Energy Medicine

Energy Medicine includes definitions from the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) as having verifiable results (Veritable Energy Medicine) or something that has been proven by various research models vs. Non-verifiable results (Putative Energy Medicine) that which has not been proven. They provide the following examples: Veritable = magnet therapy, colorpuncture, and light therapy; Putative = Therapeutic touch, Healing Touch, Esoteric Healing, Magnetic Therapy, Qigong, Reiki, Crystal Healing, etc. Energy medicine also consists of a wide variety of practices to include those mentioned as well as many others.

Heather found it interesting that veritable methods are constantly being updated and changed. Some examples from her own life include being in a serious auto accident at the age of 19 and being referred to Physical Therapy as one part of her treatment. Physical Therapy at that time was considered an afterthought and not very scientific, even though it had been around for some time. Nowadays, Physical Therapy is considered mainstream and very scientific. Another example of how things change, involves the treatment of depression. For years, practitioners recommended that patients go outside and be involved with nature to lessen their symptoms. Some even recommended gardening and specifically placing one’s hands in the dirt to help.

One part made sense as there had been studies showing how sunshine effects moods; however, the placing hands in the dirt was hard to recommend. Fast forward to an article in the October 2015 issue of “The Atlantic” which discusses Natural Cures such as Ecotherapy (holding dirt) and mentions the prestigious Neuroscience Magazine citing of a studying showing that soil has a bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae which penetrates the skin and increases Serotonin levels in mice in the same way the anti-depressant Prozac does. They now study this effect on humans with positive results.