Healing Power of Touch
The power of touch to heal has been documented through many studies. There have been over a hundred studies on the subject published by the Touch Research Institute (TRI) alone.
Some of the disciplines that utilize touch are chiropractic treatment, osteopathic manipulative treatment and physical therapy . Other disciplines that utilize touch are body psychotherapy and massage therapy. Many of these disciplines can be used as a part of mainstream medical treatment, but are often viewed as alternative methods of treatment.
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Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment
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Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. A Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) is a medical doctor who specializes in OMT. DO's treats pain, promote healing and help to increase mobility in patients by stimulating nerve centers through touch. OMT is most helpful in treating conditions such as asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, menstrual pain, migraines and sinus disorders.
Chiropractic Treatment
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Chiropractic treatment is based on the theory that bones being out of place cause medical disorders. A Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) treats patients by using the hands to adjust the joints in a person's spine using twisting, pulling or pushing movements. It is effective in treating lower back pain and can be helpful in treating headaches and neck pains. Chiropractors differ from osteopaths in that they focus on the skeletal system and cannot write prescriptions while osteopaths focus on the nervous system and are able to write prescriptions.
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Physical Therapy
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Physical therapy is used to treat many conditions that may impair the ability to move freely. Physical therapy normally includes exercise and can also include manual therapy. Manual therapy is a general term for treatments performed with the hands. The first type of manual therapy used by physical therapist is massage, which helps relax muscles, increase circulation and ease pain. The second type of manual therapy used by physical therapist is mobilization, which helps loosen up tight tissue around joints and with flexibility and alignment. Some therapists are also trained in manipulation that is used to position the bones and joints. This is considered a more aggressive physical therapy
Body Psychotherapy
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According to research conducted by Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk, an expert in post traumatic care, traumatic memories can be stored in nonverbal parts of the brain as sensory, motor and emotional fragments. Therefore, healing trauma may require body psychotherapy as well as verbal therapy.
Body psychotherapy combines touch, movement, breathing techniques and exercises to raise awareness of sensations in the body, that can help identify and resolve damaging emotional issues. It can be helpful for people dealing with the blues, depression, trauma or other mental conditions.
Massage Therapy
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Massage therapy has been practiced as a healing therapy for thousands of years. The health benefits of it are well documented with over one hundred studies conducted by the Touch Research Institute (TRI) alone. Massage therapy can help to reduce stress, induce calmness and relieve tension. Massage therapy has a positive affect on the whole body, but in particular, it affects the circulatory, musculoskeletal, nervous and lymphatic systems.
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