Accupuncture

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, good health is associated with the balance of yin and yang within the body system. Yin is identified with the life force of blood and yang is associated with energy. Disease is believed to be caused by the energy within these systems being blocked or out of balance. The practice of acupuncture uses needles inserted in specific areas of the body. Acupuncture is used to treat illness and provide therapy. Many practitioners support the use of acupuncture for treatment of disease, pain and infertility. The practice of acupuncture is considered an alternative type of medicine.

Acupuncture is based on the belief that blocked or insufficient energy can be unblocked and provided by the placement and manipulation of needles along the meridian path of the body. The energy path of the meridian locations are believed to be the points that are areas for healing using acupuncture. The points chosen along the meridian path are based on mystical Chinese beliefs. The main acupuncture points used are the twelve main meridian pathways and two of the eight extra meridian paths.

A visit to an acupuncturist will include an examination and discussion with the practitioner. Based on the results of the examination the acupuncturist will decide which pressure points to treat. Modern acupuncturists will utilize fine diameter stainless steel needles for the treatment. The depth of insertion will be dependent upon the style of treatment used. Warming an acupuncture point with herbs prior to insertion into a pressure point may be used as a supplement to the treatment. A large majority of areas require acupuncture needles to be sterile, disposable to be used only once and then discarded.

A majority of people beleive that accupuncture is an effective form of treatment and would visit an accupuncturist. A large number of insurance plans cover the cost of acupuncture treatments making it an available option for many.

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Curing Acne The Chinese Way

Acne is widely considered a scourge of the teen years, but some people suffer from it all their lives. Nearly 80% of teenagers have acne in some form or severity, while older acne victims face periodic outbreaks. It is well known that acne is a skin condition characterized by the abnormal functioning of oil glands in the skin. Sebum is prevented from travelling up the hair follicle, and accumulates to form a breeding ground for bacteria. Causes range from heredity to environmental conditions to medications and food habits.

Modern medicine has a variety of treatments for acne, including topical ointments, antibiotics, accutane, corticosteroids, and dermabrasion. Some of these treatments can have severe side effects, and even create new problems of their own. Antibiotics can hinder the effect of other medications, and cause digestive disorders. Accutane is a very controversial mode of treatment, especially for women, since it contributes quite significantly to fetal malformations. Corticosteroids can suppress the immune system and trigger a number of allergies in the user.

Quite understandably, many acne sufferers look for alternative options and health medicines or systems to cure their condition. Traditional Chinese medicine has emerged as a popular choice of treatment for acne. As with all other ailments, Chinese medicine views acne as the result of an internal imbalance. Acne is seen as the outcome of excess heat and toxins in the body, and Chinese therapy tries to cure it by reducing the heat and eliminating toxins.

Treatment is characterized by the search for an underlying factor, as Chinese medicine aims to control the root cause and not the external outcome. Practitioners prescribe herbal medicines in custom doses via pills, tinctures, herbal teas, and powders. This is often supplemented by a controlled diet that aims to eliminate excess heat from the body by cooling the blood. Foods like watermelon, cherries, lettuce, squash, and cabbage are a good supplement to acne medication. When taken in correct doses under supervision, Chinese medicines have virtually no side effects.

Chinese medicine is a good option for anybody seeking a lasting cure from acne, since it promotes a healthy change in lifestyle and food habits.

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Music Therapy

Listening to music is an integral part of many of our lives. It soothes our soul when the work day has been long. It gives us energy when our spirits or physical being is tired. It is tied to our most important rituals such as marriages and funerals. What most people do not realize though is music heals.

Music therapy is a legitimate medical treatment for a variety of ailments and has been around for nearly fifty years. It is administered by credentialed professionals, who have been referred by your doctor. It is well researched and recommended for stroke victims, epilepsy patients, and Alzheimer’s patients.

Stroke

A 2008 Finnish study published in the February 20th issue of the Brain involved 54 patients,who had various types of strokes. One group was given audio books to listen to for a few hours of the day, the control group received the standard treatments, and a third group listened to music for a set time. The group that listened to music had significant improvement in focusing attention and concentration.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person’s brain has an electrical storm. Dr. Sidorenko did a study, where they assessed the effectiveness of Medical Resonance Therapy Music done on severe epileptic patients in which medication was not being effective. He found that the frequency and severity of the attacks were reduced as much as 75 percent.

