Archive for the ‘alternative medicine’ Category
Shingles: A Personal Account
Posted on: January 31, 2009
A person very close to me was recently diagnosed with shingles. She began to have intense pain in her left breast, a pain that was unbearable. Many times she would have to leave work early because the pain became to extreme. The pain was a mystery until one day she noticed a small pimple on her back. It became apparent that every time the pain attack came, a small acne type of bump appeared on her back, neck, or head. Being a person who thought they could deal with pain, it took her several weeks to go to the doctor. Something anyone should have done as soon as something this severe began happening to their body.
Seeing a physician’s assistant, my friend was diagnosed with shingles. She was given a medication that is usually associated to treat herpes. This and a pain medication helped her through the flair ups, but the bumps on her back still only came in a single entity and not in clusters as most shingles out breaks are. That and she was only 43 and most shingle episodes happen when a person is over sixty. The attacks came and went and still she would have attacks so bad that she could not function with daily activities. Not only quality of life but the embarrassment of not being able to deal with work and family began to toll on her.
One of the shingles precursors is stress. This lady just was promoted in a high stress job that put her on edge not only during work but after work also. The more stressful episodes that happened at work caused more pain to happen and the frequency of outbreaks increased. After a terrible bout she went back to the doctor. This time a real doctor, not a PA, reviewed her records and shook his head. He realized that she was misdiagnosed and was given a medication that not only relieved the pain, but relieved the anxiety that was associated with these types of outbreaks.
Since then my friend has been fine. The big mistake that the PA made is that the shingle sores are in a pattern along one strand of nerves. This cause pain in the tissue that is associated with that nerve cluster. If you have been diagnosed with shingles and you only have one bump that is present when pain is found, get a second opinion. My friend went through nights without sleep and missing days of work because of the misdiagnosis. Any skin problem or pain associated with a skin problem can be serious, so seek medical attention immediately.
One of the most commercialized uses for herbs and nature cures is in the world of sex. Cultures around the world have been fascinated with increasing their sexual abilities and arousal. Herbs are beginning to emerge again as a way to help people with sexual dysfunctions and for the increase of individual sexual pleasure. The traditional use of sexual enhancing herbs was in their natural form, but with today’s commercial market, the herbs have been marketed in pill form, ointments, and as tinctures. It is big business and big demand in not only U.S. markets, but markets around the world.
The chemical components of herbs work differently with each herb and with each body system. Most herbs increase or stimulate the function of the neural system. Sexual response has a direct correlation to neural response and the herbs naturally stimulate that system. The working principles of the chemical components in these herbs are of several kinds, and the ingredients make their effects at different places in the human body. Other different types of herbs will stimulate blood circulation. The commercials you see about male enhancement is simply herbs that stimulate the blood circulation increasing the size of the sexual organ because it is engorged with blood. With this type of herbal stimulation, the senses are heightened and even if the organ in not engorged, the feeling during sexual stimulation usually is more pleasant.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
The connection between the mind, body, and spirit is becoming clearer to more health professionals. Some are recognizes what prayer, meditation, attending worship services, and personal faith can do to improve a person’s health. Greg Anderson is one person that sees the connection between faith and health. He had been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer and his doctor said he had thirty days back in 1984 in December. His lung cancer had dispersed throughout his lymphatic system. It was his faith that got him through and he survived cancer.
He is the CEO and founder of the Cancer Recovery Foundation of America and Linda Anderson is co-founder. Rev. Michael Gingerich is the director of program services. It is a non-profit organization that helps people survive cancer. Many in cancer education now use the cancer survival pyramid, but the Cancer Recovery Foundation first promoted it. Their pyramid has spiritual at its base, next attitude and support, they are side by side, next comes nutrition/exercise, and topping the pyramid is medical. The foundation has been encouraging and helping cancer patients since 1985. They help people see that there is a mind, body, and spirit connection to health. For twenty years Anderson has studied and taught about combining the spiritual, scientific, nutritional, and psychological aspects of healing. They have over 300 treatment centers in the United States, Canada, and Europe and an outreach to Uganda and Ukraine. The Cancer Conqueror with Bible Study is part of their program, but so is regular medical treatment.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
The research points out that people going for psychiatric treatment would have more difficulty when seeking a psychiatrist that had their religious affiliation when the prospective client is Christian. This survey conducted in 2003 questioned 1,144 doctors in the United States of which 100 of the doctors were psychiatrists. The study concluded that more family practice doctors held religious beliefs and that psychiatrists were the least likely of doctors to believe in life after death.
