Hello everyone!  I wanted to take a moment to tell you what my blog is about and what types of things you can look forward to in the future.  My subject is alternative and/or complementary medicine.  These terms refer to healing arts that are not typically taught in Western or conventional medical schools and are either used by patients instead of conventional medicine or at the same time as conventional treatments.  For example, if someone chooses treat their cancer using a macrobiotic diet instead of undergoing chemotherapy, surgery or radiation, they are using alternative medicine.  If a patient decides to eat a macrobiotic diet at the same time they are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, they are using complementary medicine.

I will be covering a wide variety of topics relating to alternative and complementary medicine in my upcoming blogs, including different types of massage therapy, reflexology, herbal medicine, ayurveda and accupuncture, to name a few.  While I don't have any formal training in the alternative medical field (other than some training in herbology), I have been interested in the topic for a number of years.  I hope you find my blog both interesting and imformative to read.

Hello everyone.  I've informed my editor over at ChaCha that I will be resigning as blogger for this blog (Alternative Medicine) effective immediately.  I just don't have the time to devote to it that I would like to and I don't feel that it's fair to you, the readers, to have to wait so long between content.  I enjoyed doing the blogs when I had time and I learned alot about the various topics I covered. Hopefully there will be someone to take over my slot soon and I hope that you will continue to support this blog at that time.  I will miss you all and I appreciate the support.

Have a great weekend!

Last week, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass) was diagnosed with the most common form of malignant brain tumor called a glioma (you can read his story here). According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the prognosis for someone diagnosed with this type of brain tumor is poor.  Of course, individual results depend on the age and overall health of the patient, how advanced the brain tumor is and the location of the tumor itself.  The typical treatment for gliomas starts with the administration of steroids to reduce the swelling of the brain and anti-convulsants to control seizures, if this is an issue.  From there, the treatment consists of radiation treatments and/or chemotherapy and possibly surgery (again depending on the factors I listed earlier).

Many patients opt to incorporate many of the same types of complementary and alternative medicines used to treat other types of cancers, such as the ones I discussed in my article about Patrick Swayze and his battle with pancreatic cancer. These could include acupuncture, aromatherapy and massage therapy, to name a few.  There is one unique treatment being explored for use in treating patients with gliomas however; the use of Scorpion venom!  Actually, to clarify, researchers have created a synthetic version of a peptide found in the venom of the giant yellow Israeli scorpion which carries radioactive iodine directly to the malignant tumor cells.  It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, right?  Initial trials have found that the treatment is well tolerated and may be very effective in treating gliomas.  To read more about this fascinating potential new treatment, you can go here (for the overview-lay persons version of the story) or here (for a more detailed, scientific discussion of the research). 

Until next time, I hope you had a great holiday weekend!

Hi everyone!  I'm making a trip to D.C. for some work related training and won't have any spare time this week to get a post up.  I will be putting together a piece on Alternative and Complementary treatments for Brain Tumors (Glioma) (in light of Senator Ted Kennedy's diagnosis yesterday) over the weekend and should have that up the first part of next week.  I'm also researching Native American approaches to medicine for a piece and am looking at alternative treatments for fibromyalgia and some other good stuff.  As I've said before, alot of the information I put out for you is new to me as well and it takes quite a bit of time to put some of the information together.  I appreciate your patience with me and as always, if you have ideas, please pass them along!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend and I'll be back online next week.

I apologize if I'm about to give you more information than you really wanted to know about how this topic came up today!  I woke up yesterday morning with the worst headache I think I've ever had.  The pain was concentrated only on the right side of my head, which was different than any other headache I'd ever experienced before.  I got up and was overwhelmed with nausea and ended up getting sick.  I took a couple of Ibuprofin after that and decided to head to work, still in excrutiating pain.  The sunlight seemed to make the pain worse and I had to turn my car radio way down because noise was an issue as well.  I got to work and had to feed the feral cats that live on the property and got sick again as soon as I went inside. After about an hour, I ran into a co-worker who took one look at me and said "You need to go home".   I did, and pretty much slept all day.  When I woke up, the headache was finally gone.

