Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine: Music Therapy

Alternative medicine also known as CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) is really a good alternative for many people who are seeking some relief from their ailments. There are many systems of alternative medicines. Some of the alternative systems of medicines are aroma therapy, music therapy, herbal medicine, acupressure, ayurvedic medicine, homeopathy, chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, dance therapy, hydrotherapy, meditation, hypnosis, naturopathy, unani, yoga, hypnosis etc. to name a few of them. In United states alone it was found in one study by Eisenberg, that approximately $30 billion is spent in the year 1997 in alternative medicines by the Americans.

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Health Benefits of Spa Baths

There are many benefits of spa baths and whirlpool baths. Many of the benefits are health benefits and beauty benefits. Baths have been in use since Roman times as far back as about 500 BC. Romans use hot baths as a form of relaxing, socializing and maintaining well being or maintaining good health. The practice of bath as a form or relaxing, socializing and health benefits are in use till date in some form or other.

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Bath Bombs: an Introduction

Bath bombs or bath fizzie are used for making bath an wonderful experience. The difference between a bath bomb and bath fizzie is that bath bombs are solid form and fizzies are in grain form. Generally bath bombs are of round shape, but these days they are available in various shapes and sizes, various colors and of various scented. They can be rounded like a cricket ball, heart shape or there may be many different designs on the body of the bath bomb. Bath bombs may be of different colors like pink, rose, white, light green and may be in combination of 2 or more colors. Bath bombs are available these days in practically any imaginable color.

Bath bombs are mainly made of sodium bicarbonate (and other soluble carbonates) and citric acid. Other contents like color, scent, aroma are added as required. It usually contain 2 parts of sodium bicarbonate and 1 part of citric acid and enough water to make the powders stick together. Than other ingredients are added as required.

Bath bombs when added to bath water in a bath tub get dissolved partly or completely and effervesces. The bicarbonate which is the main part of a bath bomb comes out as carbon dioxide (which form fizz or bubbles). Because bicarbonate when react with water, it forms carbon dioxide as we see in case of soft drinks like cola. Things like scent, color etc. are added in a bath bomb during making of bath bombs.

Bath bombs are mainly used for luxurious bathing. But bath bombs are also used in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is a form of CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) branch, which uses the aroma of some compounds for the purpose of healing. It gives sense of well being in the presence of aroma. Aromatherapy is a popular form of CAM. Bath bombs can also be used for other therapeutic purpose like by adding essential oils like mint or lavender to calm and energize the bather. Cleansing agents like surfactants and sea salt also can be added for cleansing purpose.

Acne Treatment by Alternative Medicine

Acne is chronic inflammatory condition of pilosebaceous glands of mainly face (acne can occur in other parts of the body like chest and trunk). Main characteristics of acne are comedones, excess production of sebum or seborrhea and papule/pustule. The causative organism of acne is propionobacterium acnes. There is hypercornification of pilosebaceous gland in acne.

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Acai Berry: The Superfood

Acai berry is actually a palm, known as acai palm. It belongs to Euterp genus of palm and grows about 15 to 30 meters tall. Acai berry is a native of central and South America from Belize to Brazil and grows in swamps and floodplains. The species Euterpe oleracea is called Acai Palm; the word ‘acai’ is derived from ‘iwasai’ meaning fruit that expel water. Acai berry fruit has many nutritional ingredients like antioxidant, anti cancer, anti bacterial and antimutagenic (do not cause mutation of cells and can not cause cancer) substances.

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Salvia Divinorum: The Wonder Herb

Medical practice by using herbs (herbal medicine) is as old as human history. Man has been trying to find cure and remedy to their ailments by using herbs since time immemorial. In every civilization there is indigenous form of medicine by using herbs and minerals. And salvia divinorum is traditional medicine used by Mazatec people of Mexico, in southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.

Salvia divinorum, also known as “Diviner’s Sage” or “Sage of the Seers”. Salvia divinorum is a Latin word meaning sage of the seers. The herb belongs to genus ‘sage’ of mint family.

Salvia divinorum is traditionally used by Mazatec people of Mexico as entheogen (enthiogen is a psychoactive substance used in religious context). If taken it gives dissociative effect (psychological effect produced by blocking signals to the conscious mind from other parts of the brain, generally limited to senses). The active ingredient of salvia divinorum is Salvinorin A, which is a potent kappa-opioid receptor agonist (agonist is a drug which binds to a receptor and produce the desired effect, compare antagonist which blocks the agonist). The effects of salvia divinorum include mood improvement, better feeling of insight, a calm mind and an increased sense of connection with nature. The side effect includes occasional dysphoria (restlessness or unpleasant mood).

Salvia divinorum is available in many forms like as chewing gum, as smoke (cigar or cigarette) and as tincture. It is available as salvia 5x, 10X, 20x, 40x etc. Nowadays one can buy salvia divinorum online also. The business of salvia divinorum has seen a steady increase due to internet and its availability online.

The legal status of salvia divinorum is different in many countries. In some countries there is some form of control for salvia divinorum, but in many countries it is not controlled. In the United States salvia divinorum is not controlled under Controlled Substances Act, but some states have passed their own law. But scientific evidence is lacking for control/ban of salvia divinorum.

