ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a review of various healing modalities. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), designates five major domains of complementary and alternative medical practices: (1) alternative medical systems, (2) mind-body interventions, (3) biologically based treatments, (4) manipulative and body-based methods, and (5) energy therapies. Each of these categories comprises numerous individual systems and treatments for which the NIH provides research support. We have chosen to organize our review by beginning with the mechanical modalities and then continuing to those that are subtler in nature, or the so-called energy therapies. However, note the correlation between our categories and those of the NIH. Techniques of healing that correspond to each category are described in our review. If after perusing the chapter, you may want to research a particular technique, the bibliography provides a variety of resources.
