It’s A Long And Winding Road

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.

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.

Movement Based Therapies

Considering lost wages, medical treatment, medication, low productivity and legal charges, chronic pain is said to be the most expensive health problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 70 to 85 percent of the population suffer from some form of back condition at sometime in their lives. Cancer patients in intermediate or sever stages suffer pain. 47 million Americans have arthritis pain each year.

There are two different kinds of pain:

Acute pain ends after a particular condition is resolved and may be caused by tissue damage, inflammation, illness, injury or a recent surgical procedure.

Chronic pain continues to reek havoc for sufferers for a long period of time, sometimes even years.

Conventional medical treatment for pain may include over the counter medication such as NSAIDS, acetaminophen or aspirin. For those needing stronger relief prescriptions including narcotics and antidepressants may be ordered by their health care professional. Sometimes surgery is required to repair a problem that hasn’t responded to any other treatment. There are non-drug alternatives to treating pain. And, indeed, conventional physicians are starting to take a look and even prescribe some of these methods.

Muscle Based Therapies

The conditions helped by muscle based therapies are: joint pain, lower back pain and musculoskeletal pain. They work by strengthening supporting muscles, improving alignment and the release of endorphins. Muscle based therapies are:

* Physical therapy which works to strengthen areas of the body through resistance training.

* Yoga works through relaxation, meditation, breathing, stretching and balance to relieve pain. It is thought that it helps the brain’s pain center regulate the spinal cord’s pain gate controlled mechanism as well as release the bodies natural pain relievers.

* Pilates strengthens core muscles through a resistance training.

* Tai chi uses slow, fluid movement that improves body alignment, flexibility, strength, coordination, balance and stamina.

* Feidenkrais uses painless, gentle exercises to retrain the body to it’s proper alignment and movement.

In Pain Free, part 2we will discuss herbal and nutritional remedies for the relief of pain.

It’s usually that week between Christmas and New Years that we start making a list of New Year’s Resolutions. At least, we start thinking about it. The idea of a new year makes us feel as though we have a fresh beginning to start over or start new. It’s not a bad thing to think about the year ahead and plan goals to accomplish during that time. And guess what you get a second chance at this new beginning every time you have a birthday. After all, it’s the brand new beginning of your new year.

Be realistic. I have a plan for getting healthy this year, but it’s difficult to expect yourself to make all the changes at once. Start with just one small thing the first week of the new year and then add to it every week.

January 1 (first week is only 3 days): Go for a 10 minute walk every day this week.

January 4 (week 2): Walk 15 minutes 5 times this week.

January 11 (week 3): Walk 20 minutes 5 times this week.

January 18 (week 4): Walk 20 minutes 5 times, exchange 1 unhealthy snack to a raw fruit or vegetable(s) for each day.

January 25 (week 5): Walk 20 minutes 5 times, exchange 1 unhealthy snack to a raw fruit or vegetable(s) for each day, every day this week do a brain activity (crossword puzzle, read, card game, etc.) in exchange for watching TV.

February 1 (week 6): Walk 25 minutes 5 times, exchange 1 unhealthy snack to a raw fruit or vegetable each day, do a brain activity every day.

So, you get the idea. Make up your own schedule and vow to stick with it. If there’s a bad habit you want to change like smoking. Don’t worry about going cold-turkey. Just count out your cigarettes for the day (making it one less each week) and stretch them out throughout the day. By the time you get down to just a few it will be easy to just top as most of the cravings will be gone. Don’t beat yourself up if you fall off your timetable every now and then, just jump back on.

Free Radicals

The body needs oxygen to function properly. However, oxygen also causes free radicals to form. Free radicals aren’t entirely bad for us as our cells actually need a small amount of them. When there is an imbalance (nutrition and anti-oxidant deficiency), additional free radicals attach to cells causing damage and cell mutation. This is the cause of most degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes II and stroke. In the U.S. hundreds of thousands of individuals die each year from degenerative diseases. The good news is that they can be prevented, for others it may be stoppable and for a few they can be reversed.

