2011/09/15

Chiropractic Care For Infants

Chiropractic care has created a sensation in the media recently, thanks to the apparent and potential damage it has caused to the spinal cord.

This has created a doubt in people’s minds about whether chiropractic care is even necessary for their delicate infants and young children.
On the other hand, however, chiropractic care can help in correcting subluxation through back pain therapies which is very necessary to maintain a healthy position and have all body functions working fine and healthily.
In colic children, research has shown that chiropractic care can help counter certain diseases and even prevent them at the onset like scoliosis [Help infant colic].
Leading gynecologists say that according to their studies, in a natural birth, the mother exerts pressure up to 60-90 pounds, which can result in a severe effect on subluxation.
This makes it all the more necessary for the newborn’s vertical subluxations to be checked by a chiropractor. This goes a long way in ensuring a healthy life for your child by greatly reducing the chances of the child having nervous disorders in later life.
Although it may seem that a child is seemingly healthy, he may be suffering from traumatic birth syndrome. This is why it is always best to have the child being checked by a chiropractor.
Having a child checked by a chiropractor is a simple and a painless procedure which assures the parent of mental peace and the child a sure fire way to lessen the chances of nervous system problems, because left untreated, problems in the nervous system can, in later life lead to headaches, learning disabilities, and various other problems.
It is the logical connection between the spinal chord’s anatomical structure and its specific relation with physical fitness and well being that provides the basis for the chiropractor’s approach.
Since chiropractors are highly skilled and educated in the understanding of the physiological and the biomechanical functioning of the children, they help a lot in the healthy growth and the natural development of the child, plus in the proper regulation of the homeostasis.
In the early growing stages of bone formation in the child’s body, it is much easier to correct the joint alignment problems. This is because in the early stages, the joints are still soft and that makes it easy to have them adjusted.
Also, a chiropractor’s work is virtually painless, so you do not have to worry about your child crying as happens with a visit to the doctors. Make sure, however, that you check out the chiropractors’ credentials and select those with maximum experience in childcare.
Take care to see that the child enjoys being with the chiropractor rather than having to be forced into it. If a chiropractor is comfortable with the child, then it is better and much easier for the chiropractor to understand and solve the child’s problems.
Do not worry about the child’s whines and frets because since chiropractic care is fun, your child would be giggling and laughing every time his joints are adjusted. 

Chiropractic Care For Infants

Karma Yoga – The Art of Bringing Physical and Spiritual Worlds Together

You may all be familiar with the art of yoga. There are many different forms of yoga that you can practice.
Karma yoga is a type of yoga that brings the physical and spiritual worlds together. If you properly practice the karma yoga you can experience both.
Karma YogaKama means “to do”.
Karma yoga combines the two main philosophies of the world.
This means that it combines the theory of western philosophy, that life should be lived with pleasure with the eastern philosophy that life should lived for knowledge. Through karma yoga both of these theories are combined in the act of karma.
If you learn karma yoga it equals with learning knowledge of the world and living in complete and pure happiness. Practice of karma yoga is exclusively depends on the way you live your life.
In order to progress with your karma growth, it only depends on your lifestyle. You will acquire bad karma if you live your life only for wealth and material possessions. If you live your life for pure happiness and love then you have good karma on your side.
If you do not work on yourself and the life that you are living then karma yoga can not help you. If you are this type of person, it reflects the results and you will observe them by practicing karma yoga.

Benefits of karma yoga:

  • If you practice this form of yoga you will find yourself learning more and more about life as you continue to work at your goals.
  • It always guides you in the right direction without any selfishness as well as towards the right actions you should take in life.
  • By practicing karma yoga, you will learn how to live your life in the form of good karma. You want to ensure that you are living a life of happiness and freedom.
  • Karma yoga combines itself with self meditation. By using both these holistic forms of treatment, you are well on your way to good karma and you will observe a sudden change in your life.
  • It helps to control your actions and ego and also help to use them for good. You required monitoring your selfish desires and living your life for pure happiness and for yourself.
  • If work this everyday it helps in achieving the results that you are so desperately searching for.
Living only for others and thinking about what others expect of you is the way to bad karma and an unhappy life. You need to live for yourself. You won’t be happy by doing what others expect of you or want you to do. Most of you in this world convince yourself that you are happy when you are not. Karma yoga can cure you of this inner happiness.
It includes both meditation and physical exercise. By combining these two forms you are on your way to good karma. Anyone can practice karma yoga. It won’t do ant harm. 

