Health | Alternative Medicine Database

Secrets to a Speedy Rehabilitation

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Chances are that at some point during your lifetime you will require physical rehabilitation. If you suffer from an injury or have surgery, your doctor will expect you to follow a program of exercise and physical therapy to help you recover. Here are some steps to take to make sure your therapy will be successful.

Before you leave the hospital, be sure that you can perform the recommended exercises. If your thinking may be fuzzy due to medication, ask a family member to be present when the therapist explains your exercise routine. She can write down directions and explanations for later reference.

Have a family member ‘spot’ you as you exercise. She can help keep you steady, safe, and make sure you are correctly performing the exercise.

If your rehabilitation requires you to go to a special therapy facility, make sure that the facility is covered by your insurance. Check out the reputation of the institution that you are considering. Visit it in person if at all possible. Make sure the facility is within easy commuting distance from your home, that it is well maintained, is clean, and that the staff is cheerful and pleasant . Check out the staff credentials making sure that they are fully licensed. You could even ask for a referral of previous patients and get their opinion about the facilities.

If you do not develop a good rapport with your therapist, do not hesitate to ask your doctor if there is someone else that you could go to for your therapy. You need someone who is friendly and supportive and who will keep you motivated through the entire recovery process.

An injury or lengthy illness can cause a wide influx of emotions. Feelings of depression can limit your willingness to stick with your therapy. If this is your case, consult your doctor for the name of someone who could give you counseling.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Clinics, Health, Occupational therapy, Physical exercise, Physical therapy, Physician, Professions, United States

The Chiropractic Approach to Good Health

Chiropractic Medicine is seen as an alternative medical practice. It actually attempts to focus on preventing, diagnosing and treating mechanical disorders of the muscle and skeletal systems of the body. In addition it also treats the functions of the nervous system which are affected by the mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Chiropractic treatment is usually accomplished through manual therapy which is accomplished by adjusting the spine and joints as well as the manipulation of soft tissues adjacent to these areas. The results, particularly those that affect the nervous system, are based on the concept that they are directly affected by spinal dysfunctions and Vertebral Subluxation. Adjustments in these areas positively affect the nervous system as well as positively affecting other physical ailments. The basis of this treatment is in the concept that there is a direct connection between the body’s structure and its ability to function properly, as well as the overall impact that the body’s neurology has on good health.
Having started in the U.S. in 1895, the chiropractic practice has now spread to over 100 countries around the world. And though its practice is so wide-spread, it continues to be controversial in both the scientific and medical communities. This has been particularly problematic since many founding concepts of chiropractic medicine employed a metaphysical as well as a neuromusculoskeletal approach to the treatment.
Chiropractors typically implement a dual treatment plan that is designed around the patient’s needs. They integrate both a treatment schedule with a management plan that attempts to bring together the health of the patient and his lifestyle so that he experiences optimum physical function. Though today joint and spinal manipulations are the primary treatments of Chiropractors this type of practice actually dates back to ancient China. Now the manipulative technique is used in conjunction with osteopathic medicine to produce superior chiropractic results.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine, Herbal Treatment Tagged With: Alternative medicine, Chiropractic, Health, Vertebral Subluxation

Alternative Medicine: Meditation and its Effects on the Human Brain

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Over the course of thousands of years meditation has been seen as a way to calm the nerves, the senses and improve the function of the body and the mind. While the health aspects of meditation are loudly touted in all circles of alternative medicine many in the western field of medicine still dismiss the practice as a new age discipline rather than a beneficial medical practice.

Pundits claim that there are numerous ways that meditation helps maintain and enhance the body. They claim that meditation helps improve concentration levels and decrease respiratory rates. Meditators regularly show decrease in muscle tension, an increase in blood flow to the heart and show signs of a faster rate of post-operative healing. Meditation has also produced astounding results in patients who suffer from panic or anxiety attacks by reducing their blood lactate levels. In fact most people who start meditating can consciously see and feel a difference in themselves and their response to the outside world however in most cases this is difficult to measure by western standards.

