Increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables and low calorie foods. Avoid intake of too much salt as it may be a factor for increasing body weight.
Milk products like cheese, butter etc. and non-vegetarian foods should be avoided as they are rich in fatMint is very beneficial in losing weight.
Chutney of green mint with some simple spices can be taken with meals. Mint tea also helps.
Spices like dry ginger, cinnamon, black pepper etc. are good for loosing weight and can be used in a number of ways.Regular intake of carrot juice.
Avoid rice and potato, which contain a lot of carbohydrates. Among cereals wheat is good. Vegetables like bittergourd and drumstick are useful in loosing weight.
Honey is an excellent home remedy for obesity. It mobilizes the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy for normal functions. Dosage: One should start with small quantity of about 10 grams or a tablespoon, taken with hot water early in the morning. A teaspoonful of fresh lemon juice may also be added.
Fasting on honey and lime- juice is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity without the loss of energy and appetite. For this, mix one teaspoon of fresh honey with the juice of half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water. Dosage: Take several times a day at regular intervals.
Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction.Exercise is an important part of any weight reduction plan. It helps to use up calories stored in body as fat.Walking is the best exercise to begin with and may be followed by running, swimming or rowing.The gum of Commiphora Mukul called 'guggulu' is the drug of choice for the treatment of obesity.
Blood Purification and Fat ReductionTake one glass of warm water and mix 1-2 teaspoonful of honey and one teaspoonful of lemon juice. Take this preparation daily before evacuation. It helps to purify the blood. It also helps to reduce fat and to clean the bowels.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tired of being tired? Tips for fighting fatigue
Feeling tired all the time? You’re not alone. In fact, fatigue is one of the most common complaints that bring adults to doctors’ offices. Numerous studies indicate that people who see their doctor about fatigue have generally experienced it for a considerable length of time — anywhere from six months to several years!
Some causes of fatigue are obvious, such as lack of sleep or a medical illness, but many others are harder to pinpoint. Depression or anxiety, overwork, sedentary living, nutritional factors, or even a medication could contribute to fatigue or cause a feeling of low energy.
Fatigue can be due to numerous causes, such as medical conditions like congestive heart failure, hypothyroidism, or diabetes. It can also be a result of sleep disturbances brought on by menopause, or by physical changes that accompany aging. But while fatigue may be an inescapable part of life, there’s no need to take it lying down. Your body is geared toward generating energy as well as expending it. And there are numerous strategies to help regain the physical and mental energy needed to enjoy life to its fullest.
Eat for energy
The tried-and-true advice for healthful eating also applies to keeping your energy level high:
Eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats with an emphasis on vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils. Taking a daily multivitamin will ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals you need, but taking extra amounts of individual nutrients won’t give you more energy.
Eating certain types of foods in particular amounts can help prevent fatigue. Because different kinds of foods are converted to energy at different rates, some — such as candy and other simple sugars — can give you a quick lift, while others — such as whole grains and healthy unsaturated fats — supply the reserves you’ll need to draw on throughout the day.
Eat small, frequent meals. Where energy is the issue, it’s better to eat small meals and snacks every few hours than three large meals a day. This approach can reduce your perception of fatigue because your brain, which has very few energy reserves of its own, needs a steady supply.
Reduce stressThe most common cause of persistent fatigue is stress and the emotional response to it. People who feel fatigued most of the time don’t necessarily have more stress in their lives than other people, but they may be more sensitive to its effects. Stress-induced emotions consume huge amounts of energy. Relaxation therapy can be an effective tool for reducing stress and naturally boosting your energy, particularly when used in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy. Meditation, self-hypnosis, yoga, and tai chi are all relaxation techniques. One of the easiest techniques to use is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves systematically tightening and releasing sets of muscles, beginning with your toes and progressing up your legs, torso, hands, and arms. You might also consider other relaxation therapies, including aromatherapy and massage. No matter what age you are, there are things that you can do to feel more energetic
Some causes of fatigue are obvious, such as lack of sleep or a medical illness, but many others are harder to pinpoint. Depression or anxiety, overwork, sedentary living, nutritional factors, or even a medication could contribute to fatigue or cause a feeling of low energy.
Fatigue can be due to numerous causes, such as medical conditions like congestive heart failure, hypothyroidism, or diabetes. It can also be a result of sleep disturbances brought on by menopause, or by physical changes that accompany aging. But while fatigue may be an inescapable part of life, there’s no need to take it lying down. Your body is geared toward generating energy as well as expending it. And there are numerous strategies to help regain the physical and mental energy needed to enjoy life to its fullest.
Eat for energy
The tried-and-true advice for healthful eating also applies to keeping your energy level high:
Eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats with an emphasis on vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils. Taking a daily multivitamin will ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals you need, but taking extra amounts of individual nutrients won’t give you more energy.
Eating certain types of foods in particular amounts can help prevent fatigue. Because different kinds of foods are converted to energy at different rates, some — such as candy and other simple sugars — can give you a quick lift, while others — such as whole grains and healthy unsaturated fats — supply the reserves you’ll need to draw on throughout the day.
Eat small, frequent meals. Where energy is the issue, it’s better to eat small meals and snacks every few hours than three large meals a day. This approach can reduce your perception of fatigue because your brain, which has very few energy reserves of its own, needs a steady supply.
