Herbal Alternative Medicine

Holistic Medicine

“Think of Western medicine as looking at the tree and Eastern medicine as looking at the whole forest.” Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine often cite this analogy to describe their alternative medicines and practices. The practices do not contradict each other, but rather take two different approaches - while Western medicine looks at nerve endings linking to muscles and organs, Eastern medicine looks at the lack or excess of energy.

Holistic Medicine

Many Americans don’t realize that traditional Chinese medicines date back nearly 5,000 years, passed down by oral tradition until about 3,000 years ago when people began writing down their findings in ancient texts like “Basic Questions of Internal Medicine” and “A Treatise On Cold Damage.Since the Nationalist government feared missing out on scientific progress, classic Chinese medicine was fobade in the 1930’s. Mao Zedong chose ten respected doctors to generate the standardized practice called Traditional Chinese Medicine thirty years later. Today TCM is taught in all Chinese schools and has even made its way around the world, opening schools in England, the US and Russia.

One of the basic principles of TMC is the Taoist idea of “Yin and Yang.The school of Chinese medicine uses the term to describe series of opposites; for example, dark and light, movement and stillness, hot and cold. As day turns into night, the body goes through its own cycles. If the cycle of equilibrium is disrupted and there’s an excess of something or deficiency of something, then the body naturally breaks down.

Another principle in traditional Chinese medicine is the idea of the “Five Elements” which are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. It is believed that these elements are in constant motion and work in an interdependent relationship, as do the various organs and systems within our own bodies. According to the Five Elements chart, if you’re feeling fearful, then it means you need more calm in your life or if you’re angry and frustrated, then you need more patience. The Five Elements Theory is further defined by the Zang Fu Theory, which explains the functions and interaction between various body parts in more detail.

Traditional Chinese medicine has several more “scientific” procedures. After all, it’s not all breathing and thinking! Chinese acupuncture is one of these procedures. People suffering from fibromyalgia, sciatica, tendonitis, headaches, carpal tunnel or other pains can be treated. While having a long needle stuck into certain acupuncture points may not sound desirable, patients say that it doesn’t physically hurt more than the usual ache. The more balanced you get over time, the less you feel the needles at all, in fact!

Homeopathy

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Has there been any development in researching new ways of treating different types of depression? It is said that over the last few years, there has been a great number of diagnosed and treated cases of depression and SAD, seasonal affective disorder. There are alternative medicines and therapies. In the course of looking for a cure to this, a new alternative treatment has been brought to existence to address the issue on the aforementioned disorder.

Light Therapy is the most recent form of alternative treatments for depression. Light Box Therapy is one of the several types of light therapy products being used in the treatment of depression. Light Therapy or light treatment use ‘light boxes’. These light boxes provide 10,000 lux of artificial light. Light Therapy, which is also referred to as phototherapy, usually consists of exposure to particular wavelengths of light depending how much is being prescribed for a certain amount of time.

People who experience seasonal affective disorder have found the Light Therapy treatment to be effective. This mood disorder is usually known as winter depression or winter blues. This type of depression actually can be experienced by the patient repeatedly during the winter season. Many experience the feeling of depression year after year. On the other hand, aside from seasonal affective disorder, light boxes were proven to help other types of depression as well.

The good thing about light boxes is that they do not cause skin damage compared to a variety of light therapies, such as those that make use of ultraviolet light. We are aware of the damage to the skin with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. Blue Light Treatment is somehow associated with light box treatment, although compared to blue light, the light box gives a quicker therapeutic response to the individual who uses it. On the other hand, using Blue Light Therapy to treat depression could be as responsive as using light boxes on younger patients Blue Light Therapy to treat depression is not an adequate depression treatment for older patients.

The response to any form of Light Therapy usually will show results in about two to four days, but extensive disorders such as depression may take up to three weeks.

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Restless Leg Syndrome and Nature’s Treatments

If you have reason to believe you may have Restless Leg Syndrome it is critical to recognize the various symptoms of this illness. Many sufferers of RLS have described strange sensations in their legs. A few people have even reported intense itching and a “creepy-crawly” feeling over their legs. Moreover, some have likened the sensations to intense heat and mild electrical shocks. During a symptomatic episode of RLS, most sufferers develop an overwhelming urge or desire to move their legs in an attempt to reduce or stop the sensations altogether.

RLS, short for Restless Leg Syndrome, is a disease which afflicts many. Often times the cause of these leg problems occur from sitting in one position for too long, or being inactive for too long a period. The best medicine is a motion filled day, or at least regular walking and stretching. 