Alzeheimers

Alzeheimers is not only devastating to the person that has the disease, but also to the ones closest to them. The ailment breaks the relationship between partners as
the patient loses the ability to interact with their spouse and loved ones. At the University of Queensland a project by Dr. Felicity Baker sent music therapists to the home and trained the spouse how to use music and dance to facilitate conversation. This provided a means of interacting and maintaining relationships.

Music therapy does much to improve a patient’s quality of life.

Resources

http://www.musictherapy.org/

http://www.epilepsy.com/

http://dementiaweekly.com/

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TCM is not Just Turner’s Classic Movie

TCM is known as Traditional Chinese Medicine. That phrase usually conjures up visions of a half dressed person with needles sticking out of various parts of their body. There is a more to TCM than acupuncture. TCM has thousands of years of history for some of its remedies, and it also includes the use of herbs, massage, exercise and diet.

It is widely known that many Western drugs come from plant extracts. Research has all has proven diet and exercise have an impact on health. It is no less in TCM. TCM has a holistic approach and involves a philosophy. Practitioners of Chinese medicine view the mind, body, and spirit as a whole. Treatments address all three of those areas. Health is viewed as a balance between the general principle of Yin and Yang.

What is Yin and Yang? Yin is considered female energy and is found in the solid organs such has heart, liver, or lung. Yang is considered male energy and is found in hollow organs such as intestines, gall bladder, and stomach. Illness and disease is thought to happen when the two get out of balance. TCM seeks to restore the balance. In addition, to Yin and Yang there is the idea of Qi (pronounce chee). Qi is about energy, and how your energy moves throughout your body and is used. If Qi is blocked, then illness or disease can result.

Diagnosis of an ailment involves an interview, pulse exam,and tongue examination. The interview has questions about dreams, sleep, food, and stress. Pulse exams look for six pulses in each arm. Each kind of pulse gives information about the health of the body. The tongue is considered a reflection of the vital organs and systems of the body. How the tongue looks determines the state of that part of the body.

As more Western research is done on the Chinese remedies, studies do show there is a basis in truth.

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Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Urine Therapy

human urine
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Seeing the term “urine therapy” certainly causes a degree of intrigue. Also known as uropathy, urotherapy or urinotherapy, urine therapy is the use of human urine for medical and cosmetic purposes.

Now I’m sure that intrigue has transformed into some expression of disgust.

However, don’t count urine therapy out just yet. While, scientifically, there has been little research done to fully support the effects of urine for medical purposes, there are other uses, like in the nitrogen-based chemical called urea, which is typically made from mammal urine and used as an ingredient in dish soap and as a stabilizer in nitrocellulose explosives

Another example is urokinase. High levels of urokinase in the urine appear to be correlated with the malignancy of a tumor. It is for this reason that researchers are looking into the creation of a drug that inhibits cancer cells. However, the American Cancer Society does not currently support the usage of urine as an anticancer agent, since research is still limited.

Though possibly a wives’ tale, there is some record of individuals using their own urine as an acne treatment, harvesting urine from early morning bathroom breaks, applying it directly to acne (including the face) with a washcloth or brush and then washing their face after it dries. There is no research to support the effectiveness of this acne treatment method.

Modonna has claimed to use urine therapy to help cure athelete’s foot that often occurs frequently in avid dancers. Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries claims that urine therapy aided in relieving calluses on her fingers when she first learned to play guitar.

In a September 2007 interview, British actress Sarah Miles claimed to drink her own urine over the past 25 years. She believes it helps her with allergies and has other health benefits. She’s not alone. Other celebrities that have claimed to drinking their own urine include MMA fighter Luke Cummo, author J.D. Salinger and boxer Juan Manuel Marquez.

It’s likely that urine therapy won’t become the next big trend among health fanatics any time soon, since most people can’t get past the smell.

