Manipulative and Body-Based Practices
Manipulative and body-based practices in CAM are based on manipulation or movement of one
or more parts of the body. Some examples include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation,
and massage. This outline will not discuss these treatments.
Energy Medicine
Energy therapies (a controversial term little used in the field) involve the use of magnetic and
electrical (or electro-magnetic) fields. They are of two types:
Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate
the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven. Some forms
of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure or manipulating the body by
placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include qigong, Reiki, and Therapeutic
Touch. This outline will not discuss these therapies. Lake and Spiegel discuss these therapies, as
does Scott Shannon in his Handbook of Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Mental
Health.^18
Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields,
such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.^19 This
outline will discuss these therapies.