Conventional therapy is often substituted with alternative heath therapy. There is a move today to expertly bring together both the conventional as well as the alternative streams of healing techniques in integrated therapies. Certain services are lacking in conventional medicine which is catered for by alternative therapy. There are a whole lot of alternative therapies that are available so you will need to look around and see what you are most comfortable with. All of these therapies are being used instead of the conventional means of medical treatment in relationship to a belief that they are going to be able to have a curative effect on the disease.

You can gain a sense of control over your health through alternative health therapies that improves general quality of life by making you feel better about yourself. Reducing stress, tension, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and making you feel more relaxed. Alternative health therapies can help you to reduce all of the symptoms that are associated with cancer, like feeling sick, pain, constipation, breathlessness, tiredness, diarrhea, and poor appetite along with moderating all of the side effects that are associated with the traditional treatment for cancer.

Often used together with conventional medicine, alternative therapy can tend to mask pain which may hide the actual very serious underlying problem. Some cancer support groups for example, offer these therapies for free or make a small charge and some hospitals and hospices provide as part of cancer care, alongside conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Many people with cancer now use these therapies to help support themselves through cancer and its treatment. It is important that the patient is aware that these treatments are not alternative medicine to orthodox medicine but are complementary therapies that provide emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing.

More than billion is spent by the Americans annually on vitamins and herbs which are alternative health products. Recent studies by Tindle, Davis, Phillips, & Eisenberg, in 2005, showed that approximately 72 million adults in the United States use complementary and alternative therapies. Also indicated from these studies is a figure of more than billion per year spent on out-of-pocket for these therapies according to Herman, Craig, & Caspi, 2005.

Nonetheless, it is still extremely important that you learn which of the alternative health therapies are going to offer the treatments that are most effective for your needs, and you are going to have discover which of these treatments you are comfortable with. Individual therapies have been proven to improve the quality of life for many people with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), these can include: acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, massage, meditation, reiki and reflexology. Check with your doctor before you start on any alternative therapy and ensure that whatever treatment you are considering does not adversely affect your ongoing treatment.

You should certainly consider discussing with your physician or the health teams before you decide to integrate any of the alternative therapies with your existing list of treatment programs. When considering this option, ask your doctor if there are treatments available at your hospital or clinic, or even through your physician's practice. Your doctor will be pleased to refer you to the therapies that will help you. Doctors today are certain that alternative health therapies help patients a great deal. For many people these days, alternative therapies help to cope up with stress and anxiety and making them react to conventional medicines in a better manner.

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Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese healing technique and acupressure have a great deal in common. This is a method in which fine needles are placed in the skin at particular points - these points are called meridians and carry energy. When a person experiences sickness or injury the chi gets blocked and positive energy stops flowing. The exterior surface of the human body has 365 acupuncture points across 14 main meridians.

The blockage is freed when acupressure or special needles are applied at specific points on the meridian where the 'chi' is trapped. This can be compared to a river blocked with debris; removing the blocking debris allows the river to freely flow without obstruction. Acupuncture is also very effective in cases where either the chi flows too slowly or may flow too fast; it controls and maintains the speed of the flow of positive energy.

The needles were found in the late Shang Dynasty archeological digs and it can be seen that for at least 4000 years China has been practicing this type of medicine. There are three types and they are; Five Elements, Traditional Yin / Yang Theory and Western (or medical Acupuncture). Each of these three types uses diagnostic methods that are very similar and the exact same points system - however, they all take a completely different approach to illness's underlying causes and their treatment.

Chinese medicine believes that any form of physical illness is the outcome of stress and anxiety; the five element acupuncture also follows the same belief - the physical well being of a person is dependent on his psychological well being. Based on this, it believes that physical cure can be achieved only by removing the mental stress first. Although five elements method may help curing a person completely from his physical aliments it is a slow and gradual process because it begins by treating the fundamental causes of the ailment. The overall balance of Yin and Yang in the human body is what the Traditional Yin/Yang theory focuses on. All of the acupuncture points can be stimulated along pathways that are completely different in order to affect more than just a single element simultaneously.