Karma Yoga – The Art of Bringing Physical and Spiritual Worlds Together

Chiropractic Care Could Help with Diabetes

In the United States, Diabetes is one of the top five deadly diseases and is also a worldwide malaise. One of the effective alternative therapies that diabetics could benefit from is chiropractic care.
A study conducted and reported some years back in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research found that chiropractic care, more particularly chiropractic adjustments could help enhance diabetes care.
Chiropractic CareChiropractic care was seen to be beneficial for those who were also receiving guidance regarding exercise and nutrition – glucose levels of blood and urine were seen to become normal and stable.
It was seen that improving spinal alignment and correcting subluxations improved the relationship between the body’s organs and the nervous system.
There is also the fact that diabetes can cause musculoskeletal problems that causes diabeteics to seek out chiropractic help.
Physical pain and discomfort, numbness of the extremities, trouble walking and with body balance, back and neck pain are often reported by seniors with diabetes.
These individuals in particular may benefit from using chiropractic care for their condition.
More recently as well, there have been reports of chiropractic care being used to control diabetes. Patients are advised about diet and good nutrition to help control blood sugar, weight and so that the person can reduce dependence upon prescription medications.
Each person gets a customized treatment that is tailored to their specific requirements and that includes botanical supplements, nutrition advice and an effective plan to build stamina and strength of the body.
The unique part of this program is that an upper body ergometer is used to enhance stamina and aerobic fitness. The idea is to reduce or even eliminate reliance on drugs which can have harmful side effects.
People report to feeling improvement as their numbness of the extremities reduced and mobility improved. People also found conditions such as night blindness and neuropathy of the foot were answered. 

Chiropractic Care Could Help with Diabetes

The Effects Of Chinese Medicine In Your Daily Life!

Searching for a complete medical system?
Chinese medicine is a complete medical system that is used to diagnose, treat, and prevent your illness.
Chinese medicine is commonly referred to as TCM.
It is a system of healing rooted in the beliefs and traditions of oriental medicine.
In Chinese medicine, your body is viewed as a delicate complex of systems that must all be kept in balance for your body to remain healthy.
Chinese medicine uses a wide variety of techniques to maintain the balance. The techniques it uses are meditation, acupuncture, massage, mental and physical discipline such as Tai Chi and yoga, herbal medicine and nutritional therapy.
Chinese medicine is also regarded as an integral part of conventional medicine. Similar to naturopathy, Chinese medicine is a holistic philosophy. It takes all of your body’s systems into account, including mental, physical, emotional, nutritional, and social aspects of your life.
Chinese medicine is mainly based on the balance of opposing elements in the body, and their synchronization both within your body and the environment around it. Yin and yang are the two main forces which combine to form the Qi or vital life force.
According to Chinese medicine, the main causes of diseases arise due to the imbalance of yin and yang that block the proper flow of Qi. The treatment methods which are aimed to restore the balance and unblocking the flow of your body help to restore your health condition.
Chinese medicine is a non-invasive treatment, and your health care provider will attempt to realign your body’s balance using massage, nutrition, acupuncture and manipulation before prescribing medicine or surgery.

Benefits of Chinese medicine:

  • The herbs used in TCM have biological effect on your body, and the massage and physical manipulation techniques work to relieve pain by manipulating the muscles, nerves and tendons.
  • TCM is highly effective on long-term chronic patterns.
  • TCM has the ability to promote and maintain a standard of health which comes from your own ability to regulate and fight off disease factors.

Criticisms of Chinese medicine:

Some of the main criticisms of TCM are:
  • Some of the herbs used in Chinese medicine can be dangerous and they affect your body. For instance, ephendra is one such medicine.
  • The methodologies of TCM are almost untested in western medicine.
  • Sometimes herbs can be contaminated and can be diluted with unsafe ingredients for the use in medical and supplementary treatments. Be sure while purchasing herbal remedies.
  • Most of the philosophy and reasoning behind TCM is based on magical thoughts. For instance, the powder of tiger bone is an energetic supplement because tigers are energetic animals. It is an insufficient basis for western minds to even begin a research.

Chinese medicine uses the knowledge in its ancient organized system. TCM examines various factors that contribute to a condition of disharmony. TCM searches for a permanent solution to the issue, rather than just treating the symptoms. 

The Effects Of Chinese Medicine In Your Daily Life!

Is Chiropractic Treatment for Neck Pain Effective?

Neck pain is a common condition that many people experience at some point in their lives. Women experience more pain when compared to men – i.e. 15% of women and 10% of men. The first thing that most people consider in neck pain is pain medications, but they pose various side effects.
chiropractic treatment for neck painChiropractic treatment for neck pain along with spinal adjustments, spinal manipulations and ultrasound is non-invasive and drug-free therapy.
When you visit a chiropractor, the first thing he wants to know is the duration and intensity of the pain. Sometimes, pain is merely a mild nuisance, but severe pain can lead to serious impairment of your everyday activities.
Usually, mild to moderate pain is short-term result of improper posture or inattention while performing the daily activities, whereas, severe pain is the result of congenital defect such as scoliosis, an injury from a recent accident or progressive age-related deterioration.
Chiropractic treatment for neck pain mainly consists of spinal manipulations and spinal adjustments. This therapy includes chiropractor using his or her hands to treat subluxations. Subluxations occur when one or more vertebra move out of position. This condition creates pressure and irritation near the spinal nerves.
Spinal adjustments and spinal manipulations can fix subluxations, increase circulation, relieve pain in your soft tissues, and stimulate your body’s nervous system. These treatments are not painful. Chiropractic treatment for neck pain is precise and gentle.
Chiropractors use same diagnostic indicators as medical practitioners to differentiate types of neck problems. The usage of indicators and what happens during a cervical adjustment helps to increase knowledge of the indications and restrictions of chiropractic care for neck conditions.
Therapists don’t twist your neck or perform painful maneuvers. Adjustments and manipulations performed by the therapist in a precise or gentle manner.
Also, chiropractors use ultrasound in treating neck pain. It works by helping to increase blood circulation, which again reduces stiffness, swelling, and painful muscle spasms. Ultrasound machine produces sound waves and are released deep into the muscle tissues and they create a gentle therapeutic heat.
If you cannot get any relief with spinal manipulations, spinal adjustments or ultrasound, then your therapist recommends using an ice pack on your neck to further control the inflammation. You can get this cold therapy at your home and it acts as a wonderful supplement to chiropractic treatment for neck pain.
Once you get relief from neck pain with chiropractic treatment, then your therapist can recommend you diet, exercise, or changes in your lifestyle to increase your range of motion, prevent painful relapses and strengthen muscles.

Is Chiropractic Treatment for Neck Pain Effective?


What Are The Different Types Of Massage Therapy And How Do They Work?

You may already have heard friends talking about massage therapy and how wonderful it is.
With fast moving life and the continuous chase to meet deadlines, your tired mind and body be likely to seek for stress relief.

Massaging can help you to get relaxed and unwind.
Massage therapy is one of the most important techniques of complementary and alternative medicine.
You can find different types of massage therapy and each of them can deal with their own philosophy and practice.
Most of the massage therapies can show positive effects on your body. They can help in mood control, relief of stress, pain control, and relaxation. In most of the massage therapies, the unknown factor is some form of “life force” which the therapy frees from blockage.
Massage therapy can be used by early physicians to treat fatigue, chronic illnesses, and injuries and contribute to a higher sense of well-being. It can be done by hand or with an instrument to aid circulation, to stimulate nerves, to relax muscles, or even to move the joints.
Here is a list of different types of massage therapy along with some important or unique features of each.

Aromatherapy massage:

Aromatherapy massage is often used as an addition to conventional medical treatments. Aromatherapy mainly depends on the oils. Depending on the essential oils and specific massage techniques used for massaging can help you in relaxing, soothing, invigorating and energizing.

Ayurvedic massage:

Ayurvedic massage therapy is an ideal remedy for pain. This massage therapy can acts as a real cure in case of arthritis, rheumatism, neurasthenia, high or low blood pressure, sciatica, paralysis, polio and insomnia. In all these cases, your health care provider also prescribes specific medications, changes in daily habits, exercise, etc along with massage therapy.

Chiropractics:

It is the most well-known and accepted therapy among all the alternative therapies. It can be mainly used for the relief of pain, particularly with the conditions related to the spine. Chiropractic massage therapy can also be used for a diverse number of conditions. There is an evidence to support to treat all these conditions.

