On the other hand, you may start reading fitness magazines in order to entice you to start toning those thighs and biceps and have beautiful abs that can be very amusing to the others.

Since the advent of the printing technology, printing has been a crucial factor in progressive development of a person as well as a nation. Through prints, you now have some fitness magazines that do not only offer colorful graphics and superb layout but also helpful and useful tips and advices that people can use.

Fitness magazines are specifically designed to provide people with facts and information to come up with an improved body and a healthier life.

The best thing about most fitness magazines is that they do not “beat around the bush.” Most fitness magazines provide you with straightforward, no hype or shortcuts, just detailed and reliable information and feasible tips about fitness, health, and ideas on how to life a quality life. Fitness magazines only provide relevant pieces of information that matter most to you and your family.

Each article written in fitness magazines are classified according to the topics they possess. The categories may range from basic information about foods to the sports and fitness advices from health and fitness experts.

Consequently, one of the known benefits of having fitness magazine in the market is based on the premise that people need ageless realities bounded by true-to-life testimonials of other people. The articles written in fitness magazines are based on unfussy, systematic approach specifically made to answer timely issues about health and fitness.

These articles are specifically generated to motivate people to cope up and succeed in spite of the many adversities in life.

Best of all, fitness magazines are also great sources of advertisements that focus more on health products such as vitamins and minerals food supplements and other necessary equipments needed to keep your body at its optimum peak of health.

Alternatively, with the advent of information technology, fitness magazines are now available in the Internet. Like its printed replica, electronic forms of fitness magazines likewise provide pertinent information about health and fitness.

The only edge they have with their printed counterparts is that they can be easily accessed anytime, anywhere. You can even download some articles free of charge. There is also a wide array of tips and advices regarding some frequently asked questions of fitness buffs.

Moreover, fitness magazines on the Internet also provide some healthy gourmet recipes that fitness aficionados can use. These recipes do not just offer alternative way to stay fit but also provides sumptuous treat to the palate.

Best of all, virtual fitness magazines offers readily available hyperlinks to web sites that offer fitness products and equipments, and with the convenience of online shopping, you can readily purchase these products with just one click.

Indeed, there could be no better way to acquire the right information and facts about health and fitness like what fitness magazines can provide. It is definitely your one-stop health journal in a snap.

The NBC National News, quoted the Washington Post in March of 2000, about the concerns that the FDA had over the mixing of supplements and conventional medications. There were concerns that millions of people are taking supplements (considered herbs, homeopathic, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and some diet products) and having reactions when they mix these things with common and prescribed medications.

I have studied this phenomenon for over 20 years and do know for a fact that with conventional medications, these reactions are quite common. The AMA is calling for the FDA to reverse their ruling on supplements implemented in 1997.

But is this really the best approach?

Many Universities across the nation have closed their Ethno -botany and Botany labs, disallowing many with the gift in this field to aid in the search for new cures, and to determine which plants will have adverse reactions when combined with other chemicals

A good example is the treatment of Gout.

Medications that are prescribed by traditional medicine are normally Allopurinal or Zyloprim and Colchicine (which, by the way, is a homeopathic remedy from the bulb of the Autumn Crocus) which decreases the reaction that causes uric acid in the blood. Allopurinal and Colchicine can be enhanced by a specialized diet and the elimination of some supplements that can cause an elevation of certain enzymes in the diet. Both of these drugs can also cause serious side effects and toxicity when taken in high doses and/or for a prolonged period of time.

The deficiency of certain nutrients can provoke an attack of gout, people who take antibiotics can increase the risk of an attack and a persons diet can certainly influence not only the severity of an attack, but the frequency of attacks.

There are other reactions that need to be taken into account also, and that is that Allopurinal and Colchicine has a negative effect on the liver after 6 months of use, which will make it harder for those drugs to work effectively. If you also add some supplementation, even a regular multi-vitamin into the system when the liver is already struggling to keep up with the demands of the system, this can cause an adverse reaction to the liver, in part because the liver has to work harder to absorb the micro-nutrients given in the multi-vitamin.

The balance between conventional medicine and alternative medicine is a delicate one. Right now, both schools of thought refuse to work together, and the general public is who suffers.

For some who suffered from allergies when Seldane was prescribed, this was a very concerning issue. When taking Seldane, patients were not told that taking the medication along with certain micro-nutrients could prove to be fatal, and was in a few cases across the United States.

In 1993, the New England Journal of medicine published an article in which researchers estimated that as many as 60 million people had participated in alternative medical care. A follow-up study to that one, which appeared in a 1998 issue of JAMA, estimated that the number of visits to alternative practitioners had increased more than 47 percent between 1990 and 1997 and that expenditures in 1997 for alternative medicine services exceeded 21 billion dollars.