With the addition of too much meat and fat along with not enough plant food in the diet, the body cannot keep itself healthy. Meat and fat cause more free radicals than complex carbohydrates because their metabolism process requires more oxygen. There is also the fact that plant foods contain numerous anti-oxidants to ward off free radicals.

Deterioration of the body is inevitable. However, excessive deterioration can be prevented or at least slowed. So, how is this done. There are particular foods that contain a high antioxidant content. If you can’t or won’t eat them, supplements are your next best bet.

DON’T

* Eat excessive amounts of meat and fat. You need good quality protein, so don’t cut out animal foods completely unless you are vegetarian. 5 ounces of lean animal protein is plenty for each meal. When adding fats (oils) use extra virgin olive oil.

DO

* Eat foods rich in carotenoids and vitamin A. These include carrots, broccoli, squash, sweet potatoes, kale, tomatoes, collards, peaches, cantaloupe, apricots and other brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

* Eat foods rich in vitamin C. These include citrus fruits, broccoli, green peppers, tomatoes, strawberries and green leafy vegetables.

* Eat foods rich in vitamin E. These include nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.

* Eat foods rich in flavonoids and polyphenois such as red wine, some soy, red wine, concord grapes, cranberries, pomegranates and some teas.

* Eat foods rich in lycopene such as tomatoes products, watermelon and pink grapefruit.

* Eat foods rich in luten such as kale, broccoli, kiwi, brussels sprouts and spinach.

* Eat foods rich in Lignan such as flax seed, oatmeal, rye and barley.

* Eat vitamins displaying properties like anti-oxidants such as coenzyme Q10.

* Do exercise, it enhances anti-oxidant defense system

This is by no means a complete list, but will get any person going on the right track to improving their ability to defend their body against free radicals.

We all know what anxiety feels like. I might describe it as extreme nervousness and agitation. Although, I don’t have anxiety attacks on a regular basis, I have felt anxious at times when there was no apparent reason for it. Some individuals have these kinds of feelings on a regular basis and at a much higher rate. Although, a certain amount of anxiety is an important human function as it can give us the “fight or flight” reaction we need in dangerous situations. It is unhealthy to have it often and when it is not warranted. It’s not only uncomfortable, but it increases blood pressure, it can cause headaches and stomach problems and it can cause poor concentration.

There are two different forms of anxiety disorders. There is generalized anxiety which is considered a chronic condition and brings about a sense of foreboding and agitation on a recurring basis. The other form of anxiety disorder is panic attack which can come on very suddenly. It can be so violent that it might be thought to be a heart attack.

Although, for any condition your health care professional should be consulted, conventional medication for anxiety by have negative side effects and could be addictive.

Herbs and Supplements

Kava has been shown in several studies to perform nearly as effective as conventional medication in reducing symptoms such as nervousness, heart palpitations and dizziness.

Vitamin and mineral supplements helpful in supporting the nervous system are vitamin B complex, magnesium and calcium.

Valerian, ordinarily used for sleeplessness, can be used at low doses throughout the day for a calming effect. And it can be used during the night at a higher rate for a restful sleep.

St. Johns Wort can be added to valerian and/or Kava with no negative effects. This is a good natural addition if you are feeling any depression along with the anxiety condition.

There are other steps you can take to help alleviate anxiety. If you are a coffee drinker (or drink any caffeine based food or beverage), reduce or cut out your consumption. Alcohol and sugar are two substances that have been known to trigger anxiety in some people. Get some form of aerobic exercise each day for about 20 to 30 minutes. Get in the habit of walking or playing tennis, even swimming. Exercise produces endorphins which is a “feel good” chemical. It also improves oxygen in your bloodstream allowing your body to work more efficiently.

