Beyond acupuncture: got something that ails you? We take a look at six alternative therapies that may provide relief - Healthy Woman

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Linda Formichelli

alternative therapies are hot -- but we're getting stuck in a rut. We start our days with heaping piles of echinacea and St. John's wort supplements and line up to let doctors stick us with acupuncture needles, but tend to forget that a wealth of other alternative therapies are out there. Read on to get the scoop on nontraditional therapies that will have you falling into trances and singing your troubles away. Just be sure to visit your MD to rule out serious problems before visiting an alternative doc.

Craniosacral Therapy

THE SCOOP Do you need someone to mess with your head? You might, say practitioners of craniosacral therapy, who claim they can diagnose diseases by detecting aberrations in the rhythmic flow of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. By gently manipulating your skull, these practitioners claim they can cure what ails you, yet scientific studies have not proven so.

WHAT IT HELPS The top medical conditions addressed by craniosacral therapists are headaches, sleep disorders, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), asthma, and emotional disorders like depression and anxiety.

HOW TO GET IT To find a practitioner, go to iahp.com or craniosacraltherapy.org.

Hypnotherapy

THE SCOOP Hypnotherapy teach patients how to attain a state of receptivity where the subconscious mind is open to helpful therapeutic suggestions. In a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, hypnotized subjects shown grayscale or color graphics, then told to see color, showed activity in the parts of the brain that perceive colon The verdict? Hypnosis can indeed alter your mental state.

WHAT IT HELPS Most clients visit hypnotherapists for weight issues, smoking, insomnia, phobias and stress-related problems.

HOW TO GET IT Call the National Guild of Hypnotists at 603-429-9438, or go online to ngh.net.

Intuitive Healing

THE SCOOP There's more to energy than E=[MC.sup.2]. Positive energy maintains health, say intuitive healers, and energy circulatir around the body anchors the spirit inside.

WHAT IT HELPS According to Warren Cargal, Dipl.Ac., an acupuncturist, psychotherapist and intuitive healer in Atlanta, many people visit intuitive therapists to resolve feelings of alienation and the inability to sustain a relationship. Others have physical problems that traditional docs haven't been able to cure.

HOW TO GET IT The United States has no national controlling body for training and licensing intuitive healers. You can find a healer through such websites as the World Organization of Energy Healers at www.observations .org/Healing2/ HealersOrg/.

Music Therapy

THE SCOOP Music therapists assess your emotional and physical health and help you resolve issues through music. "Music therapy is a way of letting people work out their problems in the world of metaphor and symbols," says Carol Shultis, MEd, MTBC, director of music therapy at Forbes Music Therapy in Philadelphia.

A music therapist may have you write songs, do guided imagery, discuss lyrics or listen to music. A practitioner of improvisational music therapy will accompany you on the piano or with voice while you bang, strum or sing out your feelings.

WHAT IT HELPS A few of the conditions you may be able to tune out with music therapy include stress, depression, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, physical disabilities and acute or chronic pain.

HOW TO GET IT Contact the American Music Therapy Association at 301-589-3300 or musictherapy.org. The Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) provides a list of certified practitioners at cbmt.org/lisr.htm.

Massage Therapy

THE SCOOP Massage therapy lifts the moods of people with chronic fatigue syndrome, increases relaxation, decreases stress hormones such as cortisol, flushes toxins from the system and helps relieve migraines, tension headaches and fibromyalgia syndrome -- and it just plain feels good.

WHAT IT HELPS Massage therapy may be helpful for many injuries and illnesses, particularly back and neck problems, fatigue and stress.

HOW TO GET IT Contact the American Massage Therapy Association Locator Service at 888-843-2682 or online at www.amtamassage.org.

Naturopathy

THE SCOOP Naturopathy combines non-drug treatments with diet, exercise, physical therapy and even acupuncture. Naturopathic physicians complete four years of graduate studies at a naturopathic medical college. In several states they're licensed as primary-care doctors, with their scope of allowable practices varying from state to state.

WHAT IT HELPS The top complaints naturopaths hear are allergies and intestinal woes like irritable bowel syndrome.

HOW TO GET IT Contact the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at 866-538-2267 or naturopathic.org.

Linda Formichelli writes about health and nutrition from her home in Massachusetts.