There are treatment options available for restless leg syndrome. The first thing your doctor will do is try to find the underlying cause of the problem.  The doctor may do blood work to see if there are any deficiencies. There are also medications that can be prescribed to help with the symptoms of RLS.  There is a great deal of people that try to steer clear of medication as they do not like dealing with side effects or they may not have the luxury of having medical insurance to help get the meds that they need.|After a diagnosis of restless leg syndrome, an individual has several options for treatment. Initially, a physician’s goal will be to understand the root cause of the disorder, typically by doing a blood analysis for specific deficiencies. There are currently several different pharmaceutical treatments available for treating restless leg syndrome that can lessen the effects. Many individuals opt not to take prescribed medication, either due to side effects or because of a lack of prescription coverage to help pay for the costs of treatment.|Various treatments are available for restless leg syndrome. Your physician will first attempt to determine if a medical condition is causing the problem. Blood may be drawn in order to find out if there are any deficiencies or abnormalities. Prescription drugs are available to treat the symptoms of RLS. But many don’t like to use medications due to the side effects or the costs involved. Cost is especially an issue when a person does not have insurance to help cover the cost of prescriptions.|It is possible to treat restless leg syndrome. Your doctor will probably start treating the problem by looking for an underlying cause. He may run tests on your blood to look for deficiencies. Many medications may be prescribed to treat the symptoms of restless leg syndrome; however, many people do not want to take such medications. They may not want to suffer from the side effects of these drugs, or their health insurance may not cover the costs of covering the prescriptions.

Everyone responds to the types of treatments differently. While some treatments work for some it may not work for someone else. It is becoming increasingly popular for people to look for natural remedies for many different reasons. A few of the benefits in natural remedies that people are looking for are lessened side effects than traditional treatments as well as a lower cost than the traditional treatments which are available. There are various thing you can do to alleviate RLS right in your own home you just need to know what natural treatment remedies are available.

If you experience some or all of the symptoms described here, you should seek treatment. This is not an illness that you have to simply grin and bear. There are ways to relieve your discomfort so that you can sleep in peace. Treatment can alleviate the leg pain you currently suffer through and allow you to get a sound night’s rest.

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In the midst of all the alternative medicine treatments that you’ve heard about recently, you may have noticed aromatherapy mentioned a few times. Many dismiss the idea of using scents to bring medical results as quackery, and that’s understandable in many ways. There’s a lot of information regarding aromatherapy that comes from people who speak about it based on their spiritual beliefs and a lack of information that comes from detailed medical studies. As a medical treatment in Western nations, it’s still a little new, so there’s still much to learn about it. Let’s explore some of the ways that aromatherapy does help people so you have a better idea of how to better incorporate it into your life.

As A Medical Practice

The basis of aromatherapy comes from the use of essential oils, which are extracted from plants using distilling processes, resulting in concentrated liquids that are often very fragrant. In France, where aromatherapy is used in concert with traditional medical practices, but it’s for the antiseptic properties of the essential oils more than anything. In France, essential oils are sometimes prescribed and administered by a physician to target harmful organisms that might lead to bacterial, viral, or fungal infections.

If you’re wondering where the “aroma” part of aromatherapy comes in, there are traditional medical practices in the United States in which the scents of various compounds result in an alleviation of symptoms of illness. The one most people are familiar with is the use of things such as Vicks VapoRub or Halls cough drops to help clear clogged sinuses and throats. Aromatic chemicals such as menthol and eucalyptus bring an alleviation of those symptoms, which are often associated with colds.

As Stress Therapy

When you begin to venture out of such applications and begin to talk about alleviating stress with aromatherapy, then you start to get into ideas that come less from observed scientific evidence than from everyday theories. Aromatherapy is often suggested as a way to reduce symptoms of stress in people and for other effects. As an example, basil oil is often suggested to ease the effects of depression and to help you to concentrate, while lavender is used for relaxation.

Although many of these supposed effects aren’t determined through scientific study, it’s easy enough to notice that pleasant scents can make people feel cheerier. With that in mind, it wouldn’t hurt to practice a little aromatherapy at home; at best, it really will help and at worst, you still end up surrounded by nice scents. So, whether you’re using it for medical purposes or just to relax, aromatherapy offers something for you.

More health information can be found at BroadcastArchives.net Health Blog. There are also informative health videos at Broadcastarchives.net/health

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