Alternative Medicine Glossary

noun a substance that is burned to produce a fragrant odor

verb to cause to be extremely angry

• The priest lit the incense during the religious ceremony.
• I love the smell of incense burning in my room.
• Hey, do you have any of that good incense for sale?
• The music at the concert was like incense for the soul.

noun a type of worm that attaches itself to the skin of animals to feed on their blood

verb to cling to someone or something in a parasitic manner

• The doctor used a leech to help improve the patient's blood circulation.
• I heard that leeches can suck your blood if you swim in that lake.
• That guy is such a leech, always asking for free drinks at the bar.
• Negative thoughts can be like emotional leeches, draining your energy and happiness.

noun a person, typically a woman, who is trained to assist women in childbirth

• The midwife provided prenatal care to the expectant mother.
• My friend's sister is training to become a midwife.
• I heard that midwife really knows her stuff when it comes to delivering babies.
• In a way, the project manager acted as a midwife, guiding the team through the completion of the project.

noun a detrimental effect on health produced by psychological or psychosomatic factors such as negative expectations of treatment or prognosis

• The patient experienced negative side effects due to the nocebo effect.
• I think it's just a nocebo effect making you feel sick.
• Don't let the nocebo effect get to you, it's all in your head.
• The fear of failure acted as a nocebo, hindering her performance.