Archive for September, 2009
Treating Arthritis with Bee Venom
Bees have obviously been around for a long time. My knowledge of bees was that they produced honey, which I like, and give stings, which I don’t. But it turns out that even the stings have beneficial properties.
There is a growing number of people that practice apitherapy, the use of beehive products, which includes honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom. Apitherapy has been around for a long time. In fact, Hippocrates, the Greek physician and philosopher, used bee venom to treat joint pain and swelling. But it is not just the holistic practitioners that use bee venom for treatment of pain and inflammation but those who practice conventional medicine have also been exploring the use of bee venom for treating a wide variety of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.
Honeybee venom contains 40 ingredients, at least 18 of which reduce pain and inflammation. These include mellitin, an anti-inflammatory agent which is one hundred times stronger than cortisone, adolapin, which is both anti-inflammatory and pain-blocking, dopamine and seratonin. It is believed that the combination of substances in bee venom causes the release of natural healing compounds in the body.
A study conducted by researchers in South Korea published in late 2004 delved into the contribution of mellitin. They found that mellitin inhibited the release of inflammatory genes that are involved in immune reactions. They concluded that “The potency of melittin in the inhibition of the inflammatory response may be of great benefit in degenerative and inflammatory diseases such as RA”.
Traditionally, bee venom was administered with live bees. For many people, the treatment, or the thought of getting stung, was a hindrance to trying this therapy. Manyapitherapy patients, however, find that the relief from their chronic pain far outweighs the discomfort from stings. Some of these patients endure up to 80 bee stings a day, although for most three to four stings, three times a week is effective. There are also injectable forms of venom, as well as creams and ointments.
Here are a couple of good resources: Bees Don’t Get Arthritis
Originally posted 2007-10-30 12:43:03. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Seattle Chiropractor: Chiropractic Care Can Not Only Help You Get Rid of Back Pain, But Foot Pain As Well!
It’s not surprising that Chiropractic Seattle Style has treated plenty of individuals suffering from foot pain, and knows all too well how commonplace painful foot problems are these days. Here’s why: We’ve all heard that movement is beneficial for the whole body, right? In fact, our overall good health relies upon our getting regular physical exercise. If that’s true, you may be pondering as to why so many individuals suffer from foot pain. After all, our feet are made for walking, aren’t they? Yes, but they aren’t designed for mistreatment.
The normal, healthy individual takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not counting activities like running and aerobic exercise. However, many times those steps are taken by individuals walking incorrectly, with poorly aligned gait patterns and bad posture.
Furthermore, many individuals wear poorly-designed, improperly-fitting shoes. Walking and exercising on feet that are impeded from functioning as they were meant to cannot help but to produce painful problems not only in a variety of places in the feet, but in other parts of the body, too. For example, if an individual over-pronates (walks like a duck) in shoes that are poorly-made or unevenly-worn, or in any pair of high heels, that person will not only develop foot and ankle challenges, but will probably experience challenges in the back, knees and legs.
The most prevalent foot problem is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a superbly-made, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that encircles the muscles on the bottom of the foot, fixes the heel bone to the ball of the foot, sustains the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock. As you can see, the healthy function of the plantar fascia is crucial for pain-free walking and exercise.
There are many factors that can be considered reasons for the development of Plantar Fascitis. Short and tight calf muscles are one factor. When calf muscles get short and tight they exert a strong pull on the back of the heel bone, producing undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia. What causes calf muscles to get short and tight? Besides aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, tennis, and similar activities that involve running and jumping, the wearing of high heels can produce the problem.
Other determinants that contribute to Plantar Fascitis include sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity, abnormal gait patterns (such as over-pronation), unsuitable footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (especially barefooted), and obesity.
Once developed, Plantar Fascitis is often not easy to manage and can become extremely painful and tenacious. Plantar Fascitis won’t go away without appropriate care.
If you are suffering from the pain of Plantar Fascitis, your chiropractor will be able to establish the cause of your problem and what chiropractic management would be most beneficial. Treatment might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, Graston technique, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, kinesio taping and, in some cases, orthotics.
Eating healthy on the cheap
We’re all cutting corners these days and finding ways to make our dollar go further. That might mean eliminating lavish items and activities, and even paring down the basic necessities. While some of us are tightening our wallets when it comes to spending, many are expanding their waistlines by turning to inexpensive, low-quality food. According to Slate, fast food giant McDonald’s is making a killing off the nation’s recession, with sales in 2008 surpassing the previous 2 years. They opened nearly 600 additional stores in 2008.
Many people have the perception that eating healthy is expensive and in fact, a luxury. We maintain that buying wholesome food is possible, even if your family is sticking to a tight budget. The truth is, buying processed foods and eating poorly can lead to a variety of diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Choosing fresh, healthy foods can improve your diet, quality of life and also prevent food-related illnesses, saving you costly bills at the doctor’s office.
With just a little preparation and grocery list in-hand, you can make healthy shopping an affordable and achievable goal. Check out graduate Michelle Pfennighaus’ blog, where she shares some of her penny-pinching tips for eating healthy food on a budget.
1. Cut back on animal products
2. Eat more beans and whole grains
3. Learn to adore the bulk aisle, buy only what you need
4. Drink water, cut back on bottled beverages
5. Eliminate prepared/processed food
6. Use what you have already, even if it means changing a recipe a little.
7. Plan, plan, plan. Don’t put it in your cart without knowing what you’re going to do with it.
Finally, be creative with your shopping and meal planning and have fun!
The Pros of Protein
You’re starving. Your stomach is screaming with hunger, demanding that you fill its emptiness with food. Unable to ignore the strengthening pangs, you examine the contents of your kitchen and to your horror, find that there’s not much. Your options are limited to pretzels, last night’s onion rings or some …