncture is from the Latin, acus meaning 'needle' and punctura meaning 'to puncture'. Acupuncture, in its simplest sense, is the treatment of conditions or symptoms by the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body in order to produce a response.

  • The term chiropractic comes from the Greek words cheir which means 'hand' and praxis which means 'practice' or 'done by', and refers to the practice of manipulating the spine to treat disease.

  • Herbs are plants that contain constituents with active therapeutic properties. A herb may be used in various forms, including teas, granular extracts (Chinese medicine), fresh herbs, dried herbs, oils or tinctures.

  • As a form of physical therapy, massage therapy is the application of specific hand movements on a patient to improve muscle and joint function by relieving tension, spasm, or other restrictions to proper motion. It may be used for warm-up purposes, for relaxing or stimulating muscles in order to prevent injury, or for rehabilitation of a patient after an injury.

  • Physiotherapy (a term restricted to human physiotherapists), is also known as physical therapy. It involves the use of specific non-invasive treatments (massage, exercise, light, heat, cold, electricity, ultrasound, laser, magnetic therapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture etc.) to rehabilitate injured patients.

  • An epidemic of obesity in both humans and companion animals has spawned a large trade in weight loss supplements. A number of supplements have been proposed to assist with weight loss in people and possibly animals.

  • White willow bark is the source from which the basis for aspirin was originally extracted. It is often used as a natural substitute for aspirin in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and inflammation, and in the prevention of blood clots.

  • Whole tissue supplements and glandular therapies involve feeding glands, organs or tissues from healthy animals to patients.