FitSugar

Do You Use Herbal Remedies?

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:00:56 -0800

I ran into a friend this week who was on his way to an herbal medicine shop to bulk up on tinctures and teas because his wife is sick.

I've dabbled a little bit with herbal remedies - ginger for an upset stomach and echinacea for a cold - but not to the extent that he and his wife do. He said that for minor illnesses they only use herbal remedies, and that they're more effective than drugstore meds.

I'm still dubious about herbal remedies because the research is a bit spotty, but I think there may be some benefits to their use. What do you think of them? If you've had any experiences with using herbal remedies, share your thoughts in the comments section.

Relax Already: Try Reiki

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:30:36 -0700

After being laid off and collecting unemployment for a few weeks, an amazing career opportunity has just fallen into your lap, and you have a job interview tomorrow. Needless to say, you're anxious and stressed, and it's nothing a hot bath or cup of tea can handle. A Reiki session could be just the thing to calm your nerves and release tension from your tight muscles. Reiki is a type of Japanese healing therapy. The word Reiki translates to "spiritually guided life force energy." It's based on the idea that life force energy flows through us and around us (our aura), and it's what nourishes our organs and cells. When the flow of energy is disrupted, that's when emotional and physical issues arise.

A Reiki treatment feels somewhat like getting a massage, although there is minimal touching if any at all. As you lie on a comfy table, the practitioner will place her hands on various areas of your body, but often holds the hands a few centimeters above the body. The hands are kept still for a few minutes before moving to the next position, usually involving the head, front and back of the torso, knees and feet. A session usually lasts about an hour or an hour and a half.

I know it doesn't seem like much is going on, but Reiki practitioners are believed to have the ability and intuition to balance a person's life force energy. Not only does a Reiki session completely relax you (like you've just slept for 12 hours straight), but it can also be used to heal the body. I've experienced Reiki when I broke my thumb, and I swear, it helped relieve my pain.

Have any of you ever tried Reiki?

Wikipedia

Exercise and Acupuncture Help PCOS

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:00:00 -0700

One in 10 American women suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and according to a new study it looks like modrerate exercise and acupuncture can really help.

PCOS is complicated and affects a woman’s menstrual cycle, fertility, hormones, insulin production, circulatory system, and appearance. In a small study involving 20 women, the groups that participated in moderate exercise three times a week or who received low-frequency electro-acupuncture fare better over a 16-week period than the control group that did neither. In electro-acupuncture, the needles are attached to a device that send gentle electronic pulses through them, stimulating the body points associated with ovaries even more. The two groups receiving treatment, those exercising and those who received acupuncture, had lower levels of muscle sympathetic nerve activity, which common means of monitoring the syndrome. The women who received acupuncture treatments had regular menstrual cycles as well, which is a good sign that hormonal element of the syndrome is improving.

If you're interested, please read the abstract of the study to learn more.

What's the Deal With Craniosacral Therapy?

FitSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:00:00 -0700

When basic massage or chiropractic adjustment doesn't ease your pain, it might be time to try craniosacral therapy. Similar to massage, a therapist applies gentle pressure to your spine, shoulders, head, chest, and abdomen to manipulate and adjust the craniosacral system - cranium (or head), the spine and the pelvis. This type of therapy is said to ease restrictions in nerve passages, encourage movement of cerebrospinal fluid through the spinal cord, and restore alignment of bones in the spine. Its purpose is also to enhance the body's own self-healing abilities. Aside from back or neck pain, craniosacral therapy is used to treat migraines, TMJ, and stress. A session lasts about an hour, and it doesn't come cheap - around $85 to $200.

There are no scientific studies to back up the effectiveness of craniosacral therapy, but it has been around for over 100 years, so it must be helping people. Tell me, have any of you ever had a session with a craniosacral therapist?

Source

Tame Tension Headache With Acupressure

FitSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:00:00 -0700

When you're stressed and feel the tension mounting you can fight the inevitable headache with a little acupressure. The point at the base of your thumb, known as Union Valley, helps redirect blocked energy known as chi in Chinese medicine.

To find this tension taming spot, open your palm wide stretching all five fingers. The little mound of flesh where your thumb meets your palm is the Union Valley. Take the index finder and thumb from your opposite hand and give that spot a moderate squeeze. Hold for about 30 seconds wile breathing slowly and deeply. Repeat two to three more times, then switch hands. File this tip away for the next time you feel the beginnings of a tension headache.

