Alternative Treatment of Injuries

The Graston Technique and ASTYM - Alternative Treatment of Injuries The goals of these treatments are to reduce the need for splints, braces, and anti-inflammatory medications while allowing the patient to continue in their activity of choice during treatment.

Sam Schimelpfenig, MD

Member AMSSM

Imagine you have just suffered from an acute injury that threatens to derail your carefully planned training schedule. Or you are battling an old injury that does not seem to be responding well to the usual treatment strategies. Tests have been performed to rule out a surgical fix, so what else is there?

The Graston Technique®, researched at Ball Memorial Hospital and Ball State University in Indiana, was originally conceived by an athlete who was frustrated with his rehabilitation progress following surgery and conventional therapy for a knee injury. Today, there are thousands of providers, including athletic trainers, chiropractors and therapists, who use the Graston Technique® effectively to treat athletes of all abilities, including the collegiate and professional levels.

The Graston Technique® is designed to break up adhesions that are formed between scar tissue and other tissues in the body, especially the fascia which surrounds muscles and tendons. These adhesions are commonly the result of an injury, either acute or chronic, but can also be seen following surgical procedures. As the provider rubs the area with specially designed stainless steel instruments, these adhesions can be felt and gradually released to provide relief for the patient’s complaints and restore normal physiologic function.

A similar treatment option is ASTYM, which is another non-invasive technique for treating acute and chronic injuries. Like the Graston Technique®, it is designed to break up scar tissue as well as promote proper healing after an injury, the main difference being the shape of the instruments used. A period of stretching and strengthening is recommended by the provider following the initial sessions to help restore normal strength and function.

The goals of these two forms of treatment are to reduce the need for splints, braces, and anti-inflammatory medications as well as to allow the patient to continue to engage in their activity of choice while undergoing treatment. This is different from traditional therapy, which often requires a period of avoidance of certain activities while undergoing treatment.

There is support in the medical literature for both of these options, although there are not many randomized controlled trials which are the best way to compare a method of treatment to traditional techniques. Animal models have shown support for the theory of how the Graston Technique® works, and there are also reports of the effectiveness of this treatment strategy for various injuries including tennis elbow, overuse injuries, and trigger thumbs. Similar articles exist in many peer-reviewed journals that support use of the ASTYM technique for treatment of different injuries. Whether either technique is superior to traditional therapy has not been conclusively studied, but they both represent a different approach to the treatment of injuries.

For more information and a list of providers in your area, see the following websites: www.grastontechnique.com and www.astym.com.

Alternative Medicine - The history

The History of Alternative Medicine

Posted by admin on Oct 27, 2008

A New Fad or Steeped in Ancient History?

You may be new to using alternative medicine or perhaps you have already seen the amazing benefits alternative medicine and alternative therapies can bring to your life. But do you know how long its been practiced and where it originated? Well let me take you on a journey into the fascinating history of alternative medicine.

The history of Alternative Medicine is an interesting one and has links with many different cultures. However it’s difficult to say exactly when Alternative Medicine began, in part because up until recently the practices that fall under this term were the conventional medical practices of their time.

But if we go back in history and trace several of the forms of healing that are now labelled as alternative we find that their origins go back as much as 5000 years.From Eastern Philosophy to Widely used Western Alternatives.

One of the oldest forms of alternative medicine can be traced back through Chinese history. The ancient Chinese, in much the same way as alternative medicine is used today, based their healing on the importance of the body and spirit being in balance. Much of the philosophy of Chinese Medicine is based on Taoist and Buddhist principals and the belief that a person and their environment are closely interlinked.

The widely known principles of Yin and Yang come from Chinese Medicine and are integral to its practice. Yin and Yang explains how opposing forces are integral to each other and how for harmony within the body to take place, these must be in balance. When these are out of balance, disease occurs.

Chinese Medicine works at restoring balance in various ways including herbal medicine, acupuncture, breathing and movement (Tai Chi and Qigong) and also through diet. The practitioner looked at the patient’s health and life in detail to ascertain where their life force or Qi (pronounced Chi) was out of balance. Various methods would then be used to restore the patient back to health.

