get-well-advice

[get-well-advice]

All Reiki than

Reiki is an alternative medicine form of energy healing that originated in Japan throughout the early 20th century. Its basis is that we as humans all have an unseen “life force energy” that flows through our bodies. A Reiki practitioner gently moves their hands above an area on the body that is bothersome with the intention of reducing stress and promoting healing. Most people believe that Reiki is extremely beneficial in relieving anxiety, pain management, and depression. There are only theories behind why Reiki has been successful in helping patients. Many of the theories that see why Reiki is successful are based upon the facts that our body has many different electro waves that run through areas such as the heart and brain. Reiki is believed to be able to alter these waves and suppress electro waves that signal to us pain and stress. I may not be the biggest believer in Reiki therapy, but there is no denying its effectiveness.  

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Off to the Chiropractor

Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine designed to treat issues involving the musculoskeletal system. Many Chiropractors are required to have graduate level degrees and are highly educated even though chiropractic is an alternative medicine. Many interventions that are commonly performed by chiropractors are correcting alignment problems, easing pain and discomfort, and reducing swelling and soreness of the musculoskeletal system. Most often chiropractors work with the lower back, spine and neck of patients. Chiropractic medicine works by use of heat and ice, relaxation techniques, and rehabilitation exercises. Next time you’re having some hip pain go and talk with a chiropractor because your hip might just be out of alignment. 

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Cupping Therapy

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine where therapists place special cups on your skin for a few minutes creating suction. This therapy is performed to help relieve musculoskeletal pain, inflammation, and blood flow concerns. Cupping therapy essentially provides a deep tissue massage, leading to relaxation and better well-being. The cups that are used are most often made of glass, bamboo, or silicone. I’m sure many people have seen images online of famous athletes having what appears to be a bunch of massive hickeys along their back or shoulders. That is a direct result of cupping, and it is a therapy that is starting to become trendy. To initiate cupping a therapist will start a small fire inside of a cup. As the fire goes out, they will put the cup upside down onto the skin. As the air cools down inside of the cup, it creates a vacuum. The skin will begin to rise due to the pressure inside the cup and your blood vessels will expand causing the skin to redden. This is a therapy that I would love to try out sometime just so my back can look like that of an octopus for a couple of weeks.   

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Let's go mudding!

Mud therapy is the act of covering your body in mud, most often people will submerge themselves into a tub full of mud. It’s disgusting, but there are many great benefits in doing so. Mud is packed with minerals, amino acids, and vitamins that help detoxify and support skin health. There are many different types of mud that are used which all have their own specific vitamins and minerals that provide relief in different variations. So, if you have dry skin or want a day of relaxation go and try a mud bath, tell me how it goes.  

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A glass per day keeps the Cardiologist away

Finally, an alternative medicine that I enjoy consuming without even considering that it is good for my health, but more so because it is just so dang tasty. Red wine has long been seen as a substance that provides better overall heart health due to it containing antioxidants which increase levels of (HDL) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol which protects against cholesterol buildup. Without going on too much of a tangent there are two major cholesterols that doctors look at, HDL and LDL. HDL is the good cholesterol while LDL is the bad cholesterol, so a healthy individual wants to have enough HDL to prevent coronary artery disease. It should go without saying that if you are consuming red wine just to better your health, it should be drunk in moderation, especially if you have a family history of alcoholism. Besides helping to prevent coronary artery disease red wine also helps reduce the formation of blood clots and improves the function of blood vessels. Just like with almost everything else that we consume in life, an excess amount of red wine can lead to you developing other harmful conditions. An appropriate amount of red wine to consume is a 5oz glass per day. So let us raise a toast to good health! 

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The kind of needles you don't want to run from.

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting thin needles into the skin which are later activated by specific movements or with electrical stimulation. I know you must think someone must be maniac in order to have this performed on them. I mean I personally debate on running away every time I go to get my annual vaccines, so I can see why someone would be skeptical in getting this performed on them. It is an ancient Chinese practice that has been around for thousands of years so there must be some truth behind it. Initially it was used to help resolve musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain or neck pain. Nowadays it has been used for many other conditions such as headaches, menstrual cramps, and even dental pain after surgery and it has been found to be successful in providing relief for these conditions. These are just a few of the many conditions that can benefit from acupuncture. Unfortunately, acupuncture has been known to have a high price tag attached to it that doesn’t tend to be covered by insurance. And just like many of the other alternative medicines, there can be complications that arise with having this performed, so as always discuss with your doctor first before trying acupuncture. I took the liberty to attach an excellent resource that dives more into acupuncture and the medical conditions that could benefit from it.  

