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Homeopathy Can Help in Losing Weight

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Be a Loser and Win.
During your pregnancy, you ate right, took supplements and exercised faithfully. Once your baby arrived, your priorities shifted from your health care to your child’s care. As your baby grows bigger each day, you may notice that those pregnancy pounds aren’t budging.

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Even more horrifying, could you actually be gaining weight? The only thing you want to grow bigger after the baby, is the baby.

Unfortunately the Institute of Medicine calculates that having a baby will add an average of 1kg of weight a year after giving birth.

Post partum weight gain may not be entirely physiological. It could also be due to medical causes such as thyroid dysfunction, birth control pills, stress and so on.

Recent research shows that when you are stressed, your body releases hormones that can contribute to weight gain. Not only can stress cause weight gain but conventional medicines like anti depressants and anti psychotic drugs given to cope with post partum depression or post partum psychosis can lead to further weight gain.

Weight loss programmes may cause side effects. Homeopathy on the other hand offers a safe, long lasting and holistic solution. Composed of natural elements in minuscule doses, homeopathy has absolutely no side effects.

Instead it goes to the very root of the problem, is gentle on the body and takes into account the emotional and psychological aspects of a patient. International research has shown that certain homeopathic medicines are extremely effective in reducing weight as they help to burn calories faster by speeding up the metabolic rate.

One such 100-year-old homeopathic remedy prepared from an extract of sea-kelp has been researched and accepted by UK’s Medicines Control Agency.

We had a case once of a 35 yr old female who came to us with an eight kg weight gain after delivery. She had tried various diet plans and weight loss programmes with hardly any success.

She suffered from depression due to weight gain. We advised a thyroid function test which turned out to be positive for hypothyroidism. We prescribed her a homeopathic medicine – Calcarea Carb 200. Our in house nutritionist drew up a specific diet.

Her weight was regularly and continuously tracked through a ‘Body Composition Monitor’ which not only measured her weight but also body fat, bone mass, visceral fat, muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, total body water content and metabolic age. With a combination of homeopathic treatment, an individualised diet plan and scientific monitoring of her weight, she not only shook off her extra weight but also her depression.

Losing weight is no longer about looking good but being healthy. Homeopathy helps in doing so safely, surely and systematically so that the weight that comes off, stays off. Enjoy your baby, your food and your new life together!

Homeopathic medicines that help to reduce weight are:

Fucus Vesiculosus 6C …… Reduces weight by speeding up the process of burning of fat tissues.

Phytolacca mother tincture ….. Reduces weight by increasing the metabolic rate .

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Source:The Times Of India

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Herbs & Plants

Nux Vomica

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Botanical Name : Strychnos Nux-vomica (LINN.)
Family: Loganiaceae
Genus: Strychnos
Species: S. nux-vomica
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Synonyms: Poison Nut. Semen strychnos. Quaker Buttons.
Part Used: Dried ripe seeds.
Habitat: India, in the Malay Archipelago

The Strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica) also known as Nux vomica, is an evergreen tree native to southeast Asia, a member of family Loganiaceae. It grows in open habitats, usually attaining a size about 25 meters tall.

It is a major source of the highly poisonous alkaloid strychnine, derived from the seeds inside the tree’s round, green to orange fruit. However, the tree’s bark also contains poisonous compounds, including brucine.

Description: A medium-sized tree with a short, crooked, thick trunk, the wood is white hard, close grained, durable and the root very bitter. Branches irregular, covered with a smooth ash-coloured bark; young shoots deep green, shiny; leaves opposite, short stalked, oval, shiny, smooth on both sides, about 4 inches long and 3 broad; flowers small, greeny-white, funnel shape, in small terminal cymes, blooming in the cold season and having a disagreeable smell. Fruit about the size of a large apple with a smooth hard rind or shell which when ripe is a lovely orange colour, filled with a soft white jelly-like pulp containing five seeds covered with a soft woolly-like substance, white and horny internally. The seeds are removed when ripe, cleansed, dried and sorted; they are exported from Cochin, Madras and other Indian ports. The seeds have the shape of flattened disks densely covered with closely appressed satiny hairs, radiating from the centre of the flattened sides and giving to the seeds a characteristic sheen; they are very hard, with a dark grey horny endosperm in which the small embryo is embedded; no odour but a very bitter taste.

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Constituents: -Nux Vomica contains the alkaloids, Strychnine and Brucine, also traces of strychnicine, and a glucoside Loganin, about 3 per cent fatty matter, caffeotannic acid and a trace of copper. The pulp of the fruit contains about 5 per cent of loganin together with the alkaloid strychnicine.

