Heilmethoden

Heilmethoden

Einige Methoden der komplementären Heilung:

Homeopathy

Homeopathy (“similar suffering,” from the Greek ὅμοιος, hómoios, “similar” and πάθος, páthos, “suffering, illness”) is a form of complementary treatment that is not scientifically recognized. It is widespread in many European countries and some others and is based on concepts published from 1796 onward by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. In children, it often appears to act more quickly, effectively, and sustainably than in adults.

Its central and name-giving principle is the law of similars: “Like is to be cured by like” (similia similibus curentur, Hahnemann). Homeopaths believe that the decisive criterion for selecting a homeopathic remedy is that it can produce symptoms in healthy individuals similar to those suffered by the patient. During preparation, known as “potentization,” the medicinal substance is successively diluted and shaken with water or alcohol, or triturated with lactose, often to such an extreme degree that the original substance is no longer detectable.


Acupuncture

Acupuncture is only one component of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and has been successfully used for over 4,000 years in both animals and humans. According to Chinese philosophy, life energy (Qi) flows through the body along specific pathways. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), health means that the body is in energetic balance: Qi is sufficiently present and can move and act freely and harmoniously within the body. Yin and Yang are in balance. If this flow is disturbed and an energetic imbalance arises, illness occurs. The goal of acupuncture is to restore energetic balance. The effects of acupuncture have since been scientifically proven.

Fine needles are used to stimulate specific, small areas of the body in order to trigger biochemical and physiological effects, for example on certain organs or bodily functions. Following acupuncture treatments, improvements in circulation, relief of muscle tension, the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones (such as the body’s own endorphins), and stimulation of the immune system can be clearly observed, among other effects.

Balance within the body is restored and the causes of disturbances are addressed. Acupuncture therefore activates the body’s self-healing powers. It is not a panacea; however, when applied appropriately, it can achieve very good therapeutic results and can be used not only as an alternative but also as a complement to other healing methods and to conventional medicine.

Acupuncture thus bridges the gap between drug-based and surgical treatment and, when applied competently and properly, is free of side effects.


Cranio-Sacral Therapy

(From the English “cranio-sacral therapy,” meaning “skull–sacrum therapy.”) Originating from osteopathy, this therapy is based on the assumption that a so-called “cranio-sacral rhythm” (Primary Respiratory Mechanism) pulsates in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Through gentle contact with the head and back, the therapist gathers information about possible restrictions in the movement of this system and then works to influence it. This is intended to improve the “energy flow” and activate the body’s self-healing powers.


Talk Therapy

In psychotherapy, this term refers to a form of treatment developed by Carl Rogers, in which “non-directive” and “client-centered” communication is central.

In esoteric healing circles, where formally trained talk therapists are the exception, the term usually refers simply to an in-depth conversation addressing the client’s medical history, symptoms, and current situation.


Bach Flower Therapy

Bach Flower Therapy was developed in the 1930s by the British physician Edward Bach (1886–1936).

According to Bach, every physical illness is based on a disturbance of emotional balance. He saw the cause of this disturbance in a conflict between the immortal soul and the personality, and believed that healing could only be achieved through harmonization on this spiritual-emotional level. Bach initially described nineteen emotional states, later expanding the system to 38 disharmonious states of the human soul. He assigned flowers and plant parts to these states, placing them in water or boiling them so that they could transfer their “vibrations” to the water. From these mother tinctures, the so-called flower essences are produced through strong dilution. Many ill children respond surprisingly well to this therapy.


Color Therapy

A group of treatment methods that utilize the effects of colors on the human psyche and organism. In esoteric healing practices, colors are assigned specific “vibrations” believed to affect a client’s “energy system” in different ways. Treatments may involve color films, light projectors, or colored cloths; for some healers, merely visualizing a particular color is considered sufficient.


(Foot) Reflexology

A physiotherapeutic treatment method based on the assumption that all organs and muscle groups are “reflected” in a system of reflexive interactions on the surface of the skin and in the subcutaneous tissue.

Such reflex zones are said to exist on the back, feet, hands, ears, nose, and skull, and are considered diagnostically and therapeutically usable.


Electroacupuncture According to Voll (EAV)

The term electroacupuncture dates back to the French physician Roger de la Fuye (1890–1961), who developed an early device for this method.