Reduce stressThe most common cause of persistent fatigue is stress and the emotional response to it. People who feel fatigued most of the time don’t necessarily have more stress in their lives than other people, but they may be more sensitive to its effects. Stress-induced emotions consume huge amounts of energy. Relaxation therapy can be an effective tool for reducing stress and naturally boosting your energy, particularly when used in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy. Meditation, self-hypnosis, yoga, and tai chi are all relaxation techniques. One of the easiest techniques to use is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves systematically tightening and releasing sets of muscles, beginning with your toes and progressing up your legs, torso, hands, and arms. You might also consider other relaxation therapies, including aromatherapy and massage. No matter what age you are, there are things that you can do to feel more energetic
TIPS TO OVERCOME BACK PROBLEMS
You can take some of the pressure off your back by following these simple tips:
1. While standing to perform ordinary tasks like ironing or folding laundry, keep one foot on a small stepstool.
2. Don’t remain sitting or standing in the same position for too long. Stretch, shift your position, or take a short walk when you can.
3. When bending from the waist, always use your hands to support yourself.
4. When sitting, keep your knees a bit higher than your hips and bend them at a 90-degree angle. Sit with your feet comfortably on the floor. If your feet don’t reach the floor, put a book or a small stool under them.
5. Because vacuuming can take a toll on your back, tackle rooms in chunks, spending no more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time doing this task.
6. Choose an office chair that offers good back support (preferably with an adjustable backrest, lumbar support, armrests, and wheels) and set up your workspace so you don’t have to do a lot of twisting.
7. Try not to overload briefcases or backpacks (see “Lighten your load”).
8. Make frequent stops when driving long distances.
9. While driving, sit back in your seat, and if your seat does not provide sufficient support, place a rolled blanket or some towels behind your lower back. Try to shift your weight occasionally. If you have cruise control, use it when you can. Also consider using a foam seat cushion to absorb some of the vibration.
10. Sleep on your side if you can, and curl your body up a bit. Also, choose a pillow that keeps your head level with your spine; your pillow shouldn’t prop your head up too high or let it droop. Choose a mattress that’s firm enough to support your spine (so that it doesn’t sag into the bed) and that follows your body’s contours.
1. While standing to perform ordinary tasks like ironing or folding laundry, keep one foot on a small stepstool.
2. Don’t remain sitting or standing in the same position for too long. Stretch, shift your position, or take a short walk when you can.
3. When bending from the waist, always use your hands to support yourself.
4. When sitting, keep your knees a bit higher than your hips and bend them at a 90-degree angle. Sit with your feet comfortably on the floor. If your feet don’t reach the floor, put a book or a small stool under them.
5. Because vacuuming can take a toll on your back, tackle rooms in chunks, spending no more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time doing this task.
6. Choose an office chair that offers good back support (preferably with an adjustable backrest, lumbar support, armrests, and wheels) and set up your workspace so you don’t have to do a lot of twisting.
7. Try not to overload briefcases or backpacks (see “Lighten your load”).
8. Make frequent stops when driving long distances.
9. While driving, sit back in your seat, and if your seat does not provide sufficient support, place a rolled blanket or some towels behind your lower back. Try to shift your weight occasionally. If you have cruise control, use it when you can. Also consider using a foam seat cushion to absorb some of the vibration.
10. Sleep on your side if you can, and curl your body up a bit. Also, choose a pillow that keeps your head level with your spine; your pillow shouldn’t prop your head up too high or let it droop. Choose a mattress that’s firm enough to support your spine (so that it doesn’t sag into the bed) and that follows your body’s contours.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Brief Introduction to alternative medicine
History behind alternative medicine
The terms "alternative medicine," "complementary medicine," or "unconventional medicine" refer to diagnostic methods, treatments and therapies that appear not to conform to standard medical practice, or are not generally taught at accredited medical schools. The scope of alternative medicine is broad, with widespread use among the public of a long list of treatments and practices, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, relaxation techniques, and herbal remedies. In an editorial about alternative practices in the New England Journal of Medicine, Murray and Rubel comment, "Many are well known, others are exotic and mysterious, and some are dangerous."1 This report will help to clarify and categorize the alternative medical systems most often used, create a context to assess their utility (or lack thereof), and discuss how physicians and the medical profession might deal with the issues surrounding these unconventional measures in health and healing. The Appendix lists various alternative systems and methods in common use.
I. Alternative Systems and Techniques
The adherents of these fields, however, state that "most alternative systems of medicine hold some common beliefs."2 Many theories of alternative medicine attempt to pose a single explanation for most human illness; the therapy is thought to correct the source of the problem, not merely treat its symptoms. The recuperative power of the human body and the potential for certain stimuli to enhance this natural healing are central to many therapies. Other unifying threads include:
Importance of spiritual values to health
Integration of individuals in the "stream of life"
Attribution of a causal, independent role to various "manifestations of consciousness"
Use of whole (unsynthesized) substances
Maintaining the injunction to "do no harm"
The philosophy that achieving and maintaining health is very different from fighting disease A belief that personal experience and anecdote are as reliable as scientific study in determining whether something is effective.
II. Theories of Alternative MedicineMind-body interventions
Much of alternative medicine deals with the relationship between the mind (as distinct from the brain and its biochemistry) and the body, with a chief goal of achieving a sense of psychological or spiritual well being in persons and a feeling of wholeness even in the face of a disease process or condition. Patients with a wide range of conditions and disorders benefit from applications of techniques in this area; cancer, chronic pain and burns, chemical dependence, several neurological and psychiatric conditions, blood pressure and cholesterol reduction, home births, and other problems have been the subject of this set of treatments.
Some of the therapy sounds very familiar to orthodox clinicians--stress management through meditation, music and art therapy, hypnosis, focused relaxation, and psychotherapy are all known to physicians as useful treatments. Biofeedback has been used for years in helping with anxiety and stress-related disorders, and for adjunctive therapy in blood pressure management. Some of the clinical applications of these techniques are, however, decidedly unconventional. Guided imagery to produce spontaneous remission of cancer, for example, or hypnotherapy for immune disorders and hemophilia fall into this category. Meditation is touted for its ability to increase intelligence and longevity, and yoga for better diabetic control.