In recent studies conducted by neurologists results have shown that subjects who meditate shift their brain function to different areas of the brain cortex. In the study, a group of workers in a high stress environment were separated randomly into two groups. One that was taught to use and practice meditation and the other that was not. The study showed that the group that the subject started using different parts of the brain. The meditators went from using their right frontal cortex which tends to be a stress prone area to the calmer side of the brain the left frontal cortex. Another finding was that those who meditate show less activity in the party of the brain that processes fear which is called the amygdala.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Alternative, Alternative medicine, Blood pressure, Brain, Health, Medicine, Meditation, Panic attack

Natural Remedies for Sinus Pain

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Cilia are the microscopic hairs that line your respiratory tract. They move back and forth 16 times per second. They carry dust, bacteria, and allergens out of your nose, sinuses, and chest into your throat to be swallowed. When the cilia do not work properly, mucus builds up in your sinuses. This causes infections and congestion. Here are 5 things that you can do to keep your cilia in top working condition.

Keep your environment as dust free as possible. Frequently dust your furniture and vacuum your carpet. Consider getting rid of heavy curtains (if you have them) because they collect dust.

Daily use a saline solution to wash out your nasal passages. It is one of the most effective things that you can do to keep your nasal passage clean. It also keeps your cilia hydrated. You can buy a saline solution or make your own by mixing one teaspoon of salt, one-half teaspoon of baking soda, and two cups of warm water.

Drink hot soup or tea first thing in the morning. Your cilia slow down while you sleep and hot beverages get the cilia moving and cleaning out your respiratory tract. You might want to place a thermos filled with hot tea by your beside when you go to bed so that it is ready to drink before getting out of bed in the morning.

Take chewable papaya enzyme tablets. These tablets are very effective for reducing sinus inflammation and swelling. Place a tablet between your gums and your cheek and let it melt. Do this four times a day. You can enhance the effect of the papaya tablets by also supplementing them with bromelain tablets because they also reduce sinus inflammation.

And last, don’t blow your nose. This might seem contrary to what you should do. However, vigorously blowing your nose will force the mucus back into your sinus creating a prime environment for a sinus infection. Gently wipe your nose instead.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Health, Mucus, Nose, Paranasal sinuses, Saline (medicine), Sinus (anatomy), Sinus ostium, Sinusitis

Natural Remedies to Eliminate Headache Pain

If you suffer from frequent headaches and are concerned about using ibuprofen or aspirin, there are several natural remedies that you can use instead. The following have been found to reduce the severity and frequency of regular and cluster headaches:

1. Vitamin B-2
2. Magnesium
3. Lecithin
4. Fish oil or flaxseed oil

If you suffer from tension headaches, there are several things that you can easily do at home or while sitting at your desk at work that will relieve the pain. Using your thumbs, press the upper inside corners of your eye sockets. Hold for one minute while breathing deeply. Repeat three to four times.

Using your thumbs, press the back of your neck just below the base of your skull and in line with your ears. Press for two minutes while breathing deeply. Repeat one or two more times.

Use your left thumb and press the fleshy part of your right hand between your right thumb and your right index finger. Hold for one minute. Breathe deeply. Switch hands. Press the fleshy part of your left hand between your left thumb and left index finger using your right thumb. Remember to breathe deeply.

Sometimes there are things in your environment that cause headache pain. Fluorescent bulbs often have a tiny flicker that is barely discernable. If possible, change your fluorescent lighting to incandescent bulbs.

Aerobic activities improve the blood flow to the brain and reduce the chances of getting a headache. Walk briskly for 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week. You can also bike, swim, or walk on a treadmill or elliptical machine for the same amount of time.
It is also critical that you get an eye exam at least once a year. Eyesight strain causes headaches. A professional examination can identify if there has been a change in your vision and your need glasses – or a different prescription.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Headache, Health, Migraine, Neurological Disorders, Pain, Tension, Thumb

Alternative Medicine and Massage

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Although there is not that much contemporary research in how massage influences the body and mind the practice is referenced in various ancient texts from China, Japan, Egypt and Greece. It has been practiced and alluded to for hundreds of years. And at one point in time was so highly regarded that in ancient Greece Hippocrates called the art of medicine the art of rubbing.

