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May 2012

Alternative Therapy For Lower Back Pain

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Back pain, most prevalently lower one is one of the common medical complaints, affecting almost eighty percent of the total population. Most of us suffer from an episode of this type of pain during our life span, but sometimes after an incident, the probability of experiencing pain might become episodic. This type of pain can vary from slight, constant pain to an unforeseen, severe pain. If it occurs suddenly and lasts from a few days to few weeks then it is called, acute back pain. But if it persists for more than a three months then it is considered as chronic.

In this regard, it is indispensable to take the help of a professional health care practitioner. The popularity of alternative therapy has progressively increased, and now it is considered as the most reliable pain management treatment for lower back pain.

Pain Management for Lower Back

Lower back pain occurs due to muscle strain that can be prevented by altering lifestyle values, including weight control and most importantly regular physical exercises, staying away from smoking and opting for alternative therapy as the preferred way for coping with this type of pain. Alternative therapy is a holistic approach towards better health and includes various techniques like physical therapy, integrative manual therapy, craniosacral therapy and so on. Physical therapy is often prescribed to the sufferers of this kind of pain and a well designed treatment of it works best and can aid in speeding a patients recovery.

Alternative Therapy - Innovative Hands-on Technique

Hands-on techniques are the featured aspect of an alternative therapy that plays a key role in the management of lower back pain. It helps prevent long-term back problems by providing ease to muscle tension, relieving pain and improving muscle strength. Physical therapists provide special exercises that are specifically designed to strengthen back muscles, lowering pain and making your back fit and strong.

Massage Therapy - Effective Pain Management

Generally, the main purpose of physical therapy and hand-on therapies is pain management. Back message therapy is a satisfying experience for the sufferers of this type of pain. According to most of the health care practitioners, massage therapy is a legitimate and genuine aid for lower back treatments. A massage therapist provides gentle body movements that make you feel good and relaxed. Message therapy offers the following optimum health benefits:

• Helps improve blood circulation which in turn helps relieve muscle soreness from intense physical activity.
• Relaxes muscles which lead to an improved range of motion.
• Results in increased levels of a hormone endorphin, triggering the production of certain chemicals that help in pain management of the lower back pain.

Those who are suffering from back pain and seek pain relief should try alternative therapy for pain management. Its various techniques and therapies help minimize this pain, increase flexibility, strengthen muscles and improve body posture. A physical therapist can provide you with various hand-on therapies and describe various ways to cope with your back pain.

Take Control of Your Health and Fitness With Alternative Therapies Solutions

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Alternative therapy solutions are becoming more and more popular. Many people are getting away from the medical model because the solution so often involves drugs as the mode of treatment. People are beginning to seek alternative therapies looking toward natural products, chiropractics and osteopathy, yoga, homeopathy treatments, deep breathing, traditional healers, message, meditation, diet based therapies, and progressive relaxation to name a few. The side effects of prescription drugs are beginning to sound more and more harmful to the body and society is becoming more educated, seeking alternative therapies in order to avoid the toxicities of prescription drugs.

Currently there are vitamin and supplement companies offering natural products to combat the fact that many of us do not take in the nutritional elements necessary for a healthy life often on a daily basis. Our lifestyles often demand that we are eating on the run, grabbing whatever is quick and easy and often at the expense of good nutrition. These vitamins and supplements insure that we are giving our body what it needs nutritionally in spite of our lifestyle. Chiropractors and Osteopathic Healers are becoming more and more popular because their treatments are noninvasive, non prescriptive and based on returning the body to its natural condition. Yoga and exercise are sought as an intervention for health along with homeopathy treatments, deep breathing, traditional healers, message, meditation, diet based therapies, and progressive relaxation.

People are becoming more educated and realize that we, as a fast paced society, faced with all types of stress, need to find ways to become healthier. Obesity is becoming the norm rather than the exception and with that comes numerous health concerns. Prescription drugs are not always the answer. Alternative Therapies offer alternatives to prescription drugs and offers a variety of methodologies to increase health and well being. Alternative therapies is becoming the wave of the future. Get away from the toxins in prescription drugs and move toward the natural, alternative therapies wave of the future.

For more Alternative Therapies, personal development, life strategies, and self help go to http://www.YourExcellenceWithin.org.

