CAM Caution: Could Alternative Therapies Put You at Risk?

Complementary wellness has seen a surge in popularity over recent years, but how do you know if it’s right for you? Before you put your wellbeing in the hands of alternative therapies, it’s important to be aware of your underlying conditions and potential interactions with your prescription medication, as this could have a disastrous impact on your wellness. More often than not, herbal supplements or natural therapies won’t cause any damage, but it’s better to be safe than sorry and know what you’re getting into.

 

As one of the most popular supplements used to combat colds and flu, you may think that echinacea is pretty safe to use. However, this herbal remedy has been known to cause allergies. In fact, if you have a condition such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis or asthma, doctors recommend that you steer clear of echinacea. If not taken correctly, even a herbal multivitamin can cause nerve toxicity, so make sure you read the label carefully before you try any complementary wellness product, and consult a physician if you’re unsure. This is especially the case if you suffer from depression, stroke, heart disease or cancer, as a recent survey of cancer patients at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital has shown that more than half of the study participants using a mixture of complementary and alternative therapies. This is a cause for concern because – according to the hospital’s safe medicines specialist – these medicines can interfere with anti-cancer medications.

 

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is more popular than ever before, thanks in no small part to a number of credible studies proving their benefits. From vitamin D for osteoporosis and glucosamine for osteoarthritis, to St John’s wort for depression and folic acid for birth defects, CAM has been shown to prevent or treat various medical conditions. In the US, omega-3 fatty acids not only reduced the country’s occurrence of coronary heart disease; it saved the hospital system almost a billion dollars in a year. The Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia also points out that CAM is also relatively harm-free. They note a 2002 survey in which it was found that 23% of Australians who were recently ill had suffered from a medical or pharmaceutical drug error in the past two years, while there were just 483 adverse reports regarding CAM in 2002.

 

That said, Dr Vicki Kotsirilos, chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Australasian Integrative Medicine Association joint working party, warns that this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise some caution. ‘The good news is that overall complementary medicine is relatively safe,’ she comments. ‘However we also know there is significant under-reporting [of adverse reactions]. We know that half of all patients who are taking complementary medicines don’t tell their GPs because they fear they’ll be dismissed or jumped on. This is a real concern because of the risk of interactions with pharmaceutical medicine and because if they’ve had side effects [from the complementary medicine], and their doctor is wondering why they’re unwell, that’s a problem.’

 

Moreover, not all CAM has sound scientific evidence behind it. Dr Kotsirilos says, ‘Some areas of complementary medicine have been proven to be helpful for cancer patients, for instance, such as music therapy, meditation, acupuncture and gentle reflexology. These therapies can improve quality of life and work alongside an orthodox approach. But if you Google “cancer therapy” you will come across hundreds of therapies, from shark cartilage to ozone therapy, which carry little evidence and are negative and risky, not just in terms of the side effects, but also [in terms of] the financial cost and the time wasted in not getting proper treatment.’

Categories: alternative therapies, cancer, cancer patients, complementary, complementary medicine, complementary wellness, heart disease, Medications, medicine, Risks, Therapies

Does Alternative Medicine Need a Scientific Explanation?

When it comes to complementary wellness, most of us will try the odd herbal tea or supplement, but would you drink the blood of a living turtle? Stephen T. Asma, a professor of philosophy at Columbia College Chicago and the author of Against Fairness, details, ‘A few years ago, while visiting Beijing, I caught a cold. My wife, who is Chinese, and wanted me to feel better, took me to a local restaurant. After we sat down, she ordered a live turtle…I startled as the waiters unceremoniously cut the turtle’s throat, then poured its blood into a glass. To this frightening prospect, they added a shot of baijiu, very strong grain alcohol…I winced, found the courage, and drank up.’

 

Asma’s story – which, by the way, did end with him feeling better – is an example of the fact that we are, as he puts it, ‘living in the vast grey area between leech-bleeding and antibiotics.’ While you may scoff – and be slightly upset – at the very idea that turtle blood could have medicinal effects, you might still attempt to quaff a tree-bark tincture or put on an aubergine compress recommended by Dr. Oz to treat skin cancer. According to Asma, ‘Alternative medicine has exploded in recent years,’ but this has reawakened a philosophical problem that epistemologists call the “demarcation problem.”

