Guest guest Posted June 30, 2000 Report Share Posted June 30, 2000 Passed on information you might be interested in: > Thursday June 29, 8:00 am Eastern Time > Company Press Release > SOURCE: Reader's Digest > Alternative Healing: What Really Works > No One's Quite Sure How or If These Therapies Cure, But More Patients Each > Day Are Becoming Believers > PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., June 29 /PRNewswire/ > > Jerseyan Frank Hogan swears they cured his arthritis and got him back onto > the tennis court. Hypnosis? Diann Bruno of Louisiana says she needed just > three sessions to kick her long-time smoking habit. > > With an estimated four in 10 Americans now turning to alternative treatments > such as meditation or massage -- and paying some $27 billion yearly in the > process -- the July 2000 issue of Reader's Digest magazine asks: do these > therapies really work? A growing number of studies say yes, they may -- > although researchers are often at a loss to explain how or why. Reporter > Salley Shannon presents some of the latest findings on five popular > alternative therapies, and the new hope that they offer against everything > from chronic pain to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: > > > -- Acupuncture. The Chinese believe that needles inserted at specific body > points can properly restore your Qi, or energy flow; Western doctors > guess that the needles prompt the release of natural painkillers or > immune-system hormones. Either way, acupuncture is gaining wide > acceptance as a treatment for chronic pain, as well as for nausea > related to surgery, chemotherapy or pregnancy. It may even help former > addicts stay clean in detox programs. > -- Hypnosis. A relaxed, trancelike state seems to help ease pain, as well > as stress-related conditions such as asthma. With almost every medical > problem, " whether its migraine headaches or irritable bowel syndrome, > there is a significant overlay of anxiety and tension, " says Louisiana > State University's Dr. Dabney M. Ewin. " If you remove that part, which > you can do with hypnosis, they get a whole lot better. " > -- Magnets. Now found in everything from necklaces to golf shoes, magnets > are the latest " in " thing for back pain, arthritis or carpal tunnel > syndrome. While studies on their worth have been mixed thus far, > interesting research by Dr. Robert R. Holcomb of Vanderbilt University > suggests magnetic fields can indeed block the transmission of pain > impulses at the cellular level. > -- Massage. The University of Miami's Touch Research Institute has found > evidence that massage may help immune-system function, by reducing the > body's production of the stress hormone cortisol. Researchers are also > looking into possible benefits for children with asthma or cystic > fibrosis. > -- Biofeedback. By learning to control their physical responses -- with > devices that monitor everything from heart rate and brain waves to skin > temperature and muscle tension -- some patients have learned to control > migraine symptoms, digestive disorders, high blood pressure and other > disorders. The technique also works for children with attention-deficit > hyperactivity disorder, according to promising University of Tennessee > research. > > > While the health-care establishment remains largely wary, the July 2000 > Reader's Digest tells why many alternative therapies are joining the medical > mainstream. But however encouraging the new findings may be, the magazine > advises that you consult your regular physician before turning to any such > treatment. No one is better qualified to understand your overall health. > > For links to Web sites on alternative healing, visit > http://www.readersdigest.com. > -- Blessings, Crow " Look for Rainbows in the Darkness " -- --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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