Diet/nutrition
The knowledge that good nutrition and a balanced diet help maintain health is not new, or news. A cornerstone of belief in most alternative systems is the repudiation of the "modern, affluent diet" and its replacement with a diet rich in whole, "organic" products, often vegetarian in approach. Many healers maintain that certain diets promote anti-tumor immunity or cardiovascular health; other regimens advocate specific micronutrients or vitamins for particular conditions or overall longevity.
Much of the dietary intervention stressed by alternative healers is prudent and reasonable. Dietitians and nutritionists are licensed in many states, and are an invaluable source of advice to physicians and patients alike regarding nutrition and dietary management of a host of conditions. But the approach taken by some alternative practitioners encourages what many consider the excessive use of health foods and dietary supplements, often of a proprietary nature and meant to enrich them while promoting several myths:
It is difficult to get the nourishment one requires from ordinary foods
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common
Most diseases are caused by faulty diets and can be prevented by nutritional interventions
Any use of food additives and pesticides is poisonous
Herbal remedies
The use of herbs in medicine is ancient in its origins, and several examples are well known to both physicians and the public: foxglove as the treatment for "dropsy" and later, the source for digitalis, and quinine's origins in Cinchona bark. New therapies such as taxol continue to show the usefulness of plants as a source of our pharmacopoeia. Basic to the use of herbs in alternative medicine is the belief that whole plant material is superior to synthesized or isolated chemicals derived from plant sources. The material may be flowers, bark, roots, or leaves, used singly or in combination, often taken in the form of teas, or ground and taken as tablets, or used in salves. These compounds are thought to produce fewer unintended or dangerous effects, and a "balanced" action as opposed to single drugs. There is little evidence for this belief, however, and no standardization of the dose in herbal healing. The safety of many of the compounds is unknown, or the potential toxicity ignored.
Folk healers, herbalists, naturopaths, traditional Chinese healers, homeopaths, and a host of others in alternative practices commonly use herbal remedies. As with other nutrition therapies, herbs are prescribed to prevent or treat specific conditions, and are consumed by many persons to maintain health.
Manual healing methods
The healer's touch has been considered a therapeutic instrument for the entire history of medicine, dating back to instructions by Hippocrates about therapeutic massage. Ancient Chinese medicine has strong roots in this system, and several areas of alternative medicine are associated with manual healing methods. The major fields of manual healing include (1) methods that use physical touch, manipulation, and pressure--chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation are primary examples; (2) therapies that use an "energy field" that can influence healing; and (3) mixed interventions that use both physical touch and energy field therapy.
Osteopathy
Osteopathic physicians derive their theories from the work of Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917), a physician's son who was trained as an apprentice to his father. After the Civil War, he began an empirical study of healing by manipulating bones and soft tissues to allow the free circulation of blood and lymph, and to restore the nervous system to what he considered a more normal function. Known as the "lightning bone-setter," he disdained the common practices of physicians in the last century such as venesection, emesis, and sedation with narcotics, preferring to use manipulation to enhance the body's innate ability to heal itself. Instead of using drugs, he believed that the solution to illness lay in treating the underlying condition, allowing the body’s natural forces to return the patient to health. He proposed that much more than headache and back pain could be treated with manipulation, and set forth a regimen of therapy that included treatment for serious conditions such as pneumonia, dysentery, and typhoid fever.
The first school of osteopathy was opened in Missouri in 1892, teaching a variety of methods: manipulation of soft tissue, isometric and isotonic muscle techniques, manipulation with varying "velocity," the use of the percussion hammer to strike the body to alleviate "restrictions" in the joints and muscles that allowed internal processes to function normally, and other unorthodox therapies. Since that time, osteopathic education and its practitioners have become nearly indistinguishable from their allopathic cousins, with the exception of manipulation techniques that continue to be integral parts of osteopathic diagnostic and treatment modalities. Modern osteopathic physicians are considered to be in the mainstream of medical practice, with rigorous standards for education and specialty training.
Chiropractic
As with many systems in alternative medicine, chiropractic holds that the innate ability of the body to heal itself can be optimized by achieving a "balance"; that proper function of the nervous system is key to this homeostasis; that "subluxations" of the spine and misalignment of joints impinge on nerves, causing imbalance in internal systems; and that manual release of these structural and functional joint pathologies can heal a number of conditions, and prevent illness as well.
Manipulation has been shown to have a reasonably good degree of efficacy in ameliorating back pain, headache, and similar musculoskeletal complaints, and some chiropractors limit their practices to these conditions. While precise statistics are not available, a majority of chiropractors adhere to the method’s original theories, and continue to claim that chiropractic manipulation cures disease rather than simply relieving symptoms
Energy healing
Biofield, or energy healing, is described by its proponents as "one of the oldest forms of healing known to humankind." Theories related to this practice involve transfer of energy from healer to patient in unknown ways, either from a supernatural entity or by manipulating the body's own "energy fields." Over 25 terms are used in various cultures to describe this life force. Biofield practitioners incorporate a holistic focus into therapy, and promote their methods as useful for stress and general improvement of health; relief of pain, edema, and acceleration of wound and fracture healing; improvement in digestion, appetite, and various emotional states; and treatment of conditions such as eating disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and pre-menstrual syndrome.
Some unique conditions are "diagnosed" by biofield practitioners, such as "accumulated tension" and "congested energy" that, when released, supposedly lead to improved health. A common form of this therapy is used by nurses, and is called "therapeutic touch." It involves moving the hands over (but not in direct contact with) the patient's body either to create a general state of well-being by enhancing "energy flow" in the subject, or to release "accumulated tension" and induce balance and harmony.
