Health Topics

Archive for January, 2012

A person who has arthritis knows all too well about the inflammation of the joints and what comes with it, and that would be pain, swelling of the afflicted area, stiffness and even redness. The symptoms can be anywhere from extremely mild to extremely severe and sometimes even disfiguring. Along with medication and exercise, there are some natural ways in which you can relieve the pain as well.

If you have arthritis you might be able to get some relief by getting some massage therapy done. This can treat the pain as well as the stiffness that is brought on by arthritis. The massage will stimulate more production of the endorphins in your body and the endorphins are our body’s natural pain killers. Massage can also decrease the stress hormones as well as help to improve your sleep. Make sure that you pick a massage therapist that has a background with working with patients that have arthritis.

If the thought of needles don’t bother you, then you might also want to check out acupuncture which everyone knows is an ancient Chinese practice that helps to relieve many things including pain. The needles are inserted in certain points of the body to stimulate certain areas in order to decrease the pain in other areas that need relief.

Diet can be an important factor as well. If you give your body the proper nutrition you can help the body handle the symptoms of arthritis a lot better. If your diet has a lot of saturated fats in it for instance the body will respond to inflammation more and the joints will suffer more inflammation. You should eat a variety of foods that make up a well balanced diet and you should also avoid a lot of sugar, too much salt, fat and cholesterol. Alcohol should also be consumed in moderation.

There are some supplements that can be taken as well that will help with the pain and inflammation. One for instance is S-adenosylmethionine or SAMe occurs in the body naturally but sometimes you might need more. If that is the case you can take the supplement and it will be absorbed into the body quite easily. This is very expensive so it might be wise to think about this one before taking it. You also should talk to your doctor about it as well.

Another one is called glucosamine sulfate and this is a nutrient that includes anti-inflammatory properties that has less toxic effects on the body than ibuprofen and naproxen. This is especially good for those who have osteoarthritis and it will also help to prevent cartilage loss.

Eating lots of fish or taking fish oil pills can also be of benefit for those suffering with arthritis. It’s the omega-2 fatty acids in the fish oil that will help to relieve the pain and joint tenderness often found with those who are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Learn to cure naturally with alternative medicine degree. It educates the student on natural medicines, its history, philosophy, principles and embarks him with thorough information on what alternative medicine is and how it provides health solutions through herbal and natural techniques. By opting for an alternative medicine college, student are able to become skilled on how to heal others through a nutritious diet and human health sciences like pathology, physiology, anatomy and also get to study how to heal old diseases and how to deal with emergencies using instant first aid.

There are numerous training options for those who would like to get natural health degrees. Acquiring a doctoral degree in the field of oriental medicine can get you the expertise you need to become a successful naturopathic doctor by completing the coursework and training. Students who lucratively complete their natural medicine degree programs will not only be awarded the Doctor of Naturopathy status, but can also become teachers to their patients.

Oriental medicine courses teach both doctors and the patients to endorse a healthy lifestyle that efficiently puts together the properties of immunity, mental well-being and physical functioning. These courses are not restricted to text book syllabuses and that is why the professionals and students who opt for herbal medicine courses achieve significant insight and perceptiveness of the principles and doctrines that encourage clean environment, regular exercises, stress management, healthy & nutritional diet and mental clarity to name a few.

In other words, oriental medicine programs focus on bringing about physical, mental, and spiritual harmony in one’s life by balancing a person’s life. Natural medicine colleges offer comprehensive education in numerous oriental medicine and natural healing techniques. By and large, an alternative medicine course may encompass healing arts techniques in aromatherapy, acupressure, anatomy & physiology, integrative health & wellness, flower essences, naturopathy, homeopathy, herbal medicine, nutrition, reflexology, kinesiology, orthomolecular medicine, iridology and many other such relevant matters of study.

Having sinus problems can really sometimes be uncomfortable and sometimes if they are persistent can be quite painful. When the lining of the different sinus cavities happen to get inflamed this is when there is more mucous produced and because of this the ability to drain the mucus is reduced and then this just makes the congestion and the irritation even worse. Some of the symptoms of sinus problems are:

- Congestion

- Runny nose

- Post nasal drip

- Headaches

A lot of times the pain is centralized behind your eyes and around the cheekbones and some of the more conventional treatments might include:

- Decongestants

- Saline nasal spray

- Oral or nasal corticosteroids

- Antibiotics

However, some people might prefer more natural treatments and if you are one of those people, here are a few natural treatments that can be used for sinus problems.

One type of treatment used is called nasal irrigation and a lot of alternative medicine practitioners and even conventional doctors will recommend this. You can use a neti pot or a small squirt bottle that you fill with warm water that has salt in it. You can spray the warm water into your nasal cavity and it should help relieve the symptoms. You can also add things like tea tree oil, grapefruit see extract, or other types of herbs to the water as well.

You can also get different herbal remedies that are used as tinctures, in pills or taken in tea form. Flax seed or flax oil is also good to use for inflammation. You can also use cayenne pepper, garlic or horseradish to help clear the sinuses. If you take crushed horseradish and add lemon juice to it you can then use this as a decongestant. Elderflower can be used to thin out the mucus and is said to increase the circulation of the area of the sinus.

Some people will also recommend that homeopathy is used and the different strengths that should be used for a variety of different remedies are 6x, 12x, 6C, 12C and 30C and to be done twice a day for two weeks. It all depends upon what is prescribed. One is called pulsatilla and is best for those who feel better outside and feel worse when they are in warmer rooms and then there is hepar sulphuris that is for those who get worse when there is a draft and it’s cooler and the nose is blocked with mucus and the nose is sore. Then silica can be used for those who have chronic sinusitis especially for the kind that is worse in cold air. Two other common things that are used are Kali bichromium and belladonna.