homeopathic resource

Chilblains, could pathology with such a cute name be all that bad? Well, it is only one step away from frost bite, so precautions are necessary. I live in Buffalo where the winters are a delight, but too often we become complacent with winter apparel. So preparation is essential.

As in most illnesses, the best cure is to not allow it to happen in the first place. Dressing appropriately and retiring to the indoors before getting too cold is wise. Another safeguard is to eat a diet high in good quality fat such as butter, whole raw milk, whole cheese and cod liver oil. These foods are vital for the health of those who live in cold regions. Think Scandinavia.

If you get chilblains in spite of safeguards, the most important primary measure is to rub snow on it. This promotes blood to the area that will in turn awaken circulation. After a more rigorous flow is restored, the person should be brought into a warm room and given hot drinks, warm blankets and hot water bottles to conserve warmth and energy.

The next step is to use a tincture made from the berry of the Black Bryony, Tamus communis. It can be applied gently with a clean cloth. If blisters form and break, then soaking a sterile gauze in Calendula tincture and wrapping the area with it will aid in the prevention of infection. In fact Calendula is nearly infallible for addressing superficial infections of any sort.

Next, choose one of the homeopathic remedies to be taken internally. The best way to administer these is to give a dose every hour when the symptoms are quite severe and open up the frequency to every three to five hours with less severity. Give three pills as a dose.

The first remedy to offer is Ferr phos 6x, for the potential inflammation. Three pills should be administered in a cup of hot water and sipped every few minutes. Then repeat throughout the day (as explained above) and perhaps subsequent days, until there is relief. This remedy can be used in tandem with one of the remedies outlined below.

When the skin is inflamed, itches intensely, and is made worse from heat, such as in a hot bed or in front of a fire, think of Pulsatilla 30. A distinguishing factor may also be that the skin has a purplish hue.

If the affliction is of the feet, toes or hands, which are made worse in the cold and comforted by warmth, then give Agaricus 30.

Sometimes, chilblains can become suppurating, and the pain intense, with tenderness at the slightest touch. This is a call for Hepar sulph 30.

And true to “like cures like”, the foundation upon which homeopathy is founded, Rhus tox is potentized and made into a homeopathic remedy from poison ivy. Hence, it’s invaluable for poison ivy -like symptoms. So, in chilblains when the skin is blanketed in blisters that are like poison ivy, Rhus tox will antidote these symptoms and offer relief. Watch out for a dark red inflammation that is made worse when in a cool, damp environment. This is a key note for the use of this remedy.

If you are left with any lingering doubts as to the ability of this powerful medicine, the next time you or a loved one has a case of the chilblains, try these remedies. It may convert you to a homeopathy enthusiast like millions of others throughout the world. Homeopathy is not medicine of side effects, but medicine of rational thought and it comes to the aid of even the most charmingly named illnesses.

Homeopathy

Arm yourself with Arnica. For people who’ve experienced back injuries, Arnica is among the most effective homeopathic medicines, says homeopath Dana Ullman. He suggests using Arnica orally and topically, in pellet and ointment forms, according to the package directions. He may also recommend oral doses of Hypericum, Rhus toxicodendron, or Bryonia, depending on a person’s individual symptoms. To find out which homeopathic medicines will work best for you, consult a homeopath.

Chinese Medicine

Zero in on the source. Practitioners of Chinese medicine attribute back pain to one ofthree causes: overuse; invasion of Wind, Cold, or Damp; or weakness in the Kidney organ network, which governs the bones. For overuse, Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., L.Ac., prescribes strengthening herbs such as astragalus. To expel Wind, Cold, or Damp, he recommends Chinese herbs such as Angelica pubescens, clematis root, gentian root, chaenomeles fruit, and cinnamon twig. To support the Kidneys, he suggests the herbs dry ginger, eucommia, dipsacus, and drynaria.

Let your fingers do the working. So many studies have proved acupuncture to be an effective treatment for lower-back pain that it has won the endorsement of both the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health. Of course, acupuncture must be administered by a professional. If you prefer a self-care approach, try acupressure. Apply steady, penetrating finger pressure to each of the following points for 3 minutes.