Alternative Medicine: A Broad Perspective

Alternative medicine is any form of medical practice a patient embraces other than mainstream medicine. My personal view as a practitioner of mainstream medicine is “a patient should seek help from alternative medicine only when there is no acceptable treatment or management in mainstream medicine, to alleviate medical problem”. Help of alternative medicine should be taken for chronic long standing diseases when no solution can be provided by mainstream medicine. In late stage of cancer alternative medicine can at least give some psychological support to the patient and family members. If cause of backache can not be defined than ayurveda and yoga can give better management result than modern western medicine. But one should be always be careful about the side effects of alternative medicines, because many practitioners of alternative medicine claim their system to be free from adverse effects. But in reality there are no systems of medicine which have no adverse effects. The rule is simple; everything has some good and some bad things.

The following are some of the alternative medicine practices:

1. Acupuncture: A traditional Chinese medical practice that involves the insertion of hair thin needles into non anatomical energy channels called meridians. The Acupuncture practitioners have mapped the entire body for inserting needles at different locations for different problems.
2. Alexander Technique: A movement therapy that emphasizes efficient use of muscles to relieve pain, decrease skeletal strain and improve posture.
3. Anthroposopic Medicine: A spiritually based system of medicine that incorporates herbs, homeopathy, diet and a movement called eurhythmy.
4. Aromatherapy: The use of essential plant oils (distilled concentrate) in massage, inhalation and bath.
5. Ayurvedic Medicine: This is major Indian traditional medicine system of thousands of years old. They use pulse and tongue diagnosis. Treatment includes herbs, diet, exercise, oil massage and elimination regimens. They claim to heal the body not only the disease. They claim disease to be due to biological imbalance of the body and they try to correct the imbalance.
6. Bach Flower Remedies: Dilute flower infusions used to treat emotional problems.
7. Biofeedback: The use of machinery to translate physiological process into audio visual signals.
8. Chiropractic: they make adjustments of spinal vertebrae in an effort to affect the neuromuscular functions.
9. Craniosacral Therapy: This is gentle manipulation of spine and cranium.
10. Curanderismo: This is a spiritual healing tradition common in Mexico and Mexican Americans. They use ritual cleansing, herbs and incantations.
11. Dance Therapy: They use dance movements therapeutically to facilitate emotional expression and release.
12. Feldenkrain Body Work: This is highly structured movement sequence which emphasizes proper positioning of the head.
13. Guided Imagery: The use of imagination to invoke specific images to effect (they hope) physiological functions.
14. Homeopathy: developed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in late eighteenth century in reaction to the toxic adverse effects of allopathic approaches. He postulated that substance that because particular side effects in a normal person can be used to treat or prevent such symptoms in an ill person if administered in miniscule amount, this is known as “doctrine of similars”. For example, poison ivy causes an itchy blistering rash. Highly diluted extract of poison ivy is recommended for treatment of chicken pox which has similar symptoms of itchy blistering rash.
15. Hydrotherapy: This use water at various temperatures, aerated or under pressure. Sometime they add salt and other substance to water.
16. Hypnosis: Under hypnosis the subject or the patient becomes more receptive to specific suggestions. It is used mainly in psychiatry patients.
17. Massage: They use specific gliding and kneading strokes and frictions to achieve muscle relaxation.
18. Meditation: It hardly requires an explanation.
19. Music Therapy: This involves listening to soothing music, playing instruments and singing.
20. Naturopathy: A mixture of modalities that includes herbs, acupuncture, homeopathy, diet, exercise and hydrotherapy.
21. Native American Medicine: It is a diverse system including prayer, chant, music, healing ceremonies, counseling, herbs, laying of hands and smudge which is ritual cleansing with smoke from sacred plants.
22. Osteopathy: It is mainly for musculoskeletal system by using manipulative techniques.
23. Reflexology/zone therapy: It is manual stimulation of points of hands and feet to stimulate distant organ.
24. Rolfing: Manual therapy to realign the body by deep tissue manipulation.
25. Shiatsu or Acupressure: It is finger pressure at various points to heal.
26. Siddha: An Indian medical system used by Tamil speaking people of Indian state of Tamilnadu. They use herbs, breathing techniques, incantation and muppu (a tri salt preparation).
27. Tai chi chaun: It is a Chinese dance like exercise called “moving meditation”.
28. Therapeutic Touch: It is healing meditation, a secular version of the laying on hands.
29. Tibetan Medicine: They diagnose by pulse and urine examination. Therapy is by diet, herbs and massage.
30. Traditional Chinese Medicine: They use acupuncture, herbs, massage, exercise, diet and diagnose by pulse and tongue examination.
31. Trager Body Work: Light massage with gentle passive movements to help patient maximize freedom of movements.
32. Unani: An Indian medical system derived from Persian system practiced mainly by Muslims.
33. Yoga: An Indian practice that include posture (asanas), breathing exercise (pranayam), and cleansing practice (kriyas). Yoga requires no more explanation than the above due to its popularity and wide acceptances throughout the world.