Now that the first flush of page rank mania has died down and bloggers are getting back to what they do best and that’s write in their blogs, I thought it would be safe to post in here without joining the debate.
So it’s business as usual at Alternative Cures and time for another insight into the world of alternative cures and natural healing methods.
So far in this blog, I’ve concentrated on the physical healing properties of plants as natural cures, but there are so many other alternative healing processes about that it’s probably time to start featuring some of these.
Where to start?
Well there are many alternative healing disciplines that are already popular and others that are gathering momentum and fast becoming almost mainstream in their acceptability amongst an ever growing army of followers.
So let’s take an overview look at the first and probably most accepted alternative therapy, acupuncture.
As I’m currently undergoing some acupuncture therapy myself at the present time, it’s uppermost in my thoughts and so makes a very good subject to cover first.
But I’m not going into the whys and wherefores of acupuncture tight here. This post will be an introduction for anyone who has maybe considered going to an acupuncturist but has reservations. I hope to allay any fears you may have.
Firstly, I have sourced a good, reputable acupuncturist that was recommended me by several friends and reliable sources, so the question of his integrity and professionalism has already been pre-answered. The fact that he is a Chinese practitioner actually lends more weight to the feelgood factor, as these are the people who brought this technique to the western world.
Secondly, the practice is situated in three separate rooms in the back of the practitioner’s own herbal health shop which he runs with his wife. A family business that sits on a main road and has been established for a number of years, means he’s not going to simply take your money and disappear the next day!
Thirdly, when you enter the shop, it feels welcoming, the atmosphere is calming and reassuring and there is a fairly steady stream of repeat customers to further enhance his good reputation.
If you are considering going to see an acupuncturist, always check them out first. Make sure they practice from registered premises preferably like the one I am visiting who runs a very public family business from a small store premises. If you can obtain recommendations from several reliable sources this counts for much. Visit the practitioner’s premises first to get a feel for the place. Does it feel right to you? Does it appear professional and clean? It is busy? Does he have a lot of customers? This is a good indication that he has the respect of many past patients and customers alike.
If everything checks out and it feels right to you, then go ahead and book yourself a consultation.
The first one will normally take 45 minutes to an hour and the acupuncturist will ask you many questions as to your health in general, your background, your personal details and the specific problem you are seeing him for. He will check your tongue and place his hands on certain points of your body to find any painful areas and ascertain any underlying problems that you may not be aware of yourself.
The needles themselves are clean sterile and so tiny and you don’t feel them being inserted, so there is noting to worry about there.
You will be asked to either lay on your back or side and told to relax in that position where you’ll stay for the duration of the session – between half an hour and an hour depending upon the practitioner and the problem. Everyone will be different, so there are no specific timings that I can give you.
At the end of the session, he will remove the needles and you are done. I often feel extremely calm and relaxed when I leave the acupuncturist and much better in myself, so I personally know that the treatment is valid and working as it should.
In future posts I’ll cover other alternative cures and therapies.
Another alternative cure in the form of a plant that you’ll find in most gardens, often as an unwanted weed is the common stinging nettle (urtica dioica).
The stinging nettle has a very long history acting as a healing plant and alternative cure for many ailments. The common use for the stinging nettle is as a potherb which is used in soups and stews as well as to make delicious nettle tea.
While nettles are simple to use, be careful when picking as the leaves contain tiny stinging barbs that will irritate the skin. The sting is rendered harmless by drying or applying heat, so cooking the young leaves is the best way to get the full benefit from this plant.
Again, care should be observed by only use the young leaves from the top of the plant (nettle tops). This is because the older lower leaves contain gritty particles (called cystoliths) that can irritate the kidneys.
Use a standard basic soup recipe, chop and add the young nettle tops and boil for an additional ten minutes to make a delicious and highly nutritious soup. Nettle soup is easily digested and high in minerals (especially iron) and vitamins (especially A and C).
Nettle tea is also easy to make by infusing the young leaves for about five minutes in boiled water. This tea has traditionally been used as a cleansing tonic and blood purifier.
Nettle tops are best harvested in May or June just as the plant is coming into flower. They can be dried and stored for later use.