Kidney 7, located on your inner leg, two thumb-widths above your anklebone

Bladder 40, located at the back of your knee, in the hollow of your knee crease

Bladder 60, located on the outside of your leg, in the hollow between your anklebone and Achilles tendon

Medical Measures

Only 1 percent of people who have back pain require surgery, Dr. Shiple says. If your doctor recommends surgery, don’t rush into it. Get opinions from several back-care specialists before making your decision. Back surgery is traumatic and requires an extended recovery period. It works best for people who have clear symptoms of nerve damage-primarily numbness, tingling, or weakness on one side of the body. It doesn’t do much for anyone else.

Red Flags

Consult your doctor if you experience persistent pain or pain that becomes more severe over the course of a week or two, despite home care. You may have an underlying health problem that’s making your back hurt.

The following also warrant immediate medical attention.

Back pain that’s accompanied by fever, leg weakness, bladder or bowel problems, abdominal pain, or unexplained weight loss

Back pain that develops after abdominal surgery

Unrelenting back pain that interferes with sleep

You may have heard of “homeopathy” but you are not sure what it is. Simply put, it is a system of medicine that treats a condition with highly diluted natural substances that mimic the symptoms of the condition being treated. This concept seems paradoxical to most.

Homeopathy is a difficult concept to grasp. How do you cure someone of an illness by giving them a tiny concentration of something that can actually cause the disease? One would think that this would simply make the person even more sick.

But, according to proponents of the science, homeopathy not only works, but is much more effective than conventional medicine. They claim that conventional medicine only suppresses the immune system and prolongs the illness.

There are actually quite a few homeopathic products in your local pharmacy. The FDA requires that homeopathic products indicate what kind of product it is somewhere on the packaging. The easiest way to tell what kind of product you are buying is by examining the list of ingredients on the back or the on the side of the packaging.

With homeopathy, all of the ingredients are diluted, so each ingredient in such a product has the letter “X” after it. So, if one of the ingredients is “Zinc 20X”, that means the product contains Zinc that has been diluted 20 times. One of the most popular cold medicines on the market, “Zicam,” is actually a homeopathic remedy that consists of diluted zinc in the form of a nasal gel.

There are homeopathic remedies available for almost every condition. Cold, flu, allergy, even bedwetting; there is a homeopathic remedy available for almost every condition.

Homeopathy is universally recognized as being safe, as the ingredients used are natural substances diluted many times over. Because there is such a small concentration of the ingredients, many opponents of the science, including the drug companies that make conventional medicines and are afraid of the growing popularity of natural medicine, claim that any relief an ill person receives after using a natural product is the result of the placebo effect.

Since the FDA does not require most natural products to undergo clinical testing before being sold to the public, the detractors feel that it does not actually work. So, who is telling the truth? Does homeopathy really work or is it a bunch of nonsense?

In my opinion, it works. There have been several clinical trials done over the years to test the efficacy of homeopathic products. Liddell Laboratories makes a product called Vital HGH. Vital HGH is designed to treat the symptoms of aging and/or a rundown condition.

In a small clinical trial performed years ago, a group of test subjects who were deficient in human growth hormone, ranging in age from 45 years and up, were given the Vital HGH formulation. The results speak for themselves. During the five month clinical trial, the levels of HGH in the blood increased in every test subject, and more than doubled the average level of HGH.

Homeopathy does work. I speak from personal experience. I used such a remedy to deal with the allergy attacks I was having, and the medicine not only stopped the attacks faster than the Claritin I had been taking previously, but it also prevented subsequent allergy attacks.

So, why is there a controversy? Well, there is a public perception that homeopathy is the same thing as holistic healing or faith-based medicine. This is simply not accurate.

Homepathy and natural medicine in general make big drug manufacturers worry that such products might be more effective for treating common illnesses as opposed to the more expensive prescription versions that make the pharmaceutical companies rich. Most natural products are incredibly cheap. A prescribed conventional medicine costs a lot more.

