| "Energy medicine is medicine based on the | | | | Practitioners say that their energy moves |
| appreciation that living systems have energy | | | | through the palms to create a relaxing - but |
| fields inside of them and around them and | | | | energizing - effect. |
| that these fields play important roles in | | | | |
| physiology, regulatory biology and regulating | | | | It's believed that a Reiki Master can reach |
| processes that are going on inside the | | | | one's life force energy through 10-20 |
| organism," says Dr. Jim Oschman MD. Though | | | | specific positions and techniques that |
| he's a practitioner of Western style | | | | generally last about 90 minutes in duration. |
| medicine, Dr. Oschman recently authored a | | | | Some emphasis is given to the intention of |
| book about the scientific basis of energy | | | | both the practitioner and the recipient and |
| medicines. He talks about alternative | | | | it is said that if the recipient doesn't |
| therapies like Chinese acupuncture and other | | | | truly wish to be healed, then the effects |
| complementary therapies that improve human | | | | will be mitigated. While the energy may |
| performance. | | | | encourage healing, Reiki is not viewed as a |
| | | | "miraculous cure" for serious illnesses, but |
| These days, there's an increasing trend for | | | | rather a way of stimulating the body's |
| Western doctors to look to ancient Chinese | | | | natural energy centers. |
| medicines to treat some of their patients who | | | | |
| aren't responding to traditional medicines | | | | American doctors have spent their entire |
| and treatments. Finding the scientific root | | | | professional careers focused on tinkering |
| of lethargy, for example, can be terribly | | | | with chemicals and running clinical trials to |
| tricky, but doctors from the school of | | | | scientifically prove the effectiveness of |
| Chinese medicine say that chronic fatigue is | | | | traditional medicines. So naturally there |
| a symptom of the body being out of harmony in | | | | will be some resistance and attempts to |
| one way or another. | | | | subvert traditional Chinese practices. |
| | | | |
| By examining the patient's external | | | | Energy medicine is not intended to be a |
| environment, dietary habits, attitude and | | | | cure-all. In the school of Chinese medicine, |
| other symptoms, specialists in energy | | | | doctors recommend lifestyle modifications |
| medicines are able to prescribe a healthier | | | | that include exercise, meditation and dietary |
| lifestyle, which many patients find more | | | | alterations. For serious ailments, they say |
| advantageous in the long run. | | | | emergency medical treatment can't be denied, |
| | | | but for long-term problems, such as chronic |
| Energy medicine encompasses many different | | | | fatigue, why not try non-invasive Chinese |
| processes from qigong (martial arts and yoga) | | | | energy medicines? After all, starting your |
| to Chinese acupuncture. One form is called | | | | day off with a massage or cup of herbal tea |
| "Reiki," which is a form of Chinese massage. | | | | isn't so bad, is it? |