I’ve had athlete’s foot for six months now on the tops of my feet and one ankle. None of the OTC remedies work anymore and my Doctor isn’t taking me seriously. I’m running out of options and it’s killing me! I’ve heard vinegar may work because fungus can’t grow in an acidic environment, has anyone tried this? Help!
I was just diagnosed with a stomach ulcer and started taking Prevacid. I don’t like the side effects (or the cost!) and was wondering if anyone has any natural, alternative remedies or if medication is the only answer. Thanks, any replys would be appreciated!
Mainstream medicine tends to dismiss alternative remedies for arthritis in favour of drug therapy and established treatments. This article discusses some of the alternative therapies available. Do they work or not?
There are many forms of arthritis and it can affect sufferers in different ways and to greater or lesser degrees. One factor is common, but: pain – usually joint pain that can be unremitting and at times severe.
Conventional drug therapy can and does provide a fantastic deal of relief from the joint pain associated with both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis but these drugs can also have unwanted side-effects. Too, many people are wary or uncomfortable at the thought of taking significant amounts of synthetic drugs and turn to what, for want of a better phrase, are termed ‘alternative medicines’.
These alternatives cover a whole spectrum of ingredients and regimes, from acupuncture to Yoga. Here are some details on just a few of them:
Acupuncture. This ancient practice often calls images to the mind of a person riddled with hundreds of needles like a pincushion, yet normally no more than a dozen are used at any one time. How acupuncture works to alleviate pain is not fully understood, though many theories on the subject are based on sound scientific facts.
Bee Venom Therapy. Also known as Apitherapy, BVT concerns the application of honeybee through live bee stings. It is thought that the healing potency of this method relies on the stimulation of the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands.
Cortisol is a natural human hormone that has anti-inflammatory properties and in addition jump-starts the immune system to produce a healing response. It also spurs the production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller.
Magnetic Therapy. The debate about the effectiveness of magnetic therapy for the treatment of arthritic pain rages on and shows no signs of abating. There seems to be small or no scientific evidence that either confirms or denies, in an absolute sense, the effectiveness of magnetic therapy.
Magnetic therapy is not new – far from it. The Ancient Greeks knew of the lodestone and claimed it had healing properties. The Chinese have used magnetic therapies for literally thousands of years. It would seem that if the magnet is indeed of no use in pain relief it is a most enduring medical myth!
Glucosamine. This substance is found in high concentrations in the joints and the theory is that it stimulates essential cartilage formation for joint repair. It has been seen to have beneficial effects on inflammation and arthritic conditions, whilst medical studies indicate that Glucosamine is effective in relieving pain and increasing joint mobility. It is now classed as a dietary supplement.
Yoga. Although to date only a handful of scientific studies have been conducted on the benefits of Yoga to arthritis sufferers (despite any rumour or hearsay), it looks like more are either currently underway or about to start. Existing studies do indicate an improvement of physical function and reduction in joint pain. But, the most positive aspect of Yoga therapy appears, according to the reports, to be the improvement to the quality of life of the sufferer.
So what should an arthritis sufferer do? On the one hand – accepted medical treatment. On the other – alternative treatment that may or may not be effective. It unfortunately falls to the individual to choose, though it should be remembered that a life spent in nearly constant pain can cloud judgement. This author advises that before making any change, small or radical, to any medical regime, the advice of a medical professional or arthritis specialist should be sought.
Steve Dempster writes articles for the web and is also a ghostwriter. For more helpful information on arthritis treatment and mobility issues, see the Electric Mobility World website.
You probably may not have heard about Cupping therapy used as an alternative treatment for eczema. But, this form of treatment is still being practiced in Asia and in China today. A few of my Singaporean subscribers to my newsletter reported that their Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners in fact recommended this form of treatment to them. While it is too early to report if the therapy has helped them, I chose to find out more about what this therapy entails.
Just like acupuncture, Cupping therapy is an ancient form of Chinese healing dating back many years ago. It is the practice of using plastic or glass cups with suction balls at the end placed against your skin. A vacuum is made, causing local congestion and opening up the meridians in your body. Meridians, according to TCM, are channels from which energy enters and flows. Diseases and illnesses happen when the meridian channels are blocked. Opening up the channels can help speed recovery and bring about healing.
Cupping therapy apparently has many beneficial for the skin. It activates your skin tissues and causes them to release toxins. This detoxification therapy can also improve the condition of your varicose veins as it clears blood clotting in the arteries, capillaries, and veins. Very importantly, Cupping therapy supposedly stimulates your lymphatic system – the very system that produces antibodies to help fight off diseases.
