Today, effective treatment does not mean you walk out of a hospital with a sense of relief, but a continual process is required, so that your body, your mind and you, remain in tune. Omer stresses on the fact that alternative therapies complement, not substitute allopathic treatment, which is why doctors refer one to a physiotherapist, or a cardiologist refers one to a nutritionist, not because they fail to cure, but that the problem requires more than a single type of treatment. Just as physiotherapy works on the body, so does energy therapy work for pain and stress management. For instance, if there is persistent pain that cannot be medically diagnosed through x-rays, such as the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), energy therapy proves beneficial. Alternative therapies must also be conducted by trained professionals, because incorrect techniques or herbals can be hazardous, if administered by amateurs or one self.

Eastern techniques are a rage in the West, and it’s amusing to see a blonde chanting ‘ohm’ in one of the yoga positions. Omer, with eight years of practicing Reiki, acupressure and meridian therapy, is happy to see the rising popularity of alternative therapy in Pakistan. His initial experience was working alongside neurologists. Later, when he set up private practice in Karachi, the doctors continued to refer patients to him. Clients from various backgrounds approach him for various reasons — terminal illness, chronic pain, insomnia, migraine, arthritis, or any stress related disorder and even just to simply unwind.
“When you are healing others, you are also healing yourself,” Omer says. He feels a great sense of accomplishment in being able to satisfy clients, who are initially critical and then ‘pressured’ into believing in therapy. He maintains people have walked out feeling an immense difference within one session.

Omer advises, rather than reach the point where stress becomes unbearable, it is better to simply make the therapy part of a daily regiment, such as following the CD guide on relaxation techniques, that could be done each morning and evening or to come for a therapy session, which simply requires you to lie down, as the therapist uses sensory techniques to relax you in ‘mind, body and spirit.’
With all the stress in our lives, and where even friends and family no longer have the time nor the patience to help, it is just as well to give it away — to someone who’s willing to take it all.
For an appointment, contact:
Omer Iftikhar, Therapist
Cell: 0302 2260766
E-mail: wholistic_living@yahoo.com
Consultation fee: Rs.500 per session
Duration: Between 30 to 45 min. (Individual or group therapy is offered The therapist is also available for house calls.)