Search Results

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People seek alternative therapies for fibromyalgia for many reasons: a desire to avoid numerous prescription medications, the ineffectiveness of prescription medications, the number of unwanted side effects associated with them, or a desire for a more natural therapy for fibromyalgia are just a few.

On this page, we look at some of the currently available alternative therapies for fibromyalgia and some of the natural products that have helped some patients obtain relief.

But before we do that, we will first cover conventional treatment for fibromyalgia.

These typically include sleep medications, muscle relaxers and pain relievers. Doctors may also prescribe anti-depressants, anticonvulsants and/or reuptake inhibitors. It is not uncommon to see reports of patients that take ten or more different prescription medications.

And despite all of this, people search for alternative therapies for fibromyalgia and grasp at anything that may give them relief.

Acupuncture and hypnosis are being studied as natural therapies for fibromyalgia relief. Scientists are doing research in an effort to learn why acupuncture is an effective natural therapy for fibromyalgia for some people.

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that involves placing very thin needles in the skin at certain points throughout the body. Acupressure is a similar technique that does not involve needles, but applying pressure to those same points. It is sometimes recommended as one of the alternative therapies for fibromyalgia, because doctors do not understand exactly what causes the widespread daily pain that is the most common symptom of fibromyalgia.

And since conventional medications are often ineffective, may be addictive, and can cause numerous unwanted side effects, even doctors look to less conventional methods of treatment for the condition. As a natural therapy for fibromyalgia, acupuncture has been effective for some people and may be worth a try.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy and pain management therapy are sometimes used as alternative treatments for fibromyalgia.

Rather than relieving the pain, these therapies focus on coping with the pain, learning to relax the muscles, reduce stress and avoid negative thinking patterns that may make the perception of the pain greater than it actually is. These alternative treatments for fibromyalgia focus on the mind-body connection and, in particular, how the mind can affect the body. Cognitive-behavioral and pain management therapies have been effective for some people.

Massage and chiropractic therapy are sometimes used as alternative treatments for fibromyalgia. Many people think of chiropractors as back doctors but, in actuality, misalignment of the vertebra may press on nerves and cause pain in other parts of the body, so chiropractic therapy has become a highly recommended form of treatment for all types of chronic pain and may be an effective natural therapy for fibromyalgia.

The effectiveness of massage as a natural therapy for fibromyalgia is questionable. Some patients report that deep muscle massage is actually uncomfortable and increases pain.

Yoga, meditation, prayer and biofeedback have all been used for alternative therapies for fibromyalgia with varying degrees of relief reported. Yoga, swimming and other forms of regular, low-impact physical exercise may accomplish several things as a part of natural therapy for fibromyalgia.

First, regular exercise increases muscular strength and endurance. Second, endorphins released by the brain during exercise are natural pain relievers and mood enhancers. And third, physical activity increases blood flow and oxygen supplies to the muscles. A lack of oxygen in the muscles is believed by some to be one of the causes of fibromyalgia pain.

As natural therapy for fibromyalgia, many people have tried herbs, botanicals and vitamin supplements. Proper nutrition is also important in good health. Unfortunately, chronic pain often leads to depression in many people and, subsequently, they forget or don't care about eating right and taking care of themselves.

Some of the vitamins and minerals that may be considered as alternative therapies for fibromyalgia include B-complex, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. These recommendations are related to enhancing energy, mood and healthy joint function.

Sam-E is sometimes recommended as a natural therapy for fibromyalgia, but Sam-E can have unwanted side effects and should be used with care, as should St. John's wort and kava for depression relief. None of these herbal, botanical and vitamin supplements which are sometimes recommended as alternative therapies for fibromyalgia can relieve pain, but there is one botanical product which often can.

The mangosteen is a fruit that grows only in areas of Southeast and Central Asia and was used traditionally by native peoples in these areas to treat a number of conditions including pain.

Laboratory studies and chemical evaluation has shown that the mangosteen contain analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents and Cox-2 inhibitors, all of which are pain relievers.

Many people who have tried mangosteen supplements or juice as a natural therapy for fibromyalgia have reported amazing results. Of the many alternative therapies for fibromyalgia, mangosteen is one of the few that can address many different symptoms, not only pain, but also depression, fatigue, sleeping problems and lack of energy.

Discover Alternative Therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Because rheumatoid arthritis medications are known to have side effects -- some quite serious -- there is a growing interest in alternative therapies.