 

‘The demarcation problem is primarily the challenge of distinguishing real science from pseudoscience,’ Asma explains. ‘It often gets trotted out in the fight between evolutionists and creation scientists. In that tired debate, creationism is usually dismissed on the grounds that its claims cannot be falsified (evidence cannot prove or disprove its natural theology beliefs). This criterion of “falsifiability”…seems like a good one — it nicely rules out the spooky claims of pseudoscientists and snake oil salesmen. Or does it? The contemporary philosopher of science Larry Laudan claims that philosophers have failed to give credible criteria for demarcating science from pseudoscience. Even falsifiability, the benchmark for positivist science, rules out many of the legitimate theoretical claims of cutting-edge physics, and rules in many wacky claims, like astrology — if the proponents are clever about which observations corroborate their predictions.’

 

But where does complementary wellness come into play? Asma asserts, ‘The issue of alternative medicine, especially Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), brings fresh passion to the demarcation problem. Americans are gravitating to acupuncture and herbal medicines (less so the zoological pharmacology, like my turtle blood), but we crave some scientific validation for these ancient practices…The general facts of feng shui (literally “wind and water”) strike many of us as relatively indisputable. Simply put, if you arrange your furniture in certain patterns and directions, it feels to most people psychologically better than certain other patterns. But the metaphysical “causal theory” behind these facts is more controversial. Chinese medicine holds that energy meridians mark the flow of a force called “qi” and this force is streaming throughout nature and our bodies — causing harmony and health or disharmony and illness (depending on the degree to which it is blocked or unblocked).’

 

The question remains, however; do you really need this “causal theory” for your wellbeing to benefit from TCM? ‘I certainly don’t need this theory to be true to explain why I feel less agitated when my office desk faces the doorway than I do when my back is to the door,’ Asma concludes. ‘And I don’t think I need it to explain the sense of peace I get from looking out my window at Suzhou Creek. Perhaps the metaphysical qi theory of feng shui will eventually give way to one that aligns with our understanding of sensory perception or psychology…Ultimately, one can be skeptical of both qi and a sacrosanct scientific method, but still be a devotee of fallible pragmatic truth. In the end, most of us are gamblers about health treatments. We play as many options as we can; a little acupuncture, a little ibuprofen, a little turtle’s blood.’

Categories: alternative medicine, ASMA, causal theory, Chinese medicine, complementary wellness, demarcation, demarcation problem, feng shui, placebo effect, scientifically proven, turtle

How to Choose the Best and Safest Herbal Medicine for You

Herbal medicine can be a great wellness tool, whether you crack out the echinacea when you feel a cold coming on, or deal with the musty taste of valerian to help induce sleep. However, the mistake many people make with herbal medicine is that they accentuate the “herbal” over the “medicine” – that is to say, they forget that that it can have a serious affect on your health if taken improperly. Therefore, you need to follow five sensible principles when considering herbal medicines.

 

1. Educate yourself: It’s important to do your homework with regards to complementary wellness, as it’s much easier to get it wrong. Not only do you need to know what herb will be the most beneficial to your wellbeing, but you also need to understand the level of effectiveness in each part of the herb, as the root, say, may be more potent than the flower or leaf. Stinging nettles, for example, are used in the treatment of benign prostate problems, and both the roots and flowers contain an anti-inflammatory compound known as scopoletin. However, only the roots have the steroid-like compounds that herbalists recommend if prostate problems affect your wellness, and so this part of the plant is best. Pass on supplements that don’t list the specific or right part of the herb.

 

2. Read the label: This is vital in all areas of health, not just in alternative therapies. If you put anything into your body, you should definitely know what it is! When it comes to herbal supplements, you’re looking for the scientific name of the herb, the part of the plant it uses (as you now know which part you’re after) and an expiration date. It’s also a good idea to find out the plant’s place of origin and whether it has been grown organically or wild-crafted (picked in the wild), but the labels don’t always specify this information, as it isn’t essential. The first three points, however, are, so don’t touch a supplement that doesn’t list the scientific name, part and expiration date.