Massage came back into favor during the renaissance when but was somewhat lost again soon after. It was not introduced into the United States until two scientists who were studying in Sweden brought it to attention in the 1850’s. It was in favor until the 1930’s when medicine thought it too primitive. However regained favor among athletes in the 1970’s. Since then massage has become mainstream. It is the quintessential relaxation break. A time to indulge and treat oneself.

Alternative medicine has always touted massage as a remedy to body aches and ailments. When athletes started using the technique again in the 1970’s it became popular again. This field soon became known as sports massage. There are different forms of massage for different ailments. Swedish massage is the original massage and the basis of sports massage. Both use long strokes, deep circular movements, kneading and sometimes tapping to alleviate pain in the patient. Deep tissue massage, which as the name suggests uses deep massage strokes into the skin to relieve tension spots and pain. This technique tries to remove all the muscle knots in our own body so it can alleviate pain. But all techniques have the same purpose to put the body in a state of calm and to ease tension.

Regardless of which massage technique you use for yourself the benefits of massage, although not measured, cannot be ignored. Millions of people every year rely on the serenity and pain relief administered by professional masseurs.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Egypt, Greece, Health, Japan, Massage, Pain, Sweden, United States

Alternative Medicine, Insomnia and Sleep

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The Mayo Clinic classifies insomnia as an individual’s inability to sleep, stay asleep or having non-refreshing sleep for more than one month straight. Insomnia is one of the most horrible experiences a person can face. The tossing, the turning, the exhaustion of the body and mind but the uncontrollable inability to sleep can make a person feel helpless and at times can lead to grave psychological and physical problems. Sleep is probably the most important of all human needs. Sleep is just as important in human functionality as water. Yet, while we can survive without water for days and without food for weeks, if we are without sleep we lose our ability to reason and think. Without sleep we cannot function, cannot process information and we put our mental health in jeopardy. So much so that forced sleep deprivation is thought to be a torture tactic and people who have a lack of sleep are at times legally not responsible for their actions.

Typical insomnia treatments include prescription sleep aids however these sleep aids can be harmful and at times can become addictive. Many sufferers of insomnia turn to many alternative forms of treatment both from the home remedy category to the alternative medicine approach to try to combat insomnia.

One simple suggestion is to drink warm liquids before bed. Drinks such as chamomile tea or milk have been known to help alleviate mild symptoms of insomnia. Another remedy to try is to practice deep breathing exercises and use meditation techniques to still the mind before going to bed. Another is to incorporate a regular exercise regime into your schedule. Many patients report that once they include strenuous activity into their day they sleep more soundly. If none of these remedies work you can try some holistic therapies such as valerian root or melatonin which can be bought at a health food store. Both are reported to have calming effects and can help with the onset of sleep.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Alternative medicine, Conditions and Diseases, Disease, Health, Insomnia, Sleep deprivation, Sleep disorder, United States Department of Health and Human Services

Celebrities and Alternative Medicine

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Celebrities were some of the first people to introduce eastern medicine and holistic medicine into the Western vernacular. Celebrities trying unorthodox methods is nothing new in 1980 Steve McQueen went to Mexico to try alternative therapies such as the use of apricot pits and coffee enemas as a last resort to deal with his lung cancer.

Currently there are many celebrities spouting out medical advice. Tom Cruise famously called psychiatry a pseudo-science and came out against Ritalin and anti-depressants.

Suzanne Somers just wrote her 18th book entitled Knockout which claims to be interview doctors who are curing cancer with alternative therapies. Having had a scare with breast cancer in 2000 she announced in 2007 that she was cancer free. Somers says her experience woke her up to the establishment’s inability to consider alternative therapies viable options for some patients. She states that while chemotherapy is helpful for certain cancers it does not typically help in prevalent cancers such as breast and lung and claims chemotherapy can be more harmful than helpful. However, she maintains that her therapies are not for everyone and all must make that decision themselves.