For rheumatoid arthritis in the early stages, an anti-inflammatory is usually the first choice. Typical anti-inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis medications include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.

Aspirin, as most people know, can cause stomach upset and eventually ulcers. Ibuprofen has caused liver damage, anemia, intestinal bleeding, diminished vision and meningitis. People who have aspirin sensitive asthma may also be sensitive to ibuprofen. It has not been proven safe for use by children and should not be used by pregnant women or nursing mothers. These side effects and possible dangers are some of the reasons that people look for alternative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.

Naproxen is another of the fast acting or anti-inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis medications. In clinical trials of patients taking naproxen, one to ten percent experienced one or more of the following adverse reactions: heartburn, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, lightheadedness, vertigo, itching, sweating, hearing problems, visual problems, cardiovascular edema, heart palpitations, vomiting, gastro-intestinal bleeding, ulcers, anemia and other side effects.

Natural anti-inflammatory botanicals, nutritional supplements and herbal remedies may be considered as alternative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.

Zinc, an essential mineral, has been shown to be capable of inhibiting the inflammatory response, but most studies of zinc supplementation in rheumatoid arthritis patients have been inconclusive. Like many supplements and alternative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis, zinc seems to help some people and has no side effects, unless high doses are used.

Botanicals and herbal remedies which may be considered as supplemental or alternative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis include ginger root, bromelain, feverfew, turmeric and mangosteen.

Ginger, turmeric and mangosteen have all been used historically by native peoples to treat pain and reduce swelling. The effectiveness of ginger as an alternative to rheumatoid arthritis medications has been studied in clinical trials and indicates that it does show promise.

A small clinical study (18 patients) concluded that turmeric was nearly as effective as one of the anti-inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis medications, but it is not clear whether this was a placebo effect, since there was no control group. Additionally there is some disagreement concerning whether it should be used in the powdered form or as a tea.

Mangosteen is a relatively new and exciting addition to the western world as an anti-inflammatory. It was used historically by the native peoples of Thailand, Vietnam, India, China, Malaysia and the Philippines to treat a variety of bodily aches and pains.

The mangosteen is a fruit and its most readily available form is a drink that contains a puree of the fruit and its rind. It is important when purchasing mangosteen products to consider only the ones that include the rind, because anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory components and even Cox inhibitors are concentrated in it, as well as numerous vitamins and minerals.

While no human clinical studies have been completed to date concerning mangosteen's efficacy as an alternative or supplement to rheumatoid arthritis medications, numerous laboratory studies have shown that certain of the "xanthones" (powerful anti-oxidants) are anti-inflammatory and Cox-2 inhibitors.

Alternative Therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis

According to Dr J. Frederic Templeman, M.D. in response to the question "Will the Mangosteen help with pain?" he states: "...Presumptively the mangosteen inhibits the pain-related action of the Cox-2 enzyme in the CNS [Central Nervous System] and blocks pain impulse generation.

So yes, the mangosteen may significantly reduce any pain you might be experiencing." [End Quote]

Prescription Cox-2 inhibitors are being shunned by a great many people due to their numerous undesirable and serious side effects. Indeed, the Cox-2 inhibitor, Vioxx(TM), was taken off of the market worldwide for a time because of the health dangers associated with it and has embroiled Merck in a nightmare of legal woes.

Lab rats or cell lines have been used to conduct mangosteen research and there were no reported side effects. It is believed that because the mangosteen contains the anti-ulcer compounds ascorbic acid, beta carotene, fiber and pectin, it would not have any of the gastric side effects common in anti-inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis medications.

Other compounds found in the fruit may promote heart health and are anti-hypertensive, so health problems associated with prescription Cox-2 inhibiting rheumatoid arthritis medications should not occur with mangosteen usage.

It is possible that mangosteen could one day be considered an effective supplemental or alternative treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. Hopefully, at some point, clinical studies can confirm this, but research is expensive and usually funded by pharmaceutical companies, which is why there are so few studies of the effectiveness of herbal and botanical remedies, particularly in the United States.

Studies of alternative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis have shown that diet plays a possible role. Patients who have used a diet that excluded common food allergens such as grains, milk, nuts, beef and eggs reported being symptom free for as long as five years, as long as they stuck to the diet.