Reflexology:

This is a smooth, flowing style massage therapy that promotes general relaxation, improves circulation and range of movements, and also relieves muscular tension. Reflexology is mainly based on manipulation of areas of the hands, ears, and feet to effect healing changes in the rest of the body. It uses deep pressure on those points.

Reiki is a Japanese massage therapy that involves elements from many other alternative healing practices. This practice involves transformation of energy from healer to you during massage and manipulation. It is a holistic system that includes for only one element but this is the most well-known element. Reiki maintains the balance of flow of life force and energies in your body, and treat mind, body, and spirit at a time. It helps to lessen the physical pain and emotional stress.

Shiatsu:

It is a Japanese massage therapy. This therapy uses pressure points similar to acupressure massage to balance the flow of energy, stimulates circulation hormonal system and immune system, releases toxins, and promotes healing in the body. This massage therapy helps to reduce blood pressure and muscle stiffness.

Sports massage:

It is different field of massage therapy that is aimed at improving sports performance and preventing injury. It acts as an effective component of any training program.
Other than a treatment method for muscle and back pain, promoting relaxation and healing, some companies are using massage therapy for work-related benefits, and to prevent workplace accidents and injuries through stress relief. 

What Are The Different Types Of Massage Therapy And How Do They Work?

Reiki Healing – A Method Of Spiritual Healing And Self-improvement

ReikiReiki is a Japanese form of healing that is becoming more popular in the today’s world.
Most of the medical practitioners are recommending reiki healing as a parallel system of treatment.
Reiki healing is derived from two Japanese words. One is “rei meansfree passage” and the other is “ki means “vital life force energy” or “universal life energy”.
Reiki healing is defined as a process which contributes to a sense of wholeness and inner peace. It is a method for stress reduction and relaxation and also promotes healing. It is governed by “lying on hands”. Reiki healing is referred to as a holistic, natural, hands-on energy healing system which treats whole person including body, mind and spirit.

Working of reiki healing:

The treatment is started by the healer rubbing their hands together and then places the hands on your body or just above the body but only within the energy field. Reiki healing energy knows everything that is where to go and how to heal. It is based on a lot on trusting the universal energy of life and health and allows healing to take place.
The reiki healing energy will heal whatever part of the body, mind, or spirit needs it the most.
During the healing session, both you and the healer may feel cold, prickly sensation or nothing at all. Reiki will adjust its own intensity depending on your needs and hence the healer will know where and how to move his hands.

Effects of reiki healing:

Reiki healing provides several basic effects including:
  • It provides deep relaxation
  • Wipe outs all energy blockages
  • Helps in detoxification
  • Offers new energy in the form of healing universal life energy
  • Amplifies the vibrational frequency of the body
  • Reiki healing helps in eliminating physical and emotional effects of unrelieved stress
  • It helps in relieving all most all diseases including asthma, allergy, arthritis, back pain, blood pressure, cold, diabetes, gastric ulcer, hepatitis, menstrual problems, migraines, scleroderma, sinusitis, spondylitis, and many other diseases.
  • This from of therapy enhances the healing power of the body and helps in reducing the negative energy which is brought by more conventional medicines such as chemotherapy and AIDS related medication side effects.
  • Releases stress and purifies the body, aura, and chakras. Reiki healing energy changes the frequency body energy and promotes healing on a physical level first followed by the emotional level and finally the spiritual.
Reiki healing differs from the other types of hands on healing. Reiki energy can be transmitted from the healer not only through the actual physical touch but also distance.
Reiki healing can also be used with other types of healing and is especially beneficial immediately after massage.

Reiki Healing – A Method Of Spiritual Healing And Self-improvement

Where Did Graston Come from?

The Graston Technique is a manual therapy used by chiropractors, physical therapists and other health care professionals. It is designed to help break down and release scar tissue in order to facilitate healing. Graston advocates say that it reduces need for anti-inflammatory medication and can relieve chronic conditions thought to be permanent.

Where Did Graston Come from?

Gastron TechniqueThe Graston Technique was developed by David Graston, an athlete who had suffered an injury that had not improved with conventional treatments.
He used his knowledge of machinery to develop a set of tools to assist in manual therapy. The idea of manual treatments like deep-tissue massage are not new of course.
This type of soft tissue work was pioneered by an orthopedic surgeon named Dr. James Cyriax.
The Graston Technique is also sometimes referred to as Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization and Graston Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization.