Western acupuncture combines Eastern and Western medical techniques and its focus is more on urgent short term treatment. There are two sub-categories of the medical aspect, the first, anesthetic acupuncture, is used in surgical and dental procedures. The second: 'symptomatic' or first-aid isn't used for the diagnosis of the illness but merely to assist with temporary analgesic pain relief. Medical researches and studies have revealed that this ancient therapy has been very successful in the treatment of migraines, depression, asthma, gynecological disorders, allergies, infertility, and arthritis. The treatment works best where the illness does not respond to regular medication, is a persistent one or it is lifestyle related.

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We all experience pain for a reason but on many occasions it is a warning for us to discontinue something we are doing. It can be caused by anything from a dental cavity to a broken bone to a disease but once we determine where the pain is coming from, we can diagnose and address the health problem, thus relieving the pain. The real problem occurs when the pain will not go away despite out best efforts to treat the cause of it.

People who suffer with back injuries, arthritis or migraines for instance are said to be suffering with ?chronic pain?; which doesn?t go away. Untold millions of people suffer from chronic pain and despite medicines best efforts there is no way currently to eliminate or prevent the cause of it. It is also true that quite often the root cause of the pain is actually treated but faulty nerve connections believe the condition still exists and create pain signals which eventually become the condition and not the result of it.

Natural pain relief treatments are becoming more popular as many people have decided that prescription medication taken over prolonged periods is not only harmful through adverse side effects, but to maintain the effectiveness of the drugs, increase dosages must be consumed. One such natural pain relief method is the use of acupuncture, a treatment that has origins many thousands of years old. Using tiny needles inserted into the body at specific locations, acupuncture is a well recognized traditional Chinese Medicine.

Anyone that has used acupuncture will say how effective it is and those that use it are generally suffering from chronic pain like that caused by arthritis, back pain and migraines for example. Other alternative therapies are used to provide natural pain relief like herbal remedies which can also make claim to being side effect free. One example is vitamin E which is a natural pain relief treatment for people suffering with painful scarring.

The downside of herbal treatments used is they often take longer to achieve noticeable results; the upside is that you aren?t introducing man-made foreign compounds into your body, and run less risk of side effects or damaging your overall health. The best way to avoid the need for any type of natural pain relief is to look after your health and avoid substances that create problems like processed foods, foods with high salt and fat content, and eat more fruit and vegetables. Also Sleep is essential to good health just as much as regular exercise is, even if it is only walking every day and using stairs rather than the elevator.

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Skin conditions that cause inflammation and rashes are usually referred to as Eczema. When this condition is present then the person suffering with it may have anything from just redness to flaking and sometimes bleeding can be obvious indications. The first course of action is to stop the person from scratching and making the skin worse so an Eczema treatment using anti-itching drugs is used. Moisturizing creams and lotions are used to help ensure the dry skin.

Any Eczema patient will tell you how important it is to keep the skin moisturized and to cease using any product that has the opposite effect. Emollients or moistening agents can be applied and can vary in thickness depending on the condition of the skin they are to be used on. Some emollients such as aqueous cream can only be used on skin that isn't very dry or flaky. Hydrocortisone and Desonide corticosteroids are two creams or ointments that have a good success rate at controlling moderate or lower cases of Eczema but cannot offer a long term treatment.

However, corticosteroids must be used sparingly to avoid possible side effects, the most common of which is when after prolonged use can cause the skin to thin and become fragile or atrophy. An allergic reaction to certain food stuffs or dietary habits may be a contributing factor to the cause and treatment of Eczema and dermatitis. This could be the breakthrough many Eczema victims have been waiting for once they have identified which foods are causing the flare-ups. Although it does depend on the person afflicted, the foods that can cause Eczema are: coffee, nuts, eggs, dairy products, wheat and Soya.