Pharmacologic methods
The area of pharmacologic treatment is rife with both opportunity and peril, since many of the modalities in unconventional medicine that use pharmacologic and biologic treatment may truly be deserving of clinical trials and well-funded investigation. At the same time, many therapies in this area represent true health fraud. Some areas under investigation include immunotherapies, including the use of antitumor antibodies; alternative strategies to treat menopausal conditions; the use of local anesthetic injection into autonomic ganglia and other sites, such as acupuncture points for chronic pain; and several cancer and HIV treatments.
Some methods proposed for study and further dissemination have been associated with proponents using questionable methods and possibly fraudulent research. Several of these are cancer therapies, including "antineoplastons," popularized by a physician named Burzynski who claims he can "normalize" tumor cells by shutting off their undifferentiated growth using peptides extracted from urine.
III. Alternative Systems of Practice
Several distinct systems of alternative practice encompass many of the theories and methods described above.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient technique with its origins in traditional Chinese medicine. The internal study of the body was forbidden in China, so structural anatomy as defined by dissection was unknown. Twelve organs, or "spheres of function," were thought present, having minimal equivalency to anatomic definitions used in Western medicine. Body function was described in theories of energy flow, orch'i, from one organ to another. Each of these organs is described as having a superficial "meridian" with many numbered points, originally derived from Chinese astrologic calculations. By inserting needles into these points, acupuncturists believe energy flows can be manipulated or imbalance corrected, resulting in therapeutic effects on corresponding internal systems.
Western practitioners have increasingly begun to use acupuncture, but many may not be using techniques that correspond to traditional Chinese teaching.
‘Several variations on the general theme exist, including the use of heated needles, passing low-voltage current into the acupuncture point, and applying lasers to acupuncture points. Proponents from different traditions (i.e., Korean vs. Chinese) often disagree as to the "correct" location of acupuncture points for treating a given condition.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy was begun in the early 1800s by Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a traditionally trained German physician who renounced the practices of the day, such as bleeding and purging, taking an approach based in not inflicting harm. He studied the effect of drugs of the day on the body, and devised a new series of rules for their testing and later, their application. His primary theory is the "Law of Similars"--"like cures like." Coining the term homeopathy, he proposed that small amounts of a substance that could induce a set of symptoms in a patient could cure a disease with similar symptoms. This evolved into a highly structured, complex set of pharmacologic interventions or "provings" with formulation and administration of extremely dilute concentrations of substances and drugs, based in the "Law of Infinitesimals." Homeopaths believe that even extreme dilutions of a drug will have a salutary effect, and that the molecular structure of the diluent is somehow changed in the process of preparation, by vigorous shaking and striking the side of the flask containing the preparation. Then, the "memory" of the original drug is carried on even when, after multiple dilutions, none of the original substance could be theoretically present. Careful attention to the total history of the patient was emphasized, and the use of a single homeopathic remedy for a given condition or set of complaints was taught, based on detailed observations of the effects of these preparations.
Today, homeopathy is practiced mostly by persons licensed as physicians or holding another license allowing the prescription of drugs. Some lay healers use homeopathy, and homeopathic remedies abound in health food stores and many supermarkets that feature "organic" products. Some homeopathic healers continue the tradition of extensive patient interviews and the use of a single substance as instructed by Hahnemann's original treatises; others use several compounds simultaneously, and add other modalities to their range of treatments, such as massage and skeletal manipulation, acupuncture, and aromatherapy.
While most homeopathic remedies are not known to have harmed anyone (probably because of the extreme dilutions involved), the efficacy of most homeopathic remedies has not been proven. Some think it a placebo effect, augmented by the concern expressed by the healer; others propose new theories based on quantum mechanics and electromagnetic energy.
A randomized clinical trial of homeopathic remedies has been touted as showing the effectiveness of homeopathic treatments in childhood diarrhea. However, it has been criticized for inconsistent/incorrect data analysis; use of different diagnostic and treatment categories but combining them in the conclusions of efficacy; and lack of chemical analysis of different treatments. The clinical significance of the results, given the self-limiting condition being studied, has been called into question.
Homeopathy's adherents propose new trials of these therapies, systematic review of standard pharmacologic agents subjected to homeopathic dilutions and therapeutic application, and investigation into clinical outcomes following homeopathic treatment.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy is a term coined by John Scheel in 1895 to describe his methods of healing. A poorly developed set of principles and theories,
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a mind-body set of beliefs and principles that has its roots in ancient India, and has been practiced for over 5000 years. Disease is thought to arise from imbalance or stress in an individual’s conciousness, and is exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. Three doshas determine one’s unique "body type," and combined with diagnostic readings of the radial pulse, guides the healer to determinations of dysfunction and corresponding treatment.
Specific lifestyle and dietary interventions are prescribed, as well as measures to rid the body of certain toxins and metabolic byproducts that are thought to accumulate, to the detriment of the body. Meditation, exercise, herbal oil massage, and other therapy are promoted, much of which is proprietary and marketed commercially.
. proposal for physicians:
Maintain an open-minded attitude about all potentially new therapeutic interventions that include those commonly referred to as alternative.
Encourage carefully performed and appropriately controlled studies of these new therapies.
Do not ignore or ridicule the potential of the placebo effect to produce marked therapeutic benefit.
Do not accept all new therapies as efficacious on first acquaintance. Practitioners of quack medicine continue to abound as in all earlier times. Claims of therapeutic efficacy should be rationally examined and tested.
Avoid hubristic and arrogant attitudes toward alternative medical practices because one might be embarrassed by the subsequent demonstrations of their clinical efficacy.
The terms "alternative medicine," "complementary medicine," or "unconventional medicine" refer to diagnostic methods, treatments and therapies that appear not to conform to standard medical practice, or are not generally taught at accredited medical schools. The scope of alternative medicine is broad, with widespread use among the public of a long list of treatments and practices, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, relaxation techniques, and herbal remedies. In an editorial about alternative practices in the New England Journal of Medicine, Murray and Rubel comment, "Many are well known, others are exotic and mysterious, and some are dangerous."1 This report will help to clarify and categorize the alternative medical systems most often used, create a context to assess their utility (or lack thereof), and discuss how physicians and the medical profession might deal with the issues surrounding these unconventional measures in health and healing. The Appendix lists various alternative systems and methods in common use.
