Alternative treatments for fertility; boosting fertility naturally.

Infertility, defined as the inability to conceive after a year or more of trying, affects about 10 percent of couples — 6.1 percent of women between the ages of 15-44 according to the CDC. While many TV shows have covered it as of late, mainstream media can have many people thinking that the only options could be IVF Surrogates due to high profile celebrity practices in the public eye. 

There are many ways couples can boost their fertility naturally including acupuncture, Chinese medicine, supplements, fertility yoga and others. Most couples like to explore some of these options before venturing into more expensive — and invasive — treatments. Here, we look at a few of the top natural fertility boosters:

From MNN

Acupuncture

In regard to fertility, the Eastern perspective looks for energetic imbalances, where energy is blocked and how to get energy to flow more freely. From a Western perspective, acupuncture improves fertility by increasing blood flow to the uterus, and that in turn can thicken the endometrial lining, which makes implantation easier. “There is definitely a balancing and regulating affect on hormones that can regulate ovulation and can relax the uterus and decrease uterine contractions that interfere with implantation,” says LeGendre.

 

Acupuncture releases beta-endorphins, and in addition to having a stress relieving affect, it has been show to improve all of your reproductive hormonal functions. So, not only does it soothe the sympathetic nervous system, but it has an effect on the entire nervous system.

Chinese medicine

In addition to needling, most acupuncturists also prescribe Chinese herbs in correlation with regulating hormones and balancing your menstrual cycle. Different formulas are given depending on what each woman’s specific issues are.

 

A study in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine found women receiving Chinese herbal treatments were twice as likely to get pregnant within a four-month period as those receiving conventional Western medical fertility drug treatment or IVF. LeGendre says it usually takes about three months of once weekly treatments and she often sees a pregnancy in the three- to six-month window.

 

LeGendre also recommends women’s male partners have treatment, as acupuncture and Chinese medicine can improve both sperm count and quality.

 

Fertility yoga

“We all know what it’s like when shoulders and neck get tight, so imagine all the structures in your body doing that because of the stress of trying to conceive,” says Jennifer Colletti, a master yoga teacher and Ayurveda yoga specialist at Fertile Grounding Yoga in Minneapolis.

 

Stress really hardens the body, so fertility yoga works on opening up the body with a lot of flow movements and breath work that can open the heart and uterus, or the low  belly area — the musculature and ligaments there. Colletti explains that when we stress, we round in and crunch into the fetal position, and so the heart and uterus are shutting those areas of the body off. The idea is to soften and open those areas with gentle poses. Of course, yoga is a relaxing, stress-relieving and restorative treatment, too.

 

Some of Colletti’s clients are undergoing ART (artificial reproductive therapy), and some aren’t. “The way I look at it is if we want children in our lives, we have to make space for them and when our lives are overwrought with stress, there is no space for babies, so I teach them to find space in their lives so they can invite babies in.” Fertility yoga opens up that space in both your mind and body. Colletti said she doesn’t boast the successes, but she sees many, many pregnancies.

 

Fertility-friendly lifestyle

Researchers have found that 83 percent of couples living a fertility-friendly lifestyle got pregnant within one year.  That includes:

• Stop smoking
• Avoid environmental toxins
• Get plenty of sleep
• Avoid alcohol
• Skip recreational drugs
• Eat healthy

“We tell men not to sit in a hot tub, not to work outdoors in prolonged warm temperatures, avoid tight undergarments, and avoid biking for long time periods, as warm temperatures can affect the production of sperm,” says Maher Abdallah, M.D. FACOG, an OB-GYN at American Reproductive Center in Costa Mesa, Calif.

 

Being overweight can also greatly reduce fertility, so diet and exercise is crucial.

 

Other natural treatment approaches

Other natural fertility treatments include chiropractic adjustments, hypnosis, and colored glasses that control melatonin production and may increase fertility by simulating approaching winter, the time of maximum fertility.

original article here: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/alternative-therapies-for-fertility

Breakthroughs with Martin Sheen Explores the Rise in Homeopathic Remedies

Breakthroughs with Martin Sheen Explores the Rise in Homeopathic Remedies

This spring, Insights PTV's Breakthroughs with Martin Sheen will take a look at the reasons behind the growth in the homeopathic remedy industry.

The producers of Breakthroughs with Martin Sheenare announcing a May debut for a new report investigating the growth in the homeopathic remedy industry.

Breakthroughs Martin Sheen PBS is an independently produced television series airing in markets around the country on public television. The program is hosted by the legendary Martin Sheen, who is about to embark on his second half-century in American entertainment in 2013. Mr. Sheen has developed a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most respected actors during a career that includes more than 60 film appearances.

More Americans are exploring remedies for illness that are outside of the traditional medical establishment.

Breakthroughs Martin Sheen reviews how new industries are emerging in our economy, and the homeopathic remedy industry is showing brisk growth. After a sluggish period for the industry just a few years ago, many Americans are now looking at homeopathy as an addition or as a complete alternative to traditional Western medicine. In this new report, Breakthroughs will explore the reasons behind the growth and find out what is attracting people to these alternative remedies. The producers will also talk to critics who warn against relying too heavily on these substances that do not undergo the rigorous testing and trials of modern medications.

The producers of Breakthroughs Martin Sheen are targeting a May distribution date for the new report. Check local listings for air times on public television and PBS affiliates in individual markets. For more information the producers can be contacted via the official website for the show at breakthroughsptv.com.

Homeopathic vaccine given to 200,000 people in India to help stem dengue fever.

Ongoing Story: With the outbreak of dengue fever in India, the homopathic vaccine Eupatorium Perfoliatum has continued to be distributed and has shown positive results in treatment, and preventing the ailment. 

Two hundred thousand people have been administered homoeopathy medicine free of charge so far as part of a drive to prevent the outbreak of dengue fever in the district. The Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital at Thirumangalam near here has been conducting special camps to distribute homeopathy pills following the spread of dengue in the district last year. Apart from holding free camps in urban and rural areas with the consent of the Corporation and local bodies, doctors from the homoeopathic college distributed medicines in Sivaganga and Tuticorin districts as well.

“Dengue preventive medicine was given to 240,000 persons in three districts put together through our college. In Madurai district alone, 47 homoeopathy camps were conducted,” A. Gopalakrishnan, Principal in-charge, Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, toldThe Hindu on Wednesday.

Doctors have been distributing ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum’ medicine for adults and children in the prescribed dosage. Dr. Gopalalakrishnan said camps were not conducted since December 22 because of the festival holidays. The camps will resume shortly. “A special camp is planned on January 18 and 19 in TVS Group companies for the benefit of 4,500 employees and their families,” the Principal added. A homoeopathy dispensary is likely to come up in the Government Rajaji Hospital, sources said. During the recent visit of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Assurance Committee, the issue was raised by Thirumangalam MLA M. Muthuramalingam, who sought a dispensary in the GRH.

“There is a Siddha dispensary and it is quite appropriate to request for a homoeopathy facility as well. It is being considered and the Government is likely to sanction it after a consultation with the dean,” an official said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/homoeopathy-medicine-given-to-two-lakh-people/article4315617.ece

Mummies reveal clues about the history of disease.

When studying mummified remains, pathologist, Michael Zimmerman also is studying the earliest known cases of many diseases, many of which may have claimed the lives of the person that is now being studied, thousands of years later. But what can this information teach us? For starters, in his studies, he finds that cancer was relatively uncommon. 

By staining samples of its lung tissue, he found the pathogen that causes tuberculosis, thus establishing the oldest known case of the disease. The only previous evidence of TB dating back that far had come from artwork depicting figures with bone deformities characteristic of the disease.

In 1991, the head of the anthropology department at Austria's University of Innsbruck called him after a 5,300-year-old frozen body, "Otzi the Iceman," was found in the nearby mountains, preserved by ice and snow. He missed his chance to examine the body when scientists realized that Otzi's final resting place was on Italian side of the border and that the Austrians had to give him up to an Italian museum. There, a CT scan revealed the cause of death: an arrowhead lodged in Otzi's left shoulder.