Of course both alternative medicine and Chinese Traditional Medicine also have Eczema treatments. However, if you use any of these methods you will need to inform your doctor. These therapies also have a wide range of treatments available but will vary in effectiveness depending on the patient. Eczema can mean that the problem areas of skin allow bacteria to infect the system; so antibiotics are used to help alleviate this problem as well as cure the condition.

To make matters worse, the Eczema sufferer can cause this problem themselves by constant scratching. For skin that is already sensitive, this is not a good thing as any further infection will just cause more problems unless a course of antibiotics is given. Although it has mixed results, Ultraviolet light in the UVA spectrum is having a positive effect with treating the eczema of certain individuals. Although it may bring relief to some people, prolonged use of ultraviolet light brings risks in the form of skin cancer. While this is not a complete list or eczema treatments, it does give a reasonably good idea as to the range of therapies used.

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For many people who suffer with depression, it is often the case that they do this in silence but there are many professionals out there, ready and willing to assist. In addition to depression medications, a variety of treatments are also available that can ease this debilitating mental illness. Depression should no longer be the seemingly permanent problem it once was but as with many medical conditions, an early diagnosis is preferably; unfortunately the cost can still be high. Two main depression treatments stand out from the rest and are now used in many cases of depression providing an insight to the sufferer of the condition they have and they are interpersonal and cognitive behavioral therapy.

In a short space of time, sometimes as little as twenty weeks, the patient can start to see enormous positive progress in beating their condition. Before anything else is done it is necessary to have tests run by a specialist in depression so that it is made clear exactly the type of treatment is required. Being prescribed the most suitable therapy and depression medication is necessary owing the different types of depression and the various ways to deal with them. There is actually a surprisingly wide variety of medications available to help treat those who are suffering from depressive disorders.

The tricyclics are not as popular as the newer serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or the monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The reason the tricyclics are no longer used as widely as they cause more side-effects than the others. Sometimes it is necessary to take a combination of drugs as this is the most effective method of controlling the problem. In these circumstances it may be necessary for the doctor to prescribe two or more drugs to help an individual patient.

In addition to this, the dosages can actually be increased or lowered depending on what the doctor finds to be the most effective. It is important that the patient does not try experimenting with their depression medication as it could have disastrous results and should be left to the doctor involved. Anti-anxiety or sedatives however, should never be mistaken as a form of medication. Even though these anti-anxiety drugs are often prescribed, they don't actually help cure someone's depression illness.

The reason for using these depression medication drugs is merely to calm the nerves of depressed patients not to help cure the depression itself. The tricyclic drugs cause some common side-effects which are not generally seen to the same degree with other types of medication. Although the side effects can actually cause the sufferer to lose their ability to function in normal life, unless this happens, many users are happy to put up with the side-effects. A doctor would always recommend that the patient contact them immediately a situation like this occurs so another drug can be given that does not cause any side-effects.

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Your body does so much for you and that is why so many people are returning the favor so that their body keeps giving them that boost in life. By using natural health techniques that have almost been lost over time it is possible to improve our overall health and efficiency by using natural products which do not upset our body's equilibrium. Natural health is also about being pro-active in your life and not waiting for bad things to happen but living a life that prevents illness in the first place.

This is more than just a gimmick but something that should be considered a way of life and a way of living that is healthy and promotes this without for one minute believing there is something strange in wishing to be healthy. Wanting to look after your body does not mean you should be institutionalized even though it does seem to be an alien concept these days. Everything is considered when planning to improve your health with natural methods; things like your work and living environment, social structure and even physical location.

The best place to learn more about natural methods of staying healthy it is best to carry out some research whether on the internet where you will find many websites or to invest in a book. If you are looking for a short term fix with this you will, be disappointed because natural health doesn't work that way so prepare yourself for a little effort. One area is with the amount of fast food we stuff into our bodies with no thought about how it's affecting us.

For those of you that this scenario relates to then either start eating better or start looking into what supplements you need to start taking to make up the deficiency your current diet is causing. When you realize just how you are treating your body you will begin to understand that a whole lot of options are open to you. They say knowledge is power and in this instance the knowledge will give you the power to change your life for the better.

