Alternative healing takes centrestage

Turning to alternative healing - instead of strong drugs and painkillers which can be loaded with chemicals and ambiguous ingredients that often lead to severe side effects - is not a thing of the past.
Although natural healing and natural medicine have been around for thousands of years, millions of people still search for 'safer' alternatives to combat physical, mental and emotional illnesses.
From treatments for small migraines, cold and flu, or perhaps even back and muscle pain to more serious illnesses such as mental disorders and cancer, natural healing and therapy seems to be taking centrestage in the health industry.
Khaleej Times spoke to UAE healthcare experts about the growing popularity of alternative therapy, and the ways it could be used to help patients heal effectively.
Kasey Conrad, managing director of Change Works Human Resource Consultancy and Reaching Out With Reiki (ROWR), highlighted that more people in the UAE are turning to complementary therapy to help overcome their health issues.
She pointed out that one of the natural healing is 'reiki,' which uses the energy that is in and around the patient. She noted that therapeutic techniques such as palm healing could often be used as a form of energy healing, instead of medicinal drugs.
"The energy techniques promote the tendency to heal naturally, by helping reduce pain, stress and fatigue, while also helping the individual's relaxation mode become elevated."
Conrad highlighted that it was crucial for her to bring ROWR to the UAE, when she made the move from the US, back in 2008. Almost 450 patients in the UAE have had the treatment since 2012.
She explained that the natural healing technique has even helped cancer patients and survivors, as well as multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers, and thus is proven to be an effective medicine.
"Reiki, in particular, has been scientifically proven to reduce stress in the body, and when stress is reduced, the production of stress chemicals also reduce. Thus, the good chemicals begin to increase."
Conrad, who is a cancer survivor herself, explained how natural remedies have the power to help heal physical, emotional and mental disorders, although drug and pharmaceutical companies might deny, and perhaps even fight this claim.
Naser Al Riyami, Emirati psychologist and hypnotherapist at Change Works Human Resource Consultancy, highlighted that with any small or great illnesses, it is vital to research well before relying on medicine, as well as consulting with a doctor.
"People think that alternative therapy is not medicine because there is no medicine involved, but that's not true, and the medical world knows this. It's called the Bio-Cycle Social Model of Health.
He pointed out that it is vital to look at the various options and alternatives that are widely provided, before taking the decision to turn to strong drugs or painkillers, which at certain time, have proved to be deadly. - jasmine@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi