Library: Clayton College of Natural Health, Birmingham, Alabama

The complementary and alternative (CAM) health movement is a burgeoning phenomenon in contemporary American culture. Types of healing alternatives to conventional medicine became increasingly popular in the latter quarter of the 20th century and some physicians, hospitals, and government entities have began to acknowledge the fields with validity. While alternatives to conventional medicine have always existed, contemporary interest in CAM may trigger an interest in unconventional forms of energy healing such as Reiki. The purpose of this research study was to investigate if Reiki could red...

Human Papillomavirus has emerged as a distinct cause of cervical changes in young women. Its prevalence is continuously growing and is considered at epidemic proportions with 20 million Americans already infected and 5.5 million new cases reported annually. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tracking the Hidden Epidemics., Trends in STDs in the U.S. 2000, Atlanta, Georgia, 2000) There are known risk factors associated with HPV cervical changes and cervical cancer. These known risk factors are the number of one’s sexual partners, age at first coitus, smoking and use of oral contrac...

Women experience sexual and domestic violence at alarmingly high rates. Recovery from this type of trauma can be a complex and extensive process, that in best cases, involves a broad network for support. This dissertation examined the experiences of women over the age of 21 who have received massage therapy during their healing process from sexual or domestic violence. For the purposes of this study, the women who participated were often referred to as “survivors of abuse.” Current research examined in the literature review indicates that the effects of this type of trauma are ...

A study of professional women was initiated to determine if herbal adaptogens have any effect on improving resiliency for coping with stress. An herbal adaptogen is an herb that helps the body adjust to difficult or extreme circumstances (Derrida, 2004). An iridology assessment was completed to define the subjects’ genetic profile for resiliency. It was hypothesized that if the person were genetically resilient, herbal adaptogens would not be effective, as their stress-handling capabilities were naturally strong. Through resiliency questionnaires, a positive improvement in the ability to manag...