This is a philosophy as much as anything else and this might be the hardest issue for you to grasp. A healthy person will have more energy, stamina and a zest for life that is almost infectious, something we should all aspire too. Ultimately, if you are truly dedicated, you will succeed because the best part is that once you start living better, you start feeling better; and that is crucial in dealing with everyday stresses and depressions.

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Im 15, about 5'7, and need to lose weight by tuesday. Im asking someone out and I would like to look my best when I do so.
How many calories should I eat daily to acheive rapid weight loss?
(Im not a girl)

Do calories matter or do you simply need to eat certain foods and that will guarantee you’ll lose weight? Should you count calories or can you just count “portions?” Is it necessary to keep a food diary? Is it unrealistic to count calories for the rest of your life or is that just part of the price you pay for a better body? You’re about to learn the answers to these questions and discover a simple solution for keeping track of your food intake without having to crunch numbers every day or become a fanatic about it.

In many popular diet books, “Calories don’t count” is a frequently repeated theme. Other popular programs, such as Bill Phillip's "Body For Life," stress the importance of energy intake versus energy output, but recommend that you count “portions” rather than calories…

Phillips wrote,

"There aren't many people who can keep track of their calorie intake for an extended period of time. As an alternative, I recommend counting 'portions.' A portion of food is roughly equal to the size of your clenched fist or the palm of your hand. Each portion of protein or carbohydrate typically contains between 100 and 150 calories. For example, one chicken breast is approximately one portion of protein, and one medium-sized baked potato is approximately one portion of carbohydrate."

Phillips makes a good point that trying to count every single calorie - in the literal sense - can drive you crazy and is probably not realistic as a lifestyle for the long term. It's one thing to count portions instead of calories – that is at least acknowledging the importance of portion control. However, it's another altogether to deny that calories matter.

Calories do count! Any diet program that tells you, "calories don't count" or you can "eat all you want and still lose weight" is a diet you should avoid because you are being lied to. The truth is, that line is a bunch of baloney designed to make a diet sound easier to follow.

Anything that sounds like work – such as counting calories, eating less or exercising, tends to scare away potential customers! The law of calorie balance is an unbreakable law of physics: Energy in versus energy out dictates whether you will gain, lose or maintain your weight. Period.

I believe that it's very important to develop an understanding of and a respect for portion control and the law of calorie balance. I also believe it's an important part of nutrition education to learn how many calories are in the foods you eat on a regular basis – including (and perhaps, especially) how many calories are in the foods you eat when you dine at restaurants.

The law of calorie balance says:

To maintain your weight, you must consume the same number of calories you burn. To gain weight, you must consume more calories than you burn. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn.

If you only count portions or if you haven't the slightest idea how many calories you're eating, it's a lot more likely that you'll eat more than you realize. (Or you might take in fewer calories than you should, which triggers your body’s "starvation mode" and causes your metabolism to shut down).

So how do you balance practicality and realistic expectations with a nutrition program that gets results? Here's a solution that’s a happy medium between strict calorie counting and just guessing:

Create a menu using an EXCEL spreadsheet or your favorite nutrition software. Crunch all the numbers including calories, protein, carbs and fats. Once you have your daily menu, print it, stick it on your refrigerator (and/or in your daily planner) and you now have an eating "goal" for the day, including a caloric target.

Rather than writing down every calorie one by one from every morsel of food you eat for the rest of your life, create a menu plan you can use as a daily goal and guideline. If you’re really ambitious, keeping a nutrition journal at least one time in your life for at least 4-12 weeks is a great idea and an incredible learning experience, but all you really need to get started on the road to a better body is one good menu on paper. If you get bored eating the same thing every day, you can create multiple menus, or just exchange foods using your primary menu as a template.

Using this meal planning method, you really only need to “count calories” once when you create your menus, not every day, ad infinitum. After you've got a knack for calories from this initial discipline of menu planning, then you can estimate portions in the future and get a pretty good (and more educated) ballpark figure.