I. Alternative Systems and Techniques
The adherents of these fields, however, state that "most alternative systems of medicine hold some common beliefs."2 Many theories of alternative medicine attempt to pose a single explanation for most human illness; the therapy is thought to correct the source of the problem, not merely treat its symptoms. The recuperative power of the human body and the potential for certain stimuli to enhance this natural healing are central to many therapies. Other unifying threads include:
Importance of spiritual values to health
Integration of individuals in the "stream of life"
Attribution of a causal, independent role to various "manifestations of consciousness"
Use of whole (unsynthesized) substances
Maintaining the injunction to "do no harm"
The philosophy that achieving and maintaining health is very different from fighting disease A belief that personal experience and anecdote are as reliable as scientific study in determining whether something is effective.
II. Theories of Alternative MedicineMind-body interventions
Much of alternative medicine deals with the relationship between the mind (as distinct from the brain and its biochemistry) and the body, with a chief goal of achieving a sense of psychological or spiritual well being in persons and a feeling of wholeness even in the face of a disease process or condition. Patients with a wide range of conditions and disorders benefit from applications of techniques in this area; cancer, chronic pain and burns, chemical dependence, several neurological and psychiatric conditions, blood pressure and cholesterol reduction, home births, and other problems have been the subject of this set of treatments.
Some of the therapy sounds very familiar to orthodox clinicians--stress management through meditation, music and art therapy, hypnosis, focused relaxation, and psychotherapy are all known to physicians as useful treatments. Biofeedback has been used for years in helping with anxiety and stress-related disorders, and for adjunctive therapy in blood pressure management. Some of the clinical applications of these techniques are, however, decidedly unconventional. Guided imagery to produce spontaneous remission of cancer, for example, or hypnotherapy for immune disorders and hemophilia fall into this category. Meditation is touted for its ability to increase intelligence and longevity, and yoga for better diabetic control.
Diet/nutrition
The knowledge that good nutrition and a balanced diet help maintain health is not new, or news. A cornerstone of belief in most alternative systems is the repudiation of the "modern, affluent diet" and its replacement with a diet rich in whole, "organic" products, often vegetarian in approach. Many healers maintain that certain diets promote anti-tumor immunity or cardiovascular health; other regimens advocate specific micronutrients or vitamins for particular conditions or overall longevity.
Much of the dietary intervention stressed by alternative healers is prudent and reasonable. Dietitians and nutritionists are licensed in many states, and are an invaluable source of advice to physicians and patients alike regarding nutrition and dietary management of a host of conditions. But the approach taken by some alternative practitioners encourages what many consider the excessive use of health foods and dietary supplements, often of a proprietary nature and meant to enrich them while promoting several myths:
It is difficult to get the nourishment one requires from ordinary foods
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common
Most diseases are caused by faulty diets and can be prevented by nutritional interventions
Any use of food additives and pesticides is poisonous
Herbal remedies
The use of herbs in medicine is ancient in its origins, and several examples are well known to both physicians and the public: foxglove as the treatment for "dropsy" and later, the source for digitalis, and quinine's origins in Cinchona bark. New therapies such as taxol continue to show the usefulness of plants as a source of our pharmacopoeia. Basic to the use of herbs in alternative medicine is the belief that whole plant material is superior to synthesized or isolated chemicals derived from plant sources. The material may be flowers, bark, roots, or leaves, used singly or in combination, often taken in the form of teas, or ground and taken as tablets, or used in salves. These compounds are thought to produce fewer unintended or dangerous effects, and a "balanced" action as opposed to single drugs. There is little evidence for this belief, however, and no standardization of the dose in herbal healing. The safety of many of the compounds is unknown, or the potential toxicity ignored.
Folk healers, herbalists, naturopaths, traditional Chinese healers, homeopaths, and a host of others in alternative practices commonly use herbal remedies. As with other nutrition therapies, herbs are prescribed to prevent or treat specific conditions, and are consumed by many persons to maintain health.
Manual healing methods
The healer's touch has been considered a therapeutic instrument for the entire history of medicine, dating back to instructions by Hippocrates about therapeutic massage. Ancient Chinese medicine has strong roots in this system, and several areas of alternative medicine are associated with manual healing methods. The major fields of manual healing include (1) methods that use physical touch, manipulation, and pressure--chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation are primary examples; (2) therapies that use an "energy field" that can influence healing; and (3) mixed interventions that use both physical touch and energy field therapy.
Osteopathy
Osteopathic physicians derive their theories from the work of Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1917), a physician's son who was trained as an apprentice to his father. After the Civil War, he began an empirical study of healing by manipulating bones and soft tissues to allow the free circulation of blood and lymph, and to restore the nervous system to what he considered a more normal function. Known as the "lightning bone-setter," he disdained the common practices of physicians in the last century such as venesection, emesis, and sedation with narcotics, preferring to use manipulation to enhance the body's innate ability to heal itself. Instead of using drugs, he believed that the solution to illness lay in treating the underlying condition, allowing the body’s natural forces to return the patient to health. He proposed that much more than headache and back pain could be treated with manipulation, and set forth a regimen of therapy that included treatment for serious conditions such as pneumonia, dysentery, and typhoid fever.
The first school of osteopathy was opened in Missouri in 1892, teaching a variety of methods: manipulation of soft tissue, isometric and isotonic muscle techniques, manipulation with varying "velocity," the use of the percussion hammer to strike the body to alleviate "restrictions" in the joints and muscles that allowed internal processes to function normally, and other unorthodox therapies. Since that time, osteopathic education and its practitioners have become nearly indistinguishable from their allopathic cousins, with the exception of manipulation techniques that continue to be integral parts of osteopathic diagnostic and treatment modalities. Modern osteopathic physicians are considered to be in the mainstream of medical practice, with rigorous standards for education and specialty training.