Speak Up: What Alternative Medicine Practices Have You Tried?

FitSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:00:00 -0700

I'm a firm believer that mainstream medicine doesn't have all the answers, since I've had success with alternative therapies. I've tried acupuncture for neck pain as well as nausea during pregnancy, and have been treated by a chiropractor for lower back pain.

I went to a naturopath for digestion issues but found no relief and have also taken Chinese herbs - some helped and some did not. A Reiki practitioner helped reduce my pain when I broke my thumb, but this technique didn't help my lower back. My all-time favorite form of alternative therapy is massage. What alternative medicine practices have you tried? Did they help?

Needle Your Tension Away

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Once considered a form of quackery, acupuncture is slowly gaining respect in the world of Western medicine. This alternative therapy has been shown to reduce pain associated with menstrual cramps, and a review of 11 studies found acupuncture to be useful for relieving tension headaches. Caused by tense muscles in the neck, head, or scalp, tension headaches chronically affect about 45 million Americans. Tension headaches are commonly treated with over-the-counter pain medication, but researchers believe that acupuncture could be a "valuable option" for folks suffering from chronic tension headaches. Have you ever been needled to relieve pain? If so, do you think it worked?

Source

Heal Disease Without Medication

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Medicine is not always, well, the best medicine. Don't get me wrong, I am all for fixing what ails you, even if it takes a pill but medication can be pricey and have unpleasant side effects. The latest issue of the Harvard Health Letter takes a look at seven common conditions and gives insight on how to manage them without taking medication. Here are some tips that are useful for everyone:

Arthritis: There’s a good chance that losing weight will make arthritis less painful. Combine weight loss with exercise and you may have less pain and more mobility. Even for those who don’t need to lose weight, exercise that doesn’t put “load” on the joints reduces pain.
Cholesterol: Your LDL level may drop by 5% or so if you keep foods high in saturated fat off the menu. Additional soluble fiber may reduce LDL levels as well. So can margarines fortified with sterols.
Cognitive decline: Memory training and other “brain exercises” seem to help healthy older people stay sharp. But physical exercise may benefit the brain more than mental gymnastics.

There are more suggestions including remedies for depression and osteoporosis so read more.

Depression: Studies have shown that regular physical activity can have a potent antidepressant effect.
Diabetes: Regular physical activity is a powerful brake on blood sugar levels as well, because exercised muscle becomes more receptive to the insulin that helps it pull sugar in from the bloodstream. Eating fewer sweets and easy-to-digest carbohydrates also helps control blood sugar levels.
High blood pressure: Losing weight, getting more exercise, and eating less sodium all lower blood pressure.
Osteoporosis: Weight-bearing exercise puts stress on bones, and bone tissue reacts by getting stronger and denser, fending off osteoporotic processes. Extra vitamin D and calcium top the list of dietary recommendations.

Fit's Tip: Always talk with your doctor before stopping or starting any new regime to fight disease.

Got Cramps? Try Acupuncture

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Menstrual cramps are no fun, but for some women, the pain can be so unbearable that it prevents them from going to work, or even getting out of bed. Instead of popping pain meds, new research from Germany shows that acupuncture treatments may be beneficial in helping to ease menstrual pain.

The study tested 201 women with dysmenorrhea, a condition that causes achy and throbbing cramps. The women were randomly assigned acupuncture treatments or no treatment. After three months, 63 percent of the women who received treatment (about 10 sessions) had at least a 33 percent improvement in their pain. This sounds like a pretty good treatment option, as long as you aren't freaked out by needles.

Source

Menstrual Cramps? Try Chinese Herbs

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:30:00 -0700

It is being reported that a new study suggests that Chinese herbs might be more effective in relieving menstrual cramps than drugs, acupuncture or heat compression. Not only did the research find that the herbs helped to relieve pain, but it was also found that they reduced the recurrence of the condition over three months.

The herbs said to work were Chinese angelica root (danggui), Szechuan lovage root (chuanxiong), red peony root (chishao), white peony root (baishao), Chinese motherwort (yimucao), fennel fruit (huixiang), nut-grass rhizome (xiangfu), liquorice root (gancao), and cinnamon bark (rougui). Interested? You can buy Chinese herbs online from HolisticChineseHerbs.com. I suggest meeting with an acupuncturist that has also studied Chinese herbs.

Source