Such was the effectiveness of Chinese Traditional Medicine that it still forms a large part of modern health care in the East. It’s not unusual for these “alternative” practices to be used in hospitals alongside western medicine.

The other Eastern Culture that has a long history of alternative medicine is India. Ayurvedic medicine dates back as far as 6000 years ago and like Chinese Medicine also has links with Buddhism.

Ayurveda comes from 2 Sanskrit words – Ayu meaning life and veda meaning knowledge of. It is a system of medicine that keeps a persons body, mind and spirit in tune with nature in order to maintain good health.

When in Rome …..

In the West, the History of Alternative Medicine goes back around 3000 years. Treatments such as hydrotherapy were popular with the Romans and Greeks. The Ancient Greeks who were greatly influenced by the Babylonias and to a lesser extent by India and China brought herbalism into the West. Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC), a Greek physician commonly referred to as the Father of Medicine, practiced herbal medicine.

During the Middle Ages, Monks in Europe studied and grew medicinal plants and translated many works on the subject from Arabic. Folk Healers also passed on their knowledge of healing through word of mouth, from Master to Apprentice.

The understanding of the power different plants have is ingrained in many native civilisations and has allowed man to understand and thrive in often challenging environments. When the Europeans settled in America they found that the Native Americans had an extensive knowledge of the healing power of their indigenous herbs. Likewise the Aborigines in Australia understood the power of plants found in their environment.

Moving forward in time towards the 19th Century, before the rise of Western Medicine, as we now know it, medical practitioners were more like today’s naturopaths. They would take a detailed medical history paying particular attention to the patient’s lifestyle. They would then suggest ways to improve this by changes in diet, environment and would also prescribe herbal remedies.

How a Bit of Mould Turned the Tables on Alternative Medicine

The widespread use of alternative medicine in its various forms decreased during the 20th Century. Treatment of patients became more focused on the use of hospitals, and developments in modern medicine lead to the widespread use of Pharmaceutical Drugs to treat disease. The discovery of Penicillin and its development into a drug that could treat bacterial infections in the 1940’s revolutionised health care and alternative medicine lost favour with most medical practitioners.

Although many Doctors let go of what they considered to be outdated treatments such as homeopathy, herbalism and traditional Chinese Medicine many patients still sort them out, especially when conventional medicine didn’t appear to be working for them.

No Longer An Alternative, Now Another Choice
for Achieving Better Health

The result now is that Alternative Medicine is on the increase. Practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, aromatherapy and healing are kept alive by practitioners who specialise in one of more alternative form of treatment. Frequently alternatives are used alongside modern medical treatments, which have led to alternatives being given the term complimentary medicine.

This brief history of alternative medicine shows that many of the practices used today have been with us for thousands of years. Given the rising popularity of using alternative medicine to deal with health issues today, it’s likely that these practices will be around for many more.

Check out more info on: http://www.alternativemedicineanswers.com ( Source)

Ayurveda Looks to Restore the Balance

 

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/14323/

It is time for people to reclaim their bodies and take more control over their own health, says Farida Irani, because “it is their birthright”.

Farida is a qualified Ayurveda practitioner and an organiser of The Second International Ayurveda and Yoga Conference in Sydney in early April, one of the largest of its kind seen in Australia.

Ayurveda, considered to be one of the oldest medical systems in the world, uses a combination of oils, herbs, diet, meditation and exercise to restore equilibrium to an individual’s system.

Ill health, or “disease”, is created by imbalances within the body’s system, which Farida says is common in today’s modern world.

“It’s all about balance,” says Farida. “There is such stress on people’s systems today as they juggle family life, personal life, hectic corporate life. They need to balance their lives.”

“Yoga”, she adds, “is incorporated to unite mind, body and spirit.”