So what’s the bottom line? Is it really necessary to count every calorie to lose weight? No. But it IS necessary to eat fewer calories then you burn. Whether you count calories and eat less than you burn, or you don’t count calories and eat less than you burn, the end result is the same – you lose weight. Which would you rather do: Take a wild guess, or increase your chance for success with some simple menu planning? I think the right choice is obvious.

For more information on calories (including how calculate precisely how many you should eat based on your age, activity and personal goals, and for even more practical, proven fat loss techniques to help you lose body fat safely, healthfully and permanently, check out my e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle at

http://www.fightfatphilly.com/tom_venuto_fitness_articles.html

To learn more about building your best body ever, simply go to http://www.ChristianHealthandFitness.com to download YOUR FREE copy of ‘The Christian’s Guide To Maximal Fat Loss’ sample plan. You will also find some more great fitness tips from Matt Shuebrook at http://www.FightFatPhilly.com/articles.html and http://www.MyPhiladelphiaFitnessExpert.com

My family and I were in Cuba for two weeks at the beginning of February. We all came back with a parasite and have been doing a parasite cleanse to get rid of it. Now, I'm about to start The Master Cleanse for the first time. I'm wondering if I should stop taking my vitamins and the parasite cleanse supplements for the 10 days or not? Any ideas..thanks!

yes

exfoliate daily with either alpha-hydroxy cream, or a facial scrub. I have been using a cream called Pentaxyl which is supposed to treat fine lines and wrinkles. But I am skeptical of anything that is not FDA-approved. Too many snake oil salesmen.
I heard of some prescription cream called Renova or Retin-A. What is the difference between these two? Is there anything else that i should know about how to take care of my skin?

You should not exfoliate everyday, but only once a week, you are exposing your skin to too much abrasion and it can make it more dry. And you should not use a mechanical exfoliant (scrub) and a chemical one (like your cream) together, use one or the other. Your daily skin care regimen should include: cleanse, tone, moisturize & protect in the daytime (sunscreen) and at night use a nighttime cream that can help with wrinkles, etc. Retin-A and Renova are somewhat different, but not that much, you would have to ask a dermatologist if you even need to use it.

I've noticed that most skin care products are used to treat only acne, or only aging/wrinkles. Are there any products that combine both? I tend to have greasy skin, but it dries out VERY easily with certain products. It's very dry during winter months, but greasier during summer. I also have VERY large pores.
I was looking at "Natural Advantage" skin care line, but don't know if it'll be an effective acne treatment? I want HEALTHY, YOUNG looking skin as well as CLEAR skin. Any suggestions?

Yep!!! ABSOLUTELY!!!! It's called Therametics, developed by a world renown dermatologist, Dr. Brian Fuller, here in OKC, OK. I have Lupus and Scleroderma, and I cannot tell you what a difference this has made in my life!!! I am 47 yrs. old, and get ID'd when ordering or buying a bottle of wine!!! This is a brand new product, available only for about 4 months, now. It's active ingredient is called Therasol (TM) It is THE ONLY PRODUCT to ACTUALLY PENETRATE the dermal barrier and to go internal!! ALL other products simply FLOAT on top if your skin, and make it feel softer for a little while. THIS DOES NOT!!! IT GOES DEEEEP w/in the skin"s -multi-layers and ACTUALLY CORRECTS THE SKIN'S TEXTURE AND EVENS OUT SKIN TONE!!! I CANNOT say ENOUGH!!! If you'd like more info. on what this product line has to offer, or to order, (best of all, it is INEXPENSIVE!!!) go to www.therametics.com, and my name is Rebecca Bayless - I am a certified sales rep. for this line - something I said that I'd NEVER do!!! BUT - I have SEEN the difference, after all of the multiple hundreds to thousands of dollars that I have spent!!! I BELIEVE!!! PS. I smoke, like an idiot, and it has ERASED the fine lines around my mouth!!!! PLEASE DO THIS FOR YOU!!! CHECK IT OUT!! Becky