Do you wish that the pathway to optimum health was paved with less visits to the doctor and fewer prescription medications? It can! Sixty-two percent of all Americans have discovered the secret healing powers of exemplary alternative remedies. They are safe, effective, and have few side effects.
Ask your doctor how you can hasten recovery time and minimize the use of prescription drugs with the help of the following:
- chiropractic care
- hypnosis
- massage therapy
- acupuncture
Chiropractic care
Chiropractors use their hands to manipulate and adjust damaged tissues and joints, thus helping to minimize inflammation and pain as well as speed up the healing process. Sometimes this form of alternative healing can produce mild soreness-similar to exercise-that can last up to two days.
Studies show that chiropractic care can be just as good as other forms of treatment such as drugs or surgery to alleviate an aching back. Subsequent studies have found that chiropractic care can help relieve migraine headaches as well as neck pain also.
Even though millions of patients have benefitted from chiropractic care, be forewarned about seeking treatment for a neck injury especially if you have a history of peripheral vascular disease or stroke. Do NOT seek chiropractic care if you have just had surgery, suffer from nervous tissue damage such as numbness or tingling in your arms and legs or have osteoporis.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is a form of therapy that allows a patient to achieve a deep state of relaxation to enable him to focus on and sometimes change specific thought processes, memories, behavior patterns, emotions, and even bodily functions! Don’t believe that your thoughts influence your body? Guess what? They can! Simply close your eyes and think about the coldest day in winter even if you are sweating in 85 degree heat and notice the goose bumps that form on your skin.
Harvard studies have shown that hypnosis is effective in combating different forms of pain such as low back pain, cancer pain, migraine headaches, etc. There is scientific evidence to prove that hypnosis can improve gastrointestinal disorders and lessen patient anxiety prior to a medical procedure.
Caution! If you seek the services of a hypnotherapist to help you lose weight or quit smoking, studies have shown that there is little evidence that hypnosis work. You also want to avoid hypnosis if you have had a history of seizures or psychiatric problems.
Massage therapy
Massage therapy involves the therapist’s fingers, hands, and fists that are used to massage the skin, muscles, and other soft tissues to help relax the body, increase blood flow to the peripheral tissues, initiate the release of the body’s natural painkillers such as endorphins and enkephalins, and boost the immune system.
Scientific research shows that therapeutic touch helps minimize withdrawal symptoms in people trying to quit smoking and alleviate migraine, labor, and cancer pain. This alternative form of healing can produce a positive effect on central nervous system activity. A 15-minute massage therapy session can lower anxiety and improve mood.
Patients should observe the following contraindications before getting a massage: deep vein thrombosis, bleeding disorder, compromised blood vessels, blood-thinning medications, or fever. If you are an expectant mom, have cancer, or cardiovascular anomalies, get an approval from your health care provider first.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture treatment involves the use of hair-thin needles that are inserted into the skin to help generate blood flow and speed up brain chemistry. The brain, in turn, initiates the release of endorphins (your body’s naturally occurring painkilling drugs) and neurotransmitters to bolster the immune system. This treatment helps to obtain balance in the rest of the body’s other systems such as the digestive or circulatory systems.
According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, if you have osteoarthritis of the knee, conventional medicine in conjunction with acupuncture can help to alleviate the pain and increase the range of motion. Further evidence shows that acupuncture is highly effective against nausea, menstrual cramps, lumbalgia (low back pain), and carpal tunnel syndrome.
If you still feel uneasy about being a human pincushion, communicate with your acupuncturist before the treatment and express any of your concerns or conditions.
Fabiola Valdez is a freelance article writer for DFWChiroMassage. She enjoys writing on topics such as chiropractic care, rolfing, massage therapy benefits, homeopathy, spinal decompression, nutrition, and other types of alternative health care.