Chiropractic
As with many systems in alternative medicine, chiropractic holds that the innate ability of the body to heal itself can be optimized by achieving a "balance"; that proper function of the nervous system is key to this homeostasis; that "subluxations" of the spine and misalignment of joints impinge on nerves, causing imbalance in internal systems; and that manual release of these structural and functional joint pathologies can heal a number of conditions, and prevent illness as well.
Manipulation has been shown to have a reasonably good degree of efficacy in ameliorating back pain, headache, and similar musculoskeletal complaints, and some chiropractors limit their practices to these conditions. While precise statistics are not available, a majority of chiropractors adhere to the method’s original theories, and continue to claim that chiropractic manipulation cures disease rather than simply relieving symptoms
Energy healing
Biofield, or energy healing, is described by its proponents as "one of the oldest forms of healing known to humankind." Theories related to this practice involve transfer of energy from healer to patient in unknown ways, either from a supernatural entity or by manipulating the body's own "energy fields." Over 25 terms are used in various cultures to describe this life force. Biofield practitioners incorporate a holistic focus into therapy, and promote their methods as useful for stress and general improvement of health; relief of pain, edema, and acceleration of wound and fracture healing; improvement in digestion, appetite, and various emotional states; and treatment of conditions such as eating disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and pre-menstrual syndrome.
Some unique conditions are "diagnosed" by biofield practitioners, such as "accumulated tension" and "congested energy" that, when released, supposedly lead to improved health. A common form of this therapy is used by nurses, and is called "therapeutic touch." It involves moving the hands over (but not in direct contact with) the patient's body either to create a general state of well-being by enhancing "energy flow" in the subject, or to release "accumulated tension" and induce balance and harmony.
Pharmacologic methods
The area of pharmacologic treatment is rife with both opportunity and peril, since many of the modalities in unconventional medicine that use pharmacologic and biologic treatment may truly be deserving of clinical trials and well-funded investigation. At the same time, many therapies in this area represent true health fraud. Some areas under investigation include immunotherapies, including the use of antitumor antibodies; alternative strategies to treat menopausal conditions; the use of local anesthetic injection into autonomic ganglia and other sites, such as acupuncture points for chronic pain; and several cancer and HIV treatments.
Some methods proposed for study and further dissemination have been associated with proponents using questionable methods and possibly fraudulent research. Several of these are cancer therapies, including "antineoplastons," popularized by a physician named Burzynski who claims he can "normalize" tumor cells by shutting off their undifferentiated growth using peptides extracted from urine.
III. Alternative Systems of Practice
Several distinct systems of alternative practice encompass many of the theories and methods described above.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient technique with its origins in traditional Chinese medicine. The internal study of the body was forbidden in China, so structural anatomy as defined by dissection was unknown. Twelve organs, or "spheres of function," were thought present, having minimal equivalency to anatomic definitions used in Western medicine. Body function was described in theories of energy flow, orch'i, from one organ to another. Each of these organs is described as having a superficial "meridian" with many numbered points, originally derived from Chinese astrologic calculations. By inserting needles into these points, acupuncturists believe energy flows can be manipulated or imbalance corrected, resulting in therapeutic effects on corresponding internal systems.
Western practitioners have increasingly begun to use acupuncture, but many may not be using techniques that correspond to traditional Chinese teaching.
‘Several variations on the general theme exist, including the use of heated needles, passing low-voltage current into the acupuncture point, and applying lasers to acupuncture points. Proponents from different traditions (i.e., Korean vs. Chinese) often disagree as to the "correct" location of acupuncture points for treating a given condition.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy was begun in the early 1800s by Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a traditionally trained German physician who renounced the practices of the day, such as bleeding and purging, taking an approach based in not inflicting harm. He studied the effect of drugs of the day on the body, and devised a new series of rules for their testing and later, their application. His primary theory is the "Law of Similars"--"like cures like." Coining the term homeopathy, he proposed that small amounts of a substance that could induce a set of symptoms in a patient could cure a disease with similar symptoms. This evolved into a highly structured, complex set of pharmacologic interventions or "provings" with formulation and administration of extremely dilute concentrations of substances and drugs, based in the "Law of Infinitesimals." Homeopaths believe that even extreme dilutions of a drug will have a salutary effect, and that the molecular structure of the diluent is somehow changed in the process of preparation, by vigorous shaking and striking the side of the flask containing the preparation. Then, the "memory" of the original drug is carried on even when, after multiple dilutions, none of the original substance could be theoretically present. Careful attention to the total history of the patient was emphasized, and the use of a single homeopathic remedy for a given condition or set of complaints was taught, based on detailed observations of the effects of these preparations.
Today, homeopathy is practiced mostly by persons licensed as physicians or holding another license allowing the prescription of drugs. Some lay healers use homeopathy, and homeopathic remedies abound in health food stores and many supermarkets that feature "organic" products. Some homeopathic healers continue the tradition of extensive patient interviews and the use of a single substance as instructed by Hahnemann's original treatises; others use several compounds simultaneously, and add other modalities to their range of treatments, such as massage and skeletal manipulation, acupuncture, and aromatherapy.
While most homeopathic remedies are not known to have harmed anyone (probably because of the extreme dilutions involved), the efficacy of most homeopathic remedies has not been proven. Some think it a placebo effect, augmented by the concern expressed by the healer; others propose new theories based on quantum mechanics and electromagnetic energy.