I wasn't aware of it then, but after talking to several migraine sufferers and doing some of my own research on the web, that's exactly what I had yesterday.  I'd never had one before (and hope to never have one again), but I do have some ideas what triggered it.  For one, it was the day before my period started and the sudden drop in estrogen is sometimes a trigger (women suffer migraines more frequently than men) and another factor was probably the couple of glasses red wine I drank the night before (due to the tannins, another trigger.  For a complete list of possible causes and triggers for migraines, click here). 

Luckily, I found a list of alternative and complementary treatments on the Mayo Clinic website that may help:

Accupunture:  It's not routinely recommended by medical professionals for treatment of migraines, but clinical trials have shown that it may indeed be helpful for headaches.

Biofeedback: This technique, which monitors and helps you control responses in your body, has proven to be extremely helpful in treating migraines.  It's also safe to use in combination with migraine medications.

Massage:  While massages value on treating headaches hasn't been determined, it is an effective tool for reducing stress, as we know, and stress is yet another trigger.

Herbal, mineral and/or vitamin supplements:  Butterbur and Feverfew, both herbal supplements, may prevent migraines altogether and at the very least reduce their severity (as always, check with your doctor and do not take if you are pregnant).  Vitamin B2, Coenzyme Q10 and Magnesium sulfate supplements may also help prevent the trigger of migraines (again, discuss with your doctor).

Hopefully you'll never suffer from these, but here's some ammo to add to your arsenal if you ever do!  Until next time...

I stumbled across an article on the Care2 website about a lonely autistic child who was desperate for friendship and found it in a Golden retriever named Buddy.  I thought I'd share this with you since we covered animal therapy last week!  I will post a new topic later today or tomorrow.  Until then, you can read the article here!

Today I'm going to continue the series highlighting some of the therapies used in complementary and alternative medicine by introducing you to music therapy.  According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is the "clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program".  In other words, music therapists first evaluate a patient to assess physical health, emotional well being, social functioning, cognitive and/or communiction skills and then prescribe therapy using music to address that patients needs while participating in interdisciplinary treatment planning, evaluation and follow up. 

The types of treatment prescribed by a music therapist may include listening to music, writing and/or performing music, music evaluation and learning through music.  It's used to aid in the treatment in a number of conditions, including alzheimers, depression and other mental issues, developmental issues, physical problems, substance abuse and brain injuries.   I even read in an article in Prevention magazine many months ago that they are using music therapy to help COPD and emphysema patients develop lung capacity by having them play a recorder or similar instrument.

We all know from personal experience that music has an impact on our lives in many ways, from soothing us when we are feeling blue to helping us celebrate, exercise or otherwise enjoy the positive things in life. Music therapists understand the profound impact music can have on our overall well being and incorporate it into helping their patients achieve healing and balance.   The URL I linked to above links to the American Music Therapy website's frequently asked questions sections, which goes into the history of music therapy as well as providing more detailed information on how the therapies are applied, where music therapists work and a whole host of other information, if you are interested.  The following excellent video also shows how music therapy is used.  Enjoy!

Hi everyone, hope you are all having a good week so far! Today I'm going to introduce you to Chromotherapy a.k.a. Color Therapy.  Chromotherapy uses light and color to bring balance to the body by focusing the light and colors either directly on specific areas and accupoints in the body or by prescribing color in some form to treat a problem associated with a particular ailment or problem.  There are seven main colors in the spectrum (think Rainbow colors) and each color corresponds with a specific chakra center in the body (for more information on the colors and how they correspond with the chakras, go here and scroll about half way down the page).  Each chakra or energy center corresponds with certain areas of the body and certain aspects of our health.  Therefore, focusing the right color on the right areas restores balance in the body and helps the body to heal (or to simply stay healthy).  Color Therapy goes back over thousands of years and was actually practiced by the ancient Egyptians.  Today, Color Therapists use a number of different techniques ranging from directly focusing lamps with colored bulbs (or film over the lens) on the body to prescribing the use of certain colored candles, bath products or even sun glasses with colored lenses.