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Feeling Dizzy? Not anymore.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. I know, it is an extremely difficult condition to say fast. Although, it is an extremely common condition that I have seen patients present with to the clinic time and time again. It is most referred to as BPPV, essentially it is a condition where the small crystals of calcium inside your inner ear get loose. Which leads to intermittent vertigo spells especially when turning your head or when tilting your head up and down. If you experience vertigo only when turning your head or tilting your head up or down, this is a pretty good indication that you might possibly be suffering with BPPV. Thankfully this condition is extremely easy to resolve, all you must do is complete an Epley maneuver. To perform an Epley maneuver you sit on a bed, allow your head to hang slightly over the end of the bed, turn your head to the right and lie back quickly. Wait one minute, if you feel dizzy, then the right ear is your affected ear. If no dizziness occurs, sit up. Wait one minute, turn your head to the left and lie back quickly. Wait one minute, if you feel dizzy then your left ear is your affected ear. Complete this maneuver multiple times and you should feel relief within minutes. I would highly suggest that you look up a YouTube video when attempting this maneuver as it can simplify it much more. So next time you have vertigo spells you might just be able to diagnose yourself and save yourself a visit by having to see a doctor. Hope this helps! 

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St John's Wort

Among the many herbal supplements that have been used for thousands of years St John’s wort is one of the most interesting since it is not used to treat musculoskeletal medical concerns. St John’s Wort is mostly used to resolve many behavioral and psychiatric conditions. St John’s Wort is believed to be traced back to ancient Greece where it was used to alleviate insomnia and depression. According to many updated studies it is almost as effective as common antidepressants that are used nowadays. Some possible adverse symptoms to possibly expect if you are consuming St John’s Wort are dizziness, confusion, dry mouth, and light sensitivity. Another important fact about this supplement is that it is known to interact with a lot of medicines such as antidepressants, blood thinners, birth controls, and certain pain medications. So, consult with your provider if you are considering starting this supplement. If you do decide to start this supplement, you can walk into almost any supplement store and find it.

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Going Mad Without Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential nutrient that you must have enough of throughout your life. A balanced magnesium level is important for many processes to function throughout your body properly. Magnesium regulates muscle function, nerve function, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and helps in making proteins, bones, and DNA. Often you will consume most of your magnesium intake by eating green leafy vegetables, nuts or seeds, and from whole grains. Or if you’re like me and you hate any food that is colored green you might consume magnesium supplements. Unsurprisingly according to new data that was released from the National Library of Medicine, “approximately 50% of Americans consume less than the estimated average for magnesium.” Some conditions that can arise from a magnesium deficit are muscle cramps, migraine headaches, and cardiovascular concerns. Now I absolutely must mention that you can overdose on magnesium and if consumed at dosages too high it can be fatal. So please if you start taking magnesium supplements consult with an actual doctor and don’t rely entirely on doctor google for accurate dosages. But hey, next time you start to experience muscle cramps it might not necessarily be due to a potassium deficit it could possibly be due to a magnesium deficit. And maybe next time you get a migraine, think about the possibility of it occurring due to you not eating your leafy green vegetables and getting some lab work done to rule out a magnesium deficit might be in your best interest. 

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Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine is a range of medical therapies that are considered unorthodox by medical professionals. Nonetheless, it is still something that is practiced globally due to positive outcomes. There are many subbranches of alternative medicine such as Homeopathy, Osteopathy, and Herbal Medicine. For many people when alternative medicine is brought up, they might be skeptical when they are offered some magical oil or medicine that can supposedly make them look 30 years younger or make their chronic back pain vanish. Trust me, I would be too. This is not a blog about me trying to sell you some hogwash treatments. And the alternative medicines that I will be talking about have been clinically found to reduce pain or illnesses for whatever reasons. You’ve probably heard of some of these treatments or remedies from your grandparents or have found them on the internet. Whether you have heard of these solutions or not I hope that you are able to take these with you throughout life.