A randomized clinical trial of homeopathic remedies has been touted as showing the effectiveness of homeopathic treatments in childhood diarrhea. However, it has been criticized for inconsistent/incorrect data analysis; use of different diagnostic and treatment categories but combining them in the conclusions of efficacy; and lack of chemical analysis of different treatments. The clinical significance of the results, given the self-limiting condition being studied, has been called into question.
Homeopathy's adherents propose new trials of these therapies, systematic review of standard pharmacologic agents subjected to homeopathic dilutions and therapeutic application, and investigation into clinical outcomes following homeopathic treatment.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy is a term coined by John Scheel in 1895 to describe his methods of healing. A poorly developed set of principles and theories,
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a mind-body set of beliefs and principles that has its roots in ancient India, and has been practiced for over 5000 years. Disease is thought to arise from imbalance or stress in an individual’s conciousness, and is exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. Three doshas determine one’s unique "body type," and combined with diagnostic readings of the radial pulse, guides the healer to determinations of dysfunction and corresponding treatment.
Specific lifestyle and dietary interventions are prescribed, as well as measures to rid the body of certain toxins and metabolic byproducts that are thought to accumulate, to the detriment of the body. Meditation, exercise, herbal oil massage, and other therapy are promoted, much of which is proprietary and marketed commercially.
. proposal for physicians:
Maintain an open-minded attitude about all potentially new therapeutic interventions that include those commonly referred to as alternative.
Encourage carefully performed and appropriately controlled studies of these new therapies.
Do not ignore or ridicule the potential of the placebo effect to produce marked therapeutic benefit.
Do not accept all new therapies as efficacious on first acquaintance. Practitioners of quack medicine continue to abound as in all earlier times. Claims of therapeutic efficacy should be rationally examined and tested.
Avoid hubristic and arrogant attitudes toward alternative medical practices because one might be embarrassed by the subsequent demonstrations of their clinical efficacy.
Tips for improving memory
Here are some ways to boost up your memory:
1. Believe in yourself.
Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. Middle-aged and older learners do worse on memory tasks when exposed to negative stereotypes about aging and memory, and better if exposed to messages about memory preservation into old age.
2. Economize your brain use.
Take advantage of calendars and planners, maps, shopping lists, file folders, and address books to keep routine information accessible. Designate a place at home for your glasses, keys, and other items you use frequently.
3. Organize your thoughts.
New information that’s broken into smaller chunks, such as the hyphenated sections of a phone or social security number, is easier to remember than a single long list, such as financial account numbers or the name of everyone in a classroom.
4. Use all your senses.
The more senses you use when you learn something, the more of your brain will be involved in retaining the memory. For example, odors are famous for conjuring memories from the distant past, especially those with strong emotional content, such as visits to a cookie-baking grandparent.
5. Expand your brain.
Widen the brain regions involved in learning by reading aloud, drawing a picture, or writing down the information you want to learn (even if you never look back at your notes). Just forming a visual image of something makes it easier to remember and understand; it forces you to make the information more precise.
6. Repeat after me.
When you want to remember something you have just heard or thought about, repeat it out loud. For example, if you’ve just been told someone’s name, use it when you speak with him or her: “So John, where did you meet Camille?”
7. Space it out.
Instead of repeating something many times in a short period, as if you were cramming for an exam, re-study the essentials after increasingly longer periods of time — once an hour, then every few hours, then every day. Spacing out periods of study is particularly valuable when you are trying to master complicated information.
8. Make a mnemonic.
Mnemonic devices are creative ways to remember lists. They can take the form of acronyms — such as the classic “Every good boy does fine,” to remember the musical notes E, G, B, D, and F on the lines of the treble clef. For older learners, a particularly helpful system is a story mnemonic — that is, a brief narrative in which each item cues you to remember the next one.
9. Challenge yourself.
Engaging in activities that require you to concentrate and tax your memory will help you maintain skills as you age. Discuss books, do crossword puzzles, try new recipes, travel, and undertake projects or hobbies that require skills you aren’t familiar or comfortable with.
10. Take a course.
Memory-improvement courses are becoming more common. Choose one run by health professionalsor experts in psychology or cognitive rehabilitation. Stay away from courses that center on computer or concentration games, which generally won’t help you with real-life memory problems. Select a course that focuses on practical ways to manage everyday challenges.
1. Believe in yourself.
Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. Middle-aged and older learners do worse on memory tasks when exposed to negative stereotypes about aging and memory, and better if exposed to messages about memory preservation into old age.
2. Economize your brain use.
Take advantage of calendars and planners, maps, shopping lists, file folders, and address books to keep routine information accessible. Designate a place at home for your glasses, keys, and other items you use frequently.
3. Organize your thoughts.
New information that’s broken into smaller chunks, such as the hyphenated sections of a phone or social security number, is easier to remember than a single long list, such as financial account numbers or the name of everyone in a classroom.
4. Use all your senses.
The more senses you use when you learn something, the more of your brain will be involved in retaining the memory. For example, odors are famous for conjuring memories from the distant past, especially those with strong emotional content, such as visits to a cookie-baking grandparent.
5. Expand your brain.
Widen the brain regions involved in learning by reading aloud, drawing a picture, or writing down the information you want to learn (even if you never look back at your notes). Just forming a visual image of something makes it easier to remember and understand; it forces you to make the information more precise.
6. Repeat after me.
When you want to remember something you have just heard or thought about, repeat it out loud. For example, if you’ve just been told someone’s name, use it when you speak with him or her: “So John, where did you meet Camille?”
7. Space it out.
Instead of repeating something many times in a short period, as if you were cramming for an exam, re-study the essentials after increasingly longer periods of time — once an hour, then every few hours, then every day. Spacing out periods of study is particularly valuable when you are trying to master complicated information.