In addition to or as an alternative to anti-inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis medications, some doctors prescribe corticosteroids like prednisone. But, while these may be effective for short-term relief of symptoms, long-term use of corticosteroids is known to cause many other health problems including diabetes.

In addition, they tend to lose their effectiveness, and can be habit forming. When a patient has been taking corticosteroid rheumatoid arthritis medications, they must be "weaned" off of them, meaning the medication must be gradually reduced before switching to alternative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.

Alternative Treatments - Information on Alternative Therapies and Bioavailability

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Alternative therapies have emerged out of the public's dissatisfaction with the limitations of conventional treatments.

The conventional medical system has boxed itself into only diagnosing and treating disease rather than focusing on prevention. Although attempts to correct public perception have been made with a push for early diagnosis of disease, conventional medicine is still unable to be of help to healthy people who are just looking for ways to stay healthy.

What conventional medicine considers prevention, PAP smears, mammographies, colonoscopies, cardiac stress tests, are actually methods of diagnosing diseases at early stages. Not one of these methods actually prevents diseases from occurring. Desperately aware of the need to prevent disease, the public has been searching for different avenues of true prevention. As our population lives longer and healthier lives, deferring the aging process has become a must for many people. In fact, a whole booming industry has developed in an attempt to satisfy this urgent need to stay young and healthy. Menopause and its attendant hormone imbalances have provided an enormous amount of fuel for the alternative health industry. Billions of dollars are spent every year by women in search of alternative help for symptoms of hormone imbalance, and millions of dollars are spent by the alternative industry in the development and promotion of alternative treatments.

While the alternative trend is booming, it behooves conventional doctors and patients to become vigilant, well informed and careful in making safe and effective choices in this new area. In the past many of my patients have come to me with questions on alternative therapies. As a conventional physician I had limited access to the alternative world, and I had to do my own research. In the end, I became somewhat of an expert. I've begun to use alternative therapies in my practice with varying results. This article offers an overview of the alternative medicine world I've been sharing with my patients and have had some success with.

But before you try any of these remedies, I strongly suggest you seek professional advice. Do not follow advice given by sales people in health food stores, or on-line advertising by marketers for the particular product they are selling. Do not fall prey to advertised specials for cure-all medications, you don't know what is in them, you don't know what their effects will be. Find a physician interested in alternative therapies, go to a health care provider with experience and get the most knowledgeable help available. Even if these products are available over-the-counter, they may not be as safe as you think they are. Remember, there is only one of you and every time you take a supplement or medication, you are affecting your body's balance.

Most supplements and herbs are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.). This is the single most important piece of information you must be aware of when making alternative therapy choices.

The Food and Drug Administration is the federal regulatory body that approves medication for usage by the public. The only medications approved by this agency are pharmaceuticals, medications with unique chemical formulations, patented and having undergone rigorous and expensive processes of testing for function and safety.

F.D.A. approval is a large part of the expense of bringing patented medications to market. Having obtained this approval drug companies can make certain claims that serve to differentiate between medications and allow them to charge higher prices for their products. Because the F.D.A. approval process is tedious and expensive, only pharmaceutical companies with unlimited funds can undergo it.

Even F.D.A. approval does not guarantee safety. F.D.A. approved medications are often taken off the market in a hurry when they prove dangerous to users. A few recent examples are: Duract-anti-inflammatory medication taken off the market because it caused liver failure, Rezulin - a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes that caused liver toxicity, Seldane - an antihistamine with cardiac and other untoward side-effects.

The F.D.A. does not evaluate the function and safety, or supervise the manufacturing of alternative therapies, herbs and supplements. As these are natural, unpatentable substances, there is no large company who serves to make a great deal of money from the F.D.A.'s approval and the public's wide usage of the products. Therefore, most alternative therapies, herbs, and supplements do not undergo the costly approval process from the FDA. Again, this does not mean that they are not safe or effective. Nonetheless this situation leaves us, the public in a precarious position. Whenever you go to a health food store, you are buying on faith. The information on the label is vague, contents are somewhat questionable and I am sure you noticed, indications for use are invariably missing. You may never know exactly what is in the pill you're taking. And that's a scary thought. We live in a society where the best marketer, the company that spends the most money on advertising, gets their product sold.

So how do you choose which supplement or herb to take?

Who is the product manufacturer?