General use
Nux vomica is one of the most frequently used homeopathic remedies, especially for acute conditions. Homeopaths prescribe this polychrest for hangovers, back pain, digestive problems, headaches, allergies, colds, flu, emotional stress, constipation, menstrual problems, and hemorrhoids.

Nux vomica affects the nervous system. When taken by a healthy person the remedy causes muscle spasms and cramps, and even convulsions. It affects all five senses and bodily reflexes and causes extreme sensitivity to light, touch, noise, and smells.

Nux vomica is the homeopathic remedy that is created from the seeds of the strychnos nux vomica tree. Also known as poison nut or vomiting nut, this tree is an evergreen tree that is native to East India, Burma, Thailand, China, and Northern Australia.

The tree belongs to the Loganiaceae family and has small flowers and orange colored fruits that are the size of an apple or orange. Inside the fruit are five seeds surrounded by a jelly-like pulp. The ash gray seeds are round and measure 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter and are .25 in (0.6 cm) thick. The seeds are coated with downy hairs that give them a satiny appearance.

Medicinal Action and Uses: The propertiesof Nux Vomica are substantially those of the alkaloid Strychnine. The powdered seeds are employed in atonic dyspepsia. The tincture of Nux Vomica is often used in mixtures – for its stimulant action on the gastro-intestinal tract. In the mouth it acts as a bitter, increasing appetite; it stimulates peristalsis, in chronic constipation due to atony of the bowel it is often combined with cascara and other laxatives with good effects. Strychnine, the chief alkaloid constituent of the seeds, also acts as a bitter, increasing the flow of gastric juice; it is rapidly absorbed as it reaches the intestines, after which it exerts its characteristic effects upon the central nervous system, the movements of respiration are deepened and quickened and the heart slowed through excitation of the vagal centre. The senses of smell, touch, hearing and vision are rendered more acute, it improves the pulse and raises blood pressure and is of great value as a tonic to the circulatory system in cardiac failure. Strychnine is excreted very slowly and its action is cumulative in any but small doses; it is much used as a gastric tonic in dyspepsia. The most direct symptom caused by strychnine is violent convulsions due to a simultaneous stimulation of the motor or sensory ganglia of the spinal cord; during the convulsion there is great rise in blood pressure; in some types of chronic lead poisoning it is of great value. In cases of surgical shock and cardiac failure large doses are given up to 1/10 grain by hypodermic injection; also used as an antidote in poisoning by chloral or chloroform. Brucine closely resembles strychnine in its action, but is slightly less poisonous, it paralyses the peripheral motor nerves. It is said that the convulsive action characteristic of strychnine is absent in brucine almost entirely. It is used in pruritis and as a local anodyne in inflammations of the external ear.

The main alkaloids in the seeds are strychnine and brucine. These alkaloids give the seeds their bitter taste. Strychnine by itself is extremely poisonous, but when given in small doses to humans it promotes appetite, aids digestion, and increases the frequency of urination. In the nineteenth century it was used as a central nervous stimulant. In larger doses, however, strychnine produces a loss of appetite, hypersensitivity, depression, anxiety, and rigidity and stiffness of arms and legs. Toxic doses may cause convulsions and death. Some historians think that Alexander the Great died from drinking wine poisoned by strychnine.

Medicinal use of the nut dates back to the middle of the sixteenth century, where it was written about extensively by Valerius Cordus. Germans used the nut as a treatment for worms, rabies, hysteria, rheumatism, gout, and as an antidote for the plague.

Uses in Homeopathy
In homeopathy, Nux-v. — as it is commonly abbreviated — is one of the most commonly prescribed remedies, used for patients who are competitive, ambitious, driven,and irritable.

Preparations
\The seeds of the tree are ground until powdered then mixed with milk sugar. This solution is then diluted and succussed to create the final preparation.

Nux vomica is available at health food and drug stores in various potencies in the form of tinctures, tablets, and pellets.

Precautions
If symptoms do not improve after the recommended time period, a homeopath or healthcare practitioner should be consulted.

The recommended dose should not be exceeded, as the strychnine in nux vomica is poisonous. People should be careful to use only preparations made by established manufacturers, as cases of accidental strychnine poisoning from non-homeopathic herbal preparations containing nux vomica have been reported.

Side effects
There are no known side effects at recommended dosages, but individual aggravations may occur.

