Adam DreamHealer : Self-Empowerment

Leon Wittman tweaked his shoulder in 1994 while attempting to keep his basement from flooding during a thunderstorm by scooping water out of a window well with a bucket.

His left arm began to ache. He realized about a year later that he rarely used it anymore and could no longer comfortably sleep on that side. A physician said the only cure was surgery.

Wittman and his wife Charlene have always shied away from physicians, preferring to “maintain a good attitude, drink lots of water and figure things out on our own,” as he puts it. And so he opted instead to try a pain relief supplement that included acetaminophen, alfalfa, cramp bark and valerian root — which, he says, improved his shoulder within a month. The Shawnee, Kan., man now takes a glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM supplement. Read More….

On Monday, November 2, 2009 the Arizona Daily Star published an article, “Alternative-healing instruction in medical schools is questioned.” Right up front before the article, the following was seen: EDITOR’S NOTE: Ten years and $2.5 billion in research have found no cures from alternative medicine. Yet these mostly unproven treatments are now mainstream and used by more than a third of all Americans. This is one part of an occasional Associated Press series on their use and potential risks.

I was perplexed to say the least, since I have done medical writing and have been involved with some alternative therapy research that was shown to be highly effective.

Then, the next day an article “More insurers are covering alternative healing, at a cost,” with the same editor’s note staring you in the face before you read the article. Read More…

ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2009) — A new study suggests that a growing segment of patients are turning to complementary and alternative medical therapies to help treat the symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

In a paper presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, researchers sought to explore the pattern of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with a prior diagnosis of CRS at a rhinology outpatient clinic in Aberdeen, Scotland.

CRS is defined as a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of the mucosa of the nose and paranasal sinuses of at least 12 weeks duration. The group of CRS disorders annually accounts for as many as 22 million office visits and more than 500,000 emergency department visits in the U.S., according to some estimates.

Questionnaires were provided to 75 patients over a two-month period. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information and whether they had ever used CAM from a list of 49 herbal and non-herbal alternative therapies (such as acupuncture, massage, aloe vera, and cod liver oil). Subjects were also asked why they used CAM, where they learned of CAM, whether they found it efficacious, and whether their general practitioner was aware they were using it.

Sixty-five percent of patients had used CAM. Thirty percent of patients used it for chronic rhinosinusitis. Women were significantly more likely to use CAM than men, according to the statistics. Patients who were employed, married, and had university degrees were also more likely to use CAM. Only 43 percent of CAM users had informed their doctor about the use of the therapy.

Researchers noted that patients were reticent about telling their physician about usage of CAM. Clinicians should enquire as to all the medications being taken by patients, and the dangers of non- compliance with conventional medications should be emphasized to CAM users by their treating physician.

NEW DELHI – Diarrhoea kills nearly 1,000 children below the age of five everyday in India, but washing hands with soap and water can save the lives of at least 400 of these kids, a UN agency said Thursday on the occasion of Global Handwashing Day.

In India, diarrhoea is a major killer with about 1,000 children below 5 years dying every day due to diarrhoea alone. Handwashing with soap can reduce diarrhoeal deaths in children by 40 percent and is one of the most inexpensive ways to prevent diarrhoeal disease, the Unicef said.

The agency said that proper handling and safe storage of water reduces incidences of diarrhoea by nearly half.

Toilet use can reduce presence of diarrhoea causing agents but toilet usage in India is still very low. In 2006, toilet usage in India was 28 percent but this is showing an upward trend because of the government of Indias flagship programme – Total Sanitation Campaign. Nirmal Gram Purashkar has led to more than 18,020 Panchayats being declared free of open defecation,” Unicef said.

Yet, despite its life-saving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practised and is not always easy to promote, the agency added.

The UN agency said every one can make a difference in the Clean hands save lives campaign. Each year, diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections are responsible for the deaths of more than 3.5 million children under the age of five.

The second annual Global Handwashing Day, being celebrated Thursday, puts the spotlight on the importance of washing hands with soap and water as one of the most effective and affordable health interventions.

Intention Heals: Truth is Stranger than Fiction in Dan Brown’s Latest Book

VANCOUVER — Two providers of alternative and complementary health care were awarded a lucrative prize Friday night in Vancouver to recognize non-conventional health services.

The $250,000 Prize for Achievement in Complementary and Alternative Medicine was split by Dr. Badri (Bud) Rickhi of Calgary and Dr. Hal Gunn of Vancouver.

The prize is named for Dr. Roger Hayward Rogers, who began offering alternative medicine in the 1970s and founded the Centre for Integrated Therapy in Vancouver. The prize is designed to raise awareness of complementary and alternative medicine and to recognize its practitioners.

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Alternative medicine has evoked spirited debate on its role within medicine, especially because there are poor health guidelines in the country. Although there are no statistics indicating how many Kenyans resort to alternative medicine, it has definitely gained acceptance in the country. 
World Health Organisation statistics show that 3.5 billion people use traditional medicine globally and in Africa about 85 per cent of the population resorts to this option. But now another concept of alternative medicine is taking root in Kenya. While many associate alternative medicine to herbal treatment, other diverse terms are finding a footing in Kenya such as naturopathy, chiropractice, meditation, yoga, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, and diet-based therapies. Read More…

In the USA, 9 million people suffer from hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is the result of an inactive thyroid gland; one that is under-producing the hormone needed to have a balanced thyroid. Of those people with thyroid problems, 90 percent are women. Hypothyroidism generally begins gradually. A person may begin to feel a little run down and fatigued, weight problems, irritability, memory loss, and muscle cramping are a few of the physical symptoms. People who have hypothyroid also have many mental symptoms such as depression, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and confusion. Read More…