Recently researchers at UCLA found that practicing tai chi chih ( a western version of tai chi) helped those with moderate sleep complaints. 112 adults, ages 59 to 86, were divided into two groups. The first group practiced the tai chi chih regimen and the second group attended educational classes about stress reduction, diet and sleep habits for a 25 week period.

The tai chi chih group showed improved sleep ability as well as improvement or remission of clinical sleeplessness impairments such as day time drowsiness or being unable to concentrate. They showed three areas of improvement, sleep quality, duration of sleep and less sleep disturbances. The education group showed no change of any consideration.

It was felt that many older people are limited in the types of exercise they can practice do to physical inabilities. This form of tai chi is extremely viable because of it’s slow and gentle movements.

This study piggybacked a previous one done with the same sort of exercise that showed results of older adults with shingles benefiting with an improved immune system.

It’s a proven fact today that we all need physical exercise to stay healthy. However, in the winter rather than enjoying a nice walk, we tend to peak out the window, seeing a harsh wind or storm (even just a hint of one coming) and we decide cleaning the oven would be more enjoyable. And what if you aren’t especially athletic. Okay, you can walk and chew gum at the same time, but it’s cold outside. You can’t ski, you aren’t going to attempt snowboarding, but the family loves it. So, what are you going to do, stay in the lodge and drink hot chocolate (hmm, doesn’t sound too bad).

But no, you’re going to bundle up, strap on a pair of snowshoes and take a low-impact trod through the snow. Now anyone can do that. According to the American Council on Exercise, snowshoeing develops leg muscles and endurance without jarring your joints on hard pavement. They also say that you will burn 45% additional calories than walking while moving at the same speed. Actually by snowshoeing for an hour, you can burn off your whole breakfast of 600 calories.

If you’ve visualized those putting huge tennis racket like apparatuses on your shoes, forget it. They are less intrusive these days and made from very light material. Now, to get an upper body workout add a couple of ski poles to your sport. They will help you keep your balance as well.

For more information check out this full article on snowshoeing and how to pick the right snow shoe.

There are a lot of things in everyday life that can cause us to be sleepless. Stress and worry are two of the big culprits. However, new studies have shown how it is now more important than ever known before to get enough sleep. The old excuse of “I’ll catch up on my sleep this weekend” doesn’t hold true as we once thought it did. We now know that you can’t catch up on sleep and if giving sleep the short end of importance can effect your health over time.

1. 26% of children who don’t get enough sleep become overweight. Although this study related to children 2 ½ to 6 years, one has to wonder if a lack of sleep can effect this percentage of people, in this manner, in all age ranges. This was based on children of this age group getting fewer than 10 hours of sleep per night.

2. Lack of enough sleep can affects adolescents with both emotional and behavioral disturbances including ADHA. The results were ascertained through a study involving 882 high school students by reviewing their sleep habits in conjunction with their grades. As part of the study, students were also given psychological and behavioral testing.

3. Consider your overall fat intake (especially dinner fat intake) if you aren’t sleeping well. A study done at the Federal University in Brazil in which 52 healthy people’s food intake records were watched for three days. The study showed a higher fat intake matched up with a lower amount of REM sleep, a higher arousal and higher occurrence of apnea.

4. Cigarette smoking is linked with sleep disturbances. Research shows that smokers will report feeling unrested, in the morning, four times more than non-smokers. It turns out that smokers spend less time in a state of deep sleep than those that don’t smoke.

Things You Can Do to Sleep Better

1. Don’t sleep in. Set a schedule of going to bed and getting up at the same times, even on weekends.

2. Exercise between 20 and 30 minutes per day. However exercising late in the day may actually disturb sleep for some.

3. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol especially late in the day and evening. Where stimulants keep you awake, depressants such as alcohol rob the body of deep sleep.

4. Find ways to relax before bedtime. Reading or taking a warm bath are good examples.

5. If you can’t sleep, don’t lie in bed. The anxiety of concentrating on being unable to sleep is worse than getting up and doing something else until sleepy.