CHAPTER 7: Complementary and Alternative Health Care: Historical Foundations of Holistic Healing

Question 1

what does “healing” mean

Answer 1

means to use the mind,
body, and spirit to control disease, promote a sense of well-being, and enhance the
quality of life. A sense of well-being, comfort, and an integration of the body–mind–spirit are important characteristics of the healing process.

Question 2

what is the “healers role”

Answer 2

the healer is the one
who restores health or makes a person whole again. - Compassion, empathy, touch, and caring are all significant aspects of the healer’s role
- Scientific knowledge and skill in performing caregiving activities are important foundations bw healer and patient
- recognize their own strength/weaknesses
- model positive health practices
- recognize quality of self

Question 3

three key features of shamanism

Answer 3

1. Shamans can voluntarily enter altered states of consciousness.
2. In these states, they may experience themselves journeying to other realms.
3. They use these journeys to acquire knowledge or power and to help people in
   their community

Question 4

what is shamanism

Answer 4

shaman means he or she who knows
- cave paintings
- are said to act as intermediaries between the world of men and the gods,
and have the power to descend into the realms of the dead
- The shaman is considered a
mystic, a poet, a sage, and a healer.

Question 5

sweat lodge

Answer 5

• built as a ceremonial sauna, is used for a purification
  ceremony
• sweat lodges can be dangerous in terms of dehydration and
  elevated body temperature, participants are monitored very closely.

Question 6

greek asclepions

Answer 6

sancturaties of healing and had their roots in ancient greece
- often shown in pictures as standing with a long wooden staff with a long snake entwined around it
- healing enviormeent
- purification - cleansing baths and purging with a cleansing diet

Question 7

greek and roman influences on healing

Answer 7

Hippocrates - known as the father of modern medicine
- greeks had extensive knowledge of herbs and herbal properties
- romans and greeks influenced eachother
- developed surgical tools

Question 8

Chinese Medicine

Answer 8

• herbal medicines and acupuncture therapy are the two aspects most
  associated
• recognized the
  movement of life energy or qi (chi)

Question 9

acupuncture

Answer 9

used to unblock energy
- inserting steel needles into body parts

Question 10

Ayurvedic Medicine

Answer 10

traditional system of medicine and india
- means “science of life”
- promote unity of the mind, body, and spirit
- Ayurveda belief is that when energy fields are blocked, they
cause illness; however, in Ayurvedic medicine, the energy fields are identified as chakras

Question 11

Early Christian Healing

Answer 11

anointing: ceremonial practice to heal the sick sick using oils such as frankincense and myrrh

Question 12

Scientific Healing Revolution

Answer 12

• occured in the 1800s
• Physicians and nurses began moving towards scientific practices, departing from earlier healing methods
• invented the stethoscope and microscope from disease detections
• Public health laws were passed to protect people from epidemic diseases

Question 13

CAM as scientifically legitimate

Answer 13

• most of the scientific research on selective forms of alternative medicine practices are being conducted at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
  (NCCIH)
• provides information regrading grants and training programs
• studying the research and making intelligent choices

Question 14

psychology and spirituality

Answer 14

• Concepts such as self-discovery, relationships, and eco-awareness are fundamental in many theoretical framework
• Holistic psychology builds on Gestalt, transpersonal, and psychosynthesis theories
• “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
• incorporating psychology into healing

Question 15

CAM as quackery

Answer 15

most publicized source of CAM criticism comes from Quackwatch
- hold the view that there is no alternative medicine, only scientifically proven evidence based medicine should be studied because it neglects personal choices
- pseudoscience