In this study 17% of the psychiatrists stated their religion as none, while the doctors were 10%. Of those with religious affiliation the doctors were protestant 39% and Catholic 22%. Of the psychiatrists, 27% claimed the protestant denomination and 10% of Catholic persuasion. The Jewish doctors were 13% of the group and of the psychiatrist 29% were Jewish.
The survey found that doctors with strong faith in God were more prone to send patients that needed counseling to pastors, priests, rabbis, or a counselor that was religious. Protestant doctors were the least likely to send a patient to a mental health doctor or counselor. Dr Michael Torres explains that throughout the history of psychiatry there has been a rebuffing of religion and spirituality, but he thinks that this long-standing situation is changing; he is part of the committee on religion and spirituality in psychiatry of the American Psychiatric Association.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
Health, Medicine, and Religion
Posted on: November 24, 2008
When we look at the mind and medicine faith enters the equation. It may be faith in the mind as in mind over matter or faith in a higher power. In the latter case, the person with the faith uses it to communicate with God. In 2005, 1000 people were selected at random to answer a telephone survey about end-of-life medical care. Medical professionals (774) answered the survey by mail. The majority of the questions concerned death by violence or accidents. Over half of the non-medical respondents stated that God could perform a miracle in these medical situations in which doctors said death was certain. Twenty percent of medical respondents agreed that God could save someone in a hopeless condition.
Even when doctors don’t have any faith in God to save a trauma victim that he or she sees as medically not treatable, the researchers concluded that they should to be tactful and sympathetic to the family’s religious views. The statistics of the survey are of interest. Families that believe that a miracle might occur have a twenty percent chance of getting a doctor or other medical professional that shares their views. It seems that most of the medical community is out of step with the majority of the public’s beliefs. The survey was published in the Archives of Surgery, which is a professional medical journal that the AMA publishes.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
Vimala Schneider McClure introduced infant massage to the United States during the 1970’s. She learned about infant massage while she was in India and saw it was good for babies. She massaged her one baby as she has seen it done on babies in India. She noticed its benefits to her baby and decided to start the International Association of Infant Massage.
Infant massage relaxes the baby and helps its digestion, babies with colic that is from irritable colon syndrome improved with massage. It stimulates digestive juices. It strengthens the bond between the parent and the infant. It has been show through studies that it improves immune function and promotes weight gain. It increases the myelination of nerves and improves the baby’s sleep and babies are less fussy when awake. For the brain and muscles to develop the myelination and weight and good immune system are needed. Myelination is concerned with the maturation of nerve cells and involves enabling the nerve impulses to move faster. Touching, massaging, holding the babies makes the myelin grow. Researchers have been studying infant massage since the 1970’s.
They have found that it improved their digestion, benefited their neurological development, improved their weight, and decreased time in the hospital. They study premature babies, those with motor dysfunctions, and those whose mother used drugs and caused the baby to be subjected to them.
When a baby has spent time is a neonatal intensive care unit need to be caressed more and massage is especially good for them. Some of these babies are afraid of touch though because most of the time if someone touched the, pain was involved like a shot. They have been called babies that don’t like to cuddle. It is important to gently touch them like stroke their back or scalp daily. But just a little at a time so they get used to touch being associated with good feelings and not being threatened by it. It is important that Dad get in on this. Baby’s need Dad too and should be used to him holding them and massaging them.
Your baby may be tense or be in a mood to wiggle when you are ready to start massaging him. If so, introduce him to the massage with a technique to relax him and do this every time and he will associate the technique with the fun, relaxing massage. Look your baby in the eyes with a loving attitude. Hold his stiff little legs or wiggling legs gently and easily move them in a bicycling motion. Tell him calmly and sweetly to relax. Say it a couple of times. Some massage therapists say the baby’s legs are the easiest part to start. You may want to begin your massage with his legs. Otherwise, just follow the pattern below.
