Alternative Therapies in Health Medicine

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that as many as 62% of Americans use some form of alternative medicine. With Government funding, medical science is beginning to study the effectiveness of alternative and complementary treatments. Some of the therapies are showing positive results. Of the various categories of treatment “mind-body therapies” seems to have the greatest rate of success. Here are three types of alternative therapies that have documented valid scientific evidence behind them:

Acupuncture - Eastern philosophy says that acupuncture affects the flow of qi (pronounced chee), or energy through the energy meridians in our body. Western medical doctors explain that the needles interact with our nervous system by triggering the release of chemicals that affect our mood, perception of pain and immune response.

Medical research indicates acupuncture has been most successful with reducing pain due to knee arthritis, reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and in vitro fertilization.

Meditation - Meditation in its most standard form usually involves focusing on deep breathing and repeating a mantra. This process activates the relaxation response in our bodies which lowers blood pressure and improves hormone balance.

Studies have found that meditation may have positive effects on blood pressure, insulin levels, blood sugar, and heart health. It can improve concentration, reduce anxiety, and help with post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Biofeedback - Biofeedback uses sensors to show you your “automatic” functions such as blood pressure, pulse rate, stress response, skin temperature and brain waves. You are taught how to control these functions with your brain or thoughts.

The technique is helpful for reducing high blood pressure, chronic back pain, incontinence, tension headaches, and stress.

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Alternative Cancer Therapies

Found this article in Parade Magazine and it gave good information about alternative cancer therapies. I summarized the major points.

More than 70% of cancer patients use complementary and alternative (CAM) medical therapies, according to a study in the journal Cancer. Alternative therapies may include acupuncture, meditation, supplements, hypnosis, homeopathy, prayer and religion.

Years ago alternative medicine was considered ineffective by the medical community and still today you will find some doctors who do not support that type of treatment. Most doctors though are willing to consider it. The American Cancer Society recently released its Complete Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies. The book is to be used as a reference book and details hundreds of alternative therapies including evidence of effectiveness and side effects.

Historical evidence indicates that most patients who use natural remedies are not using them as a cure but for help in handling the side effects of radiation or chemotherapy. Common side effects are nausea, stress, and harm to the immune system.

The Cancer Society guide also covers many therapies for which there is no evidence such as shark cartilage, enzyme therapy and electro-magnetic therapy. Some alternative therapies can be dangerous, according to the guide, for instance chelation therapy, oxygen therapy, and hyperthermia.

Supplements are also detailed in the guide. Medical doctors issue with supplements is that they may interfere with the way your body breaks down chemotherapy drugs. By taking some supplements you could decrease the effectiveness of chemotherapy and even worse create more toxins in your body.

The article ends by advising patients to discuss alternative medicine options with your doctor or oncologists.

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How To Look 10 Years Younger

There is huge line of products out there promising to make us look younger. But you know there are so many natural ways to slow the aging process and most of them are very inexpensive. AOL Health did a great post on home remedies for anti-aging. They asked their readers for their own home grown remedies and here are some of their tips:

Stress Less

Stress can cause us to tense our facial muscles which causes wrinkles and can be hard on our entire body. Our bodies are not designed to be in the “fight” mode all the time. Learning how to get rid of those stressful feelings can go along way toward keeping your body young not to mention lower your blood pressure. Many people say meditation is the best way to de-stress but you can also do breathing exercises, take a relaxing bath, listen to soothing music, do yoga, or exercise. Just pick one that works for you and you will feel so much better and look younger too.

Keep Covered

Minimize your exposure to strong sun. You probably know the sun is strongest during 10 am and 2 pm. If you can avoid being out in the sun during those times, it is like taking a magic anti-aging pill. Stay out of tanning booths at all times. You need some sun exposure to get the proper amount of Vitamin D. See our post Safely Avoid Vitamin D deficiencies – Sun Exposure. If you are out in the sun make sure you use sunscreen. You will keep your skin smooth and reduce your chance of getting skin cancer. Also wear a hat. So many people forget to do this. Wearing a wide brimmed hat will keep you cooler and protect the delicate skin on your face. If you color your hair, it will also prevent your color from fading.