In our small town we had a family practitioner that took care of the community needs. He was a wonderful man that always gave of his time, energy and knowledge freely. A week after he was diagnosed with Gastric Carcinoma, he called me for advice. I asked him why he would call me and ask me for help. He told me that he had watched the patients that he had diagnosed with this same disease die slow, painful and miserable death, even while they were on conventional medications. He said he knew that the traditional medications and protocols didn’t work, he had diagnosed cancers, informed the patients, watched them slowly die and he wanted something else. I treated him for 9 months; the cancer did not advance in that time, it didn’t go away either, but it didn’t advance. I asked him to do both treatments together, traditional and integrative, but he refused. He had a friend that was a Oncologist and this friend finally convinced him to try some clinical trials at a couple of Universities. In order to do that, the family doctor had to come off all other protocols that he had been taking. They waited a few weeks for the nutrients to leave his body, then started him on a protocol called PP6 and Thalidomide. A few days after the first treatment, he told his closest friend, “I’ve killed myself.” Within a few weeks, he was totally incapacitated. He passed away some 5 months later, in severe pain and agony.

It’s not always conventional medicine at fault….A cancer patient in N-stage was being treated by both conventional physician and naturopathic physician. Because the patient had been put on Prednisone he had become edemic. The Naturopath told the patient to come off the drug immediately, and then left town on a business trip. I got a call a few days later, the patients breathing was labored and he had fluid in his lungs. The massage therapist that called explained what had happened. I told her to call the man’s medical physician immediately, the reduction of Prednisone can not be halted that quickly without the patient undergoing repercussions . The patient paid the ultimate price for the bridge between alternative and conventional medicine. There is so much that can be integrated into both schools of thought and treatment. These stories are why the public is turning to other methods for treatment, most do a combination, which, as the previous story illustrates, can be detrimental to health, unless the health care giver has a knowledge of both fields and an understanding of the chemical reactions that can occur.

It is always best to be responsible for your own health and treatment. No health care professional should be given total and complete control over another man’s life. The need for knowledge is a necessity when deciding to integrate different methods of treatment for the health care provider involved, it could mean the difference between the life and death of a patient. The future of Integrated Medicine lies in the publics demand for the combination of traditional, alternative medicine, Bio-technology and Nano-technology. This integration will be needed in order to give patients the best of all fields of study.

D.S. Epperson is the top Formulary for Home Blend Gourmet, (www.sugarblend.com) a Fuctional Foods Company based in the U.S., and South Pacific Health, the Corporate Base for 9 different Company’s associated with Human Health, Enviromental, Agricultural, Veterinarian, Nutraceutical, Topical, Functional Food, Skincare, Sports and Fitness and Botanical Extractions. Her work spans a period of 20 years as a Nutritional Biochemist in protocols for acute and chronic conditions. She has writen reference books on herbs and manufacturing medicines from

Is it possible to maintain good health?

What your body needs to function properly?

Why conventional medicine is becoming more complicated and
costly and in some cases simply ineffective?

A growing number of people are turning to alternative medicine and
natural healing–simple, traditional low-tech methods of preventing
illnesses and solving everyday health problems.

Do you have unanswered questions on….

Why are people flocking to health food stores, with their
lotions and potions, and what keeps them going back for more?

What to do if you or someone in your family falls ill?

Are these therapies really old wives tales or can they really
work?

Even mainstream doctors have begun to recommend natural drugless
therapies’ to treat both everyday complaints and serious illnesses.
Dietary modifications, for instance, has become the weapons of
choice against a number of diseases that would have been treated
mainly with prescription drugs a generation ago.

It is now known that many conditions are caused by the wrong
diet and can be reversed by the right diet.

Heart disease, cancer, weight problems, arthritis, diabetes,
high blood pressure–they can all be treated to some degree
with foods.

Natural therapies found in alternative
medicine are actually much older than Western treatments such
as surgeries and antibiotics. Experts estimate that herbal remedies
and Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, has been around
for 5,000 years.

Many alternative medicine remedies began with scientific research
or clinical impressions reported by physicians working with safe,
natural substances.

But we live in a generation now that has been cut off from this
age-old tradition of self-reliance. Healing and health care
have become almost–the exclusive province of duly licensed
physicians. While doctors and other professionals-are indeed
great to have around, what is not so great is when you cannot
do anything without them.

Shouldn’t we be able to do something to save our health–maybe
even our lives–without a doctor?

What happens when medical help is not so readily available?

What happens when doctoring simply does not work?

Some of us go to doctor after doctor, and still no help. Is
that the end of the line?

While antibiotics have saved millions of lives, they have not
really solved some resurgence of germs that are turning up in
new forms that do not respond to conventional therapies.