According to Farida, present concerns about the environment parallel life in India 5000 years ago when it is likely there was also an environmental crisis. At that time, a conference was held to address the imbalance. Ancient

Indian texts describe how the old wise ones, rishis, vaidyas and yogis, came out of their retreats to share their knowledge about life and the human condition.

“Ancient texts document this conference, which was called because mankind had moved away from harmonising with the environment,” she explained.

The term “Ayurveda” combines the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Thus, Ayurveda means literally “the science of life”.

Knowledge from the ancient conference was passed down through word of mouth and spanned eight different branches of medicine, including surgery, psychology, gynaecology, toxicology and paediatrics. These were then compiled around 2000 years ago into two main Vedic texts, which form the basis of Ayurveda today.

“Ayurveda teaches that humans are made of the same elements as the universe—air, earth, ether, fire and water,” says Farida, “and so we are interdependent on nature ... We have to respect the environment.”

Ayurveda treatment involves determining the root cause of an ailment through pulse evaluation, physical analysis and observation of an individual.

Much of the practices, however, are based on prevention and maintenance, particularly through yoga, meditation, daily routine and diet.

“If people follow the principles, it will keep disease away,” Farida explains. “You can use simple herbs and oils that will keep coughs and colds and flu away.”

“You will then be less taxing on the medical system,” she added.

Ayurvedic medicine continues to be practised in India where around 80 per cent of the population uses it either exclusively or in combination with Western medicine.

It is also widely used in Europe and in the United States is classified as CAM, or both complementary (to Western medicine) and alternative.

“We are not trying to take over conventional medicine,” Farida said of the impetus behind the Australian conference. “We want to complement it.”

The conference will bring together over 35 international and local leaders in the field of Ayurveda and yoga, including the founder of Yoga in Daily Life, author and speaker H. H. Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, and Dr P. H. Kulkarni, the founder of the Ayurveda Academy in India and the inspiration behind the inaugural conference in Australia in 2006.

Topics of discussion include the ayurvedic approach to cancer, the healing power of mantra and yoga therapy, and the impact of physical space on well-being.

Also of interest will be teacher of Aboriginal bush medicine Noel Butler, a Budawang man from the south coast of New South Wales.

“Ayuveda can after all be everywhere,” said Farida of Mr Butler’s contribution. “The Aborigines in Australia hold the teaching of the Ayurveda of Australia.”

The Benefits Of Chelation Therapy

Healthierlife.co.uk

The Benefits Of Chelation Therapy

Date: 25/03/09

Chelation therapy is a treatment that is used to treat heavy metal poisoning. It most often involves the injection of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) - also refered to as a 'synthetic amino acid' - that binds with (chelates) heavy metals, which include iron, lead, mercury, cadmium, and zinc. The term ‘chelation’ comes from the Greek word ‘chele’ which means claw, referring to the way the chemical grabs onto these metals. EDTA is a man-made amino acid, which has a particular affinity for toxic metals such as mercury, cadmium, aluminium and lead. If EDTA meets with these substances through an intravenous infusion or oral application, they bind and then are secreted through bodily waste.

Surgeon's Knife
If you’d rather avoid an appointment with this man, then sign-up to the FREE Daily Health eletter
I’ve told you about my friend Albert before: The one who’s been struggling with high cholesterol all his life and who was told not to expect to live longer than his mid-twenties. Well at the age of 32, he is doing just great. Even though his cholesterol is still high, with the help of a very healthy lifestyle he’s managed to keep it at a much lower level than ever anticipated. (Read his story here: Crestor : The Super Strong Statin Drug)

Anyhow, I saw him over the weekend and he told me an amusing story from his childhood:

‘As a little boy, after being told I have this terrible heart condition and spooky cholesterol-stuff in my arteries, I wondered if there was any way the doctors could clean my arteries. Like you would do with a clogged up drain pipe or perhaps using a bottlebrush to scrape away the fatty deposits and fix my insides.’ Clearly Albert’s condition made a huge impact on him as a little boy and if his doctors where really in the know, they would’ve told him that this is possible...

Read more on: Healthier Life