 

3. Go for quality…: More often than not, bargain brands are sold in cheap, discount shops and it’s far better to stick with brands from reputable health-food stores. Due to a lack of regulation, herbal medicines don’t go through the same rigorous checks as pharmaceuticals, as manufacturers can use the “supplement” loophole – it’s only an add-on, not a replacement to a healthy diet, exercise or Western medical practises. This loophole means that herbal medicines can get away with all sorts of claims on the label or in the advertisements that aren’t necessarily true. Therefore, you need to be able to trust the provider as much as possible.

 

4. Don’t go for quantity: Sticking with single herbs is a good rule to follow when you’re starting out, unless you are recommended a specific formula by a trustworthy herbal practitioner. It’s like experimenting with cooking herbs; the best way is to use one at a time until you know how it tastes, and then you start blending them as you gain the knowledge and experience you need to make it work. With medicinal herbs you can apply the same principle; start off slowly, learn how each herb affects you, and then you can begin to blend them or use pre-made herbal formulas. Again, reading the label is key here as you need to know how much of each herb the formula contains.

 

5. Don’t do it alone: While these are all handy tips to get you started, you should never start using herbal medicine without the advice of a complementary wellness expert. Look online to find a healer who is qualified to practice herbal medicine, and consult him or her – and your GP – before taking anything new.

Categories: complementary wellness, expiration date, herb, herbal, herbal medicine, herbal medicines, medicine, nbsp, one at a time, prostate problems, quality, Read the label

How to Choose the Best and Safest Herbal Medicine for You

Herbal medicine can be a great wellness tool, whether you crack out the echinacea when you feel a cold coming on, or deal with the musty taste of valerian to help induce sleep. However, the mistake many people make with herbal medicine is that they accentuate the “herbal” over the “medicine” – that is to say, they forget that that it can have a serious affect on your health if taken improperly. Therefore, you need to follow five sensible principles when considering herbal medicines.

 

1. Educate yourself: It’s important to do your homework with regards to complementary wellness, as it’s much easier to get it wrong. Not only do you need to know what herb will be the most beneficial to your wellbeing, but you also need to understand the level of effectiveness in each part of the herb, as the root, say, may be more potent than the flower or leaf. Stinging nettles, for example, are used in the treatment of benign prostate problems, and both the roots and flowers contain an anti-inflammatory compound known as scopoletin. However, only the roots have the steroid-like compounds that herbalists recommend if prostate problems affect your wellness, and so this part of the plant is best. Pass on supplements that don’t list the specific or right part of the herb.

 

2. Read the label: This is vital in all areas of health, not just in alternative therapies. If you put anything into your body, you should definitely know what it is! When it comes to herbal supplements, you’re looking for the scientific name of the herb, the part of the plant it uses (as you now know which part you’re after) and an expiration date. It’s also a good idea to find out the plant’s place of origin and whether it has been grown organically or wild-crafted (picked in the wild), but the labels don’t always specify this information, as it isn’t essential. The first three points, however, are, so don’t touch a supplement that doesn’t list the scientific name, part and expiration date.

 

3. Go for quality…: More often than not, bargain brands are sold in cheap, discount shops and it’s far better to stick with brands from reputable health-food stores. Due to a lack of regulation, herbal medicines don’t go through the same rigorous checks as pharmaceuticals, as manufacturers can use the “supplement” loophole – it’s only an add-on, not a replacement to a healthy diet, exercise or Western medical practises. This loophole means that herbal medicines can get away with all sorts of claims on the label or in the advertisements that aren’t necessarily true. Therefore, you need to be able to trust the provider as much as possible.

 

4. Don’t go for quantity: Sticking with single herbs is a good rule to follow when you’re starting out, unless you are recommended a specific formula by a trustworthy herbal practitioner. It’s like experimenting with cooking herbs; the best way is to use one at a time until you know how it tastes, and then you start blending them as you gain the knowledge and experience you need to make it work. With medicinal herbs you can apply the same principle; start off slowly, learn how each herb affects you, and then you can begin to blend them or use pre-made herbal formulas. Again, reading the label is key here as you need to know how much of each herb the formula contains.

 

5. Don’t do it alone: While these are all handy tips to get you started, you should never start using herbal medicine without the advice of a complementary wellness expert. Look online to find a healer who is qualified to practice herbal medicine, and consult him or her – and your GP – before taking anything new.

