Alternative Therapy

Hows of Alternative Therapy

How Acupuncture Has Been Used for Pain Management

People who suffer from chronic pain can sometimes benefit from the ancient practice of acupuncture.

The Chinese have used this form of treatment for centuries, but western medicine is just getting around to recognizing it as a viable tool to treat pain.

Rather than treating pain with mind-altering drugs, results have shown that the techniques used in acupuncture have a higher degree of success when administered properly.

It works by targeting certain trigger points of pain. By gently inserting thin needles into these trigger points of the nervous system, the pain is relieved.

Highly trained acupuncturists study these trigger points and know exactly where to insert the needles to gain the most relief.

According to Chinese medicine, there are over 2,000 puncture points within the body, and channels that run in between.

When needles are placed at one end of the channel where the pain originates, the pain is lessened.

It’s believed that when the acupuncture needles are inserted at the trigger points they release endorphins and other natural painkillers.

Studies have also shown that after an acupuncture treatment, glucose and some bloodstream chemicals vital to the immune system are elevated.

Acupuncture isn’t painful – in fact some patients take a nap during the treatments. The needles are extremely thin and patients usually don’t feel them being inserted.

Where the needles are inserted depends on where the pain is located in your body.

For example, if you’re experiencing knee pain, the needles may be inserted in the toe, arm and certain areas of the face.

Serious illnesses such as fibromyalgia, stomach cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome and shingles can all be treated by acupuncture with positive results.

Sometimes acupuncture is used successfully in conjunction with other treatments for serious illnesses like cancer.

Acupuncture is a safe and effective alternative to other forms of treatment that uses drugs and harmful chemicals.

It’s a holistic method that will promote the natural healing of the body by releasing endorphins and producing natural steroids.

Natural healing methods can be much more effective than drugs, and rather than masking the pain, helps to relieve it naturally.

If you suffer from chronic pain, give acupuncture a chance. It can augment other treatments that you might be taking and will give you a sense of well-being.

How Meditation Can Help You Get a Good Night’s Sleep

The practice of meditation can help you get the sleep you need – a deeper and more refreshing sleep will make you feel more refreshed and alert the next day.

Meditation can also help people who have trouble falling asleep by relaxing the muscles and the mind so that sleep comes more quickly.

Many people take a wide variety of pills for a variety of reasons. Adding sleeping pills to the mix can cause sleep interruption and next-day drowsiness.

Meditation is a much better way to go, but be patient – it can take time and practice to master the art enough to get the results you need.

There are many ways to meditate – with or without music, candles, sitting quietly and letting your mind wander or the more intense techniques of yoga meditation.

Meditation eases your stress and calms your worries so that you’ll fall asleep more peacefully.

To focus on your meditation, try some tricks of the trade such as a mantra (a positive phrase repeated in your mind or aloud), deep breathing or relaxing CDs.

When thoughts enter your mind that threatens to disrupt your meditation time, focus on pushing them out and letting more positive thoughts enter.

Creating the following atmosphere will allow you to easily focus on your meditation:

  • Choose a Quiet Place, Free of Distractions – It could be a room in your house or a park bench beside a lake. Try and rid the area of all distractions such as television, phones and other annoyances.
  • Be Comfortable – Sit in a comfortable position, using cushions or pillows if you prefer. Dress in light, easy flowing clothing, take off your shoes and wear nothing that binds your body.
  • Relax – Close your eyes and let your mind wander. You may want to use the imagery of a lake or a field of flowers to help you focus on meditating.
  • Breathe – Take deep, regular breaths and focus on each one as the air enters and leaves your body. Deep breathing techniques can help to relieve stress and increase your oxygen levels.

Practicing meditation for 10 to 15 minutes per day, preferably before you go to bed, should eventually help improve your sleep patterns and assist you in getting a good night’s sleep.

How Nutrition Can Contribute to Your Pain Management

Using nutrition to combat pain has been part of the medical community’s recommendation for years.

A good nutrition plan, combined with an exercise program can help to reduce pain, improve mobility and joint functions.

Weight management is often the goal in developing a good nutrition plan for people who suffer from arthritis, painful knee (or other) joints and inflammation associated with the skeletal structure of the body.

Research at Johns Hopkins University has proven that the ingestion of soy in a diet is effective in controlling pain management for those with long-term and painful illnesses.

So far, the studies have only been in laboratory animals, but results in rats that are given a soy flour diet had less swelling in an injured area of its body.

The protein in soy seems to have properties that offer anti-inflammatory benefits for pain sufferers.

More research needs to be done to determine how much soy a person would need to ingest to achieve the same results as the laboratory animals.

Scientific studies are now being performed to determine if modifications in diet, plus nutritional supplements can help those with certain medical disorders.