There has been a real shift in the way people think about their
health. Rising health care cost is a factor in the recent surge
of interest in alternative medicine.

Many people are attracted to the alternative physicians emphasis
on treating the whole person–body, mind and spirit. Most
importantly some physicians use intensive counseling to help
patients find out whether aspects of their daily lives, such
as job stress, marital problems diet or sleeping habits might
be behind their symptoms.

In this age of managed care and impersonal group practices patients
find this individualized approach of alternative medicine
particularly appealing.

One of the principal goals of natural healing is to break the
cycle of dependency and allow people to be more in control of
their own lives.

Alternative Medicine

About the Author

Ruby Boyd is a website that offers
information on how to achieve health and beauty fitness goals
naturally.

A 2004 government survey concluded that more than one third of adults use some form of alternative medicine and healing. Many of those using alternative therapies do not even discuss them with their traditional healthcare practitioners.

One facet of this burgeoning interest is Herbal Medicine. While it may seem “trendy” to some, Herbal Medicine has been around for thousands of years.

In fact, many of the familiar pharmaceutical medications we use today were originally created from “natural” ingredients. Drugs like opium (from poppies), aspirin

(from willow bark), digitalis (from foxglove) and quinine (from the cinchona tree.)

What is Herbal Medicine?

Herbal Medicine is the use of botanicals (plants) either singularly or in combination to prevent and treat certain ailments and illnesses.

People native to different geographical locations have long used plants and plant extracts to cure specific maladies.

Sometimes referred to as “folk” medicine, it is generally recognized that there are three schools of research one can follow with regard to the history of these treatments.

There is the study of medicines based on Greek, Roman and medieval sources, which is largely used by Western schools of thought, Ayurveda which comes from

India, and the Eastern tradition of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Rather than separation, these different schools of thought provide more commonality than division.

It stands to reason that most ancient peoples used plants that were native to their geographical location, which provides sound reasoning as to why different schools of thought exist.

All three of these modalities at one time included both philosophical and spiritual aspects along with the scientific knowledge that existed within a specific time frame.

In the study that determined one third of Americans used alternative therapies, the same number surveyed showed a dramatic increase in positive results to more than

60% when “prayer” was included in the mix.

Ayurveda, loosely translated to “knowledge of life,” is the ancient Indian system of medicine. Dating back to more than 6,000 years ago, Ayurvedic Medicine practiced not just Herbal Medicine, but some of the earliest surgical procedures as well as inoculation.

Over the years Ayurvedic Medicine became increasingly symptomatic as opposed to treating the root cause of disease, which originally was steeped in strengthening the immune system.

With all our so-called advancements in the medical field, it’s interesting that physicians are still treating “effect” rather than “cause.”

The old adage that, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” could not be more true. This is especially true when it comes to natural remedies.

Nothing in the makeup of a plant tells us in what way it would be used the best. There are over a half million known herbs that could be used as possible remedies.

Chinese Herbalist practitioners have over 2,000 herbs that are readily available in their pharmacies.

Herbal remedies around the globe very in strength from the very mild and gentle remedies that are use even as food, to those that are potential poisons when taken at the wrong dose.

Folk use of herbal remedies is familiar to all of us in some form or another. This is because herbal remedies are learned by being passed down from generation to generation.

Unfortunately this hearsay is what fuels the ire of the scientific community and their disdain.

But by dismissing generations of experience and observation, it is really the traditional scientific community which is losing out on this wisdom.

In recent times, attitudes toward traditional and herbal remedies have changed for the better. Many medical schools now offer studies in complementary medicine alongside traditional medical courses.

It’s only a matter of time before herbal medicine becomes part of a more holistic practice of healthcare.

About the Author

Priya Shah is the editor of The Glutathione Report and Health Naturale. Get a comprehensive report on 47 Easy Herbal RemediesThis article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.

Why PR Can be Effective “Medicine”

When properly applied by business, non-profit and
association managers, public relations “medicine”
does something positive about the behaviors of those
important external audiences of theirs that MOST
affect their operations.

It’s easy-to-swallow “medicine” when it leads managers
to persuade those key outside folks to their way of
thinking, then move them to take actions that allow the
manager’s department, division or subsidiary to succeed.

In other words, effective public relations “medicine” is
applied when PR alters individual perception leading to
changed behaviors among a manager’s target “publics,”
thus helping achieve his or her managerial objectives.

Here’s the underlying essence: people act on their own
perception of the facts before them, which leads to
predictable behaviors about which something can be
done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion
by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action
the very people whose behaviors affect the organization
the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

But managers should always remember that their PR
effort must demand more than special events, brochures
and press releases if they are to come up with the public
relations results they paid for.