Moisturize at Any Price

One AOL Health respondent said “Another friend said this is what works for him: “Slather on moisturizer twice a day. It doesn’t matter how expensive or cheap the moisturizer is, as long as it is slathered on. If you have money for a more expensive one, good, but any will do.” I can speak from personal experience and tell you that does work. My skin is still very soft even though I am older because I have always used moisturizer. I put mine on right after I step out of the shower so the water gets locked in my skin.

Get some more great natural anti-aging advice at AOL Health

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Happiness is – What You Eat

You can actually eat your way to a happier disposition. Certain foods can make us feel good by boosting our energy or putting us in a better mood. I know your thinking chocolate, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, chocolate brownies. Need I go on? But no, chocolate is not on the list though you should see our related postDark Chocolate Is Good For You.

Here are five foods that can help lift your mood:

Cereal: Deficiencies in folic acid can make you feel depressed. Breakfast cereals contain folic acid, which boosts levels of serotonin, which regulates mood in your brain. If your still stuck on the chocolate thing – eat Cocoa Puffs!

Walnuts: Foods high in fat can increase endorphins, which can make you happy. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in walnuts. They’re also found in flaxseed and salmon. Again chocolate lovers – dip walnuts in dark chocolate and label the container “For medicinal purposes.”

Beans and grains: Carbohydrate-rich food contribute to higher levels of serotonin, which can lead to increased feelings of pleasure. Whole grain bread, brown rice,, potatoes and pasta are carbohydrate rich.

Tofu: Protein-rich foods, including tofu contain tyrosine, a mood-boosting amino acid. It also can be found in low-fat dairy products such as cottage cheese, in egg whites, and in lean meats and some fish.

Eggs: Zinc helps regulate metabolism and promotes a more energetic body. Eggs are a good source of zinc. Also raw cremino mushrooms and boiled spinach.

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Hypnosis for Losing Weight

Hypnosis for weight loss and hypnosis for stress are one of the frequent reasons people consider hypnosis. Here is a brief explanation of what hypnosis is and some comments by therapists and clients (from an article that appeared in the health section of our paper):

“Hypnosis,” said Chris Penell of Spirit Quest Healing. “It’s about getting the subconscious to look at things differently.” Penell says hypnosis can treat smoking, weight control, phobias, procrastination, anxiety, self-forgiveness, guilt, anger issues and insomnia. “Most people, about 99 percent, even though they think they know what is bothering them, they really don’t,” Pennel said. “It’s actually some subconscious thought that is causing them to be stressed.”

Penell using a soothing voice and deep relaxation skills, takes clients back to the “seed” to get their subconscious to release a negative trigger and replace it with a positive one. “I use the color green,” Penell said. “We put a positive trigger of the color green in your subconscious, and when you feel stressed, you look at the color green and become more calm, relaxed, and think more clearly.”

You are in a place where no one can touch you because you are the only one there,” said Karon Tracy, 61 who used hypnosis for stress relief after battling cancer. Ira Chorush used hypnosis to help quit a three-pack-a-day smoking habit. He said a nicotine patch cut his smoking in half, but a skin rash and vivid dreams bothered him. Chorush visited a hypnotherapist more than 10 years ago and quit smoking after a single, two hour session.

Typically sessions range from 30 minutes to several hours and cost $175 to $275.

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Anxiety Cures

With the holidays sometimes comes anxiety and depression. Did you know that orange blossom is a very effective anti-depressant. Pamela Allerdyce author of Natural Remedies A to Z says “The gorgeous scent of these flowers (Citrus aurantium) is distilled into an essential oil which is one of the most effective antidepressants around. It has been documented as slowing down and calming the mind and it is very useful for people who tend to panic and for those who are prone to hyperventilation or are under a great deal of strain. It has even been used clinically to treat cardiac patients with great success.”