After an appropriate program is identified, a nutritional expert can implement a diet designed to improve health and alleviate pain.

One of the most important benefits of nutritional supplements and a diet rich in helpful nutrients have helped some who suffer from pain to gradually reduce their intake of prescription drugs and/or have unnecessary surgery.

Most of us don’t get the vitamins and minerals we need in a normal modern-day diet, so nutritional supplements are required.

For those of us who suffer from chronic pain, nutritional supplements can also be effective in relieving the pain and improving joint mobility.

Nutritional supplements such as flax seed (in oil, liquid or ground form), curcumin (a natural anti-inflammatory), and Vitamin B12 are found to be successful in managing pain.

Athletes, the elderly and those who have suffered fractures and painful diseases can all benefit from positive dietary changes and nutritional supplements.

If you suffer from chronic pain, research your options to see what’s available and effectual for your type of pain.

How Reflexology Works for Insomnia

A good night’s sleep is important for you to function appropriately in your job, relationships and all other areas of your life.

If you’ve tried other sleep-inducing methods that haven’t worked for you, give reflexology a chance.

Reflexology is the study of how reflex points on the hands and feet can help reduce stress on other areas of the body that might be causing pain, sleeplessness and other problems.

Reflexology stimulates the body so that it takes care of its own healing process.

In reflexology treatments, pressure is applied by the thumb and other finger pressure to certain reflex areas on the patient’s hands and feet.

According to reflexologists, this stimulation causes misplaced energy to rebalance itself and help the associated body parts to heal.

Both of the feet, when placed together are said to form a sort of map of the body. Each portion of the feet represents certain parts of the body.

For example, the toes control the head and neck, the lateral edge of the feet control functions in the lower limbs and the ball of the foot controls some organs.

A reflexologist who knows the mapping of the body can attain dramatic relaxation of the body by manipulating the hands and feet.

There are many books and online help that teach how to perform reflexology, but even a simple massage of the feet can increase circulation.

Increasing circulation in the feet helps other parts of the body receive more oxygen and also helps to eliminate metabolic waste products that may inhibit sleep patterns.

Another important part of reflexology treatments that helps to treat insomnia is that they relieve tension and stress by total relaxation of the body.

As the reflexologist works on the feet, the patient can begin to relax immediately and feel a sense of well-being and energy surging through the body.

Reflexology advocates that healing begins from the inside and radiates outward.

If you’ve been taking prescription medication that masked symptoms, you may experience a brief return of the symptoms while taking reflexology treatments.

Those who practice the science of reflexology base their beliefs on both physical and neurological studies and that the success of reflexology depends a great deal on the bond and level of commitment between the patient and the therapist.

Don’t engage in reflexology treatments without consulting a health professional if you’re pregnant, have seizures, diabetes or are receiving other types of medical treatment.

How to Improve Your Health with Tai Chi

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese practice that utilizes slow, consistent and flowing movements to stretch and strengthen various muscles in your body.

It promotes an overall sense of well-being.

It’s based on the knowledge that a person can control certain aspects of their body to help promote inner healing – both physically and mentally.

Tai Chi’s movements are designed to stretch and strengthen your muscles and bones.

By performing special exercises within a Tai Chi program, you can tighten up loose muscles and alternatively, loosen up muscles that are too tight!

Those muscles are then strengthened to allow for more endurance, which helps prevent injuries.

If you suffer from some pain in the joint areas, you can use Tai Chi to increase your range of motion within those joints, diminishing some of the pain.

The muscles become more flexible and can endure more activity.

If balance becomes a problem for you, use the Tai Chi exercises that are designed to train your body to work from its center to provide stability for your body at all times.

It strengthens your core more each time you practice it.

Balance within your mind can also be achieved through the use of Tai Chi. When you succumb to stress, your mind takes the brunt of it.

Tai Chi teaches you to focus your energies – not on the stress – but on relaxation and inner peace, which slowly build a sense of calm and diminishes any anxiety you may have felt previously.

Many Tai Chi participants report that they’re able to get out of their mental fog, which may be a result of the oxygen flow that this exercise promotes.

Aside from the mental perks, it also helps your organs function optimally.

Certain diseases or medical conditions can be greatly improved through the use of Tai Chi.

If you have high blood pressure, for instance, Tai Chi can help stabilize it to more normal levels.

It’s also beneficial in giving your immune system a much-needed boost.  Tai Chi is more a way of life than an exercise.

Traditional exercises are for building muscles, increasing blood flow and burning calories.

Tai Chi does that, too, but it also does so much more. It works – not just the physical aspects of your body – but the mental ones as well.

It benefits the whole package instead of just focusing on one area of improvement.