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Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Magnet Therapy

One of the first drawings of a magnetic field,...
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You’re drifting on a large cruise liner across the high seas, and the incessant rocking – rocking – rocking is making your stomach churn in ways you never though imaginable. Among the many recommendations to alleviate the nausea from fellow passengers, someone suggests you wear a magnetic bracelet directly on the veins of your wrist.

At this point you’re willing to try anything, but what do magnets have to do with your unruly stomach?

Also known as magnetic therapy or magnotherapy, magnet therapy is the exposure of the body to static magnetic fields to cure certain conditions, such as nausea.

The claim is that the magnetic field affects the hemoglobin (the oxygen carrying protein) in the blood, since hemoglobin is repelled by magnetic fields. However, experts find this to be highly unlikely, since most of the magnets uses in magnetic therapy are too weak to effect the hemoglobin in any way.

The claimed benefits of magnet therapy range from aiding in the healing process of wounds to simply increasing the wearer’s energy. There are a number of magnetic products available as well, including jewelry, shoe insoles, mattresses, blankets, body creams, vitamins or supplements and magnetized water.

The claimed effects that magnet therapy has on the body, such as increasing and correcting blood flow or effecting the blood’s hemoglobin, are not even observed in the modern medical use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is several times stronger than any of the magnets used in magnet therapy practices. Additionally, studies in both 2008 and 2009 showed that magnet therapy had no effect on the patients.

Still, the industry of magnet therapy products sees over a billion dollars in global sales each year, according to a 2007 report in the Skeptical Inquirer. There’s no use thinking Americans don’t believe in the practice, since $300 million of those annual sales come from the U.S.

However, there is no indication that magnet therapy is harmful in any way either. So, you might as well give that magnetic bracelet a shot and, who knows, maybe it will cure your sea sickness after all.

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Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Fasting

Modern medicine of the past
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Fasting is not just something mentioned in the Bible. Many view this abstinence from food, drink or both as not only a spiritual means of meditation, but also as an effective alternative medicine – a means of cleansing the body and starting anew with healthier eating practices.

What someone who is fasting abstains from can vary. While one individual might fast from all food, another individual may just fast from meat for a determined amount of time. Someone who fasts may also exclude certain types of drinks with the exception of water, or may substitute all food with a protein drink. Additionally, the time frame of a fast differs with each individual.

Fasting is sometimes a requirement for certain medical tests performed in modern medicine, but this is actually different from the more spiritually centered approach. In modern medicine, fasting refers to someone who has not eaten overnight (usually a period of 8-12 hours) or the state of the body after a meal is completely absorbed and digested.

Fasting for an extended period of time triggers the body’s “famine response.” The body depends on glucose as the primary source of fuel or energy. After a period of 4-8 hours without food in the body producing glucose, the body starts to glycogen stored in the liver for fuel. After approximately 12 hours of relying upon the glycogen in the liver, the body will start extracting glycogen from muscles. In order to preserve the muscles, the body will turn to fat as a fuel source after a few more days.

While most people end a fast long before complications begins to occur, fasting for too long will cause the body to break down proteins as it moves from the famine response to starvation. Fast-induced starvation can lead to medical problems such as electrolyte imbalance, cardiac arrhythmia and renal failure.

Despite this risk, medical research shows that there are benefits to a controlled fasting approach focusing more on calorie restriction, including decreased risk for cancer, heart problems, diabetes and immune deficiencies. However, experts recommend consulting a doctor before using fasting as diet regimen.

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Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Hydrotherapy

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Hydrotherapy is the use of water as a means of treating physical ailments or conditions, including pain. It is most commonly used in spas as a means of promoting relaxation and stress relief.

Spas consider water therapies (another term for hydrotherapy) to include a variety of body treatments including jets and underwater massage techniques, mineral baths, worldpool baths, hot tubs and Jacuzzis, hot Roman baths and cold plunges. With these treatments, the properties of the water are adjusted in order to obtain different effects on the body, such as the temperature and pressure of the water.

One of the more popular public forms of hydrotherapy throughout history is the Turkish bath. Turkish baths used hot water for therapeutic means, using water instead of steam like a sauna. They were most popular during the Victorian era as a means of relaxing and cleansing the body. The process begins with sitting in a warm room where the individual relaxes and begins to perspire. Then the individual moves to the hot room for awhile, splashes himself with cold water, followed by washing the whole body and then receiving a full body massage.

