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Alternative Medicine
Do You Use Herbal Remedies?
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.
Relax Already: Try Reiki
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.
Exercise and Acupuncture Help PCOS
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.
What's the Deal With Craniosacral Therapy?
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.
Tame Tension Headache With Acupressure
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.
Speak Up: What Alternative Medicine Practices Have You Tried?
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.
Needle Your Tension Away
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.
Tell Mommy: Do You Use Alternative Medicine on Your Kids?
More and more often parents are ditching the pharmacy aisle in search of alternative remedies to treat themselves and their kids. In fact, MSNBC is reporting that more than one in nine children and teens use herbal supplements or some other form of alternative medicine. Whether it's treating a cold with echinacea instead of cold medicine, or giving your tot a daily fish oil supplement, do you try to use alternative therapy on your kids before turning to traditional medicine?
Heal Disease Without Medication
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.
Got Cramps? Try Acupuncture
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.
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