Interactions
When taking any homeopathic remedy, use of peppermint products, coffee, or alcohol should be avoided. These products may cause the remedy to be ineffective.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider

Resources:
http://www.healthline.com

http://www.ayurvedakalamandiram.com/herbs.htm#kanchanara

http://botanical.com

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Homeopathy

Homeopathy And Painful Periods

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The monthly menstrual cycle for many women can be a painful experience which
ranges in intensity from mild discomfort at best, to a state of complete
incapacitation for up to fifteen days of the cycle. Too many women suffer this
common but debilitating condition unnecessarily.

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Dysmenorrhea (painful or difficult menstrual periods) may be attributable to a
variety of possible causes. There are many theories, and the excessive action
of a small endocrine structure within the ovarian follicle known as the corpus
luteum, which secretes progesterone is often considered to be at fault. An
excess of prostaglandins are thought to be a possible cause also.
Prostaglandins are a group of biologically active fatty acid derivatives which
are present in many tissues and which affect the cardiovascular system, smooth
muscle and stimulate the uterus to contract. Hormonal imbalance or instability
has also been considered a possible antagonist as it causes the endometrial
lining of the uterus to become thickened, later detaching from the uterus in
large pieces during the period. The associated pain is considered to result
from spasm of the uterine walls.
There is also the possibility of dysmenorrhea being the result of an emotional
factor such as depression, anxiety or some unresolved internal conflict or
stress which seems to interfere with the normal estrogen/progesterone balance.
In situations where there is an underlying emotional factor, it is obvious that
effective treatment must be targeted to include the emotional imbalance before
the dysmenorrhea will abate.

The conventional treatment of dysmenorrhea recommends warm applications and rest
together with a variety of analgesics to control pain but which may cause
stomach irritation. Antispasmodics such as atropine which relax smooth muscle
are also routinely used. To correct the hormonal imbalance the contraceptive
pill is sometimes employed to suppress ovulation so that progesterone build-up
does not occur. Anti-prostaglandin drugs such as Naprosyn, which inhibit their
build-up are also tried. Anti-inflammatory drugs may be used in an attempt to
relieve inflammation and subsequent pain.

Throughout history ill health has been viewed from two fundamentally different
perspectives. The first view-point is that illness is a malfunction of specific
components of the body and symptoms are seen as the disease itself. Treatment
is aimed at removing the symptoms through suppressive drugging or removing the
actual suffering parts surgically. Orthodox medicine works with this concept
and patterns its treatment accordingly.

The second viewpoint is that disease is a result of a deeper disturbance or
imbalance of the vital life energy affecting the person as a whole, of which
symptoms are simply the outward manifestation. In a state of health the vital
energy controls all sensations and functions of the organism and keeps
everything in harmonious balance. It causes cells to reproduce and regenerate,
organs to function, hair and nails to grow, etc. When it leaves us at death our
bodies then begin to degenerate, disintegrate and decay. Homeopathic medicine
recognizes the concept of a vital energy and focuses its treatment on resolving
the underlying imbalance of that energy so that the organism may return
naturally to healthy functioning. When the organism is rebalanced the symptoms
go away of their own accord.

Symptoms, whether physical, emotional or psychological, are expressions of the
imbalance. In homeopathy, treatment is based upon the totality of symptoms
expressed on all levels and not solely on the specific condition or disease.
The task of the homeopathic doctor is to match the total picture of symptoms and
individualizing characteristics provided by the patient with the indicated
homeopathic remedy.
The matching of remedy to patient is done via a comparison of the known curative
action of the remedy to the similar total symptom picture presented by the
patient. The result of this matching of ‘similars’ is to stimulate the vital
or life energy of the organism to return to normal functioning, thereby
ameliorating symptoms and restoring health.

With this approach to healing it follows that two people presenting with the
same disease-label, i.e. asthma, arthritis, dysmenorrhea, etc., would probably
be given quite different homeopathic remedies because they would almost surely
express their illness differently and uniquely. Their symptoms would differ
somewhat from one another. Their heredity, metabolism, personalities, likes and
dislikes, psychological and emotional states would be unique to them. These are
factors of great importance when deciding upon a homeopathic prescription for an
individual.

So, women presenting with dysmenorrhea may be prescribed one of several possible
remedies depending on the total symptom picture (psychological, emotional and
physical) of that person.
For example, Pulsatilla may be indicated if the person’s nature is shy, gentle,
easy-going but sad and moody with a tendency to cry easily. They have a need
for consolation. Their moods are changeable as are their physical symptoms. In
fact, everything is variable in the Pulsatilla patient. Their periods may stop
and start or be different every time. Shivering often accompanies the pain and
there is usually a lack of thirst. They are aggravated by heat and hot, stuffy
rooms and are improved by being outside in the open air and moving around. If
these signs are present and the specific symptoms of the case indicate
Pulsatilla, it can produce a remarkable amelioration of the condition.

