American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [83]
Reiki
Reiki, which means universal life force energy, is a method of natural healing that attempts to direct the flow of chi, or qi (pronounced “chee”), believed to be the vital energy that circulates throughout the body, to promote physical and spiritual well-being. Developed in Japan in the late 19th century, Reiki principles probably originated from a branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The healing abilities they bring are believed to be transmitted from teacher to pupil, not taught.
During a Reiki healing, the practitioner places his or her hands on the sick person and “wills” Reiki energy to flow. The energy is supposed to flow naturally and “know” where to go in the sick person’s body to promote healing. The practitioner believes that he or she is only the facilitator of the energy and does not consciously intervene in the healing process. Although no large-scale studies have proven the effectiveness of Reiki, the National Institutes of Health is studying the practice to determine if it can help relieve pain and increase exercise tolerance in people who have diabetes and improve the quality of life in people who have AIDS.
Therapeutic Touch
An outgrowth of the ancient healing therapy called the “laying on of hands,” therapeutic touch is the manipulation of a person’s energy field to induce healing by passing the hands a few inches above the person’s body. Developed in the 1970s by a nurse and a natural healer, therapeutic touch is practiced primarily in the nursing community, but is gaining growing acceptance in the medical community. The therapy is based on the theory that the human body, the mind, and the emotions form a harmonious and ordered energy field that is balanced during times of health but that falls out of balance during illness. By passing the hands over a person’s energy field, the practitioner directs and rebalances this energy.
During the process, the ill person sits or lies down comfortably while the practitioner runs his or her hands up and down the person’s body a few inches above the skin to identify energy imbalances. Therapeutic touch has not been scientifically proven to bring about healing, although anecdotal reports from people who have undergone the procedure have been positive. Some studies suggest that therapeutic touch may help relax people who have dementia and may help substance abusers remain drug-free.
Electromagnetic Field Therapy
Electromagnetic field therapy uses magnets or magnetic fields and more unconventional methods, such as pulsed fields and alternating or direct electrical current fields, to treat illness. Practitioners of electromagnetic field therapy believe that they can use such fields to alter the behavior of cells in the body to induce positive health changes. For example, pulses of electromagnetic fields may be used to prevent bone loss or to restore bone mass. Electromagnetic fields also have been used to treat asthma, cancer, and migraine headaches, and to manage pain. Because electromagnetic field therapies have not been studied by medical science, their effectiveness is not known.
Atlas of the body
This atlas illustrates the anatomy of the major organs and systems of the body and provides brief descriptions of each. For more information about a specific body system or to learn about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of a specific health problem, consult the index at the back of the book.
Torso
The upper part of the torso is the chest, which contains the heart and lungs. The chest is separated from the lower part of the torso—the abdomen—by the diaphragm, a dome-shaped sheet of muscle. The edge of the diaphragm is attached to the bottom of the rib cage.
Inside the abdomen are the organs of the digestive system and the urinary system. The digestive