First, undressed the baby and make sure the room is at least 78 degrees. If it is winter or it is humid cover the part of the baby you aren’t massaging with a blanket. La y the baby on a soft spot like a bed or the couch. Rub some lotion or cream between your hands an make sure it is warm before you begin to massage. Start at the baby’s head and work to his toes. Massage very gently.
Look at your baby and smile. Talk to him during the massage. If your baby wants to move that is Ok. Finish massaging that part of him later. Don’t use too much pressure. If you close your eyes and massage your eyeballs you’ll get the feel of how much pressure to use when massaging your baby.
Gently massage the baby’s face and scalp. Stroke his neck in the front very easily and the back of head neck. You can use small movements in circles. When massaging the back of the neck stroke in long movements to his shoulders. Be easy. You can make a circle around his are with you fingers and move down his arm. Gently press. Take special caution when you massage the elbow. Make circular movements on his stomach and chest. Hold his leg with your hand a very softly press. Press his toes gently a couple of times and massage his heels and the top of his feet with small circles gently massaging.
You can turn your baby over and massage the back of his head and neck with circular motions. Stroke his back and use circle motions. Stroke his shoulders. It is important not to massage his spinal cord. You can cup your hand over his spinal chord, as he will enjoy the warmth. Massage the back of his legs and feet as you did the front. Barely stroke over the bend in his leg as blood vessels are closer to the surface there and you don’t want to put too much pressure on them.
Massage is a way of touching your baby more and studies have shown that babies that are touched more are healthier physically and it is good for their emotions. Touching your baby stimulates growth hormones and makes his enzymes increase. These enzymes have an effect on the cells of the vital organs. The organs are stimulated to respond better to the growth hormones. Injections of the growth hormones with out a nurse touching the babies that were in the hospital didn’t make them grow. Only holding them and rubbing their backs or massaging the, or squeezing their hands worked.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
The Benefits of a Chair Massage
Posted on: November 21, 2008
Massage in a Chair
Massage has been around for thousands of years and it is pictured in Egyptian hieroglyphics in 2,500 B.C. and people are massaging one another’s hands and feet, while seated on the ground. Ancient Japanese block prints capture images of people massaging others, while they are sitting on low stools. Though chair massage in modern times stemmed from the 20th century in the U.S.A. during the 1970’s and 1980’s and they used stools. Sports massage therapists in Russia have their client sit on a chair and use a pillow to rest against a table. When performing the Japanese Amma modality of massage, some of the session is down with the client seated.
David Palmer who created the Palmer method of massage also adapted the Amma modality and created an acupuncture-influenced style of seated massage. He founded a school of massage and there are schools of Palmer massage today. He wanted to remove legitimate massage therapy away from the stigma of massage parlor sexual practices so it could become a popular therapy that that the average person recognized and could afford. By developing his own seated massage method and then having Serge Bouyssou, a Frenchman and a cabinetmaker design and build a massage chair that was portable, comfortable and easy for the massage therapist to use Palmer changed many people’s notions about massage. This all began in 1982 when he started teaching students the art of seated massage. Chair massage has blossomed during the intervening years and many massage therapist set up their chairs at outdoor events and have many clients.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
The Benefits of Foot Massage
Posted on: November 21, 2008
Beside reflexology there are other techniques of foot massage. Massage cream or lotion can be bought at a health food store on the Internet or at a massage supply store. Soaking the feet in some Epsom salt before hand will help lessen stress before starting the massage. Dry the feet after a soak of about ten minutes. Apply the cream to the whole foot with easy strokes moving from the toes upward.
After soaking rub the foot to warm it up; this increases the blood flow to the foot. Hold the foot with one hand and pull back down the foot with the other with a little pressure. You can also gently rub your hand back and forth across the foot. After the warm up, move your thumbs up and back down the foot applying some pressure and you can also run the thumb up the sides of the foot. Then deepen the strokes and massage between the tendons on the top of the foot. The stroke should be long and smooth.
