Demystifying alternative therapies for the menopause

The vast array of alternative therapies can be confusing. TESS DE KLERK demystifi es some of the lesser-known methods currently being put into practice

Demystifying complementary and alternative therapies

BIOFEEDBACK THERAPY

Th e aim of biofeedback techniques is to allow people to control bodily processes that normally happen involuntarily. - such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature. Th is is in order to improve conditions exacerbated by stress including high blood pressure, headaches and chronic pain.

Patients work with a biofeedback therapist to learn relaxation techniques and mental exercises. In initial sessions, electrodes are attached to the skin to measure bodily states. Eventually the techniques can be practiced without a therapist or equipment.

Researchers still aren’t sure how or why biofeedback works, but a lot of research suggests it does.

BODYTALK

BodyTalk is essentially a practice of energy healing grounded in the belief that living organisms have the innate capability to heal themselves.

It is based on the premise that the body communicates via energetic circuitry, and that the chronic breakdown of communication and interaction within the ‘bodymind’ complex creates disease and disorder. Practitioners of BodyTalk strive to connect these broken lines and facilitate open communication between all of the elements of the body in order to promote healing from within.

During a session, patients lie fully-clothed and relaxed while the practitioner uses light pressing, tapping or lifting of the arm to diagnose and address areas of the body in need of balancing. Th e therapy is safe and non-invasive.

BodyTalk is a relatively new treatment and there is a scarcity of reliable published evidence regarding its effi ciency. It is, however, a popular practice in Australia, New Zealand and Germany.

TRE

TENSION AND TRAUMA RELEASING EXERCISES

It is widely understood that humans store stress in their muscles. It is a natural reaction, and part of our ‘fi ght, fl ight or freeze’ instinct. Th e TRE programme works by focusing on deep muscle memory to release deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma. Th is therapy consists of learning a series of seven simple exercises that activates the body’s natural refl ex mechanism of shaking and vibrating. Th e shaking releases muscular tension and calms the nervous system.

Th e technique was formulated by Dr David Berceli, who is highly respected in the international fi eld of trauma intervention and confl ict resolution. Dr Berceli based this programme on his experience of working with people with PTSD during a career that involved delivering trauma relief workshops and recovery support in countries such as Israel/ Palestine, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Yemen and Lebanon.

TRE is an eff ective tool in managing stress, tension and trauma, both psychological and physical. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it is also helpful in managing other conditions, especially those connected to muscle health such as arthritis and fi bromyalgia.

Th is practice can be learnt in a day, and is designed to be a self-help tool that, once learned, can be used independently as needed throughout one’s life, thereby continuously supporting and promoting personal health and wellness.

TRE is an effective tool in managing stress, tension and trauma, both psychological and physical

REIKI

Proponents say that Reiki works with the energy fi elds around the body and involves the transfer of universal energy from the practitioner’s palms to the client. It aims to help the fl ow of energy to remove blockages which are believed to cause dysfunction in mind and body.

In its simplest form, it is similar to what a parent might do to their child when they’re in pain; place a hand over the area to make it feel better. Reiki practitioners explain that an energy transfer has taken place. Similarly, one might place a hand on your own aching stomach.

Th e treatment can take place anywhere. Patients remain fully clothed while the practitioner places their hands lightly on or over specifi c areas of the body.

Some limited studies have drawn links between Reiki and a reduction in feelings of pain and anxiety but for the most part clinical research has not proven is eff ectiveness. Nonetheless, many people who receive Reiki claim to experience positive outcomes, particularly for pain relief, anxiety, depression and wound healing. Interestingly, over 800 hospitals in the United States currently off er Reiki services for patients.

GERSON THERAPY

Gerson Th erapy is based on the belief that disease is caused by the accumulation of toxins as well as nutritional defi ciency. Th erefore, one attempts to treat disease by prescribing a restricted, predominantly vegetarian diet including hourly glasses of organic juice and various dietary supplements. In addition, patients receive enemas of coff ee, castor oil and sometimes hydrogen peroxide or ozone.

It purports to be an eff ective treatment for various cancers, but there is no valid nor independent evidence in support of these claims. All major cancer support organisations advise against the use of Gerson as a treatment. It can be especially dangerous as the majority of Gerson practitioners strongly discourage patients from undergoing conventional cancer treatments.