How Does Graston Technique Work?

Graston has been shown to be beneficial for tendinitis, sprains, back pain, fibromyalgia and adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder. Graston Technique works by:
  • Stretching connective tissue and muscle fibers, while breaking up fibrous tissue;
  • Increasing skin temperature and blood flow in the area, speeding up the healing process;
  • Changingpainful chronic muscle holding patterns created by injury or overuse, and
  • Increasing cellular activity in the area and the histamine response, part of the body’s natural healing process.

What Can I Expect From a Graston Session?

A typical treatment session will begin with several minutes of stretching and warm up exercises. The method itself involves rubbing the affected area with the handheld stainless- steel Graston instruments, following very specific, calculated massage techniques. Each section is massaged for 30 to 60 seconds.
Because this does break up scar tissue, you can expect some level of discomfort or even pain. Following treatments, the practitioner may use heat or ice to help relax the muscles and relieve pain. The average treatment plan is twice a week for 4 to 5 weeks.

How Is Graston Technique Different from Massage?

The patented Graston instruments help relieve tension for the practitioner. They are able to perform treatments easier with assistances from the devices. The devices also allow the practitioner to identify problem areas quickly and effectively. The treatment is then concentrated in those specific areas.

Who Can Provide Graston Treatment?

The Graston Technique and instrumentation may only be used by licensed health care practitioners who have completed the 12 hour Graston training program. Their website includes a list of approved providers. There are a number of similar manual therapies available, including Active Release Technique, physical therapy and neuromuscular electrical stimulation. Make sure you ask for Graston Technique by name.

Is Graston an Approved Method?

Some have referred to this method as FDA approved. However, Graston Technique is not currently listed on the FDA website under approved medical devices. The official Graston website does list a number of clinical studies which show the benefits of using this therapy for a variety of conditions.
As with any complementary and experimental treatment, it is important to consult your medical doctor before trying Graston Technique.

How To Overcome From Common Ailments? Hypnosis Helps You Live A Healthier Lifestyle!


HypnosisThinking about how to deal your problem without any medication?
Hypnosis is such a process that can deal with problems by appealing directly to the inner consciousness.
Hypnosis is an alternative medicine therapy that is often used as an addition or complement to other more conventional therapies.
Hypnosis can help you enlist the power of the subconscious to treat physical problems and in the treatment of various ailments.
The hypnotist helps you to access your inner resources to achieve realistic goals. You may also practice hypnosis at your home. This involves:
  • Relaxation
  • Deepening – to move into a relaxed state, count yourself down
  • Suggestions – repeat positive statements that relate to your future goals
  • Ending – count yourself back to move into a fully alert state

Benefits of hypnosis:

  • It helps you to control anxiety, pain and addictions.
  • The use of relaxation and post-hypnotic suggestions may help you to overcome cravings that interrupt your diet and attempts to live a healthier lifestyle.
  • It helps to control pain and nausea that accompany with chemotherapy and surgery, and control asthma and other involuntary bodily responses.

Evidence for hypnosis:

There is some evidence to support that hypnosis has:
  • You can get relief from stress and tension related headaches.
  • Increased positive self image
  • Greater help to loss your weight.
  • If you have taken chemotherapy or any surgery hypnosis helps to reduce the anxiety that accompany with them.
  • You can show improved performance in sports and career activities.
  • It helps to reduce induced pain in an experimental group.
  • Increase receptivity to positive stimulus
  • Reduce craving for drugs, nicotine, caffeine and food.
  • Helps you in adopting new and healthy behaviors.
  • It helps you to relieve from anxiety and depression.
  • Hypnosis is particularly effective with your children.
Speaking in detail, hypnosis is a way of enhancing your control and teaching how to control your body’s functions and sensations that they thought they couldn’t.

Working of hypnosis:

As you enter into the relaxed state, heart rate, breathing and metabolism all slow down. There is a change in your brain waves. In this state, your mind becomes particularly receptive to suggestions and is somehow able to exert control over normally involuntary processes.
Hypnosis is used to encourage you to remember and then believe events which probably never happened.

Criticisms of hypnosis:

The main criticism about hypnosis is that most of the research on hypnosis as a medical tool is inconclusive. Every patient reacts differently, and it is difficult to measure any consistent approach and make it confirm in every situation.
The recall of past memories while you are in hypnotic state may not be accurate and may cause emotional or psychological distress.
Hypnosis as a therapy and as a medical tool can complement other conventional treatments. Hypnotherapists said that, it is rare for you to completely resistant to hypnosis. Results also vary according your motivation. 