When I started researching alternative treatments for symptoms of hormone imbalance, I learned something few people know. There are very few manufacturers of raw supplements, vitamins and herbs. The enormous variety of brands that fill the shelves of our health food stores, are often the same product packaged by different companies.

Let me explain a little further.

Let's take Dong Quai- an herbal supplement that presumably improves hot flashes. Dong Quai can be found in stores under as many as twenty different labels. Most Dong Quai is produced by a handful of manufacturing companies that package the raw Dong Quai under different labels. It is impossible to determine who the manufacturer is, and which product is better. Anybody can contract with a manufacturer, then get a packager, put their own label on a supplement, and then sell it to the public. It's that simple. But it leaves the public in an uncomfortable position. On the other hand, the industry has recognized the need for laboratory tested brands, and a few manufacturers with long standing solid track records have established themselves in the market. Their products are standardized. For the consumer this is an important fact. Standardized, means, that the dosing is the same from batch to batch of supplement. For instance- St. John's wort made by Pharmanex has the same amount of active ingredients in every bottle of St. John's wort bought under the Pharmanex label. Since there is no regulatory agency that requires standardization of dosing, the manufacturer decides whether to provide internal testing and quality control for their products.

I advise you to stick with standardized labeled products for your own safety. Some examples of standardized labeled products include: Pharmanex, Nature's Bounty, Solgar, and Twin Labs.

Assuming that you have chosen a reliable brand with a proven track record there still are no guarantees the therapy will work for you. A potential stumbling block to benefiting the most from your chosen herb, vitamin or supplement, is bioavailability.

A big word with big implications. Bioavailability represents the amount of active ingredient in the medication or supplement that gets into your blood stream and can be effectively used by your body. You could take pounds of supplements without visible improvement in your condition simply because your body is unable to extract its beneficial ingredients. A perfect example is yam in its natural forms. Although yams contain progesterone, the hormone our body needs, eating yams will never give you that progesterone. That is because our bodies cannot make yams bioavailable, meaning it cannot extract the progesterone from them. How the supplement gets into your system, what the body does with it once it's in your blood stream, how much of it gets to your cells and how they use it, are only parts of the bioavailability story. When medications are tested for effectiveness, the most important marker is their bioavailability. With supplements and food substances, that are not under FDA scrutiny, bioavailability is not even addressed.

Another example of variable bioavailability is calcium. Calcium is essential to good bone structure. But taking calcium supplements does not insure that more calcium gets into our system, let alone to our bone cells or into our bones. Let's follow the path of a calcium pill you take in the evening, three hours after your last meal. Your stomach is empty and the pill gets broken down into tiny components by gastric juices. If the components are small enough, the calcium supplement you took gets absorbed into your blood stream. If it isn't small enough, it goes through the stomach and into the intestine and out the other end- no calcium supplement for your body. If it gets absorbed into your blood stream it has a good chance of getting to your bone cells. But once there, there is no guarantee that the cells that need the calcium have the enzymes, substrates, and all other necessary environmental elements, to absorb the calcium molecules and use them to make strong bones.

The path I use to describe the fate of calcium in your body is similar to any other food or medication you take. There are lots of great supplements available with incredible potential benefits. The reason they don't live up to their promises is because they are not bioavailable. This is one of the key reasons many supplements just don't work. In an attempt to improve bioavailability, many manufacturers advise taking their supplements on an empty stomach. The reason behind this method of administration is that hypothetically, an empty stomach will be more inclined to digest and absorb a supplement than if mixed with other foods or medications. I stress hypothetically, because there are no studies to substantiate the bioavailability of most supplements on the market today.

Other methods of administration (besides pills and tablets) have better rates of absorption and bioavailability. Pharmaceutical companies have conducted numerous studies that reinforce the increased bioavailability of creams and gels. The reason is primarily that skin is a more predictable absorbent, it is the largest organ in the human body and the blood flow to the skin is high in warm areas, like chest, inner thighs, arms, and pulse points (wrists, ankles, armpits, groin).

From a clinical standpoint, degree of bioavailability of a substance is directly proportional to its expected effect. If you are taking a pill to get rid of a headache and the headache is gone in thirty minutes to an hour after you took the pill, clinically speaking, the pill was bioavailable enough to be effective. When we discuss the bioavailability of natural hormones or supplements we are referring to subjectively measurable effects (like elimination of hot flashes, or night sweats for instance).

