Holistic Health Care Unit 1 (SA)

• What are CAM therapies?

  Complementary and Alternative Medicine.Complementary therapies: methods of treatment that are used in addition to biomedical therapies (Ex: physiotherapy)Alternative therapies: These are used instead of biomedical therapies (Ex: Acupuncture, aromatherapy)
• Different kinds of therapy in Chinese medicine

  Medicinal therapy: involves natural vegetables, flowers, fruits, animals are mineral products

  Acupuncture: involves insertion of needles into the flesh in order to influence flow of Qi in the body

  Cupping: type of massage that involves placing glass cups on the body, oil is also used to create a reverse pressure, pulling in the fascia

  Physical arts: Exercise and meditation
• What does Chinese medicine place emphasis on?

  prevention and treatment are the two big focusses on Chinese medicine.

  Prevention: health is preserved by maintaining and obtaining internal balance and external harmony

  Treatment: often seeks to relieve and balances by adjusting the circulation of Qi
• What is the yin-yang?

  Symbolizes paired objects and phenomena that relate to each other Ex) night and day, hot and cold
• What is Qi?


  Vital energy, all activities of the parts of the body have their qi that keep balance
• What are the parts of Chinese Medicine?

  Composed of five different elements or organs, each element has a different function to keep our body intact and in good health. (fire, earth, water, wood, metal)
• What is Traditional Chinese medicine?

  Holistic Healthcare system, element of magic and religion, linked to evil sports or angry ancestors, one cannot have good health without creating balance in the body
• What is Western medicine/health care?

  Mainstream medicine is practiced in Western countries, focusing on evidence-based treatments and pharmaceutical interventions. (ex. blood tests, urine tests, X-rays, etc.)
• What are the different kinds of First Nations medicine and healing practices?

  Herbal remedies, sweat lodges, smudging ceremonies, traditional healing ceremonies, medicine wheels, healing circles, sun dances, potlatch, pipe ceremony
• What are the four sacred medicines in first nations culture?

  Sweetgrass: ritual cleansing, associated with virtue that Justice can be returned by kindness

  Tobacco: held as a sacred plant, connect to the spirit world, generally not smoked

  Cedar: used for purification, attract positive energy, feelings, and emotions for balance

  Sage: used for ritual cleansing, used to purify or cleans negative energy
• What is the difference between medicine and healing?

  healing is holistic, considers the mind, body and spirit. Medicine treats, the illness.
• What does the medicine wheel symbolize?

  It symbolizes the interconnection of all life, the various cycles of nature and how life represents a circular journey. The number 4 represents the four seasons, the four parts of a person (physical, mental, emotional spiritual), the four kingdoms (animal, mineral, plant, human), and the four sacred medicines (sweetgrass, cedar, sage, tobacco)
• What are the colours on the medicine wheel represent?

  Yellow: east, represents birth, and early years, spiritual

  Red: south, represents childhood and growth, health

  Black: west, represents adult hood, physical

  White: north, represents old age, wisdom, spiritual aspects, mental
• What is an illness?

  Short term sickness, influences disease
• What is a disease?

  Long term, possibly never ending, influencea illness
• What is treatment?


  temporary, won’t completely get rid of what is going on, a process, on going
• What is a cure?


  eliminate sickness entirely, one time
• What is health and wellness?

  Health: a state of being

  Wellness: include physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, also holistic