The treatment of disorders by inserting needles into the skin at points where the flow of energy in the body is thought to be blocked along its "Meridians", also known as "Channels", which are 14 pathways that define the body’s outer energetic system or defensive energy. To strengthen the flow of qi (the Chinese term for vital energy or life force) or to remove blockages in the meridians, an acupuncturist inserts a number of tiny, sterile, flexible needles just under the skin at certain specific points (called "acupoints”) along these channels. The word "Acupuncture" comes from the Latin word “acus”: needle, and “pungere”: puncture.
Nontraditional remedies: the treatment of illness using remedies such as homeopathy or naturopathy that are not considered part of mainstream medicine.
A medical system of healing based on the theory that disease and disorders are caused by a misalignment of the bones, especially in the spine, that obstructs proper nerve functions. Chiropractic is the largest, drug-free healing profession in the world today.
Chiropractors operate from the physiological principles that the brain controls all bodily functions through the nervous system, and that when the nervous system is allowed to function properly, the body will heal itself naturally. When the nervous system is hampered and the brain cannot communicate with parts of the body, one has a breakdown in that area of the body and lack of health ensues.
A Chiropractor’s job is to restore normal function of the nervous system by removing the blockages in communication from the brain. These blockages are called subluxations. A subluxation is a minor misalignment of a segment of the spine (vertebrae) causing irritation to a nerve with a loss of normal function.
[Derivation: sub-: less than, slight. -luxate: dislocate; so a subluxation is a minor or slight dislocation less than a complete dislocation.]
Treatment of injuries: the treatment of injuries and physical conditions by a trained person under the supervision of a specialist in physical medicine. Canadian term physiotherapy.