If the public began demanding natural remedies to treat their ailments, drug companies would have to make these kinds of products to stay in business, and then their profits would shrink. Imagine if Pfizer had to stop manufacturing Viagra, which they sell at $20-$30 per pill, and instead make a homeopathic product that would retail for only $20 for a one month supply.

This is why drug companies often spend significant amounts of money to debunk claims that homeopathy works, using a wide variety of misinformation tactics to instill a belief in the public that natural medicine is is not effective for treating common ailments.

I am not saying that you should discontinue the use of conventional medicines. But, next time you go to the pharmacy, take a look at some of the natural brands on the shelf and give them a try. For common ailments that are not life threatening, a homeopathic product is probably a cheaper and more effective alternative.

Homeopathy is a type of alternative medicine that some people really follow. Others find it to be nothing but some hype. With so much conflicting information on the subject though it can be hard to know if you should try it or not. Many individuals have turned to these natural remedies when modern medicine products failed to give them results.

Sometimes it is due to the fact that natural ingredients offer the same benefits but without side effects. For someone that needs to take ongoing medications the side effects can make it hard to go about their daily routine. That isn’t the case with natural remedies. There is also the issue of the cost involved. It can be expensive even with health insurance to pay for prescription medications all the time.

The medical field is strongly against homeopathy because they fear people will self treat various ailments. Since so many health concerns can have similar symptoms it is quite possible for the wrong diagnosis to be found. As a result a person can end up with a more severe medical problem.

Yet many individuals will tell you they have been misdiagnosed at the doctor’s office as well. They have had to try medicine after medicine in an effort to find out what is wrong with them and how to control it. That can be very expensive as well as frustrating. The days where people assumed the doctor knows best though are behind us. More people are taking an active stand when it comes to their health.

It is still a good idea to get regular check ups when you use homeopathy. Your doctor may not agree with your use of it but won’t refuse to see you because of it. Make sure you are very honest about what methods you are using. That way they can help you to get the most benefits for your health concerns.

There have been plenty of studies out there about homeopathy. In some of them the research has shown that a placebo effect takes place. With others the information was inconclusive to determine if the natural remedies worked or not. Many individuals have found results though while others didn’t. That is the same scenario with the products offered by modern medicine though.

You will find that throughout the course of history forms of homeopathy have been used. They are more evident in some cultures than in others. You can see some great concepts among those people such as the Chinese. They often live for a very long time and they don’t suffer from many typical health concerns. It just may be due to the fact that they regularly engage in homeopathy as a form of preventative medicine.

If you have a particular type of illness you should take a look to find out what types of homeopathy may work for you. Since these natural remedies aren’t going to cause you any harm there is no reason why you shouldn’t see if they can offer you benefits. You may be surprised at the results you get. Make sure you carefully research what remedies can be used for your particular needs.

Homeopathy and pediatrics is a combination that many are not accustomed to thinking about explicitly. In fact, homeopathy is regularly used to treat children throughout many parts of the developed world. Although most know very little about homeopathic medicine, following Chinese medicine, homeopathy is the second most prevalent branch of medicine on the planet.

Homeopathy is used to treat diseases in children ranging from semi-serious illnesses to the common cold. Although homeopathy works in a number of ways, its most basic function is to help strengthen and focus a child’s immune system when they are sick based on the symptoms and root cause of the ailment. Once their own immune systems become stronger, they are able to fight off diseases more effectively.

What makes homeopathy particularly suited to pediatrics is that the medicine is often sweet and appealing, and has little to no side effects. The pleasant taste combined with the low incidence of side effects such as nausea or drowsiness, ensures that the child will be more likely to take the medication on a regular basis.

Typical Applications of Homeopathy in Pediatrics

Homeopathic treatment usually falls into two categories; either acute or chronic conditions. Acute conditions refer to a sick child that is suffering from such illnesses as colds, sore throats, or the stomach flu. Chronic conditions refer to ailments such as allergies, asthma or any number of skin diseases.