Here’s a sampling of what this “medicine” can deliver:
fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures;
capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look
your way; customers starting to make repeat purchases;
membership applications on the rise; community leaders
beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show
room visits; prospects starting to do business with you;
higher employee retention rates, and even politicians and
legislators starting to view you as a key member of the
business, non-profit or association communities.

Luckily, your PR people are already in the perception and
behavior business, so they should be of real use for this
initial opinion monitoring project. But you must be certain
of several things. First, who among your PR team really
understands the blueprint outlined above and shows
commitment to its implementation, starting with key
audience perception monitoring? Second, be certain that
your public relations people really accept why it’s SO
important to know how your most important outside
audiences perceive your operations, products or services.
And third, make sure they believe that perceptions almost
always result in behaviors that can help or hurt your
operation.

Review the bidding with your PR staff. Especially your
game plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by
questioning members of your most important outside
audiences. Questions along these lines: how much do you
know about our organization? Have you had prior contact
with us and were you pleased with the interchange? Are
you familiar with our services or products and employees?
Have you experienced problems with our people or
procedures?

You may wish to use those PR folks of yours in that
monitoring capacity since, as noted, they’re already in
the perception and persuasion business. And further,
because it can run into real money using professional
survey firms to do the opinion gathering work. But,
whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking the
questions, the objective remains the same: identify
untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative
perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Here, you are aiming at creating a PR goal that does
something about the most serious problem areas you
uncovered during your key audience perception
monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous
misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or,
stop that potentially painful rumor cold?

Where you establish a goal, you must establish a
strategy that tells you how to get there. So keep in
mind that there are just three strategic options
available when it comes to doing something about
perception and opinion. Change existing perception,
create perception where there may be none, or
reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like
blue cheese on your corn flakes, so be sure your new
strategy fits well with your new public relations goal.
You wouldn’t want to select “change” when the facts
dictate a strategy of reinforcement.

It’s always a challenge to create an actionable message
that will help persuade any audience to your way of
thinking. Here, you must do so, and it must be a
well-written message target directly at your key
external audience. Identify your strongest writer
because s/he must build some very special, corrective
language. Words that are not merely compelling,
persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they
are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of
view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Now it’s selection time once again, namely, the
communications tactics most likely to carry your
message to the attention of your target audience.
There are scores available. From speeches, facility
tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings,
media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings
and many others. But you must be certain that the
tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like
your audience members.

By the way, you may wish to keep this kind of
message low profile and unveil it before smaller
meetings and presentations rather than using
higher-profile news releases. Reason is, the
credibility of any message is fragile and always at
stake, so how you communicate it is a concern.

You’ll need preliminary progress reports, which
will alert you and your PR team to begin a second
perception monitoring session with members of
your external audience. You’ll want to use many
of the same questions used in the first benchmark
session. But now, you will be on red alert for signs
that the bad news perception is being altered in
your direction.

If things are not moving fast enough for you, you
always have the option of accelerating the effort
by adding more communications tactics as well as
increasing their frequencies.

The value of public relations as effective medicine
for managers becomes clearer when you realize that
the people you deal with behave like everyone else –
they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear
about you and your operation. Which means you really
have little choice but to deal promptly and effectively
with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to
reach and move those key external audiences of yours
to actions you desire.

end

About the author:

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and
association managers about using the fundamental premise of public
relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR,
Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR,
Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi-
cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press
secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree
from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Before you decide to give your dog canine arthritis medicine you should understand what arthritis is and why medication will ease your dog’s symptoms.

Arthritis in dogs is just like in humans, it is when a joint becomes inflamed. It can be very painful, swell and become hard to move. Dogs can have different types of arthritis also. Before just giving your dog any type of medication you find at the store, you should have your veterinarian check your dog for signs of arthritis.

Canine arthritis medicine will not make the arthritis go away. There are no cures for arthritis. In severe cases, surgery can be an alternative. But, many medications will relive the pain and swelling associated with arthritis. After your veterinarian has diagnosed your dog with canine arthritis it would be best to find out what medicines he thinks would be best for the type of arthritis you dog is suffering with.

There are many different types of pain killers and anti inflammatory medications that are great in helping your dog. With these medicines your dog will be able to play again and even enjoy life more.

The main thing to remember is that you do not want your best friend suffering with pain if he doesn’t have to. He will not be happy and can become worse without the medication. The pain from arthritis will have him lying around and then his joints can become stiffer. He needs to exercise and that is very hard to do, if he is in severe pain.

Luckily, its an ailment that can be treated with treatments such as Arthramine which helps repair the damaged tissue.