Kneading with you fist is a good way to massage the soles of the feet. Hold the foot with one hand and run your knuckles up and down the sole of the foot applying some pressure. Check to see if it is enough or too much by asking. You can also press your fist against the sole and move up one step a time or while holding the foot run the fist down the sole.
Squeezing the foot as you move from spot to spot with both hands is called cupping. Another movement it to use ample cream and move your hands around the foot, but each hand moves opposite the other. Rotating the toes is another part of the massage. Do it gently. You can finish by using circular movements with one over and around the foot.
Scalp massage soothes headaches and is relaxing. It stimulates blood flow to the scalp; this is good for hair follicles. To massage the scalp start are the hairline and massage inward. Massage in little circles. You can move from the front of your to the back and vise versa and stop and massage more when you feel sore spots. These can be due to tension or sinus problems. Also, massaging the ears relieves tension.
Another part of massaging the scalp is to use circular movements and tap the scalp from the base of the neck to the crown and reverse massaging back to the base of the hairline. Very easy chopping movements can be done from side to side. You can also pull your fingers through the hair applying a little pressure to the scalp.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
Reflexology is a kind of foot massage. Places on the foot’s sole correspond to another part of the body, specifically an internal organ, according to the philosophy of reflexology. It is thought that a nerve ending on the foot’s sole is associated with the ailment in the organ. The sore spots of the foot’s sole reflect the illness. The foot massage loosens the tight muscles and improves circulation.
The Rolfing method was created by American biochemist Dr. Ida Rolf in the 1930’s. She theorized that if a part of the body is not in balance it affects other parts and all of the body suffers for it. The way the body tries to compensate for the weak spot hurts the entire body. Rolf’s method massages the myofascial tissue during ten massage appointments. Each succeeding session builds on the preceding one. This method of massage is associated with deep tissue massage.
Shiatsu is an acupressure type of massage. It is an old Japanese technique and the name means finger pressure. Rhythmic pressure is used on exact points on the meridians of the body. The fingers, hands, elbows, knees, and feet are utilized to apply the pressure. Range-of-motion exercises are used and stretches are applied gently.
Hot Stone Massage is a method in which heated stones are applied to the body in a gentle manner. It is a good choice for someone that needs tension released, but likes a lighter massage. The stones are smooth and flat. They are normally basalt because the iron in it holds heat. The stones are put in water and heated with a specific heating tool. The massage therapist puts the heated stones on specific areas of the back, between the toes, and onto the palms of the client’s ands. The warmth of the stones relaxes the muscles and more pressure can be applied if the client wants additional pressure. People get hot stones massages to relieve tension, increase circulation, stop back pain, make them sleep better, and to lessen depression.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
Deep tissue massage is focused on the muscle fibers in particular. It utilizes compression and friction moving along the muscles’ grain. It loosens the muscles’ fibers, relieves tension, and removes toxins.
Myotherapy is a modality the Bonnie Prudden invented in 1976. It works on trigger points in the body; they are knotted muscles that are associated with pain in other parts of the body. This knotting of a muscle is called hyper contracted. Emotional and physical stress causes a trigger point that causes muscle spasms. Trigger Point therapy is supposed to be done with accompanying massage such as Swedish massage.
Sports Massage is a specialized kind of massage aimed at aesthetes; the purpose is to decrease fatigue, prevent injuries, reduce swelling, and reduce muscle tension. It isn’t exactly a modality because it utilizes different kinds of massage, though it is a specialization in massage. The massage therapist performing sports massage may use Swedish, cross-fiber friction, and pressure point. Pressure point or trigger point loosens knotty muscles also called adhesions.
Neuromuscular Therapy was by invented by Paul St. John. Its purpose is to relieve pain and treat specific problems. The therapist first makes a postural assessment. This process identifies imbalances in posture and structure. During massage certain areas of the body that were accessed as problem sites are manipulated. NTM releases tension, lengthens and makes tissue stronger and alleviates pain.
Don Rainwater has written many articles on alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, and natural healing. To visit his site and to find vitamins, supplements, and health books that will help you find self cure through non-conventional medicine please visit http://www.vitaminvoltage.com
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