Categories: complementary wellness, expiration date, herb, herbal, herbal medicine, herbal medicines, medicine, nbsp, one at a time, prostate problems, quality, Read the label

Vinyasa Yoga and Health: The Subtler Side

Ten years ago, the practice of yoga tumbled into my life and never left. I had already spent years modifying my diet and performing cardiovascular exercise from an initial desire to be thinner; over time, I learned that there were other valuable benefits to exercise that I came to want even more. Energy! Focus! Mood boosting! And above all, the power to fight stress of all kinds – work; family and friends; anxiety and depression; major life decisions and changes.

 

Yoga took this revelation to a new level; I gained a deeper, more subtle, and more powerful experience of improving my own health. It brought together an awareness of the body and the mind, something I knew I loved – but also introduced the heart. Pattabhi Jois said that “Vinyasa” means “to place in a special way.” This can be attributed not only to careful alignment of our bodies on the mat, but to exploring our thoughts and the effects they have on us; choosing carefully when we express how we feel. With careful attention to the movements of our mind and heart via linking breath to asana, we can explore and refine how we see and hold ourselves, as well as how we relate to the world. As we learn to become more easeful in postures, we also develop an internal capacity for comfort with our external lives and who we are in them.

 

I would like to highlight three ways in which I’ve found Vinyasa yoga can become a playground for well-rounded, healthful living:

 

Strength. We learn to specifically align our bones so that we can derive optimal use of our muscles. We pull energy into our bodies to stabilize, ground, and center. This helps us endure longer holds, as well as retain our focus when we’d much rather leave the pose. This training in endurance can further allow us to diligently stay with feelings that are uncomfortable. Instead of pushing them away, we courageously “stay in the fire,” diving deeper into what is scary, and get to understand our fears better. Creating a solid, secure center is the foundation for developing receptivity to exactly how we show up, in all our forms, light and dark. We have to practice in order to build our mental and emotional “muscles” as much as the ones just below our skin.

 

Flexibility. The most commonly accepted reason to practice asana today is to find more physical flexibility. We make our muscles more pliable so that we can move through our daily tasks with ease and comfort. The same is true for softening our rigid thinking about “right” and “wrong” ways to tackle problems. We can get creative and find more nuanced, unique, and appropriate ways of handling life. We practice a sense of grace as we flow from one posture to the next, without holding on to how it should feel or look, and in the same way we can find a fluidity in our response when the universe hands us something we wouldn’t have chosen for ourselves – a sudden financial struggle, an unexpected death of someone near to us, an illness that prevents us from carrying on as we’d planned. We find acceptance – whether it be of the uncooperative body part or the emotionally taxing family member – and soften into the truth that we must relinquish control where it cannot be held, that our own response is where the work belongs.

 

Connection. One definition of yoga is to “yoke.” This can be thought of in a few ways, one being a relationship between our bodies, our thinking, and how we feel. On a gross level we may realize that sitting in a slouched position at work reduces our physical capacity to breathe and subsequently drains us of our energy and motivation. We are left feeling sluggish and foggy, or over longer periods even depressed. On a subtler level, yoga shows us that we often round the shoulders down and forward as a way of shielding the heart from pain. Opening and lifting the chest, allowing space for our breath and life force to flood and move us, can ultimately be the path to shedding our armor, healing our wounds.

 

Another way to think of connection is in the context of our relationships. The internal work we do to become stronger, softer, and more responsive to ourselves translates directly to treating others with the same love-filled respect. We extend a sensitivity and empathy to others. And when others hurt us, we can retain our stability and fluidity in the face of pain. This is where we practice yoga off the mat – through the repeated experiences of relating, loving, and being hurt. We are patient and willing, but know when to firmly, courageously put ourselves first. We are vulnerable and intimate, bringing richness to our relationships. We give equal space to sadness or anger as we do to joy and love. We become resilient. We grow. Sounds like health to me.

 

Yoga helps us step into a deeper listening, to ourselves and others, so that we may be more efficient with our energy and relaxed in our experience. After some time spent with the practice, a lithe body, improved heart function, and injury prevention (among a host of other benefits) seem to be the cherry on top.

Categories: complementary wellness, energy, holistic, nbsp, nbsp yoga, practice, vinyasa yoga, ways, yoga