Good luck on your journey!

Drug Interactions with Alternative Therapies

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Herbs and other alternative therapies were the original medicine. Ancient cultures used herbs and plants to stay healthy and cure illness. But, for years after the pharmaceutical world took over treatment, the Western world lost interest in alternative therapies.

Today, however, interest in alternative therapies is renewed. Many people are choosing to treat some conditions naturally before trying medicines. For example, many people recently diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol are choosing to increase their exercise, change their diet and lose excess weight before resorting to high blood pressure and cholesterol medications. In many cases, patients can reverse their blood pressure and cholesterol problems without ever needing medication.

Other patients are using alternative therapies as adjuncts to traditional medicine. For example, green tea has been shown to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy in some forms of cancer. Drinking large amounts of tea while undergoing chemotherapy treatments can increase the concentration of the chemo drugs in the cancerous cells, making it more effective.

A large number of people are also using alternative therapies for preventative purposes. Take green tea, for example. It has been shown to prevent many types of illness, including heart disease, Alzheimer's and some forms of cancer. Others use yoga to relieve stress and massage to manage muscle and joint pain.

But, what if you're pursuing alternative therapies at the same time that you're using conventional drug therapies? Is there a chance that there could be interaction between the two?

Well, the answer is, possibly. There are thousands of drugs being prescribed for hundreds of different conditions today, and no doubt some of the drugs will interact with some of the alternative therapies.

Since alternative therapies have become so popular, some research has been performed to determine how, and if, some of the most popular alternative therapies interact with drugs.

One study, in particular, reported by the UK Tea Council studied the effects of flavonoids on drug therapies. Flavonoids were chosen for study because they are contained in so many substances that we many of us consume regularly, and because flavonoids are generally thought to be very healthy.

Flavonoids are a type of anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants are extremely important to our health because they combat free radicals. Free radicals are created in our bodies as a by product of converting our food to energy. Free radicals damage our cells and DNA. Over time, this leads to premature aging and disease. Anti-oxidants combat these free radicals, preventing them from causing damage. Research has shown that a diet rich in anti-oxidants, including flavonoids prevents many forms of disease, such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.

Fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, as does beverages made from plants, such as tea and wine. But, doctors wondered, could these healthy flavonoids interfere with drugs that we may be taking for medical conditions?

The research mentioned above found that flavonoids can, in some cases, interfere with the transport of certain drugs. Transport refers to how drugs reach the organs or body systems they're designed to affect.

In some cases, this could cause interactions between your medications and alternative therapies such as Gingko Biloba, Milk Thistle, green tea, and soy isoflavones. It's not likely that the flavonoids found in your food would interact, as they are not typically consumed in highly concentrated quantities as is found in herbal supplements.

So, for example, if you're drinking three or four cups of green tea each day to help protect your health, it's unlikely that there would be any interaction. However, if you're taking 10-12 capsules of green tea extract each day, your concentration of flavonoids would be significantly higher, and might cause some interaction.

This information is not designed to influence you to stop using flavonoids to protect your health. Research has shown time and again that they're very effective at keeping you young and healthy. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, green tea and other anti-oxidant sources can help you keep your weight in check, lower your cholesterol and even regulate insulin.

However, as with any alternative therapy you're considering, it's important to keep your doctor in the loop. Inform him of any alternative therapies you'd like to try, and find out how they might interact with any particular medicines you're taking. This way you can ensure that you're treating your particular health concerns in the best way possible, whether that means traditional medicines alone - or in combination with alternative treatments.

It's nearly impossible for researchers to list every possible medication and every alternative therapy that it might interact with. But, working closely with your doctor, who knows your medical history, health concerns and treatments can ensure that you're pursuing the healthiest route for treatment.

We're all concerned about our health. And, many of us are also concerned about using natural, healthy remedies whenever possible, as well as taking advantage of all we've learned about how substances like anti-oxidants can prevent disease. Alternative remedies can be a great way to stay healthy, but it's important to always consult your doctor before you begin something new.