Jenny McCarthy, former playboy model and TV host, has written two books on autism after her son Evan was diagnosed with the disease at the age of two. She believes that her song got autism due to vaccines. She states that the sudden spike in autism coincided with the tripling of the United States children vaccine schedule rising from 10 in 1983 to 36 in 2007. She believes that because kids are injected with some many vaccinations, which she claims are toxins, at such an early age there has to be a correlation. She says that since the start of her child’s autism she has worked only to educate other about the condition. She states that what helped her child was a gluten-free diet, vitamins and supplements and detoxification from metal.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Alternative medicine, Cancer, Health, Jenny McCarthy, Steve McQueen, Suzanne Somers, Tom Cruise, United States

The Lion of Herbs

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All children are enchanted by the dandelion.

Unfortunately, modern adults consider the dandelion (which derived its name from resembling a "lion’s tooth") an obnoxious weed and will immediately destroy all evidence in lawns and gardens. This is a shame as the dandelion is a noble plant with many valuable uses.

Once upon a time, when man was perhaps wiser than today, dandelions were recognized as one of the most useful items on the planet. Although true that the dandelion can rob the soil of nutrients, it is equally true that adding dandelions to compost puts that richness right back into the soil. Not only rich in nutrients for gardens, whether potted or in the soil, the dandelion was also used for cures in certain ailments and illnesses.

Because the dandelion is chocked full of minerals and nutrients, every part of the dandelion has a use; one of the most beneficial aspects of this little “weed” is that, used as holistic medicine, it can supply remedies for liver ailments as well as kidney problems. The greens can be cooked and eaten for health benefits; roots can be ground and roasted for a splendid coffee substitute that is particularly good for kidney health issues.

Down through the ages, dandelions were recognized for their health benefits; dandelion wine, made from the delicate petals, was considered a superb tonic for the household. In fact, in times past, the whole family would pick dandelions and ready the petals for this tonic that was considered a necessary part of the family health and well being. As modern man has become more urbanized, the dandelion has lost recognition as a beneficial plant but is now considered as a weed to be destroyed.

Yet, for those interested in holistic medicine and alternative natural remedies, it would be definite wisdom to learn how to use this easily available “Lion’s Tooth”, not only for the benefit of one’s garden but one’s personal health, as well.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Alternative medicine, Garden, Health, Herb, Nutrient, Soil, Taraxacum, Weed

At Home Remedies for Anyone

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If never fails… the time you start to come down with something is never convenient. Either the doctor’s office is closed or you have plans that keep you from seeking medical treatment. However, the expansion of alternative medicine means you can find relief without a medical professional. While we don’t recommend you pull out the sewing kit to give yourself acupuncture, some simpler techniques can give you big results.

Black Eye Treatment

Reduce the swelling with an ice pack. Apply the ice pack over your eye for 10 minutes. Take it off for 5 minutes, and then apply it for another 10 minutes. Repeat this process for one hour.

Lie on your back with cucumber slices over your eyes to reduce discoloration.

Improve circulation in a black eye when you mix 2 tablespoons of salt with 2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening, then spread the mixture over your black eye.

Food Poisoning or Stomach Bug

Drink a cup of hot water that contains one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice in it to settle your stomach.

Add a few drops of garlic oil to ½ cup of soybean oil. Rub this mixture on your stomach for relief from cramps and pain.

Cleanse your body of damaging pathogens by drinking ginger tea after each meal.

Bee Stings

Mix baking soda and water together to form a paste. Rub it over the sting to reduce the pain.

Apply a cold compress or an ice pack to the bee sting to reduce swelling and itching at the site of the bite.

Dry Hair

Beat together one egg and one cup of skim milk until the mixture becomes frothy. Rub the mixture onto your scalp and let it sit for about five minutes. Rinse it away. Repeat twice a week.

Add beer to a spray bottle and spray your freshly washed and dried hair with the beer. The smell will disappear, and you’ll be left with shiny, healthy hair.

Filed Under: Alternative Medicine Tagged With: Bee sting, Bites and Stings, Conditions and Diseases, Health, Home remedy, Shopping, Wine tasting descriptors, Wounds and Injuries