The following video is a good introduction to color therapy (especially how each color effects our mood).  Tomorrow I'll cover another topic in therapy, until then, enjoy the video!

Hello everyone!  I'm back and ready to begin my week long series covering some of the various types of therapies used in alternative and complementary medicine.  To kick off the week, I've chosen to start with Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), in honor of my sister's graduation from Veterinary School this coming Saturday (Hurray!)!  Animal Assisted Therapy is defined as "the deliberate inclusion of an animal in a treatment plan".  Animals are non-judgemental and often help people recover from a number of ailments just by being there and giving unconditional love and attention.  They are used to relieve stress, anxiety and/or depression in hospitilized patients (and this subsequently lowers blood pressure in patients as well), to comfort burn victims and to help learning disabled children (including those with severe autism) develop faster.  They aid in psychological healing for victims of Post Traumatic Stress disorder and are often brought in after disasters.  These are just some of the many ways that Animal Assisted Therapy is used, the list goes on and on.

Any pet or companion animal can be used in Animal Assisted Therapy and although dogs (Canine Assisted Therapy) and Horses (Equine Assisted Therapy) are the most common, other animals such as hamsters and rabbits, birds and even lizards have been used. 
The following video is a good introduction to AAT.  The Delta Society Website is also another good place to look, if you'd like additional information.  Until tomorrow, enjoy the video!

I'm sure most of us are familiar with the mainstream types of therapy used to either complement traditional medical techniques in the healing process or serve as an alternative, such as Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy.  However, there is a whole world of lesser known therapy techniques out there that have proven to be a tremendous aid in the healing process for both mental and physical conditions.  Next week I'm going to introduce you to some of these therapies, such as Pet Assisted Therapy, Music Therapy, Color Therapy and Light Therapy.  I'll start the series on Monday with Pet Assisted Therapy.  Have a great weekend and see you next week!

I apologize, I've gotten a little overwhelmed taking care of some things for work and have had neither the time nor the inclenation to blog the past week or so.  I'm sure we all know how that goes sometimes!  I have several new topics that I'm working on and will have something new up by the beginning of next week at the latest, though I'm shooting to have at least one post up by Friday.  Thanks for your patience and understanding and as always, if you have ideas for topics, let me know!

A couple of weeks ago, the world lost a great actor, Charlton Heston.  Although the cause of death hasn't been officially announced, Mr. Heston did suffer from Alzheimer's disease.  Below is Charlton and his wife, Lydia, being interviewed by Peter Jennings in 2002, just after Charleton announced to the public that he had the disease (more following the video):


Alzheimer's is a progressive and fatal brain disease that was discovered by (and named after) German physician Alois Alzheimer who first made note of the condition in 1905. The disease destroys brain cells and is the leading form of dementia, with over 5 million people suffering from the disease.  No one reason can be cited for causing the disease, but there are certain risk factors to be aware of:

• Age-persons over the age of 65 are at the greatest risk and once a person reaches 85, the risk of contracting Alzheimer's jumps to 50%
• Family History- Persons having a close blood relative that has Alzheimer's, such as a child, sibling or parent, are at greater risk for contracting it
• Genetics- Genes play a role in determining whether someone will contract the disease and scientists have identified a gene called apolipoprotein E-e4 (APOE-e4) which contributes and they believe there are many others that have not yet been discovered.

Alzheimer's has no cure, but it is one disease where alternative and complementary treatments are being experimented with.  The herb Ginko Biloba is showing great promise so far and is being studied for use in treating dementia and Alzeimer's by the University of Pittsburgh as well as several other facilities.  Huperzine A, an extract from moss that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries is also showing great promise.  Small studies show that it may be as effective as some of the medications currently being used to treat the disease.  Furthermore, Omega 3 Fatty Acids may play a role in preventing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's and further studies are merited.  To read about these treatments and others that have been examined, take a look here.  Until next time, stay healthy!