Women who are very irritable during periods which are often late, scanty, and
last a few hours with cramps extending down the thighs may benefit from
Viburnum. They have bearing-down pains before the period and the ovarian region
feels heavy and congested. They may also have spasmodic or membranous
dysmenorrhea with aching in the sacrum and pubic region with a sensation of
feeling faint.

Magnesia phosphorica may be appropriate for sudden, intolerable spasmodic pains
which make the patient cry out. They may lament about their terrible pains and
may be unable to think clearly. The pains begin and end suddenly and tend to be
erratic and cramp-like. They are improved by exposure to heat and by leaning
forward and doubling-up, and are aggravated by exposure to cold. The pains are
predominantly right-sided.

Colocynthis is another remedy with similar symptoms but the pains are
predominantly left-sided.

Another possible remedy is Platina. There is colic, together with a cramping
pain in the left ovarian region, associated with extreme vaginal
hypersensitivity and constipation. Periods are early, heavy and often dark with
clots. The overall mood is one of restless agitation, suspicion and haughty
authority, with underlying anxiety and an inability to relax.

A couple of case examples will illustrate the variety of symptomatology
experienced in cases such as these.

A woman aged 34, had painful periods with pressing down pains in the lower
abdomen as if every thing would pass out from her vagina. She would sit with
her legs crossed which made her feel somewhat more secure and relieved the awful
bearing-down sensation she was experiencing. The pain during menses increased
up to the third day and she could not move from the bed. She was irritable and
depressed because of this and would often lash out verbally at her partner with
little provocation. She also had abdominal distension and pain. Her menstrual
flow was scanty with colicky pain in abdomen for the first few days of her
period. Sepia cured her troubles quickly.

A 17 year old girl always had painful menstruation with backache as soon as it
started. During her period she would pass dark pieces of clotted blood. This
was because the endometrium or mucosa was also inflamed and received a greater
supply of blood but it shed into large or small pieces, or clots, during her
periods. She was quite depressed and gloomy during her periods which alternated
with loquacity. She would talk non-stop about anything and everything at these
times.
She also had cramping, or griping pains in the lower abdomen with inflammation
of the ovaries with neuralgic pains which were worse in her right ovary.
Magnesia phosphorica partially relieved her symptoms, and this was followed by
Cimicifuga which cured of the dysmenorrhoea.

There are many different possible remedies which may be appropriate for any
given case. The ultimate choice is made after considering all the possible
factors, signs and symptoms. A remedy is chosen that is most similar to the
total symptom picture expressed by the woman concerned. It often requires
considerable skill and precision in order to make the appropriate choice and it
is wise to consult an experienced homeopath to assist you.

Homeopathy is a centuries-old system of natural medicine that was extremely
popular in Canada and the United States during the latter part of the 19th and
early 20th century. It was so popular in fact that homeopathic hospitals were
present in major Canadian cities including Toronto and Montreal, and Canada’s
first female physician, Emily Stowe, was a homeopathic doctor.

It declined in popularity, partly due to the advent of the so-called
‘wonder-drugs’ in the 1940s and 1950s, but is now making a distinct comeback as
more and more people are disillusioned with the mechanistic and impersonal
nature of modern medicine. Also the fact that homeopathy has a documented
history of over two hundred years of cured cases to its credit, as well as an
untarnished record of safety and gentleness of action, has provided the impetus
for many to rediscover what this amazing system of natural medicine can
accomplish.

Treating painful periods usually requires professional homeopathic treatment to
improve this condition substantially. It is recommend that you consult with a
well-qualified homeopath if you want to be pain free in your monthly cycle.
Source:info@homeopathycanada.com

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Homeopathy

Homeopathy – The Higher Purposes of our Existence

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When we experience a state of perfect health our bodies do not cry out for help through the expression of symptoms, nor do our thoughts and emotions weigh us down with negativity. Our experience becomes one of pure joy in the perfect pleasure of being. This is the optimal state for us to carry out our life-purpose unhampered by the restraints of ill-health. It is our true inheritance to achieve this state which then allows for spirit to shine through us and guide us on our path. Achieving this state of health and harmony removes many obstacles to the recognition of our true selves, and with this recognition comes a sense of connection to something greater. It gives new meaning to our lives and transforms the routine of daily living into a grand adventure.