Add 4 to 6 drops to a warm bath to soothe and comfort the brain and the body.You can also just put a few drops on a hankerchief and inhale the scent or use an aromotherapy diffuser. I have found orange blossom essential oil in the health section of our local grocery store and it is not too expensive ( $4.00 to $5.00). Aromatherapists use orange blossom (neroli) oil to treat patients suffering from anxiety and insomnia because of its sedative properties. They also use it to treat broken veins and dry skin. It is particularly indicated for use in a facial steam or massage by people with dry, ageing or unduly fragile skin, particularly at the time of menopause.

Neroli Hydrosol or orange blossom water has also been used during labor and delivery to help the mother stay calm (put the orange blossom water in a spray bottle and spray on body). Neroli Hydrosol has also been used for people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

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Though this post doesn’t involve a natural cure, I wanted to put it in because it is something you should be aware of in case you experience this syndrome. I would never had heard of synesthesia if my son hadn’t had this peculiar experience. Everytime he sneezed he had a spot on his back that itched. I asked the doctor about it and he explained that his nerves were just mis-wired. In other words every time he sneezed his brain gave the signal his back was itching. Annoying but not a huge problem. But there are cases where this condition can be more serious. Sometimes things happen to our bodies and there doesn’t seem to be any logical cause. I just wanted to post this to make people aware of this syndrome.

Synesthesia is a condition in which the senses are cross-wired. There are many forms. For example, someone might see colors in response to certain letters or numbers.

Synesthesia is believed to affect at least one in 2,000 people. It might be genetic, with left-handed people more commonly affected.

Synesthetes usually recognize the condition early in life but don’t realize that what they are experiencing is unique.

Imaging and behavorial studies have shown significant evidence of synesthesia. These studies include functonal MRI scans and the test of genuineness.

In 2005, the International Association for the Study of Pain reported that a 49 year old man with neuropathic pain in his elbow, wrist and fingers said certain colors increased his pain by superimposing an electric-shock-like pain to his existing pain. Psychophysical testing and functional MRI scans confirmed his theory.

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Electronic Brain Games Are Growing in Popularity

Even the large video game companies, like Nintendo, are getting into the brain game market. The games claim to stimulate minds, so that aging people can reduce their brain age. Games are produced to help with memory, cognition, and eye/hand coordination. Some active games, like WII games, can even help people stay fit!

We found BoomBaby.org . This website is fairly new, and is dedicated to baby boomers. They have a whole section of free online brain games! Now, we are not here to make any scientific claims. However, we did find the games pretty amusing, and since they claim to be brain games, we can justify the break we took to play them.

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Sleep Disorders and Age 

Sleep disorders seem to be more common as people age. Even though we intuitively know that our good health and emotional well being depend upon getting enough rest, that is one disorder we may not get treated for. So just when people age, and become more vulnerable, they also are more likely to suffer sleep disorders. A Gallup pole found that 80 precent of senior citizens knew that sleep was essential to their good help. But the disturbing fact was that 53 percent of those people said that they reported sleep problems to their doctors and did not get any treatment!

Sleep Disorders And Health

Of course, if you do have a serious sleep disorder you should consult with a doctor. If the first doctor does not take your complaint seriously, then find another doctor who will listen. Healthy sleep is a wonderful asset to your emotional well being, ability to heal, and all around health!

Of course, natural sleep remedies also exist. Warm baths, warm milk, one glass of wine, or natural tissue salts may be an answer for you.

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LOL. It seems like a lot of the people who are interested in natural solutions are in that famous baby boomer or over 50 set! Just a bunch of aging hippies? Well, maybe not. Anyway, if you fall into the over 50 set, I suggest you visit the Over 50 Website! The kids already rule Myspace and YouTube, so there is no reason you should not have your own place to surf too!

The site has articles on topics that are geared to mid-life people, including health, beauty, careers, finance, and entertainment. A new forum has just gotten started for mid-life people to chat. It isn’t reallly hopping yet, so you can still get in early on this community!

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