About the Author: Niall Kennedy http://www.pet-medication-supplies.net Pet Medication Supplies can help you get the best possible protection for your pet. Advantix, Arthramine, Cosequin, Frontline, Heartgard – find the best deals in pet medication for flea and tick control, arthritis and lyme disease. Upto 50% discount everyday on brand names.
Source: www.isnare.com

Pets are many things in many ways but they are not responsible. Not outside of very limited doggy parameters. This means that you are 100% responsible for your pet’s health. In this day of seemingly limitless online medication options, the only way to face this challenge is through education. Freedom of choice is only a benefit when you are familiar with the choices.

The easy availability of medications online has placed extra pressure on society to moderate its own behavior responsibly. It has placed even more pressure on human beings using the Internet to shop for pets that are entirely reliant on them for their wellbeing.

Buying pet medicine online offers a level of consumer freedom that is enough to make one dizzy. In the old days we would take our pet to our local veterinarian who would counsel us on the right way to deal with our pet’s health issues. This was a relief in two obvious ways: we could be guided by an expert and we could shift a little of the weight of responsibility. Today it is possible to go online, diagnose and medicate our own pet.

This is a boon on the one hand, and a very serious danger on the other. With the aid of the Internet we are empowered to act somewhat independently of traditional channels. This is a qualified bonus only if we are almost uncomfortably aware of the fact that we do not have years of veterinary experience behind us. This awareness should hopefully make us doubly cautious as we navigate these unfamiliar waters with our newfound freedom.

The bonus is a qualified one because it should not take the place of veterinary expertise when that is appropriate. The question of how to discern when that is appropriate is the million-dollar question. Websites play experts and they do so with expertise but it is not necessarily the expertise we need.

A favorite tactic is to dot the website with white clad ‘experts’ who profess to a proficiency they don’t have. It is important to note that the figures are often just models paid to pose with an air of authority. We need something more than a show of proficiency when it comes to the lives of our precious pets.

The bottom line is this; nothing can take the place of a visit to the veterinarian when your pet is sick. Attempting to diagnose your pet’s ailment yourself can have devastating consequences. When time is of the essence, wasting it waiting for cost effective, online drugs to be shipped to your door is not only unwise but inhumane.

Buying pet medicine online has a limited application. Within these boundaries it can be both benign and cost effective. This avenue works best with repeat medications like flea, tick, worming and heart medications. If you are considering taking advantage of the online option let your vet know. He or she will have to write out a prescription for you to use when purchasing online. Many services also offer to call the vet directly. Your delivery date will be reliant on prompt communication between the online company and the veterinarian’s office working together to share information.

Purchasing non-prescription drugs for your pet online is also a matter for caution and consideration. Because certain drugs do not require a prescription does not mean that they are not potentially dangerous if administered unwisely. Read instructions carefully. Good websites take their role as educator seriously. Most have extensive information online regarding dosages and side effects.

Avoid or be cautious regarding prices that are way below market on pet medications. Most legitimate companies hover in the same discount region. Outrageous savings are normally only offered by fly by night companies offering questionable product.

About The Author

Burke Jones is a frequent contributor

Revolutionary Medicine – Shockwave Therapy for Chronic Pain Sufferers
by C. Bailey-Lloyd

Article by, ©C. Bailey-Lloyd

Stripped from the scenes from science fiction novels and films, shockwave therapy is a newage alternative to chronic pain sufferers. Utilized not only on humans for over 25 years for urologic and orthopedic conditions, shockwave therapy has even been introduced to veterinary and equine medicine as well. Helping individuals suffering from a range of conditions, including: golf or tennis elbow, stiff shoulders, calcaneal spurs, joint calcification, chronic tendon pain, and many other musculoskeletal disorders; shockwave therapy could possibly be the answer to help and healing.

To learn about Shockwave Therapy, I contacted Ms. LuJean Smith (Public Relations’ Director) of Siemens Medical Solutions. In an informal interview, I asked Ms. Smith a few questions about this revolutionary therapy and how it aids patients with healing:

[C. Bailey-Lloyd]: “Could you please tell me who developed and first began utilizing shockwave therapy?”
[L. Smith]: “German aerospace engineers realized the concept caused pitting or cavitation on aircraft parts. The first use of the technology for health care was for kidney stones in the 1970s.”

(*Through further research, I discovered that 98% of all kidney stones are treated with shockwave therapy, also known as lithotripsy.)

Ms. Smith explained exactly how shockwave therapy works:

“A shockwave is created by an intense change in pressure just as upi experience witht he sonic boom of an aircraft or the force you feel after a bolt of lightening. The shock wave is an acoustic wave with a quick rise in maximum pressure and a frequency spectrum ranging from audible to the far end of the ultrasonic scale.

Extracorpeal Shock waves used in medicine today are created as a result of electromagnetic, piezoelectric, or electro hydraulic generation.

