Tag: Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM)

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The Five W’s + the How of Cupping Therapy

Author: Emma Stock

The What

Cupping is one of the many methods of traditional Chinese medicine. It has been used as a modality in hospital and other settings since 1950 [2]. It is an application of glass or plastic cups that vacuum seal onto the body in a desired area. The cupping cups are used to stimulate the muscles as a treatment for aches and pains associated with various diseases, as well as other reasons listed in the “Why” section. There are two types of cupping therapies. [1] Wet cupping is a three step process. The first step is placing the cups in the desired area for a few minutes. The second step is removing the cups and making a small incision or puncture wound on the skin. The final step is placing the cup over the wound and letting the blood drain out for another few minutes (typically around 3-5min). Dry cupping does not include the puncturing of the skin, and is solely the cups placed on the relaxed person for a few minutes.

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The Effects of Yoga Therapy for Children Diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum

Author: Kayla Tweedt

Contents of article:

  1. Summary
  2. Autism Spectrum Disorder
  3. The practice of yoga and yoga therapy
  4. Benefits of yoga on ASD
  5. Future research
  6. Conclusion
  7. References

Summary:

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of symptoms or conditions that are represented by challenges in the areas of social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication (Autism Speaks, 2018). Each person on the autism spectrum is different from one another, this is because there are many subtypes to the autism spectrum (Autism Speaks, 2018). What this means, is that every individual with autism has unique challenges and strengths, thus the type of treatment must be specific to the individual.

There are many different treatments out there for individuals on the autism spectrum. There are pharmacological interventions such as psycho-stimulants, atypical anti-psychotic drugs, and antidepressants. There are also non-pharmacological therapies such as complementary and integrative medicine, music therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and social behavior therapies (Sharma et al, 2018). In this article I want to show another approach to a non-pharmacological intervention; the use of yoga as an intervention for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Before going too far into the topic, I want to cover some helpful terminology and abbreviations that will be mentioned.

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