How To Overcome From Common Ailments? Hypnosis Helps You Live A Healthier Lifestyle!

What Is the Health Freedom Movement?

The Health Freedom Movement is not a formal institution or organization, but rather a coming together of individuals and organizations in a kind of loose coalition whose aim is to present people with the freedom to make different choice in terms of the medical treatment that they opt for.
The Health Freedom Movement is seen as a spontaneous reaction against the pharmaceutical industry as well as medical regulators and their perceived hegemony over the health care system.
Objective of the Health Freedom Movement
The National Health Freedom Action website has the catchy phrase Promoting Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness which pretty much encapsulates the ideology of this movement;
which doesn’t seek to exclude conventional medicine but rather shows a preference for alternative and natural therapies.
The objective of this movement is to make available for people, the access to food supplements, vitamins, herbal preparations, minerals and so on that will help to prevent disease from occurring.
The focus should be on prevention of disease rather than a subsequent allaying of symptoms. However the way that the current health care system is poised, people are permitted to become sick and then expensive medical solutions are offered. It is this basic problem that the movement seeks to redress.
There is the argument made by proponents of the health freedom movement that the powerful pharmaceutical lobby has a vested interest in preventing people’s access to better health through nutrition.
It is alleged that many studies that examine the effect of nutrition therapy are so designed that they are bound to fail so that claims made by natural therapists are diminished and do not stand up to scientific scrutiny.
The objective of the movement is to let people have better access to more accurate information about nutritional and preventive therapies.
Activities of the Health Freedom Movement
The movement seeks to improve people’s access to organic food, herbal and nutritional supplements and to reduce the hold that the pharmaceutical industry has over health care, strangulating other options.
Also there is the attempt to remove what amounts of censorship by the government as regards natural healing methods and modalities so that people can make more informed choices.

One of the other of the objectives that the Health Freedom Movement works towards is to let individuals achieve greater privacy and control over the information relating to their health. Proponents of the movement are opposed to the sharing of genetic information about a patient without their consent.
There is also an attempt to curb the mindless and indiscriminate vaccination of children without attempting to weigh possible negative consequences of the vaccine against the possible benefits.
The aim is to make people aware of potential risks and to increase the safety of vaccines as well as all other pharmaceutical formulations.
Some Health freedom movement campaigners also agitate for the legalization of substances such as marijuana. Though this is controversial, it is argued that marijuana does have therapeutic properties and its use should be legalized in the way that it has been in certain European nations.
The campaign for legalization of marijuana states that resources used to prosecute and incarcerate users of this substance can be put to better use to catch more serious criminals.

What Is Animal Assisted Therapy and Its Applications?

We all probably know that having a pet is actually good for health and those who are around animals are less likely to suffer from loneliness and depression and animal assisted therapies are now a growing trend among those who wish to eschew drugs in favor of natural healing.

Animal assisted therapy has its roots in the remarkable ability of a Yorkshire Terrier called Smoky and his contribution to the healing of soldiers during World War II. Smoky was roped in to cheer up the convalescing Corporal William Wynne and the dog did a power of good to other wounded soldiers as well. Smoky continued his work as a therapy dog for the next 12 years.
In the 1970’s an American nurse called Elaine Smith noted the positive impacts that dogs could have on ailing individuals and she proceeded to initiate a dog training program which would help patients by having dogs visit medical institutions.
Later the work of individuals such as Nancy Stanley and others brought animal assisted therapy to the fore and brought within its ambit, other animal such as cats, dolphins, rabbits, therapy birds and even llamas (it has been seen that children may walk twice as far when accompanied by docile and friendly llamas and they are very effective when they form part of therapy for disabled children).
Animal assisted therapy has various different applications; physical, emotional, motivational and educational:
Animal assisted therapy can help on the physical level by helping people improve fine motor skills, wheelchair skills and enhance coordination and balance. There is also some evidence to show that animal therapy can help to lower blood pressure, depression and risk of heart disease and stroke
Animal assisted therapy may also help improve social skills by improving people’s recreational or leisure skills, improving verbal interactions within a group and so on. as anxiety and feelings of loneliness can be reduced with the help of an animal, so can there be an enhancement in self esteem and trust issues
Animal assisted therapy can also have educational impact by helping increase vocabulary and knowledge of concepts