In case you haven't noticed, there is a reoccurring "theme" that is prevalent in the complementary/alternative medicine field: the need for the energy in the body to be balanced before healing can occur.  Polarity therapy is definitely not the exception to that rule!  In fact, energy balance is the sole purpose of this type of therapy.  The Polarity Therapy model states that good health occurs when:

1.  Energy Systems function in their natural state and
2.  Energy flows smoothly without significant blockage or fixation.

The therapy was founded by Dr. Randolf Stone who studied energy in relation to the healing arts over the course of his 60 year career.  He found that many things affect the bodies energy field (either positively or negatively) including diet, exercise, sound, relationships, life experiences and environmental factors, to name a few.  Therefore, Polarity Therapy is a comprehensive system that incorporates energy based body work, diet, exercise and self-awareness in order to release blockages in the bodies energy field and restore the body to it's natural healthy state.

In a typical Polarity Therapy Session, the practitioner uses several techniques to assess the current state of that person's energy field, including observation, interviewing and palpation.  The practitioner then uses "Energy Touch"  which typically involves soft touching and rocking as well as some point specific energy work.  A typical session lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.

The video below shows an example of a Polarity Therapy session and the site I've linked to above is the official Polarity Therapy website with a wealth of additional information.  Until next time, enjoy!

A couple of weeks ago I did a piece on complementary medicine and how it can help in the fight against cancer.  Another thing that people often do when fighting cancer (or many other diseases for that matter) is they make major changes in their diet.  People with cancer, heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure for example are often guilty of not eating a very healthy diet.  Once disease strikes they take steps to lower their sodium, eat more vegetables, cut down on fat, etc.  Some people, when faced with a life threatening disease, take things a step or two further and go on a more extreme version of a healthy diet, such as a macrobiotic diet.  The macrobiotic diet is a high fiber, low fat diet (which is the type of diet often recommended for cancer and aids patients) but it's very strict as far as what you can and can't eat.  Here's the lowdown:

The macrobiotic diet is really more of a lifestyle that is meant to balance our bodies while living in harmony with/helping to balance nature.  It was introduced to the U.S. from Japan by George Ohsawa and further refined by Michio Kushi.  The nutritional aspect of the diet (or their version of the food pyramid is broken down like this):

50-60% Whole Grains:  brown rice, barley, oats, wheat, millet, etc.  Note that Yeast is avoided on this diet, so only yeast free breads may be consumed.

20-30% Vegetables:  Any vegetable is acceptable except for Potatoes, Tomatoes and Eggplant (which originated in the tropics-all tropical food and vegetables are avoided on this diet, as they are thought to contribute to immunity loss.  Also, lettuce, cucumber, celery, chives and dill are only consumed in moderation).  Locally grown and/or organic produce is favored on this diet. Notice that fruit is NOT in this category.

5-10% Soups-usually soy based soups such as Miso and Shoyu.

5-10% Beans-Cooked beans or bean products such as tofu or tempeh.

Limited amounts of fruit (locally grown, no tropical), nuts, seeds and fish may be consumed as well.

Poultry, beef, pork, cheese (and other dairy), alcohol, refined or simple sugars, molasses, honey, vanilla and caffeine are NOT part of this diet and are to be avoided.  Another component of the diet is to take your time eating and to thoughtfully and thoroughly chew every mouthful (chewing at least 50 times) and to eat in a relaxed environment.

That's the macrobiotic diet in a nutshell.  It IS NOT endorsed by the American Cancer Society, because it's low in protein and they feel that might impede the recovery from surgery or cause problems related to chemotherapy.  Many nutritionists also feel that it's lacking in some essential vitamins and minerals, such as B-12. 

The diet is a tad too extreme for my taste, though I certainly see many, many healthy components to this diet, which so many Americans don't incorporate at all.  Most of us need to eat more whole grains, get more of our protein from leaner sources (fish and beans, primarily) and cut out refined sugars and what not. 

Until next time (and I'm so sorry I'm sporadic as of late, I've had a bit much on my plate and haven't had as much time the past couple of weeks.  Things appear to be calming down some, so I'll try to do better).  PLEASE, if you have ideas or topics you would like to see covered, LET ME KNOW!   I want this to be relevant to your interests, health concerns, etc.  Have a great weekend!

