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Pain
Relief Newsletter
October -
2002 |
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a copy to a friend ]
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Arthritis
Docs Embrace Alternative Medicine
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Americans, particularly those suffering from arthritis and chronic pain disorders, are turning to alternative medicine to beat what ails them.
By some estimates, visits to such practitioners may even exceed visits to conventional doctors....
According to new research, many doctors not only are aware of and seem to accept alternative strategies, they even engage in some of these practices themselves.
(READ ARTICLE)
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The
Healing Power of Food
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"Let
your food be your medicine
and let your medicine be your food." -- Hippocrates
provided by Whole
Foods
You are what you
eat. It's a worn-out phrase that recently has achieved new
meaning. Leading scientists are now proving that fruits, vegetables,
beans, and whole grains do, indeed, make us healthy. In fact,
researchers are now predicting that, in the not-too-distant future,
doctors may actually forego synthetically based drugs and instead
prescribe onions in your diet to control cholesterol, chili peppers to
fight emphysema, carrots to prevent cancer, cranberries to ward off
infections and beans to regulate diabetes.
(READ
ARTICLE)
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Bowen
Nearly Eliminates Need For Cortisone
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The Bowen Technique has nearly
eliminated the need for cortisone injections in Dr. Audrey Butko's
medical practice. She reports excellent results with shoulder
impingement, with near full range of motion regained in just one
visit. She also finds that elderly patients with arthritic knees
walk away with less pain. Dr. Butko routinely applies the Bowen
Technique for acute asthma, low back pain and carpal tunnel
syndrome. She considers Bowen to be a blessing because of its
simplicity, results, patient satisfaction and time management due to
the ability to treat several patients simultaneously.
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Aerobics
Can Ease Fibromyalgia
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Aerobic exercise benefits people with muscular pain and joint tenderness,
and appears to be a simple, effective treatment for people with fibromyalgia.
(READ ARTICLE)
Find out how such
simple activities as movement, drinking water and eating fruits and
vegetables can help provide relief from back pain, headaches and joint
pain. Download the FREE BOOK now.
(FREE
BOOK)
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Initiative
Proves Laughter is the Best Medicine
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"Laughter is the
best medicine" is more than a catchy phrase. Clinical studies
over the last 20 years have demonstrated that humor plays an important
role in healing. As a result, hospitals and health care
organizations are initiating a number of humor-related programs.
These range from "laughter channels" - a special in-house
patient television station that features 24-hour programming of
family-based comedy shows and entertainment - to visits by clowns and
other activities."
(READ
ARTICLE)
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Bowen
Therapy Used in Outpatient Program
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The Alternative Integrated
Medicine Program at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital is an outpatient
program that offers Bowen to patients suffering from acute and chronic
pain who have not responded to traditional treatment for back pain,
fibromyalgia, arthritis, MJ and myofascial pain syndrome.
Although skeptical at first, Dr. C. S. Whitman, an orthopedic surgeon,
now regularly refers patients to the program and declares the Bowen
Technique to be his modality of choice for treatment of most
myofascial pain syndrome.
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Women's
Migraine Survival Guide
Book
Review
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The Women's Migraine Survival Guide: The Most Complete, Up-To-Date Resource on the Causes of Your Migraine Pain, and Treatments for Real Relief
by Christina Peterson
There's still no cure, but there are many new treatments for migraines and this guide details the current range of possibilities for relief.
Neurologist Peterson, who specializes in treating headaches and migraines, has herself suffered from them since she was 12; her estimate is that there are 18 million women in this country who have the disorder.
She begins by defining the problem and its associated symptoms (head pain, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, sensitivity to odor and touch, dizziness, inability to concentrate), and goes on to dismiss common myths about migraines.
Probably the most ubiquitous of these: ``Women get more migraines than
men because women are more emotional and easier to upset.''
The fact is that differences in hormones and genes and their effect on brain
biochemicals probably account for the higher incidence in women and, as
Peterson reminds us, the majority of women, no matter how ``emotional,'' don't
suffer the headaches.
Peterson goes on to offer help in finding the right doctor (get someone who
takes the condition seriously) and discovering individual migraine triggers
(they vary from person to person). She discusses ``The Menstrually Associated
Migraine,'' and how to avoid it (``A complete hysterectomy performed solely to
relieve migraines is not currently recommended'' because it may not work), and
looks at how pregnancy and menopause may change migraine patterns.
Peterson also discusses medications and the role of alternative therapies, and
offers general advice for daily concerns (including legal issues around missed
workdays). Comprehensive, up-to-date help with a common problem.
-- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Slipped
Disc: One Man's Story
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His problem began nine years ago when he slipped a disc in his lower back.
His doctor suggested bed rest for one week and then admitted him to the hospital for two weeks of intensive traction treatment.
Although this appeared to repair the slipped disc, he was still in constant pain.
About three years later he slipped a disc again and stayed in bed for two weeks, but with no improvement.
An X-ray of his lower spine showed no apparent reasons for his severe pain.
He endured two more weeks of traction but still needed to take strong pain killers every day.
He was then sent for a scan, which finally revealed a prolapsed disc.
His doctors told him he needed to have an operation and that afterward he
would have to be careful lifting or bending. However, they also said
that he would just have to learn to live with the pain.
Over the next six years, he was in and out of the hospital with a slipped disc.
Each time he was told there was nothing anyone could do. Because of the severe pain he was desperate to try anything.
Some things helped for awhile, but before long he need to take strong pain killers.
Each time he was forced to take off work for three to six months. He
even tried sleeping on the floor so his disc could repair itself. But
even one cough would cause it to slip once again.
It was then that a friend told him about the Bowen Technique. He was very
skeptical. After all, conventional methods hadn't been able to help him, so why should Bowen be any different?
Incredibly, after four weeks of treatment he was back at
work, but he continued to have a Bowen session once a week to ensure the disc
would repair properly. Now with light exercise and drinking lots of water, he is well on the road to full recovery.
Newsletter Archives
September
2002
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