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Last Updated: Oct 6, 2009 - 12:07:30 PM |
An Introduction to Reiki
Reiki (pronounced "ray-kee") is an energy medicine practice that originated in Japan. In Reiki, the practitioner places his hands on or near the person receiving treatment, with the intent to transmit ki, believed to be a life-force energy. Practitioners also believe that they can treat themselves with Reiki and send ki across short or long distances. In the United States, Reiki is part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This Backgrounder provides a general overview of Reiki and suggests some resources you can use to learn more about this practice.
Are You Considering Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?
Decisions about your health care are important--including decisions about whether to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has developed this fact sheet to assist you in your decisionmaking about CAM. It includes frequently asked questions, issues to consider, and a list of sources for further information.
Are complementary medicine and alternative medicine different from each other?
Are complementary medicine and alternative medicine different from each other?
Asian Ginseng
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb Asian ginseng--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Asian ginseng is native to China and Korea and has been used in various systems of medicine for many centuries. Asian ginseng is one of several types of true ginseng (another is American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius). An herb called Siberian ginseng or eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is not a true ginseng.
Bilberry
This fact sheet provides basic information about bilberry--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Bilberry is a relative of the blueberry, and its fruit is commonly used to make pies and jams. Bilberry grows in North America, Europe, and northern Asia.
Black Cohosh
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb black cohosh--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Black cohosh is a plant native to North America.
Cranberry
This fact sheet provides basic information about cranberry--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Cranberries are the fruit of a native plant of North America. These red berries are used in foods and in herbal products.
Dandelion
This fact sheet provides basic information about dandelion--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Dandelion greens are edible and a rich source of vitamin A.
Do CAM Therapies Help Menopausal Symptoms?
Menopause is a natural process for women as they age. Menopause can also occur as a result of certain medical treatments that affect a woman's ovaries (see Question 1). Many women and their health care providers have become interested in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for menopausal symptoms. This fact sheet is based on findings from a 2005 National Institutes of Health (NIH) State-of-the-Science (SoS) conference on the management of menopause-related symptoms. It answers some frequently asked questions and lists resources for more information.
Echinacea
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb echinacea--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. There are nine known species of echinacea, all of which are native to the United States and southern Canada. The most commonly used, Echinacea purpurea, is believed to be the most potent.
Echinacea for the Prevention and Treatment of Colds in Adults: Research Results and Implications for Future Studies
On July 28, 2005, The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a study of Echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold that was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).1 The research was conducted by Dr. Ronald Turner, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr. Rudolf Bauer, Karl-Franzens Universitaet, Graz, Austria, and collaborators at Clemson University in South Carolina.
European Mistletoe
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb European mistletoe--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. European mistletoe is a semiparasitic plant that grows on several types of trees in temperate regions worldwide. Where the term "mistletoe" is used in this fact sheet, it refers to European mistletoe. (European mistletoe is different from American mistletoe, which is used as a holiday decoration.)
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil
This fact sheet provides basic information about flaxseed and flaxseed oil--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Flaxseed is the seed of the flax plant, which is believed to have originated in Egypt. It grows throughout Canada and the northwestern United States. Flaxseed oil comes from flaxseeds.
Garlic
This fact sheet provides basic information about garlic--uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Garlic is the edible bulb from a plant in the lily family. It has been used as both a medicine and a spice for thousands of years.
Ginger
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb ginger--uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Ginger is a tropical plant that has green-purple flowers and an aromatic underground stem (called a rhizome). It is commonly used for cooking and medicinal purposes.
Ginkgo
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb ginkgo--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. The ginkgo tree is one of the oldest types of trees in the world.
Green Tea
This fact sheet provides basic information about green tea--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. All types of tea (green, black, and oolong) are produced from the Camellia sinensis plant using different methods. Fresh leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant are steamed to produce green tea.
Herbal Supplements: Consider Safety
Herbal supplements are a type of dietary supplement (see the box below) that contain herbs, either singly or in mixtures. An herb (also called a botanical) is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, and/or therapeutic properties.
Many herbs have a long history of use and of claimed health benefits. However, some herbs have caused health problems for users. This fact sheet contains points you should consider for your safety if you use, or are thinking about using, herbs for health purposes. It does not discuss whether herbs work for specific diseases and conditions
Herbal Supplements: Consider Safety, Too
Herbal supplements are a type of dietary supplement (see the box below) that contain herbs, either singly or in mixtures. An herb (also called a botanical) is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, and/or therapeutic properties.
Horse Chestnut
This fact sheet provides basic information about horse chestnut--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Horse chestnut trees are native to the Balkan Peninsula (for example, Greece and Bulgaria), but grow throughout the northern hemisphere. Although horse chestnut is sometimes called buckeye, it should not be confused with the Ohio or California buckeye trees, which are related but not the same species.
Kava
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb kava--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Kava is native to the islands of the South Pacific and is a member of the pepper family.
Milk Thistle
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb milk thistle--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Milk thistle is a plant that is native to the Mediterranean region. It has been used for thousands of years as a remedy for a variety of ailments, especially liver problems.
Saw Palmetto
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb saw palmetto--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Saw palmetto grows in the southern United States.
St. John's Wort
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb St. John's wort--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. St. John's wort is a plant with yellow flowers.
The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States
Americans are using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). But, it is often asked, how many Americans? What therapies are they using? For what health problems and concerns?
Valerian
This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb valerian--common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Valerian is a plant native to Europe and Asia; it is also found in North America.
What are the major types of complementary and alternative medicine?
Integrative medicine, as defined by NCCAM, combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness. NCCAM classifies CAM therapies into five categories, or domains:
What is complementary and alternative medicine?
Complementary and alternative medicine, as defined by NCCAM, is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine.1,2 While some scientific evidence exists regarding some CAM therapies, for most there are key questions that are yet to be answered through well-designed scientific studies--questions such as whether these therapies are safe and whether they work for the diseases or medical conditions for which they are used.
The list of what is considered to be CAM changes continually, as those therapies that are proven to be safe and effective become adopted into conventional health care and as new approaches to health care emerge.
Whole Medical Systems: An Overview
Whole medical systems involve complete systems of theory and practice that have evolved independently from or parallel to allopathic (conventional) medicine. Many are traditional systems of medicine that are practiced by individual cultures throughout the world. Major Eastern whole medical systems include traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine, one of India's traditional systems of medicine. Major Western whole medical systems include homeopathy and naturopathy. Other systems have been developed by Native American, African, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, and Central and South American cultures.
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