Sonucur utilized an electromagnetic system that consists of an electromagnetic coil and opposing metal membrane. A high current impulse is released through the coil to create a strong magnetic field which causes a current in the opposing metal membrane. This current rapidly accelerates the membrane away from the coil producing an acoustic impulse in the surrounding water.

The acoustic impulse is focused by an acoustic lens to direct the shock wave energy to the target tissue. The acoustic lens controls the focus size and the amount of energy produced at the targeted tissue. The mechanisms for healing are not fully understood…”

Additionally, Ms. Smith expressed valuable insight regarding scientific evaluation supporting shockwave therapy. According to scientific studies, shockwave increases vascularization in treatment regions (based on MRI results). Furthermore, shockwave impact reduces pain from nerves as confirmed through lab test results on isolated nerve cells. And, consistent with Gate-Control theory (Gate-Control therory predicts that massaging a particular area stimulates large diameter nerve fibres; whereby pain relief is achieved.), shockwave eradicated chronic pain memory via over-stimulation.

Siemen’s Sonocur Basic system has an articulating head that is placed directly onto the area of treatment, where adjustments are fine-tuned to the specific therapeutic focus. Once adjusted, preset pulses (shockwaves) are administered at low-energy levels; thus permitting anesthesia-free therapy.

When asked how long treatment lasts, Ms. Smith relayed that treatments generally last 15-30 minutes and is standardly administered over a course of three (3) treatments.

[C. Bailey-Lloyd]: “How long has this treatment been in use and how successful is it?”
[L. Smith]: “The treatments have been used in Europe since the early 1990s. Clinical Treatments in the US started in 2000 with full approval for Sonocur in 2002. Success rates vary due to physician, experience and patient conditions. Studies have shown patients with complete recovery, patients with partial recovery, and patients with little or no recovery. But in general, 65% – 70% of patients the results have been quite favorable.”

[C. Bailey-Lloyd]: “How effective is shockwave therapy as opposed to other conventional treatments?”
[L. Smith]: “Normal treatments for various tendonapathies include steroid injections, physical therapy, various orthopedic support devices and in chronic conditions, even surgery. Study data shows some chronic patients have responded to none of the aforementioned treatments and have shown complete recovery with ESWL treatments. (ESWL therapy is recommended for patients that have a history of at least 6 months pain and unfavorable results with at least 3 of the conventional treatments.)”

[C. Bailey-Lloyd]: “Are there any side effects to this treatment? Please Explain.”
[L. Smith]: “The 2 most common side effects reported were slight nausea during the actual treamtne (approx. 20% of study patients) and soreness or stiffness the next day after the treatment. (Much like one feels the next day after a hard physical workout.)”

Ms. Smith also told me that shockwave therapy is readily used in approximately 175 sites across the Nation alone. Primarily orthopedic, sports medicine and podiatrist physicians provide shockwave therapy services. Additionally, “…shockwave therapy is approved by the FDA in uses for Chronic Plantar fascilitis and medial or lateral epicondylitis.” Globally, “…shockwave therapy is utilized for tendonapathies, knees, shoulders, and treatment of Nonunion fractures.”

In closing, shockwave therapy has been proven to stimulate and accelerate human healing process. While research continues at multiple sites around the country, shockwave therapy is revolutionizing modern medicine and effectively demonstrates how to achieve overall health. To learn more about shockwave therapy, or Sonucur visit Siemens Medical Solutions at www.usa.siemens.com/medicalpressroom or contact Ms. Lujean Smith at lujean.smith@siemens.com

To find a practitioner who utilizes shockwave therapy, feel free to peruse our practitioner directory at holisticjunction.com today.

© 2004 C. Bailey-Lloyd
© 2004 Lady Camelot

C. Bailey-Lloyd (Lady Camelot) currently serves as the Public Relations’ Director for www.holisticjunction.com.
To contact Ms. Bailey-Lloyd, or to gain article reprint permission, email her at ladycamelot@holisticjunction.com

References:

01. Siemens Medical Solutions
www.usa.siemens.com/medicalpressroom
LuJean Smith, Manager, Public Relations

02. Southern California Orthopedic Institute
www.scoi.com/fellows/shock-wave-therapy.htm

03. Wisconsin Equine Clinic Horse Shockwave Therapy
www.wisconsinequineclinic.com/html/shockwave_therapy.htm

04. Gate Control Theory
www.painforum.com/en/1/hcpmjgate.html

[All work by author is copyright protected. If you would like to use this article, please contact the author for permission.]

C. Bailey Lloyd,aka. Lady Camelot a freelance writer, poet and artist, is currently the Public Relations’ Dir. of www.holisticjunction.com

Minus all meningitis thoughts.The flu symptons were strong. Headache,burning fever and sore throat. So what does any natural mother do when their offspring takes ill. They smother him or her with a lot of TLC and would walk to the ends of the earth just to take away the pain and suffering.

