Showing posts with label Alternative Medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alternative Medicine. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Ginger May Ease Post-Chemotherapy Nausea
About 70 percent of people undergoing chemotherapy experience severe stomach upset. But taking ginger supplements could help reduce post-chemotherapy nausea, according to a new study.
Researchers instructed 644 cancer patients to take either a placebo or a ginger supplement three days prior to chemotherapy and three days following their treatment. All patients also took standard anti-vomiting medication. After analyzing the patients' post-chemotherapy nausea levels, the study's authors determined that those taking ginger had at least a 40 percent reduction in nausea.
Ginger may help relieve other stomach troubles, including motion sickness and morning sickness. Shown to deliver considerable anti-inflammatory benefits, the herb might also help quell some forms of chronic pain, as well as menstrual cramps.
Ginkgo Biloba May Ease Chronic Pain
Monday June 22, 2009
Ginkgo biloba extract —long used in traditional Chinese medicine to fight Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, and age-related memory loss—may help ease neuropathic pain, a new study shows. In tests on rats with neuropathic pain, researchers found that pain responses were significantly lower among animals that had been treated with ginkgo. Results revealed that the higher the dose of ginkgo extract, the greater the pain-relieving benefits.
Common among people with diabetes, shingles, and limb injury, neuropathic pain is typically accompanied by tissue damage. Symptoms of this chronic condition include sharp, burning pain and tingling, especially in response to usually harmless stimuli (such as heat and cold). Past research suggests that capsaicin cream (formulated from a chili-pepper extract) may also help alleviate neuropathic pain.
In this chapter we explain how essential oils heal the body. We have divided the chapter into sections dealing with the major systems in the body-circulatory, digestive, respiratory, nervous, glandular, urinary, reproduction, dermal and musculoskeletal-as well as sections on ears and eyes, immunity and children. We suggest how to treat common ailments, things you would normally treat at home without the care of a doctor: the common cold; headache; a bout of indigestion; PMS; simple burns, bites and stings; muscular aches and pains. You may have formerly treated such disorders with over-the-counter drugs. The biochemical complexity of essential oils-most of which cannot be synthetically duplicated-allows them to act on many levels, and gives them multiple powers. You'll achieve not only health dividends, but also savings in your pocketbook.
As herbalists and aromatherapists, the authors of this book are eclectic in our approach to healing, using whatever remedy seems most appropriate. In some cases, we use aromatherapy exclusively; in others, we find that combining aromatherapy with herbs is more effective. To help you integrate the two modalities, we offer "herbal adjuncts," generally to be taken several times a day in teas, tinctures, capsules or tablets.
Because true holistic healing requires individual assessment and formation of a blend specific to each person, we do not give many recipes for specific ailments. We understand that some guidelines are needed, however, so to get you started we have given formula examples for general conditions in each section. Our goal is to give you the tools and confidence you need to develop your own blends as your understanding of working with essential oils increases. Refer to charts and the "Materia Medica" chapter.
Essential oils are extremely concentrated. Most of them are at least 50 times more potent than the herbs from which they are derived. In her book Aromatherapy: The Complete Guide to Plant and Flower Essences for Health and Beauty, Daniele Ryman states that one drop of essential oil often represents the potency of one ounce of plant material. This gives you an idea of their healing potential-and of the potential hazards of using essential oils improperly.
Only about 5 percent of the essential oils produced today are used in aromatherapy, but there are plenty from which to choose. In fact, if you become familiar with only 10 to 15 essential oils, you'll be able to treat many common problems. (It is better to know a few essential oils well than to know a little about many oils.)
Essential oils include muscle relaxants (marjoram and black pepper), digestive tonics (cardamom and mint), circulatory stimulants (rosemary and basil) and hormone precursors (clary sage and fennel). Many repair injured cells (lavender and helichrysum); others help carry away metabolic waste (grapefruit and juniper). In addition, a number of essential oils enhance immunity, working with the body to heal itself. They are capable of stimulating the production of phagocytes (white blood cells that attack invaders), and some (e.g., tea tree and lavender) are antitoxic for insect bites and stings.
About 70 percent of people undergoing chemotherapy experience severe stomach upset. But taking ginger supplements could help reduce post-chemotherapy nausea, according to a new study.