Electroacupuncture gained wider recognition through the work of the German physician Reinhold Voll (1909–1989), who in 1958 developed “Electroacupuncture According to Voll” based on principles of Chinese acupuncture. Electrical conductivity is measured at specific points on the skin surface, some of which correspond to acupuncture points on the meridians of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Voll introduced additional measuring points on his own meridians, which he called “vessels.” These resistance measurements are intended to assist in diagnosing illnesses and determining the suitability and tolerability of medications. According to Voll, skin resistance at defined points is reduced in acute illnesses and increased in chronic conditions. During measurement, the patient holds the negatively charged electrode while the therapist touches body points with the positively charged electrode. For medication testing, Voll developed so-called “nosode tests,” using substances in homeopathic dilution (potentization). For therapeutic purposes, the EAV device emits a weak electrical current through acupuncture needles to enhance their effect.


Body Psychotherapy

This term refers to a family of psychotherapeutic approaches that view body and mind as an inseparable unity and therefore seek access to the psyche through the body.

Most approaches are depth-psychology-oriented and use body awareness as a means of uncovering unconscious psychological processes; they are also experiential, focusing on present-moment experience. Emerging in the early 20th century from psychoanalysis and reform pedagogy, dozens of different schools developed over time—such as Core Energetics and Biodynamics—which differ to varying degrees in theory and practice. Some emphasize the “energetic” aspect—the body’s energy flow and its blockages—while others highlight information-theoretical aspects. Some consider physical touch essential, while others work without touch. There are also differing views on how verbal communication with the client should take place during treatment.


Biodynamics

A form of body psychotherapy founded by the Norwegian Gerda Boyesen (1922–2005), aimed at restoring the flow of life energy that has been blocked by past experiences.

Touch, imagery work, and dialogue are used. According to biodynamics, emotions that were not allowed expression are “held” in muscle tension, connective tissue, or the periosteum. These are to be released either by being “expressed” or “digested.” Expression often involves regression techniques in which the client re-experiences early childhood events and releases suppressed emotions. The process of “digesting” held emotions is called “psychoperistalsis,” whereby emotional stress is processed through the digestive system, supported by gentle massage; intestinal responses can be monitored with a stethoscope. The goal is to dissolve neurotic holding patterns caused by fear, allowing life, action, and feeling to be guided again by the flow of libido. Biodynamics relies on and supports the client’s self-healing powers.


Spiritual Healing

“Spiritual healing” refers to a broad family of therapies associated with very different methods, theories, and cultural backgrounds.

The spectrum ranges from laying on of hands, prayer healing, and exorcism—practices attributed to Jesus Christ—through incantations and shamanic healing, to traditions from the Far East such as Reiki, certain forms of Qi Gong, Pranic Healing, or chakra therapy.

Their common denominator is something spiritual: an intention, the deliberate wish to help another person. Sometimes this intention alone appears sufficient to positively influence the course of illness, even contrary to medical prognoses. No tools are used that, according to current medical knowledge, could explain the observed effects. In this sense, what heals appears to be “pure spirit.” This does not require adherence to philosophical dualism; rather, the healing spirit and the bodies it heals are aspects of one reality.

Spiritual healing can
  • significantly increase the chance of recovery or at least relief,
  • reduce the risk of relapse,
  • alleviate side effects of conventional therapies,
  • stabilize psychologically and improve general well-being and quality of life.

It is
  • compatible with any medical treatment,
  • free from harmful side effects,
  • extremely cost-effective,
  • and makes human medicine more humane.

In cases where spiritual healing appears promising, patients may also encounter supposed “miracle healers.” To distinguish genuine practitioners from dubious ones, the foundation cooperates with the “International Referral Center for Outstanding Healers” (IVH), which applies an extensive evaluation process to separate the wheat from the chaff.


Shiatsu

From the Japanese shi = finger and atsu = pressure: a form of body therapy developed in Japan that evolved from traditional Chinese massage (Tuina).

It combines various forms of energetic bodywork with manual treatment techniques. Literally translated, Shiatsu means “finger pressure,” but the treatment involves much more: the entire body is used for contact. The practitioner works less with muscular force and more with body weight, seeking to establish an energetic connection with the client during treatment.