Is a mother’s love, medicine?

Despite all those motherly rituals mentioned above. There was no change in my nine year old son’s condition. Meningitis still so distant in my thoughts..The lucozade was poured out in pints to quench his thirst and a saturated flannel to change every minute to wipe his brow. I prayed more times to god than that of any pope for my son to pull out of this other world he had elapsed into.

A mother’s love is more of a cure than any cough medicines pills or tablets, so I thought..

Humming one of his favourite tunes as I held him up close in my arms rocking him back and too.
Not even his favourite videos could pull him out of this alien world that he now belonged to

Was a mother’s love? slowly killing her little boy.

Every mother’s worst nightmare was to befall me with the inevitable happening. Purple like bruises began to appear on his chest followed by the loss of his voice.
With trembling hands I struggled to dial 999. Please god if your up there hear my prayers, let my little boy reach 10..

When the doctor arrived he said he couldnt rule out meningitis. And so my little boy was rushed off in an ambulance at a speed that would have given Nigel Mansell a run for his money.
Thank god for flashing blue sirens.

In silence I prayed for god to give me back my son.

The curtain may well have been a brick wall that separated me and my little boy in the hospital. But he was in good hands I assured myself and that being the hands of god.

It seemed like a life time before that curtain came swishing back to have the doctor in his white coat appear before me.
I gave him lucozade I wiped his brow. I even put on his favourite videos and smothered him with all the love I could possibly give. Where did I go wrong doctor? You did nothing wrong was his reply.

Just to hear those words that there was no cause for alarm and that my little boy was going to pull through, gave me back all the strength that seemed to have drained from my body while waiting for the outcome of this nightmare.

Meningitis symptons had a strong presence the doctor said. It was a virus on the inside trying to break out.
Tears of happiness flowed like that of Niagra falls as I rushed to my little boys side.

Holding him tight kissing and cuddling him like any natural mother would do.

I had unfinished business to attend to and that was to thank the man himself up above for hearing my cry. Now to arrange a ten year olds birthday party.

The doctor approached me and asked if he could say something before I left.

Yes of course doctor?
A mother’s love is great medicine for comforting her children

but when it comes to curing them. please call a doctor.

About the Author

We all do what we think is right, but is it right?. dont leave it to chance. Consult a doctor, and make sure that your child gets the right treatment. Thats what natural mothers do.

Essential oils provide a wonderful natural-medicine alternative to common ailments we see at home. Their actions are broad and diverse, ranging from topical antiseptics and anti-inflammatories to analgesics, digestive system tonics, and anti-depressants. While essential oils should not be a substitute for professional medical care, they can be successfully employed for many minor complaints, and as adjuncts to other therapies.

Here we will have a brief look at ten essential oils considered by some to comprise the ‘basic home care kit’. While by no means exhaustive, this list will go a long way to providing effective (and often pleasant!) treatments for you and your family for things like cuts and scrapes, sunburn, digestive troubles, stress related conditions and more. In the second article, we will cover specific applications and uses of each oil.

Oil #1: Lavender
Lavender has often been called the ‘medicine chest in a bottle’ for its broad range of applications. Every home should keep Lavender on hand, even if no other oil is used, as it is so very effective on burns. It’s anti-inflammatory action is responsible for the beginnings of modern aromatherapy, as Dr. Jean Valnet discovered Lavender’s healing properties after being burned in a laboratory accident. Lavender is considered to speed wound healing and reduce scarring. The oil is also pleasantly calming, and can be used to reduce stress in a variety of situations – a commonly used technique is to apply Lavender oil ‘neat’ (undiluted) to the soles of the feet of patients recovering from almost any ailment.

Oil #2: Tea Tree
When first examined for it’s antiseptic properties, Tea Tree essential oil was found to be 100 times more powerful than carbolic acid – the medical standard at the time. Tea tree has an extremely broad range of antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties that have been confirmed by modern scientific research. Often used topically on small wounds, Tea Tree is also commonly found in oral hygiene preparations, and can also be effectively employed for Candida, athlete’s foot and acne, among other things.

Oil #3: Peppermint
An excellent digestive tonic, Peppermint essential oil can sooth many stomach complaints. For the traveler, it’s effectiveness on calming motion sickness can be of great help. Further, at least eight controlled studies have shown Peppermint oil to be effective in reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a painful condition of the intestines. Beyond it’s support of the digestive system, Peppermint is delightfully stimulating to the mind, brightening and sharpening mental focus. Finally, Peppermint is considered by some to be a more effective insect repellent than citronella when used on the body (rather than in the surrounding air).