8. Make a mnemonic.
Mnemonic devices are creative ways to remember lists. They can take the form of acronyms — such as the classic “Every good boy does fine,” to remember the musical notes E, G, B, D, and F on the lines of the treble clef. For older learners, a particularly helpful system is a story mnemonic — that is, a brief narrative in which each item cues you to remember the next one.
9. Challenge yourself.
Engaging in activities that require you to concentrate and tax your memory will help you maintain skills as you age. Discuss books, do crossword puzzles, try new recipes, travel, and undertake projects or hobbies that require skills you aren’t familiar or comfortable with.
10. Take a course.
Memory-improvement courses are becoming more common. Choose one run by health professionalsor experts in psychology or cognitive rehabilitation. Stay away from courses that center on computer or concentration games, which generally won’t help you with real-life memory problems. Select a course that focuses on practical ways to manage everyday challenges.
Use it before its too late
Doctors are mistaken when they discount alternative, natural therapies. You do have an alternative. Life-saving natural therapies are not just possibilities or exotic research. They are effective, safe remedies based on sound biological science and testing, developed by some of the world's foremost medical researchers.
Natural therapies have enabled thousands of people like you to overcome chronic illnesses and life-threatening diseases, safely and naturally, and with no side effects. They are genuine alternatives to drugs, radiation, and surgery, and can be effective even after conventional medical treatment has failed.
Natural therapies have enabled thousands of people like you to overcome chronic illnesses and life-threatening diseases, safely and naturally, and with no side effects. They are genuine alternatives to drugs, radiation, and surgery, and can be effective even after conventional medical treatment has failed.
How is this possible?
In the last fifteen years, some medical researchers have found the root causes of many chronic diseases, the mechanism by which they spread, and derive natural therapies from this knowledge of root causes. For example, Dr. B N Jha worked with various alternative medicines in the discovery of the cause of various diseases.
What makes these natural therapies different?
You may use these therapies whether or not you have used conventional medical treatment before. You may easily get the nutritional supplements that they require. These supplements are readily available and affordable. You do not need to pay some company huge amounts of money for rare or exotic substances. You do not need to drink gallons of vegetable or fruit juice. You do not need to travel to Mexico, Bermuda, China or Switzerland. The therapies are easy for you to understand and follow without technical training.
Friday, July 18, 2008
THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR HOLISTIC HEALING
Biochemistry
For centuries people have observed the properties of herbs, food, smell and massage on one’s psyche and physical health. They did not know why these properties occurred, only that they did. Today, modern science provides scientific evidence for many of those properties; much is yet to be uncovered.
Our physical being is one whole organism, which reports to the brain through bundles of fibers called nerves. Information flows through neurotransmission, which can be affected by changes in chemical make up induced by strong emotion. Anger, fear, lust, excitement, etc. alter the signals carried to the brain via the nervous system. The chemical solution in the neurotransmitters is different for all of our moods and can be changed by medication, herbs, aromatherapy, music and meditation.
Each of us can control our moods, therefore our electromagnetic energy. Holistic healing combines psychological, “self-influence” techniques and natural remedies such as plants and touch to achieve maximum altered state of consciousness.
Physics
According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, energy is a function of light (E=mC2) and matter is simply dense energy. Therefore, the human body is nothing more than a complex electromagnetic energy field.
Quantum field theory is the most general and sophisticated form of quantum physics. The primary physical reality is assumed to be a continuous field, which is the fundamental reality. What affects this field is the superquantum potential – a far more subtle and complex than the quantum potential, whose net effect is to modify the field equations, thus making them nonlinear and non-local. According to David Bohm, the implicate order is just the field itself, and the superimplicate order is the superquantum potential. The explicate order is merely the set of "ripples" in the field that influence our physical reality.
Particles behave in a strange manner because they receive information through the quantum potential, which is a wave-like information field independent of space and time. The physical outcome of the experiment depends on the observer’s expectation.
This enables understanding of an observable universe, where the human body consists of multi-dimensional energy fields. It provides a scientific context to the concept of an electromagnetic field surrounding the human body (aura) and to the rediscovery, acceptance and “self-influence” of a personal universe, in which everything is interconnected.
For centuries people have observed the properties of herbs, food, smell and massage on one’s psyche and physical health. They did not know why these properties occurred, only that they did. Today, modern science provides scientific evidence for many of those properties; much is yet to be uncovered.
Our physical being is one whole organism, which reports to the brain through bundles of fibers called nerves. Information flows through neurotransmission, which can be affected by changes in chemical make up induced by strong emotion. Anger, fear, lust, excitement, etc. alter the signals carried to the brain via the nervous system. The chemical solution in the neurotransmitters is different for all of our moods and can be changed by medication, herbs, aromatherapy, music and meditation.
Each of us can control our moods, therefore our electromagnetic energy. Holistic healing combines psychological, “self-influence” techniques and natural remedies such as plants and touch to achieve maximum altered state of consciousness.
Physics
According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, energy is a function of light (E=mC2) and matter is simply dense energy. Therefore, the human body is nothing more than a complex electromagnetic energy field.
Quantum field theory is the most general and sophisticated form of quantum physics. The primary physical reality is assumed to be a continuous field, which is the fundamental reality. What affects this field is the superquantum potential – a far more subtle and complex than the quantum potential, whose net effect is to modify the field equations, thus making them nonlinear and non-local. According to David Bohm, the implicate order is just the field itself, and the superimplicate order is the superquantum potential. The explicate order is merely the set of "ripples" in the field that influence our physical reality.
Particles behave in a strange manner because they receive information through the quantum potential, which is a wave-like information field independent of space and time. The physical outcome of the experiment depends on the observer’s expectation.
This enables understanding of an observable universe, where the human body consists of multi-dimensional energy fields. It provides a scientific context to the concept of an electromagnetic field surrounding the human body (aura) and to the rediscovery, acceptance and “self-influence” of a personal universe, in which everything is interconnected.
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