It’s A Long And Winding Road

Contemplating surgery is a stressful situation, not to mention the stress the actual surgery puts on your body. By following a few tips, you can not only make your experience a better one, but also ensure a quality stay in the hospital.

(1) Make your first meeting with any hospital staff a more personal one by introducing yourself and having them introduce themselves.

(2) Ask if your doctor prescribed antibiotics before surgery and if you, in fact, got them.

(3) Make sure there is enough of your type of blood on supply in case there is a need for it.

(4) After the surgery, if you don’t feel you are getting the care you should be getting, don’t be afraid to speak up. Question the head nurse, if you get no satisfactory response, speak to your doctor when he come for his/her rounds.

The most important thing to do in a hospital situation is to be clear and forthright about your requests and questions. If answers are not clear to you, ask for a better explanation.

Blueberries are great on your morning oatmeal, in muffins and mixed in a bowl of fresh fruit. They are high in vitamin C, vitamin E, manganese, fiber and low in calories. But that’s not all, a recent study done by Tufts University found blueberries to be on the top of the list of 60 vegetables and fruits regarding antioxidant abilities. That means that this fruit is an excellent food to neutralize free radical damage. It was also found that blueberries deliver 38% more antioxidant anthocyanins than red wine which is a cardio protective food.

This fruit has been shown, through a animal studies, to protect the brain against from oxidative stress. Scientists say this means eating blueberries may effectively reduce symptoms of age related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. During the animal study they found that elderly animals were improved in their motor skills as well as their learning capacity.

The compound, ellagic acid, is found in blueberries. This is another type of antioxidant that block metabolic joining paths that may result in cancer. Strawberries also contain this ellagic acid. In addition blueberries contain a lot of soluble fiber pectin. This type of fiber is known to lower cholesterol.

Further studies showed compounds in blueberries exhibited protection against colon cancer and ovarian cancer.

For a great dessert idea, layer blueberries (and strawberries), in fluted wine glasses, along with vanilla yogurt. Top with a sprinkle of ginger. They are great on oatmeal or in oatmeal muffins.

A normal amount of anxiety is useful as when facing a dangerous situation. However, if a person has the rush of adrenaline, quick beating heart, muscle tension a quick breathing when there is no reason for the reaction, it is not healthy. It can progress to cause high blood pressure, headaches, stomachaches. Your health care professional can help you decide on conventional medication, alternative treatments or a combination of both.

* Exercise. Tests show that regular exercise reduces lactic acid, which is found to be higher in those who suffer from anxiety attacks. The endorphins produced during exercise may also help with this condition.

* Triggers. Caffeine, sugar and alcohol have been shown to trigger anxiety attacks in some individuals.

* Herbal Supplements. Kava has been found to work as well as conventional prescribed medications in many cases. Valerian can be taken in small doses throughout the day to ward off an anxiety attack.

* Biofeedback. With some work, biofeedback has been shown to work wonders in teaching an individual ways to react positively when an attack is first coming on.

When the body’s red blood cells (or the hemoglobin) is deficient the necessary oxygen does not get to the body organs. The first signs of an anemic condition may show up as paleness, weakness, tiredness or lightheadedness. There is a general misconception about anemia that it’s “no big deal.” They don’t know if the condition goes untreated it can lead to death. Once a health care professional has diagnosed the problem, there advice should be followed. However, discuss using some of these alternate treatments either along with conventional treatments or instead of them.

* Supplements: Add vitamin/mineral supplements to your diet. Depending on the type of anemia, there may be a deficiency in iron, vitamin C (which aids iron absorption), vitamin B12 or folic acid.

* Herbs: The herb, yellow dock, will supply the body with absorbable iron. Dandelion, burdock and mint also have an abundance of iron. Try them in tea form for good absorption.

* Diet: Spinach and liver (if you can handle it) as well as dried beans, nuts, cheese, fish will add iron to your diet.

An abscess is the bodies way of isolating an infection so that it does not become widespread through out the body. The first signs of an abscess are a pink or red area that feels irritated, is swollen and sensitive. If abscesses show up over and over again, they could be a sign of a larger problem and it could indicate a bowel infection, diabetes, poor nutrition and/or a weak immune system. If ever in doubt, a person should not self-medicate but see their health care professional.

* Zinc and vitamin C are proven sources of supplements that will stimulate the immune system. Adding these two nutrients to your diet will help with the healing process as well as help our system to fight off future infections.

* Chinese medicine advises making a compression from herbs (chamomile, thyme or sage) in order to draw out the infection of the abscess. The compression must be changed several (3 or 4) times daily.

* Consider your diet. Junk food which include white sugar, white flour, fatty and fried foods have been proven to be detrimental to our bodies. Change your eating habits to include more fresh vegetables and fruits (raw is best), lean meats, whole grains and nuts.

A compression can be made by brewing strong tea. Using a natural fibered cloth, soak it in the tea and apply to the abscess leaving it to draw out the infection.

Milk Thistle is an herb used primarily for liver and gallbladder conditions such as liver cirrhosis and inflammation. It seems to detoxify the liver while protecting it. It may be used in complimentary with conventional medication. You should, however, always discuss the use of any product with your health care professional to make sure the natural substance will interact well with your prescribed medication.

Milk Thistle is known to:

* Lower cholesterol levels
* Improves liver function
* Reduces insulin resistance in type II Diabetics who also had cirrhosis
* Reduces the growth of cancer cells in some cancers
* Has antioxidant properties
* Encourages liver cell growth

Side Effects

Few, if any side affects have bee associated with the use of Milk Thistle.