Over the years, Zimmerman has seen mummies with arthritis, club foot (King Tut suffered from it), cirrhosis of the liver and plaque in their arteries - ailments similar to what doctors see in autopsies today.

It's not hard to find mummies, he said. When modern Egyptians built railroads, so many mummies turned up during the digging that workers burned them for warmth. Since that first Smithsonian mummy, he said, he has examined 200 to 300. When he started out, he did a complete autopsy, cutting up the body and removing the organs. Now, he uses less-damaging procedures, imaging them with CT scans and inserting endoscopic instruments through small holes.

What amazed him was that among all these mummies, he saw only two cases of cancer, though he says tumors are easy to spot. During a recent talk at Villanova, he showed a slide of a rectal cancer found in a middle-aged Egyptian mummy, explaining how the cells stained a distinct color and showed signs of abnormal cell division.

Zimmerman and University of Manchester professor Rosalie David, who founded the university's renowned Egypt Mummy Project, wrote a 2010 paper for the journal Nature on the lack of mummified cancer and their speculation that cancer might be more tied to modern environments than has been assumed. Zimmerman attributes most of the difference to the modern prevalence of smoking: There's nothing in the historical or archaeological record to suggest that ancient Egyptians smoked.

The paper stirred up controversy, with some questioning whether the low cancer rates in ancient people are merely a consequence of shorter life spans - perhaps people simply didn't live long enough to get cancer. But even taking age into account, Zimmerman said, there's surprisingly little cancer. Besides, he said, he sees osteoarthritis, clogged arteries and other diseases of aging in these mummies. Some of the pharaohs lived past 90.

Geneticist Mary Daly of Philadelphia's Fox Chase Cancer Center said it's also likely that obesity plays a role in making cancer so much more common today than it was in ancient Egypt. If you took away cigarettes and obesity from today's population, Daly said, you'd see a drastic drop in cancer rates. That's essentially the population you're studying in ancient Egypt.

Other researchers share Zimmerman's interest in diseases of the distant past, though most study bones rather than mummies. Bones have revealed ancient cases of osteoporosis and a striking decline in height and general health in a number of societies after the adoption of agriculture, possibly due to unsanitary conditions and a sudden shift from varied diets to ones based primarily on grain.

-excerpt from the Washington Post 

Homeopathy's Common Flu Remedies

Common Flu Remedies

Below are a few of the most common flu remedies, along with some differentiating features.

Gelsemium
The number one flu remedy (also the remedy that was curative for the 1918 flu epidemic). Totally weak and prostrate, almost paralytic weakness. Droopy eyes -- can hardly keep them open. Legs weak and shaky. A slow onset. Flu might be preceded by worry over an upcoming event or task.  Bursting headache beginning in the neck and back of head. Aching muscular pain. Thirstlessness. Chills up and down the spine. Better from fresh air and urinating.

Nux Vomica
Irritability and oversensitivity, especially to noise and light. Flu might be preceded by anger or indignation, or be precipitated by overwork. Very cold. Wants to stay under the covers. Desires warm drinks. Shivering. Headache from noise and light. Fatigue and collapse. May want to keep working even when sick. Stomach upset, gas, diarrhea.

Aconitum Napellus
Sudden onset of fever, with chilliness, anxiety and great restlessness.  A remedy to consider after patient has been exposed to cold, dry weather or a fright.

Eupatorium Perfoliatum
Intense aching and painful limbs and back, bones feel like they were broken. Bursting headache.  Dare not to move because of the pain.  Shivering with chills in back.  Chill begins 7-9:00AM.  Eyeballs sore.
 
Arsenicum Album
Very anxious, restless, and thirsty. Fear of death, being left alone.  Worse from midnight to 2am. Exhaustion after the slightest exertion.

Bryonia Alba
Very irritable. Very thirsty for cold drinks.  Worse from any movement or noise. Pain from moving eyes.  Wants to lie quite still and be left alone.  Headaches and pain better from pressure.  Can have great pain in the head when coughing.