Oil #4: Chamomile
Ah, the great tension reliever, Chamomile oil. This extremely gentle essential oil is useful for a wide variety of nervous conditions, and is often indicated for cases of stress in children (including teething and general ‘crankiness’). Rubbing into the solar plexus is a commonly used application if that is where one tends to ‘hold tension’. Chamomile essential oil is available in to varieties, German or Blue Chamomile and Roman Chamomile. The Roman variety is most often used for stress relief, whereas the German variety has the added bonus of being an extremely effective anti-inflammatory.

Oil #5: Eucalyptus
Another essential oil with a broad range of properties, Eucalyptus is most often used for respiratory conditions, being useful in clearing congestion with coughs and colds. However, it’s effects are certainly not limited to the airways – because of it’s broad range of effects, it has been called the aromatherapists ‘designer oil’. Eucalyptus oil can cool the body in Summer (or due to fever – use in a compress), and support the immune system in Winter. Diffusing Eucalyptus oil can kill most staphylococcus bacteria, again being supportive of bronchial infections. It is considered equally effective in cases of cystitis, candida, and sunburn, to name a few, as well as being an insect repellent.

Oil #6: Geranium
Geranium (sometimes known as ‘Geranium Rose’) works wonderfully on both physiological and psychological levels. It’s floral aroma is brightening and uplifting, while also working as a sedative. Malte Hozzel has made this statement regarding this oil: “Geranium’s vital, sensual presence is not subtle, but direct & unavoidable, making it one of the oils of choice for aphrodisiac qualities. (Geranium Essential Oil) inspires natural beauty & enjoyment, uplifts instantly & “tonifies” the mind & intellect in a powerful, nearly demanding attitude. Mobilizing hidden creative & emotional reserves, helping us to rise to our own earthly & spiritual identify. A fiery beauty for the spells of all worlds.” Particularly noted for it’s effect on female physiologic conditions, Geranium oil can be effective for menopausal problems, uterine and breast complaints.

Oil #7: Rosemary
Rosemary essential oil is an effective physical and mental stimulant, whether used in a diffuser or in a morning bath. It’s slightly spicy, rather than floral aroma, has a warming effect particularly useful for arthritic joints and other muscular complaints. It also has a long history of treatment for colds and flu – Rosemary was a component of ‘Four Thieves Vinegar’, which robbers rubbed upon their bodies to prevent infection when up to no good during the plague years of the middle ages. Also, Rosemary is the essential oil most often associated with improving hair growth in cases of Alopecia.

Oil #8: Thyme
Thyme oil is a powerful antiviral, antibiotic, antiseptic and diuretic, though it should be employed with great care. There are many types of Thyme oil available, but only the ‘linalol’ chemotype is appropriate for use with children; all varieties should be diluted prior to topical application. Given the precautions, Thyme can be a first line of defense in cases of flu, being used in a room diffuser. It also supports elimination of toxic wastes from the body (particularly noted for excessive uric acid), and it’s warming quality can eliminate mucous and phlegm. It’s application for the digestive system is that of a powerful anti-parasitic, and for the muscular system, it can be helpful for rheumatic aches and pains. Thyme oil may also be supportive in cases of hair loss.

Oil #9: Lemon
A recent study on test-taking college students showed the diffusion of Lemon oil into a room improved test scores more than any other oil. In addition to it’s mind-brightening qualities, it can also disinfect room air and act as a natural deodorant. Lemon has been noted to support liver function, and is also commonly used to assist in weight loss and cellulite reduction. In blends, lemon adds a pleasant top note, and can create a synergistic effect with other oils. Finally, Lemon oil is commonly used as both a fragrance and flavoring agent.

Oil #10: Clove
The power of Clove essential oil is noted upon the first sensing of the aroma – it is quite strong, sharp and earthy. Clove oil has been found to be the strongest anti-oxidant of any essential oil, and is a component of ‘longevity’ formulas. It is also an extremely potent antibacterial, effective against a broader range of microbes than any other oil except perhaps Oregano – Clove oil has even been employed to sterilize surgical instruments. Clove also has analgesic properties, and can be used to temporarily reduce the pain of toothache. Clove oil (or ground cloves) is also a component of Dr. Huda Clark’s anti-parasite protocol, helping eliminate parasites from one’s digestive system. This is a very powerful oil which should be diluted to 1% or less for topical application.

So, there we have a possible ‘top ten’ essential oils for the home medicine chest, a selection with an extremely broad range of uses for common ailments seen in a family setting. It is important to note that all essential oils are powerful, and they should be treated with caution and respect. Always refer to a trusted source before making specific applications of any oil, as many can be irritating or possibly toxic if used incorrectly.

To help employ these oils in your home, however, we will examine more specific uses of each essential oil in part II of this article. This will assist you in using these wonderful medicines of nature in your daily routine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Misty Rae Cech is a Naturopath and Yoga teacher in Boulder, Colorado.