Information About Alternative Therapy in Health and Medicine

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Have you just learned about the latest fad in alternative therapy in health and medicine? Chances are that this "new" alternative therapy in health and medicine has actually been in existence for centuries, but is only now getting media attention and acceptance from the modern medical society. If you have recently read or heard about a new alternative treatment that sounds appealing to you, or if you have a condition that is unresponsive to western medical approaches, you might want to consider giving this alternative therapy in health and medicine a try.

Do The Research

It would be wrong to just make an appointment for that particular alternative therapy in health and medicine and just show up at the practitioner's office. Do some comparison shopping first, much like you would when choosing any doctor or health practitioner. Here are a few key points you should consider and research before making an appointment:

Is this treatment affordable? Most health insurance companies refuse to cover any treatment that they deem an alternative therapy in health and medicine. Some treatments can be costly when paying out of pocket. Will the practitioner you're considering agree to a payment plan, or just one lump sum?

Do you understand the treatment? You might be asked to view things in your life differently, and make some significant lifestyle changes. Is that something you're ready for?

Do you know your entire medical history? Your alternative medicine practitioner will need to know your detailed medical history, including physical and mental health. This is to help prevent any complications, for example if something containing chamomile is prescribed and you are allergic to ragweed, you could end up with a very severe reaction.

Is there a practitioner available near your home? You may need more than one session, so how far do you want to travel?

If you have put sufficient thought and research into the above questions, then you are ready to start your journey with alternative therapy in health and medicine.

Be Patient

You may not notice significant changes after just one visit. You should exercise some patience. Odds are, some significant changes in your diet, exercise, and ways of dealing with stress will need to be made. You may have to find healthier ways to deal with stress, like walking, yoga, or meditation instead of smoking, drinking, or eating too much.

You should expect trial and error periods of varying lengths, just as you would with modern medicine. It takes some time to figure out the perfect blend of herbs and treatments for you, so don't give up!

Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine

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Just because the media doesn't think favourably about alternative therapies in health and medicine (why would they, they depend enormously on revenue gained from drug advertisements), doesn't mean to say that they are not hugely successful in the areas they treat.

Take homeopathy. Did you know that homeopathy can heal poisonous snake bites? And cataracts? And cancer?

Well, to be strictly honest, homeopathy doesn't do the healing. It frees those blockages within you, so that you can heal yourself. It does this by treating you, not the disease you have. This is unique in health and medicine, let alone alternative therapies in health and medicine.

Few people are aware of the enormous scope homeopathy has. It's kept well hidden by vicious media attacks. This is totally understandable when you realize that homeopathy is low cost. That anyone can do a lot of good using a few common remedies at home, without knowing very much.

This is a huge threat to the lucrative profits of the big pharmaceutical industry.

But does it help you?

Let's look at a few examples.

A woman was suffering from a cerebral stroke and in a coma. After a month of futile treatments, doctors declared her case as hopeless.

Luckily for her, a homeopath was brought in.

Her unique symptoms before and during the stroke were taken.

She was given a common homeopathic remedy, one which is found in all first aid kits for home prescribing, regularly. Within two days she was moving her eyes, blinking and made efforts to speak. After one week she talking, moving her neck and asking for food. Within one month she walking with support. Shortly after, she recovered of all her mental functions. - Reference Homeopathy 4 Everyone May 2009

Let's look at another case.

A newly trained hospital doctor was given the job of overseeing the hopeless cases of hepatitis C. With little to do and an open mind, he began searching for something outside the scope of medicine, something perhaps within the scope of alternative therapies in health and medicine.

He discovered that alpha lipoic acid (an antioxidant) was a great healer for toxic livers. After giving his patients this supplement, they all recovered.

Sadly his colleagues couldn't afford this to come out, as it threatened their careers and their reputations. - Reference Dr. Berskson's book 'The Alpha Lipoic Acid Breakthrough'

Yet another case showing how thorough practitioners have to be when using alternative therapies in health and medicine.

A young medical student was taken seriously ill suddenly. She visited doctor after doctor. She was prescribed everything from antibiotics to antidepressants and everything in between. Not one doctor asked her what had changed in her life just prior to becoming sick.

Eventually she worked it out for herself. Since starting at university, her diet had changed from good home cooking to eating hot dogs on the run. Once she eliminated the hot dogs and their sodium nitrate preservative from her diet, she fully regained her health.

Take control of your own health. Look beyond your comfort zone for health care and nutrition. Have an open mind. You'll be amazed at how healthy you can become.

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