THE TRUE MEANING OF HOLISTIC

I get a bit tired seeing the word “Holistic” used incorrectly. Often it is used merely to treat a disorder where unlike conventional medicine treats one ailment/disorder, it looks at the patient’s whole symptoms it may even take into account, their emotional/mental state but that is as far as it goes so to put the record straight Holistic medicine is a term used to describe therapies that attempt to treat the patient as a whole person. That is, instead of treating an illness, as in orthodox allopathic medicine, holistic medicine looks at an individual's overall physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing before recommending treatment.

An important part of treating someone “Holistically” is treating him/her spiritually as you cannot claim to treat someone holistically without the spiritual aspect. When I mention spiritually I am not talking about a specific religion or set of beliefs, for every religion mentions the spiritual side of us and in holistic therapies, we are mind, body and spirit, essentially we are spirit within a human body. If we tackle this part of us we will achieve inner harmony for dis-harmony and dis-ease begins in the very essence of us “The Spirit”. 

Astrid Brown (Author) › Visit Amazon's Astrid Brown Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more

WOMEN LIVING NATURALLY-HOLISTIC TREATMENT FOR MENOPAUSE ETC.

As you know this is primarily a Holistic Blog and I was pleased to find this useful information site 

Women Living Naturally

Women Living Naturally was created to give women as much information as possible on their health care concerns.

The site offers you the latest, most trusted information & alternative holistic treatment for Menopause, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Polycystic Ovarian Disorder so you can make an informed choice to improve and extend your life. Given the facts you can decide to try natural holistic agents that have been tested and verified by certified facilities.

Astrid Brown (Author) › Visit Amazon's Astrid Brown Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more

REFLEXOLOGY AS A PAINKILLER

As a lecturer and a pioneer in bringing reflexology into hospitals I am surprised its taken so long to recognise how effective a therapy it is. The article below mine here is from the Daily Mail, which states "Reflexology may be as effective as painkillers for conditions as backache and arthritis".

Reflexology dates back to ancient civilisations such as Egypt, India and China, but this therapy was only introduced to the West in the early 20th Century. The oldest documentation of Reflexology comes from a pictograph in the dates back to ancient civilisations such as Egypt, India and China, but  this therapy was only introduced to the West in the early 20th Century.

The oldest documentation of Reflexology comes from a pictograph in the tomb of an Egyptian Physician Ankhmahor (2500-2330 B.C.) at Saqquara near Cairo.

It shows two men working on the feet and hands of two other men. The hieroglyphics above the scene read‘ Do not let it be painful’ says one of the patients.‘ I do as you please’ the practitioner says

In China there is evidence of some form of foot and hand therapy being practiced as long ago as 4,000 B.C., and the North American Indians have practised a form of foot therapy for hundreds of years. It was not until Dr William Fitzgerald USA 1872-1942 who was an Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon. He practiced in the USA, briefly in London and Vienna for 2 years. He was the founder of “Zone Therapy”, an early form of reflexology. But it was medical journalist Dr. Edwin Bowers who suggested his method be known as 'Zone Therapy'. Through research Dr. Fitzgerald discovered that if he exerted pressure on the tips of the toes or fingers, a corresponding part of the body would be anaesthetised. From this theory he divided the body into 10 equal zones running from the top of the head to the tips of the toes. He found that by applying pressure using tight bands of elastic on the middle section of each finger, or by using small clamps that were placed on the tips, he could carry out minor surgery using this technique only. These were very controversial ideas at the time.

However it was Eunice Ingham (1889 -1974) USA “The Mother of Modern Reflexology” who finally developed it to the form we now know and recognise. She was a Physiotherapist who worked in a Doctors practice and she used Dr Fitzgerald’s Zone Therapy method. However, she felt that the therapy could be more effective on the feet than the hands. After extensive research she evolved a map of the entire body on the feet. Hence the saying ‘The feet are a mirror of the body’. Eunice Ingham travelled around America for 30 years teaching Reflexology first to Doctors and Nurses and then to non-medical practitioners. It was in 1966 Doreen Bailey who was a former student of Eunice Ingham, returned to England and became the pioneer of reflexology as we know today in the UK

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ARTICLE BELOW FROM THE DAILY MAIL

Reflexology may be as effective as painkillers for conditions such as back ache and arthritis

• People felt 40% less pain and were able to stand pain for about 45% longer when they had the treatment
• Researchers say is the first time reflexology has been scientifically tested as a treatment for acute pain

Reflexology may be as effective as painkillers for common conditions such as osteoarthritis, new research suggests. 
Those who had the treatment felt about 40 per cent less pain, and were able to stand pain for about 45 per cent longer when they used the complementary therapy as a method of pain relief.
The researchers, from the University of Portsmouth, said it was the first time this therapy had been scientifically tested as a treatment for acute pain.