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How can homeopathy help us to get in touch with spirit and assist in our personal evolution? Symptoms carry the clues to restoring balance and reconnecting with spirit. Homeopathy asserts that symptoms are actually expressions of the life force attempting to correct the imbalance, which is essentially dynamic in nature. Rather than seeking to oppose these symptoms through suppressive treatment, nature is encouraged in its struggle to overcome the diseased state and the organism is stimulated to increase its reaction by a remedy capable of strengthening the healing response. The increased stimulus allows the life energy to react more powerfully and overcome the disease.
Gently stimulating the life energy in this way tunes up the organism like the living, healthy instrument that it is capable of being. It is a refinement of the life force which then resonates on higher frequencies. These refined
frequencies resonate with and attract impulses from spirit which enhance per sonal awareness and growth.

Homeopathy does not take the place of doing your own inner work. It does, however, prepare the bodily temple by re balancing energies and fine-tuning the organism to such a degree as to render the path to total consciousness free of physical, emotional and mental obstacles.

Homeopathy is the only western medical system that recognizes the existence of the ‘spirit-like life force’ and its true significance in health and disease states. It is known that disease is primarily a dynamic, or energetic disturbance. It is known that symptoms are the organism’s reaction to the disturbance in an attempt to heal itself and restore balance. It is also known that left to its own devices in chronic disease states, the organism is a
somewhat inefficient healer.

Intervention is usually necessary to resolve the  situation. If there is a need for intervention, it should be as safe, gentle  and effective as possible using the least amount of remedial substance to effect a healing response. There is no better, more efficient method than homeopathy to achieve the desired result.

What is homeopathy?
As homeopathic remedies are person specific, and doses are generally small, the Society of Homeopaths said the protesters should not have any reaction to their overdoses, unless somebody had symptoms linked to their remedy.

Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine. It was first proposed by Samual Hahnemann (1755 – 1843), a German physician in 1796. He proposed that patients could be treated with heavily diluted preparations of products which are thought to cause effects similar to their signs and symptoms.

Homeopathic medications are prepared by succession – a form of serial dilution with shaking by forceful striking after each dilution. It is assumed that this process makes the treatment more effective. The whole process is called potentization. Sometimes dilution continues until there is none of the original substance left.

Homeopaths use aspects of the patient’s physical and psychological state, as well as their symptoms when recommending remedies. Repertories (reference books) are consulted and a remedy is selected.

In the vast majority of cases homeopathic remedies are considered as safe. There have been some cases of arsenic toxicity. Although most homeopaths work alongside mainstream medicine, there have been cases where patients have been advised not to take proven treatments for some serious diseases (Malaria Advice Risks Lives, BBC).

Homeopathic treatments are recognized by the National Health Service (NHS), UK, which spends billions each year on it.

Difference between alternative medicine and orthodox medicine:-
There are many interpretations. Put simply, orthodox treatments/medicine has been proven through well organized clinical trials, in which the treatment is compared with either another medication or a placebo (or both). Alternative medicines have not been proven, either because trials found no difference compared to a placebo, or proper trials have not yet been carried out.

Imagine that people claimed that placing a flag at the bottom of the garden helped get rid of flu faster – until proven, this would be an alternative treatment. However, if a proper clinical trial were carried out with a large group of people in several centers, comparing the use of the flag with a placebo, and it was found that the flag was significantly more effective and did not have serious side-effects, the flag treatment would become orthodox medicine as soon as the authorities studied the results of the trials and approved its use.

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*Homeopathy :
*Homeopathy DOA :
*HOMEOPATHY: Placebo or Legit?  :
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Reources:

Toronto School of Homeopathic Medicine

Medicine News Today:Jan.30. 2010

 

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Therapetic treatment

Alternative Methods for Pain Reduction

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Alternative medicine and complementary therapy are no longer terms used solely by the granola-eating crowd. The search for alternatives to conventional medicine, especially within the realm of pain relief, has been gaining momentum. Whatever the reason  from the health-threatening side effects of popular pain medicines like Vioxx , to a desire to use only natural remedies  the chase is on for new therapies to alleviate the pain of chronic illness.

The Facts
According to the American Pain Foundation, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing at a rate of 15% each year, with more than $24 billion spent on therapies outside conventional medicine. In large part because of this growth, the government established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 1991, an organization whose charge is to investigate promising unconventional medical practices.