Hydrotherapy stimulates the circulation of the blood throughout the body. In the 1930s to 1950s hydrotherapy saw quite a bit of use as a treatment for alcoholism. It also has a history of use for rheumatic disease. Articles published as recently as June 201 report that hydrotherapy is widely used as a treatment for burn victims, typically in the form of a shower in order to avoid contamination (though full immersion treatments are still in use in some burn units across the nation).

Other than general relaxation of the body (often in tourism heavy spas), a means of relieving sore muscles in professional sports and physical therapy and for burn treatments, hydrotherapy has mostly been replaced in modern medicine by pharmaceutical treatments. It thus falls under the category of alternative medicine in most cases.

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Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Massage Therapy

Massage in Frankfurt, Germany
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Massage therapy dates back nearly 3,000 years, used in Chinese medical practices. It is also documented as used among ancient Hindus, Persians and Egyptians and Hippocrates recommended the use of massage for circulatory problems in many of his papers.

While you won’t often find a doctor that will prescribe a massage, it is still an effective way to manage joint and muscle pain. The practice of massage therapy includes three main techniques.

Massage
Massage itself consists of a variety of techniques applying soft-tissue manipulation (through pressure and friction). The overall goal of massage is to reduce stress and revitalize the body with more energy by promoting circulation throughout the body.

Bodywork
Bodywork consists of a variety of touch therapies that result in changes to the body’s structure with the goal of comfort and pain relief in mind. There are a few bodywork techniques, including repatterning, manipulating or simply moving the body’s soft tissue.

Somatic
The term somatic means “of the body.” This massage therapy technique is the combination of body and mind to overcome pain or ailments, utilizing perspective and attitude as much as body manipulation. The term may also be used to identify a full body massage therapy approach.

According to the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals website, there are more than 250 massage therapy techniques and variations available. The variety of ways to apply massage may include vibration, kneading, stroking, tapping, friction, rocking and pressure to various locations of the body.

Massage therapists often create a relaxing atmosphere by dimming lights, lighting aromatic candles, making the temperature of the room as comfortable as possible and playing soothing music. They also typically use massage oils, lotions or powders to reduce the amount of friction on the body during a massage therapy session.

Someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing can cause problems or worsen your physical pain or ailments. Before seeing a massage therapist, verify that she has some form of training so that you can be certain her techniques will be of great benefit to you.

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Alternative Medicines and Therapies: Meditation

Today at Sarvodaya's Early Morning meditation
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Meditation encompasses hundreds of techniques and strategies with the goal of obtaining clarity of mind. Some practice meditation as a part of their religious practices, while others believe it to have holistic benefits, helping to keep the body and mind healthy.

The term is very broad however. In fact, an article in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, published in 2010 by the American Psychological Association, stated that there has been no widespread acceptance of any one clear definition for the word “meditation,” with no persistent agreement on the term throughout any literature covering the topic.

Yoga
Yoga is one form of meditation that has increased in popularity over the years. The word “yoga” stems from “yuj” in Sanskrit, meaning to join or unite. The purpose of yoga practices in that sense is to join the mind and body, unifying them for the benefit of overall health.

Yoga consists of a variety of body positions and stretches, known as poses, in combination with breathing techniques. Some commonly seen positions include the praying mantis, downward dog and the lotus pose.

Concentrative
Concentrative meditation is a means of stilling the mind by focusing on your breathing and an image or sound (known as a mantra). The goal is to increase awareness and clarity, narrowing our focus to a specific field of “vision.” The concentrative method is a great way to reduce stress, anxiety and nervousness, especially in the moment. All you have to do is stop, get comfortable and concentrate on your breathing. You’ll find that doing so can quickly calm you.

Mindful
Mindful meditation has the goal of learning to better understand our senses but refraining to react to them. You work to become more aware of smells, tastes, sounds, images and thoughts, without reacting to them. Unlike the concentrative method, where you focus on only one aspect of the world, the mindful meditation method has the goal of taking in the world as a whole to gain a broader perspective without reacting to everything that goes on around you.

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