Baptisia
Rapid onset.  Sinks rapidly into stupid state.  Dull red face; patient looks drugged and out of it.  High temperature with red face.  Drops asleep while answering questions.  Gastric flu:  sudden attacks of violent diarrhea and vomiting.  Great prostration.

Rhus Toxicodendrum
Flu that comes on after cold wet weather.  Aching and stiffness in joints, worse from first movement but better after continued movement. Restlessness. Better from warmth.  Anxious and weepy.

Ferrum-Phosphoricum
Good to consider when none of the other flu remedies match well. A mid-grade fever -- 102-103F. Flushed face. Headache better from cold applications. Burning sensation in eyes. Stuffiness. Nose bleeds. Red swollen throat. Cough better at night. Sour burps, vomiting of undigested food. Aversion to meat and milk. Stiff neck. Restless and sleepless. Chill at 1pm. Worse from being touched or jarred.

To find out more or to request remedies contact : Martin Keane | Board Certified in Homeopathy

Nestlé develops Traditional Chinese Medicine.

For the purpose of combating medical issues like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes through developing personalized nutrition treatments, Nestlé began the health science business in 2011. The new NSP venture will focus initially in the United States on gastro-intestinal treatments, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, possibly branching out in the future into metabolic diseases and brain health.

Nestlé Health Science's CEO Luis Cantarell was quoted by Bloomberg News as saying on a conference call, “We believe traditional Chinese medicine has a real potential to become part of innovative solutions.” Chi-Med chief executive Christian Hogg said, "Botanical are in the forefront in our view in the search for new medicines." One fifth of the global population is believed to rely on traditional healthcare and, according to WHO, 119 countries have regulatory traditional medicine frameworks. Dr. Zhang Qi, coordinator of the WHO's traditional and complementary
medicine unit is quoted on Voice of America news as saying, "This shows we should recognize the existence and harness the potential of TM [traditional medicine] to contribute to healthcare."

Read the full story here: http://www.examiner.com/article/new-nestl-chinese-medicine-and-world-health-organization

Homeopathy as treatment for India's Dengue Fever gains popularity.

From India / the Hindu Paper: 

The Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital at Tirumangalam near here has been organising special camps to distribute ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum,’ said to be an effective pill for dengue prevention. On Saturday, the college conducted its 31st dengue prevention camp after obtaining the permission of Madurai Corporation which too is encouraging more homoeopathy and Siddha medical camps to prevent dengue.

“We are witnessing a huge response everywhere owing to increased awareness among the public. There is an adequate stock of medicine and more orders will be placed to meet the demand,” said A.Gopalakrishnan, Principal in-charge of Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital.

He told The Hindu that homeopathy medicine for dengue control was becoming popular day by day and voluntary organisations and local bodies were coming forward to sponsor the camps. ‘Eupatorium Perfoliatum’ must be taken in an empty stomach consecutively for three days by adults while the children must take a lesser dose. The dosage should be taken only as prescribed by homoeopathy doctors.

Pete Townshend of the Who successfully uses Homeopathy for treatment of Tinnitus

While we have already covered the Who's Roger Daltrey being an avid supporter of Homeopathy, guitar smashing ledgend and bandmate, Pete Townshend also swears by Homeopathic treatments as well. 

Peter Townshend from The Who recently told television host, David Letterman, how he turned to alternative medicine to help him deal with hearing issues from Tinnitus, UK-based New Magazine reported.

“For me it started in a delightful way. I used to wake up in the morning and think, ‘I can hear the birds singing! I’ve never been able to hear the birds singing.’ It started with peeps and whistles and beeps so it was very much like birds singing,” he told Letterman.

Once he realized the issue, he sought out an alternative medicine expert in homeopathy to help him with the issue.

“Right now I don’t have it badly. I have done quite a lot of new age medicine stuff to help me. And a homeopathic teacher, or a homeopathic doctor, helped me a lot with this, so I would recommend that,” he said.

Read original content here: 

http://www.elevatedexistence.com/blog/2012/11/29/pete-townshend-of-the-who-seeks-homeopathy-for-tinnitus/