Cupping therapy is an alternative treatment for eczema. The therapy can help clear your skin of pathogens being the same ones that trigger an eczema flare-up. Cupping therapy also improves blood circulation and enhances its purification. Since some theories say that certain types of eczema are caused by blood circulatory problems, Cupping therapy may just be the solution that you are looking for.
During the therapy process, the plastic or glass cups are placed on certain points of your body. The points for eczema are specifically located near your navel, just below the kneecap, at the upper tip of the spinal cord, and right above the ankle. When the plastic or glass cups used in therapy are applied in these areas, you would feel cool and relaxed. In fact, this is what you would expect to experience from the cupping therapy. You may find yourself falling asleep during the session and waking up to feeling more refreshed and energized.
Cupping therapy, as an alternative eczema treatment, is worth a try since there is no cure by conventional medicine for eczema. In fact, what most doctors can do for you right now are different ways to reduce the discomfort that you feel with an itchy and inflamed condition. Other than that, there are no guarantees that total healing would happen. You would find that you get eczema outbreaks time and time again. Hence, it would appear that combining the excellent effects of alternative remedies with modern science may just be the best route to take if you want to cure yourself from eczema.
To find out more about this alternative treatment for eczema, you would need to seek out a TCM practitioner. You can find Cupping therapy practiced in many places where acupuncture services are also offered. Cupping is also said to be an alternative means to massaging your body while allowing it to heal in the process. Hence, there may just be a few massage spas that may offer this form of treatment.
An eczema sufferer for many years, Evelyn Lim now spends her time researching and writing on eczema natural remedies. Read about her personal journey to healing skin here at http://www.eczematreatmentsecrets.com
High blood pressure is a condition that has the potential to be quite a health risk. Therefore, it is essential for anyone suffering from high blood pressure to follow the advice a health care professional or a qualified naturopath before relying entirely on remedies other than prescription drugs. Similarly, for controlling blood sugar, while you may try alternative remedies, you should always take your doctor?s advice about reducing the intake of (or stopping) prescription drugs.
Silymarin for blood sugar – Antioxidants are known to be beneficial in controlling blood sugar. Silymarin, (silybum marianum) a herbal extract taken from the seeds of Milk Thistle, has wonderful antioxidant properties that work in this manner. By taking Silymarin, you can reduce your blood sugar levels quite significantly. Silymarin contains the active ingredients called flavolignans, which help the liver from poisoning. They also are believed to help in controlling Type 2 Diabetes, although the exact mechanism as to how they do it is still not clear.
Mulberry leaf Morus – mulberry leaf is chock full of Vitamin A and the B family of vitamins. It also contains pectin, adenine and choline. Chinese make and consume ?sugar control herbal tea? made from morus, green tea and jasmine in order to control blood sugar levels.
Vaccinium berries – Herbs that include huckleberries, blueberries and bilberries belong to the genus Vaccinium. Bilberries are rich in antioxidants and are said to control blood sugar levels. Both the leaves and the fruit of the bilberry herb have long been in use for the treatment of diabetes. But, as the leaves do impair the normal working of the liver when used for a long time, it is better not to use the bilberry leaves at all. But the berries of the bilberry herb are very useful, even if they may not really lower the blood sugar levels. They are excellent in protecting the blood vessels from the damaging effects of diabetes and other diseases.
Neem leaves – Extracts from neem leaves and bitter gourd, it is believed, help in controlling blood sugar levels, provided they are consumed on a long term and regular basis.
For controlling blood pressure, you should first take care of your nutrition. Avoiding meat and dairy products will help. In doing so, you can reduce your cholesterol too. Eat an abundance of fruits, especially those kinds that do not aggravate your blood sugar levels, in case you are a diabetic as well.
The best thing that can really work for lowering your blood pressure is drinking a lot of plain water while avoiding consuming soft drinks, particularly those that are processed drinks and those that contain sugar. It is better to avoid coffee as well. The best advantage with water is that it does not produce any side effects at all.
The next thing you can do is to minimize your intake of common salt or sodium. Better yet, just avoid salt altogether in your food. Table salt is processed sodium chloride and is found in high quantities in processed and pre-packaged foods.
If you start with only fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and whole grains, you won?t have a problem lowering your sodium intake. If you cannot avoid salt intake altogether in cooking, you can perhaps use sea salt or ?Celtic salt?, whose molecules are quite complex, and so it is not harmful like table salt is. It is also hard to find low-salt foods at restaurants due to the high volume of prepared and frozen foods they buy before they even start making your dish in the restaurant.
Following any or all of this advice will help to control blood sugar and blood pressure the natural way.
Visit Laurie Raphael’s website: http://alternativemedicinebasics.com for info on all types of alternative therapy. For your FREE report “47 Herbal Remedies” go to: http://alternativemedicinebasics.com/FreeHerbalRemedyBook
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