Hello everyone!  Happy Monday!  A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog outlining various complementary medicinal practices that can aid in the battle with cancer.  One of the things on that list was Tai Chi (or Tai Chi Chuan).  Tai Chi is actually a martial art (yes, like karate or tai kwan do) that has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine.  The practice helps keep the Qi (life force) in balance. Tai Chi was originally developed not only for self defence (hard to believe when watch it in some of it's forms, but it was indeed) but to also promote and sense of calm and well being.  There are many forms of Tai Chi, but essentially each type combines a number of movements (and the number of movements there are varies depending on the style that is being practiced) that flow seamlessly and meditatively from one to the next.    The focus is on mind, breath and movement.

The article I've linked to gets much more in depth into the history and the various types of tai chi (as well as it's many health benefits, the BIG one being, of course, reduced stress) if you are interested.  I've also included a video to introduce you to the subject.  If after you've done some more reading and watched the video and you decide you would like to take up the practice, there are a number of great DVD's available for beginners (and advanced practioners as well).  Some of my favorites are the one's put out by David Carradine of Kung Fu (the t.v. show) fame.  I've linked to one of them on Amazon.com here.  There may be classes offered in your community as well.  It's a practice that's appropriate for a person of any age and at any fitness level (but always check with a physician before beginning a new exercise program).  Enjoy the video and I'll be back in the next day or two!

Hello everyone!  First, apologies, it's been a hectic week for some reason and as a result I haven't had a lot of time to devote to researching cool topics for the blog this week.  I did stumble across a mention of Rolfing somewhere though, and since it's something I know very little about, I decided to do a little digging on my lunch break.  I came up with an excellent Youtube video to introduce you to the subject.

First, a very brief written introduction and a link to the official Rolf website.  Rolfing, otherwise known as structural integration is a form of soft tissue manipulation developed by physician Ida Rolf.  She found that by manipulating the bodies myofascial system, significant body structure and posture changes occured (fascia are thin tissues that cover every organ and muscle in the body).  Rolfing is excellent for relieving stress and for increasing muscle flexibilty and improving posture.  Here's the great video to introduce you to this technique! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Ok, I'm a product of the 80's and therefore am a big fan of Patrick Swayze's work (although "Ghost" technically came out in '90 and my all time favorite Swayze flick, "Point Break" came out in '91).  I mean, what's not to love about movies like "Red Dawn", "Dirty Dancing" or even "Next of Kin"! I was therefore really saddened to hear that 55 year old Swayze if fighting pancreatic cancer.  Pancreatic cancer is one of the worst possible cancer diagnoses you can get, with only 4% of those diagnosed alive after 5 years, according to this USA Today article.  Sources say his doctor is cautiously optimistic and Swayze himself seems like a positive, upbeat person, which is a bit help in any cancer battle.  My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Anyhow, I decided to research what complementary treatments may also prove helpful in a battle with any form of cancer and I came across a great article on the Mayo Clinic website with a list of 11 complementary treatments to consider, which I will summerize for you:

1. Accupuncture.  Accupuncture might prove to be useful in combatting nausea and vomitting associated with chemotherapy and my be helpful in managing pain as well.
2. Aromatherapy.  Aromatherapy is helpful for reducing stress and may prove useful for reducing nausea and vomitting associated with chemo and may be helpful in reducing pain.
3. Biofeedback.  Biofeedback may be helpful in managing pain.
4. Exercise.  Exercise is helpful in reducing stress and anxiety and may help you sleep better.
5. Hypnosis.  Hypnosis may help the patient manage pain, reduce stress and reduce anxiety.
6. Massage Therapy.  Massage therapy is another great stress reducer and it may also aid in reducing pain and anxiety.
7. Meditation.  Meditation is another tool to aid in the reduction of stress and anxiety and potentially reducing the amount of pain.
8. Music Therapy.  (This is on my list of future topics to cover more in depth).  Music therapy may be useful in controlling pain, as well as reducing nausea and vomitting.
9. Relaxation Techniques.  These will obviously help promote relaxation and subsequently aid in reducing stress and anxiety.  Relaxation techniques may aid in a better nights sleep as well.
10. Tai Chi. (another topic on my list for future in-depth coverage).  A gentle form of exercise/moving meditation that may aid in stress reduction.
11. Yoga.  Yoga is another great stress reducer.

