therapy
therapies
Therapy is the act of caring for someone, or the method of caring. If you have a rare disease, your doctor's therapy will hopefully cure you.
Therapy comes from the Greek θεραπεία, for "healing." If someone tells you she's "in therapy," she's probably talking about a psychological kind of healing. But if she's getting physical therapy, then she's getting help with a bone or muscle problem. If someone suggests an experimental therapy, that's a mode of treatment that's new. Sometimes if something non-medical makes you feel better, we call it a kind of therapy. You might like chocolate therapy, for example.
Definitions of therapy
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(medicine) the act of caring for someone (as by medication or remedial training etc.)“heat therapy gave the best relief”
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types:
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aromatherapy
the therapeutic use of aromatic plant extracts and essential oils in baths or massage
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chemotherapy
the use of chemical agents to treat or control disease (or mental illness)
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correction
treatment of a specific defect
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electric healing, electrical healing, electrotherapy, galvanism
the therapeutic application of electricity to the body (as in the treatment of various forms of paralysis)
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heliotherapy, insolation
therapeutic exposure to sunlight
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HRT, hormone replacement therapy, hormone-replacement therapy
hormones (estrogen and progestin) are given to postmenopausal women; believed to protect them from heart disease and osteoporosis
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immunotherapy
therapy designed to produce immunity to a disease or to enhance resistance by the immune system
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infrared therapy
the use of infrared radiation (as by infrared lamps or heating pads or hot water bottles) to relieve pain and increase circulation to a particular area of the body
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inflation therapy
therapy in which water or oxygen or a drug is introduced into the respiratory tract with inhaled air
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EMDA, electromotive drug administration, ionic medication, iontophoresis, iontotherapy
therapy that uses a local electric current to introduce the ions of a medicine into the tissues
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medication
the act of treating with medicines or remedies
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megavitamin therapy
therapy based on a theory that taking very large doses of vitamins will prevent or cure physical or psychological disorders
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occupational therapy
therapy based on engagement in meaningful activities of daily life, especially to enable or encourage participation in such activities in spite of impairments or limitations in physical or mental functions
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physiatrics, physical therapy, physiotherapy
therapy that uses physical agents: exercise and massage and other modalities
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botanical medicine, herbal therapy, phytotherapy
the use of plants or plant extracts for medicinal purposes (especially plants that are not part of the normal diet)
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psychotherapy
the treatment of mental or emotional problems by psychological means
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actinotherapy, irradiation, radiation, radiation therapy, radiotherapy
(medicine) the treatment of disease (especially cancer) by exposure to a radioactive substance
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shock therapy, shock treatment
treatment of certain psychotic states by the administration of shocks that are followed by convulsions
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speech therapy
any therapy intended to correct a disorder of speech
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refrigeration
deliberately lowering the body's temperature for therapeutic purposes
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thermotherapy
the use of heat to treat a disease or disorder; heating pads or hot compresses or hot-water bottles are used to promote circulation in peripheral vascular disease or to relax tense muscles
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thrombolytic therapy
therapy consisting of the administration of a pharmacological agent to cause thrombolysis of an abnormal blood clot
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antipyresis
medication with antipyretics to treat a fever
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administration, giving medication
the act of administering medication
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fusion, spinal fusion
correction of an unstable part of the spine by joining two or more vertebrae; usually done surgically but sometimes done by traction or immobilization
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rehabilitation
the treatment of physical disabilities by massage and electrotherapy and exercises
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behavior modification, behavior therapy
psychotherapy that seeks to extinguish or inhibit abnormal or maladaptive behavior by reinforcing desired behavior and extinguishing undesired behavior
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client-centered therapy
a method of psychotherapy developed by Carl Rogers in which the client determines the focus and pace of each session
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crisis intervention
psychotherapy that focuses on acute critical situations (depressive episodes or attempted suicides or drug overdoses) with the aim of restoring the person to the level of functioning before the crisis
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group psychotherapy, group therapy
psychotherapy in which a small group of individuals meet with a therapist; interactions among the members are considered to be therapeutic
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hypnotherapy
the use of hypnosis in psychotherapy
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play therapy
form of psychotherapy for children that uses play situations for diagnosis or treatment
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analysis, depth psychology, psychoanalysis
a set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders; based on the theories of Sigmund Freud
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self-analysis
the application of psychotherapeutic principles to the analysis of your own personality
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phototherapy
the use of strong light to treat acne or hyperbilirubinemia of the newborn
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Curietherapy, radium therapy
the use of radium in radiation therapy
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X-ray therapy
the therapeutic use of X rays
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chrysotherapy
the use of chemicals containing gold for treating diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis)
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ECT, electroconvulsive therapy, electroshock, electroshock therapy
the administration of a strong electric current that passes through the brain to induce convulsions and coma
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insulin shock, insulin shock therapy, insulin shock treatment
the administration of sufficient insulin to induce convulsions and coma
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metrazol shock, metrazol shock therapy, metrazol shock treatment
the administration of sufficient Metrazol to induce convulsions and coma
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type of:
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medical aid, medical care
professional treatment for illness or injury
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘therapy'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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