The health benefits:
The whole plant is anti-asthmatic, anti-dandruff, astringent, depurative, diuretic, galactogogue, haemostatic, hypoglycaemic and a stimulating, invigorating vitamin and mineral packed tonic.
Nettle juice from the stem can actually be used as an antidote to the stinging leaves. An infusion of the fresh leaves is healing and soothing as a lotion for burns.
Stinging Nettles as Alternative Cures:
An Internal Tonic and Alternative Cure: Taken internally, an infusion of nettle top is useful in stemming internal bleeding. It can also be used as a treatment for hay fever, arthritis, excessive menstruation, haemorrhoids, rheumatism and anaemia.
An External Skin Tonic: Externally, the leaves can be pulped or infused in boiling water as a rinse which can be used to treat skin complaints (especially eczema) sciatica, neuralgia, haemorrhoids and hair and scalp problems such as dandruff.
To Treat Dandruff: Make a hair wash from the infused leaves and this is used as a dandruff treatment. Wash the hair with very mild shampoo, then use the nettle wash as a rinse making sure it is rubbed well into the scalp.
Arthritis and Rheumatism: Wearing stout gloves, rub or beat fresh nettles leaves directly onto the skin to treat arthritis and rheumatism in the affected area. This practice known as urtification will create intense irritation to the skin as it is stung by the stingers in the nettle leaves. The belief is that this treatment acts as a counter-irritant, attracting more blood to the area to help remove the toxins causing the problem. The formic acid contained in nettles is also believed to have beneficial effects upon the rheumatic joints.
So don’t rip up and throw away those stinging nettles from your garden. Create an area that they can thrive and you’ll have another corner of your garden to use as natures own alternative cures clinic!
There are several common herbs that have health giving and healing properties that you will find in many gardens. One of the best known of the healing herbs is sage.
It’s Latin name is salvia meaning to save or to heal. It is an ancient herb and the healing properties of sage have been known for millenia.
Sage oil contains the chemical substances alpha- and beta-thujone, camphor and cineole as well as rosmarinic acid, tannins, and flavonoids.
Here are just some of the incredible properties of sage:
Memory Booster:- In a study in 1993 at the Universities of Newcastle and Northumbria it was discovered that test subjects who were given sage oil tablets performed much better in a “word recall test” than a control group given a placebo. From the results of this study experts believe the active ingredient in sage may boost levels of certain chemicals that help to transmit messages around the brain. It is also possible that sage could be of help to patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease. In many cases of Alzheimer’s there is a measurable drop in the same brain chemical which is boosted by sage in experiments.
Arthritis:- Sage has anti-inflammatory properties which go some way to helping alleviate the painful swelling that arthritis patients sufferer around the joints.
Sore Throats:- Sage contains powerful anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. It can be used as a natural gargle and still is commonly used in some parts of Europe as an alternative to commercially available treatments. It can also be used as a refreshing and tonic herbal tea to fight against coughs, colds and influenza.
Cancer:- Sage has antioxidant properties which make it a powerful natural weapon in the fight against cancer-causing free radicals in the body.
Wounds:- Sage has also been used for sprains, swelling, ulcers, and bleeding. This is again thanks to its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties as well as its styptic ability in helping to stop bleeding.
Sage is a powerful all rounder and one of the top healing herbs. Keep some in your garden as the plant is a hardy perennial which will grow well in almost any type of soil.
This is just a short post to mention the inclusion of a small block of adverts in the sidebar.
I mention them because up until now, I’ve resisted the temptation to advertise on this blog. Not for any moral or ethical reasons, simply because I prefer not to have a ton of flashing banners and gaudy ads polluting my blog!
Well, that would be fine, except I don’t ask for donations on this, or any of my blogs. So I figured it would not be unfair to include some ads in order that this blog can pay its way.
So please don’t get the idea that I’m going to fill this place up with ads, because I’m not - it’ll still keep it’s relatively simple, clean looks! It’s just time it started paying for its keep.
Terry Didcott is a qualified hypnotherapist and web designer among other things, but what truly inspired him to create this website was his life changing experience about thirteen years ago. Read the full article HERE