Whether dealing with acute or chronic conditions in children, homeopathy has proven to be quite effective. In the case of acute conditions, parents often can treat the child at home with homeopathy. However, in the case of chronic conditions, meeting with a well-trained homeopathic professional may be necessary to treat the child.

Over the Counter Products

Parents who choose to treat children with an acute condition at home may consider a home prescription kit with homeopathic remedies in 12c or 30c concentrations. Home prescription kits containing homeopathic remedies can be brought online or at stores and range from $60 to $100 dollars. Many homeopathic products are available as over the counter medicines.

Parents can also purchase manuals and books on homeopathy for under $30.

Homeopathic medicines are free of artificial colors and chemicals and are usually considered safe for infants and children.

Homeopathic medicines come in pills and liquid form. The medicine that is prescribed depends on three things: the type of medicine that is being given, its strength, and the condition of the patient.

Some Other Interesting Facts about Homeopathy

·Homeopathy is based on clinical and experimental data.

·The founding father of homeopathy was Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician, who developed the basic principles of homeopathy in the late 1700s.

·Homeopathy is recognized by medical professionals and government agencies including the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA), and is regulated as medicine.

·Sugar pills are commonly used as a binding agent in homeopathic medicine and as carriers for the medicine.

·Homeopathy uses the principles of dilutions to achieve extremely low concentrations of high potency herbal and other remedies.

·Homeopathic medicine can work fairly fast in acute cases. In chronic cases, the medication works at a slower pace.

·When a person is uses homeopathic treatments they should abstain from certain foods like tea, coffee and alcohol.

·Homeopathic medicines are based on naturally occurring remedies, are usually not patented and are therefore cheaper then other types of conventional medicines.

·Homeopathic medicines usually do not have any side effects.

Homeopathy in England was introduced by Dr. Quinn in the 1830s. Since that time this form of alternative medicine has flourished in England. Homeopathy has steadily grown in England and is funded by the National Healthcare System (NHS) of the UK.

Homeopathy has always had an elite status in UK. It is used by the royal family and other celebrities such as Paul McCartney and Catherine Zeta Jones. This form of alternative medicine has been under attack of late in England. The royal family has used homeopathy for centuries in England. They are big supporters of homeopathy but they will not get involved in the current issue of homeopathy in the NHS.

Current homeopathic hospitals in the United Kingdom face closure due to an orchestrated campaign by leading doctors in the UK saying homeopathy is simply a placebo. They point to many studies showing trials where homeopathic medicine is no better than a placebo. The doctors are telling many doctors not to give out homeopathic referrals. Without enough referrals, homeopathic hospitals will have to close.

Tunbridge homeopathic hospital has already scheduled to close due to lack of funding and referrals. Some other hospitals are also facing cuts by the NHS. They are getting less referrals than in the past. The critics claim that the NHS has limited funds that should not be used on unproven treatments such as homeopathy.

The media and other have pointed to Lancet trials showing homeopathy does not work. However, these homeopathy trials have many issues with research bias and validity. Trails in homeopathic medicine have been a mixed bag. Many homeopathic trials have been unsuccessful. However, there have also been some very well designed homeopathic trials that showed a positive result for homeopathy. BBC has done some experiments with homeopathic dilutions showing no effects between a water dilution and a homeopathic dilution. There has not been in scientific evidence that this type of alternative medicine works. Critics claim homeopathy is not plausible due to the high amount of dilutions being used. Homeopathy dilutions of 24X or 12C contain no measurable substance of the remedy.

The homeopathy users of the homeopathic hospitals seems to be quite satisfied with their treatments. Even with all the lack of funding from the NHS, fewer doctors writing referrals and the bad media press, homeopathy in England still seems to be growing. The public comes in growing numbers to this type of alternative medicine. In 2007, the UK market is estimated to be worth 38 million pounds. In 2012, the market is going to reach 46 million pounds. Learn more about homeopathy from Dr Waqas Yousaf.