Chiropody (also known as podiatry) is a medical practice focused entirely on the feet and ankles, aiming to relieve the pain and discomfort caused by foot injuries, illnesses, or inherited disorders. Chiropodists are classed as medical professionals, and there are many associated with the NHS, but some still consider some areas of podiatry to be more like alternative health treatments.
Podiatrists can take care of anything foot-related, from giving patients shoe inserts to correct minor problems to performing some small surgical procedures. They can remove warts, deal with ingrown toenails and issue medication to relieve pain. There are also some speciality areas, such as those dealing with sports injuries.
Many people regularly undergo alternative health treatments such as aromatherapy, yoga and magnetic therapy all the time, but what about more obscure methods to promote well-being? Here are a couple of the most obscure (and kind of nasty) ones:
• Ear Candling – You might have heard of this one; it is where specialist ear candles are placed in the ear canal to loosen and remove wax and other impurities. It is perfectly safe provided you take the proper precautions, and it is generally more effective than other wacky treatments you may have read about.
• Urine Therapy – As you may guess, this is a particularly disgusting treatment, but not to people who swear by it. They believe that urine is not waste water, but that it does, in fact, contain excess nutrients. Amongst other ailments, alternative health therapists believe that by imbibing your own urine, you can help to cure allergies.
A row with senior aide to Prince Charles five years ago has resulted in the imminent closure of one of the leading centres for alternative health research in the world, after it apparently ran out of funds.
This controversial incident occurred back in 2005, when Professor Ernst of the facility rubbished a report promoting alternative medicine. This upset Prince Charles’ private secretary, Michael Peat, who claimed Ernst had discussed a controversial document as part of his criticism. Due to this and the fact that the facility has not managed to secure adequate funding, it looks likely that it will soon be shut down.
The facility and Prof. Ernst himself have generated a great deal of controversy amongst alternative health practitioners in recent years, as the results generated from research have been generally negative. Ernst believes in testing alternative treatments in the same scientific way as standard medical practices, but claims he has found that therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic and iridology are ineffective and make little or no difference to the health of the patient.
Many people don’t realise how much the sense of smell can affect their physical and emotional well-being. Aromatherapy is the perfect example of this, as it harnesses the power of certain essential oils to offer health benefits. For example:
• Basil is great for relieving stress, anxiety and nervous tension
• Eucalyptus has the power to clear a blocked-up nose or a congested chest
• Chamomile is often used to relieve the symptoms of pre-menstrual tension (PMT)
How does aromatherapy work?
According to aromatherapists, this treatment works by stimulating the sensory system, which in turn sends messages to the limbic system. This is located in the brain, and it has an influence on major systems such as circulatory and respiratory functioning.
Often classed as an alternative health treatment for minor complaints, aromatherapy will never be able to cure serious illnesses and conditions.
Put simply, magnetic therapy is an alternative health application designed to relieve pain, improve sleep and alleviate the symptoms of various degenerative diseases. It is apparently safe, as it only involves the application of specialist magnets to various parts of the body.
How does magnetic therapy work?
One negative aspect of magnetic therapy is that no one is quite sure how it works. Some theories claim that it affects the haemoglobin in the blood, increasing circulation to the affected area, whilst others believe that it helps to oxygenate the blood in order to accelerate healing.
How effective this treatment is varies from patient to patient, and you should never use it in the place of approved medical practice, if you have a pacemaker or other device, or if you are pregnant.
This is a technique that uses manipulation and massage to help distressed muscles and joins around the body to make the work smoothly. The actual profession first began back in 1892 by Dr Andrew Taylor who opened Americas first school of Osteopathic Medicine. He had discovered that the ailments and disorders could occur when the bones or joints no longer functioned in harmony. He believe that manipulation was the cure needed and the key was to let the body heal itself rather than use drugs. By viewing the body from a engineers point of view and experience of the anatomy led to the new technique that is now widely used all over the world.
Reflexology is a technique of diagnosis and treatment in which areas of the body particularly the feet are massaged to alleviate pain or other symptoms in the organs of the body. It is thought to have originated five hundred years ago in china and also used by ancient Egyptians. Dr William Fitzgerald introduced the technique to the western world and applied 10 zones to the surface of the body which were considered energy paths along with a person’s energy flow would travel. The is no use of any medication and uses a specific type of massage at certain pressure points on the foot to alleviate pain.
The osteopathy belief is that if the body is undamaged then all physical activities can be accomplished efficiently without causing any problems. The majority of disorders that osteopaths deal with are of the spine which result in pain in the lower part of the neck and back.
It’s found that problems that prevent the body working correctly can often be diagnosed with the root cause being with injuries or stress. As a result this can lead to tension headaches as the stress experienced can cause contraction in muscles. This is situated in the back of the neck at the base of the skull and relief can be obtained by using massage to relax the muscles.
Many people see yoga as a component to their relaxation programme and the stretching and breathing exercises are becoming more and more popular in the western world. It encompasses physical postures, exercise and controlled breathing. One of the benefits is that as well as being seen to relax the body and combat stress it can also be used to tone the body. It’s one form of exercise that is particularly recommended to pregnant women to help keep their healthy without causing stress to the unborn baby. Originally Yoga evolved from Hinduism where it was used as a form of meditation to attain higher consousness.
The usage of reflexology is especially effective to relieve pain in the back, headaches and toothache as well as asthma and arthritis. The massaging action creates a soothing effect that enhances the blood flood giving an overall benefit to the whole body. It cannot be used to treat a disorder that requires surgery. The pressure of the finger is applied to a nerve ending creating a sensation elsewhere in the body indicating a connection or flow between the two points. The pain may not be alleviated straight away but continued massage over period of up to one hour may have the required effect.