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Alternative health care practices are gaining momentum as of late, perhaps because of the recently renewed focus on health care in our country. Cymatherapy, a type of non-invasive sound therapy, is an alternative health care option that is piquing the interest of parents because of its gentle approach to healing.
What is it?
Cymatherapy uses sound frequencies to stimulate different parts of the body in order to create balance and promote healing. This therapy uses sound vibrations and the body's meridian points to realign and revitalize a sluggish or otherwise unhealthy system. "According to the FDA, Cymatherapy products are listed as Class 1 devices," says Dr. Jan Dilley, a holistic health practitioner and certified biofeedback specialist. "The specific category is electric, acoustic massagers. The acoustic sounds provide relaxation and may relieve minor pain and stress. When the body is fully relaxed, states of optimum health are achieved on physical, psychological and emotional levels. This applies to children as well as adults."
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Tune in
Reflexology and acupuncture are two non-traditional therapies that also use meridian points to identify and relieve conditions that cause our bodies to operate in less-than-optimal states. "We can use the analogy of the body being like a radio," says Dr. Dilley. "Sometimes our body's radio gets stuck on a non-relaxing channel with lots of distortion and static. This becomes stressful on all levels and not switching to another channel can begin to really deplete the body. The depletion can continue for only a short time until the body goes into chaos." Cymatherapy is designed to relax the body so that it can tune in to another station and operate on a more balanced and healthy frequency.
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Sound therapy and autism
Cymatherapy has numerous applications when it comes to children's health including treating those with anxiety, depression, chronic conditions and attention deficit. Covenant Health Clinic in Roswell, Georgia, has specifically explored the effect of sound therapy on children with autism with great success. "When we started with Cyma I didn't really have any expectations," says Carolyn Nesbit, whose son has autism. "I was hoping it would help him but I didn't know. In the first three weeks, his behavior improved markedly. At school, they reported that cognitively, he was doing much better in reading, math and language. It's made our home life happier."
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Is it for you?
It's important to note that Cymatherapy doesn't directly cure or heal a specific ailment. Rather, it helps balance the body, fostering a state of harmony so that it can heal itself. If this option sounds like something worth exploring, seek out a licensed health care professional (doctor, chiropractor, nurse, osteopath, naturopath, etc.) who is trained in this technique. You aren't likely to see this option promoted in traditional health care circles, but for those who like to explore their options, Cymatherapy is worthy of consideration.
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