A person’s levels of motivation in terms of interpersonal and professional relationships and group activities can also improve.
A recently conducted study at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ., found that animal assisted therapy reduced patient anxiety when they were to undergo MRI procedures. Researchers found that time spent with dogs could help reduce anxiety as effectively as pharmacologic anxiolysis (anti-anxiety medication)

Natural Remedies for Constipation

Constipation is defined as slow, irregular or infrequent bowel movements. It is a common problem in our modern society which subsists mainly on a diet of denatured, refined, processed and deep-fat fried foods.
Your doctor may recommend conventional treatments such as fiber supplements and over-the-counter laxatives. However, many natural remedies for constipation are considered safe, and are just as effective.

Constipation Diet
Improving your diet is your first line of defense when it comes to digestive problems. Most gastrointestinal disorders are caused by poor dietary habits. Begin by avoiding processed foods such as chips, cookies, cakes, candy or other confectioneries.
Refined flours tend to “gum” up in the digestive tract and are difficult to pass. Instead, consume mostly whole grains such as whole wheat bread, oatmeal and brown rice. Whole grains are not only rich in nutrients, but also high in fiber.
Fiber provides bulk in the intestine and generally helps move waste along in the system.
In addition to whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables are also high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. The US Department of Agriculture recommends that adults consume at least 2 cups of fruit and 2½ to 3 cups of fresh vegetables each day.
Unfortunately, this is much less than the average American consumes.
One cup of fruit is roughly equal to the amount found in a medium sized apple, or a handful of grapes or berries.

Likewise, a serving of vegetables would amount to one cup of broccoli, a large handful of carrots and a small garden salad. Other high fiber foods that are good to include in the diet are legumes or dried beans, nuts and seeds.
Water in Constipation
Water is essential to all life functions. Our blood is 50 percent water. It helps transport nutrients throughout the body. It is necessary to maintain body temperature. It is also used in excretion and elimination.
If you do not drink enough water each day, you will become dehydrated, your organs will not be able to function properly, and, of course, you may develop poor digestion and elimination. Without enough water in the diet, over time, these problems can become chronic.
Experts recommend that adults consume at least 8 cups of water per day. However, if you are constipated, you may want to consume a little extra water to help rehydrate the body and flush out the digestive and excretory systems.

A good rule of thumb to remember is to take in about half your body weight in ounces of water each day. For example, a 160 pound man would need about 80 ounces of water. Make sure you know how much water you need.

Herbs for Constipation
Herbs are a time-honored approach to treating many health-related conditions. Some herbs are naturally cleansing and can help purge the digestive system.Cascara sagrada, which means “sacred bark”, is an herbal remedy used specifically for constipation.
It gently stimulates the digestive system, and is even considered safe for long term use.
Slippery elm is another gentle herb that is soothing to the digestive tract. It is emollient, meaning it soothes mucous membranes. Herbalists use slippery elm to treat colitis and constipation in children.
Avoid cathartic herbs such as senna, buckthorn and rhubard. While they do provide immediate relief, they have harsh side effects such as gas, cramping and possibly excessive weight loss.
And, like over-the-counter laxatives, herbal cathartics may become habit forming, and over time can actually worsen the symptoms.
Another herb which is somewhat controversial, but is nonetheless effective in treating occasional constipation is aloe vera juice. It is generally considered safe if taken for short periods of time. Check with your healthcare provider before trying herbal remedies, especially if you are currently taking any prescription medication.

Considerations
If your constipation continues for more than a few weeks, or does not respond to natural treatments, you may have a more serious medical condition.
Check with your healthcare practitioner if symptoms persist. Stress can also contribute to sluggish digestion. Consider ways to manage your stress, such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises or hypnosis. Remember to always check with your doctor before making any major changes to your diet or lifestyle.
Natural therapies such as yoga or herbal supplements are meant to complement, and not replace traditional medical care.
References
1. USDA – Food Groups (http://www.mypyramid.gov)
2. Mayo Clinic – Water, How Much Should You Drink Every Day? (http://www.mayoclinic.com)
3. Clayton College of Natural Health – Herb Reference Guide (http://www.ccnh.edu)
4. Ray Sahelian, MD – Weight Loss Herbs (http://www.raysahelian.com)


Natural Remedies for Constipation