Until next time, stay healthy everyone. 

 

I don't know about you, but it seems like everyday I get junk e-mails touting "You heard it on Oprah!  Lose up to 25 lbs with Green Tea Extreme!"  So, can you really lose weight by drinking green tea?  The short answer is yes! According to a study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea contains a high amount of compounds called catechin polyphenols.  Catechin polyphenols intereact with other chemicals in the body to burn fat, a process called thermogenesis.  Another study, conducted in Japan also found that people that drank an average of 5 cups of green tea per day burned an average of 70-80 more calories than individuals in the control group.  Even better, green tea prevents fat storage and blocks dietary fat and cholesterol absorbtion.

Furthermore, green tea has numerous other health benefits, as outlined in the articles I found, which you can read here and here.  Catechin polyhenols are also antioxidants which fight free radicals and help to prevent cancer. They also are credited for helping prevent hypertension (high blood pressure).  They prevent blood vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure.  Green tea also helps to regulate blood glucose and may help stave off diabetes.  Other benefits include the prevention of memory loss (the antioxidants stave off free radicals that may damage nerve cells in the brain), helps prevent sun triggered skin cancer if consumed or applied directly to the skin and provides soothing relief to the skin when applied directly to bug bites or scrapes.

The bottom line, go buy lots and lots of green tea (I did last grocery trip!) and drink several glasses per day.  The benefits are well worth it!

St. John's Wort is thought to be a safe and effective treatment for mild to moderate depression and SAD.  However, the problem with it (and so many other herbal remedies) being available over the counter, is that people automatically assume that they are perfectly safe to take, no matter what else they are taking. Therefore, they don't discuss potential drug interactions with their doctor or pharmacist before taking it (a NO NO, as I discussed in an earlier blog entry).   The fact is, St. John's Wort is safe, if it is taken by itself. However, studies show that St. John's Wort also boosts the liver enzyme called CYP3A4 which may metabolize a number of drugs before they have a chance to do what they are supposed to do.  This list includes Chemotherapy and HIV drugs, birth control pills and some anti-anxiety medications.  It may also increase the side-effects of other depression medications if they are taken together.  For more information on what drugs St. John's Wort may interfere with, please check here.  Remember, herbal remedies can be safe and effective in a lot of instances, but ALWAYS check with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Many people, myself included, suffer from chronic back, neck and or shoulder pain.  The causes of the pain vary from person to person, of course, but pain can result from auto accidents, slips and falls, sports or dance related injuries, obesity and, of course, stress!  There was a time (many years ago now!) when you had just three options for dealing with this pain:

1. Learn to live with it or ignore it
2. Take medications to mask the symptoms and the pain, whether it be over the counter medications like ibuprofin or prescribed pain medication
3. Visit an orthopedic surgeon and have surgery to correct the problem

Of course, there still may be instances where an orthopedic surgeon is still necessary, but more an more people are opting for a much less invasive way to deal with the problem, a Chiropractic Physician (Chiropractor).  It seems odd that Chiropractors are still considered alternative or complimentary medical practioners, since they are so mainstream and many insurance companies are now covering all or part of the cost of chiropractic care.  They are, nonetheless, still lumped into the alternative category. 

If you've never been to a chiropractor, the first step is to find a good one!  You should also feel very comfortable with the practioner you choose (just as you should feel with any health care professional)!  I found a wonderful article that outlines what to avoid when choosing a chiropractor (and consequently, a good one will do the opposite).  You can read the article here.  After you've chosen your practioner, what can you expect from a chiropractic adjustment? 

Well, as the practioner you are about to see will tell you, there are HUNDREDS of different techniques used in chiropractic medicine, so your visit may be a little different than someone elses.  However, this video gives a great overview on what to expect.  Enjoy and I'll be back tomorrow with another topic!