It’s important to note that while complementary medicine and alternative medicine can often refer to the same types of treatment, they are employed differently. Complementary medicine refers to treatments that are combined with conventional medicine, while alternative medicine replaces conventional medicine.

Chronic pain  pain lasting longer than six month   can be brought on by many conditions, but the major contributors are arthritis, cancer, back pain, migraines, and neurogenic pain (nerve pain). Various CAM therapies have been used to alleviate pain, including acupuncture, magnet therapy, chiropractic therapy, local electrical stimulation, brain stimulation, relaxation therapy, certain herbs, hypnosis, and biofeedback.

Acupuncture
Despite the fact that acupuncture is thousands of years old, only recently has its effectiveness in relieving pain been studied. Acupuncture works on the premise that the body is made up of twelve main meridians, or energy pathways, and that disease develops when there is an internal imbalance of the body’s energy. In acupuncture, hair-thin needles are inserted into the skin at specific areas to increase the flow of energy throughout the body.

In a recent study, researchers led by Jorge Vas from the Pain Treatment Unit in Dos Hermanas, Spain, analyzed the efficacy of acupuncture in treating osteoarthritis. Ninety-seven patients with osteoarthritis of the knee were randomly split into two groups. Half received acupuncture and diclofenac (a prescription NSAID), while the rest received diclofenac and placebo acupuncture. Placebo acupuncture was given by using retractable needles that didn’t puncture the skin. The researchers found that acupuncture, as a complementary therapy, was more effective than just pharmacological treatment in reducing pain and rigidity, as well as improving physical functioning, in osteoarthritis sufferers.

In another, smaller study, Kenneth D. Phillips, PhD and colleagues studied the effect of acupuncture in relieving peripheral neuropathy pain in 21 HIV-infected individuals. Acupuncture was performed on the subjects a total of ten times over five weeks. The needles were inserted according to individual symptoms. The results showed significant reduction in pain, and reduced symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. The researchers concluded that acupuncture can successfully treat the symptoms of pain and neuropathy in HIV-infected individuals, and that further research is warranted.

Magnet Therapy
Magnet therapy can be traced back to the third century A.D. when Greek physicians prescribed magnetized rings to treat arthritis. Theories about how magnets work range far and wide, yet research has not conclusively proven their efficacy. Still, the popularity of magnet therapy persists  in the form of magnetic bracelets, shoe insoles, belts, and bandages, with one survey ranking it second in CAM therapies used by arthritis and fibromyalgia patients.

Scientific research has produced some promising, if not conclusive results. In a study led by Candace S. Brown, PharmD, 32 patients with chronic pelvic pain were given either active or placebo magnets attached to their abdomens. Changes in pain relief and disability were calculated using three pain measurement tools. The patients who received active magnets for four weeks experienced less pain. The researchers point out, however, that the active group was more likely to identify their treatment, affecting the blinding efficacy of the study.

In a study out of Harvard Medical School, researchers enrolled 29 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee to see if magnet therapy could relieve their pain. Subjects received a sleeve equipped with either an active or a placebo magnet initially to be worn for four hours in a hospital setting. Patients were also instructed to wear their sleeves for six hours a day for the next six weeks. In this study, the researchers found improvement in pain among the magnet-wearers at four hours, but the relief was not sustained at weeks one or six.

Chiropractic Therapy
Chiropractic therapy is a hands-on therapy that uses manipulations to the spine to help the body function better. Neck and back pain are the most common reasons for chiropractor visits. While adjustments or manipulations are the major therapies used by chiropractors, other mediums such as heat and ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, magnetic therapy, and exercise may be used to supplement the treatment plan.

As for pain relief, back pain has been the most studied in terms of chiropractic therapy. In a randomized clinical trial conducted by Hurwitz et al, 652 patients with low-back pain received either conventional medical care or chiropractic care. At the end of six months, the researchers found that conventional medical care and chiropractic regimens were comparably effective in reducing pain intensity and disability.

Combining Therapies
Medicine, whether conventional, alternative, or complementary, is not an exact science. As our understanding of CAM therapies grows, so does our ability to employ additional alternatives to treating chronic pain. Perhaps a combination approach based on the individual patient will prove to be the most effective medicine. For now it is always wise to  talk to your physician and decide together what’s best for you.

By:Patricia Griffin Kellicker, BSN

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RESOURCES:

American Pain Foundation
http://www.painfoundation.org

American Pain Society

Ampainsoc – Amplified Performance, Alleviate Injury & Network Socially

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
http://nccam.nih.gov

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