It won’t be long before winter has past and spring allergies and hay fever hit us once again. Because of the misuse of over-the-counter medications, many are not available without a doctor’s prescription. With the added expense of an appointment (most of us have to pay something even with medical insurance) many people just suffer through it all. We all know those medications aren’t good for us anyway, but when you are really suffering… Here are some natural decongestants.

* Onions - Raw onions are a natural way to loosen the mucus in your sinuses. Simply cut up some raw onion with the plan of using it for dinner. Just the use of the “fumes” from the raw onion may help and adding it to your food will give you an extra punch.

* Spicy Salsa - Who needs an excuse to eat salsa and chips? Make your own baked chips or purchase baked ones (they are better for you) and help yourself to some heavy dipping. Actually any spicy food will relieve congestion.

* Steam - A vaporizer alone will help with decongestion, but add a bit of eucalyptus oil and you’ll get some extra help. An alternative is a hot steamy shower. Get in or just sit in a small bathroom with the hot shower running.

* Vitamin C - This vitamin works as a natural decongestant. The dosage you should take during bouts of hay fever or allergies is 5 grams/day. However, start slow at 500 milligrams/day and increase gradually.

* Bromelain - It’s a natural substance made from the stem of the pineapple plant and is a natural decongestant. The recommended dosage is 500 milligrams/day.

In an effort to find holistic and alternative medicine courses and certification via the internet, I found some interesting choices. This subject matter has long been of interest to me, however, I have no formal training and wondered what it would cost as well as what was available via the internet. My concern was not with accredited courses, but with a good solid learning experience that would give more credibility to both applying for writing positions and knowledge behind my articles.

Because I have not looked into these schools extensively, you must do so before signing up and paying for any classes. I also would suggest you look into the background of the instructors, making sure they have the proper education and certification to teach the class.

World Wide Learn is out of the UK, offering both classes and diploma courses. They advertise highly accredited instructors teaching over 500 courses. This is but a short list:

* Acupressure Diploma Course
* Aromatherapy Diploma Course
* Colour Therapy Course
* Crystal Healing Course
* Depression Management
* Eating Disorders Diploma Course
* Energy Healing for Animals
* Herbalism Diploma Course
* Meditation Diploma Course
* Meridian Therapies Course
* Reflexology Diploma Course

Alternative Medicine College of Canada offers accredited courses, but it’s way over my price range. Of course, you are paying for the accreditation.

International Institute of Holistic Healing offers an online Acupressure Certificate course for $175.00 with a textbook purchase of under $25. This is more in line with the fee I was hoping for. They offered other certified courses in nutrition, herbology, homeopathy, aromatherapy and others.

Physical manipulation is another alternative treatment area in which some pain can be relieved. This sort of therapy works best on musculoskeletal pain or pain caused by musculoskeletal problems, such as headache. Lower back and neck pain have been especially helped.

* Massage works wonders in areas of chronic stress due to muscle tension. Massge has also been found beneficiary to those suffering from fibromyalgia and migraines. It is a good source of relaxation during labor that eases pain. And it relieves anxiety when dealing with a chronic or life threatening condition.

* Chiropractic treatments help to realign joints and vertebrae back into place. When our body’s skeletal order is out of whack, the whole body is affected. Pain can be experienced in muscles that seem unrelated to the effect location because we are compensating in other areas of our body by the misaligned way we are carrying ourselves.

Lifestyle changes, in developing healthy habits and breaking bad ones, can help with all types of pain.

*Sleep is more important than you might think in managing pain and overall health. Everyone needs deep, restoring rest every night. You can not catch up on your sleep, this is a myth. Establishing a regular sleep period at the same time every night will regulate your body clock and ensure a good rest.

*Regular exercise and healthy eating is a must for controlling pain. When our body is lacking in one or more nutrient for a period of time, the body takes a toll. Any pain experienced becomes more difficult to handle. Regular exercise strengthens muscles, lowers stress and originates the body, all helping with pain management.

When we speak of energy healing, we are referring to the “life force” (also called vital force, Prana, Qi or Chi). Life force goes beyond an individual’s body or even that of all the Earth’s people. It extends through the universe and all that is (that we, as humans, may not be aware of). In essence, each one of is part of the “whole.” Many of the therapies we have spoken of in the Naturally Pain Free series easily overlap into different areas. For example, meditation is certainly a mind-body medicine, but it is also an energy healing therapy, as does yoga, tai chi and others. They work to connect with the life force. Each of the alternative therapies transcend into other areas of healing. They also work in tandem for a holistic health approach to health and healing.

Energy Therapies

Acupuncture is an ancient healing practice using long, thin needles to unblock the movement of the life force in the body. The body is made up of energetic pathways called meridians. Physical and/or emotional disease can unbalance or block the energy fields. Specific body locations (acu-points) along the 14 major meridians, when stimulated, can correct chi disruption.

Acupressure works on much the same principle of acupressure except the acu-points are stimulated by physical manipulation rather than needles. It can be performed on the self or on another person anyplace, anytime without the need of special tools or a certified acupuncturist.

Reiki also deals with the life force. The reiki practitioner places their hands at certain locations of the patient’s body in order to transfer healing reiki energy. The touch may be light or not touching at all. When a person learning reiki becomes attuned by her reiki teacher she is given special symbols to be used in her visualization during reiki treatments.

Chigong (Qigong or Chi Kung) means “energy cultivation” and is similar to tai chi, as mentioned in segment 1 of this series, in that it is a slow movement exercise. There are literally thousands of Chigong exercises, all with the same principles of using breath, mind, eyes, movement and spirit all focused on intention.

In part 5 of Naturally Pain Free we will discuss the use of physical manipulation for pain relief.