Reflexology reduced pain by 40 per cent and people who had the therapy were able to stand pain for 45 per cent longer, researchers found 

Dr Carol Samuel, a trained reflexologist who carried out the experimental procedures as part of her PhD studies,  said the results suggested reflexology could be used to in conjunction with drugs to treat conditions such as osteoarthritis and back pain. 
Participants attended two sessions, in which they were asked to submerge their hand in ice water.
In one of the sessions they were given reflexology before they submerged their hand, and in the other session they believed they were receiving pain relief from a Tens machine, which was not actually switched on.
The researchers found that when the participants received reflexology prior to the session, they were able to keep their hand in the ice water for longer before they felt pain, and that they could also tolerate the pain for a longer period of time.
Dr Samuel said: 'As we predicted, reflexology decreased pain sensations.
'It is likely that reflexology works in a similar manner to acupuncture by causing the brain to release chemicals that lessen pain signals.'
Dr Ivor Ebenezer, co-author of the study, said: 'We are pleased with these results. Although this is a small study, we hope it will be the basis for future research into the use of reflexology.'

The findings suggest reflexology could help with conditions such as back ache and osteoarthritis

Reflexology involves applying pressure to any body area but is commonly used on either the feet, as it was in this study.
The researchers used a small study of 15 people to determine whether reflexology would be more effective than no pain relief at all.
Dr Ebenezer said: 'Complementary and alternative therapies come in for a lot of criticism, and many have never been properly tested scientifically.
'One of the common criticisms by the scientific community is that these therapies are often not tested under properly controlled conditions.
'When a new drug is tested, its effects are compared with a sugar pill.
'If the drug produces a similar response to the sugar pill, then it is likely that the drug's effect on the medical condition is due to a placebo effect.
'In order to avoid such criticism in this study, we compared the effects of reflexology to a sham Tens control that the participants believed produced pain relief.
'This is the equivalent of a sugar pill in drug trials.'
Dr Samuel added: 'This is an early study, and more work will need to be done to find out about the way reflexology works.
'However, it looks like it may be used to complement conventional drug therapy in the treatment of conditions that are associated with pain, such as osteoarthritis, backache and cancers.'
The study has been published in the Journal of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

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"Homeopathy DOESN’T work" Only the ignorant would say this!

I am totally incensed by a flawed study and an article written by someone who is totally ignorant of how Holistic Medicine works

  ***see below

It really annoys me when holistic/complementary medicine is labelled as 'Alternative medicine' Homeopathy is NOT an alternative it is complementary to conventional medicine, it does have it's limitations and will not work if 'too much organic change' has occurred. The word 'disease' is self explanatory and means the body is not at ease, for in holistic medicine we believe disease begins firstly within the spirit. The word 'holistic' means 'mind, body and spirit' after all there is much more to us than simply a physical body. If you can catch disease before it causes too much organic i.e. physical, change you can cure it and it is on this aspect homeopathy works.

As for saying homeopathy has a placebo effect then why are there successful homeopathic vets? and how is it successful on babies and young children? neither of which have the capacity to understand placebos.

Of course if you pick up a bottle of homeopathic pills from your local branch of Boots likelihood they won't work for your ailment unless you have a good understanding of 'taking the case' and understanding the laws of cure and how this system of medicine works.

Homeopathy cannot and should not be compared to conventional science, it just doesn't work in this way as it is a vibrational medicine and works on the spirit i.e. the 'Aura'. It wasn't so long ago the aura was dismissed until it was proven by 'Kirlian photography and I personally believe one day people will understand scientifically how homeopathy works, just because it cannot explained scientifically at the moment we shouldn't dismiss homeopathy as 'Quackery'. There was a time when people believed the Earth was flat and called those who didn't as wrong so look at it with an open mind!

*************************************

Homeopathy is my first love when it comes to Holistic medicine as was the first Holistic therapy that took me on my journey first as a student, then practioner and then lecturer in this field. So when it comes to ailments this is the first place I look. The beauty of Homeopathy is that it is so safe and gentle with no side effects. As you read about individual medicines, you would notice that homeopathic medicines are multipurpose and each of them covers wide range of symptoms. Polycrests particularly cover lots of symptoms that belong to various diseases. That is why homeopathy is capable of effectively treating most of the diseases. The point to note is that when a medicine is selected for a particular set of symptoms, it is not necessary that the person would have or should have all the symptoms indicated under that medicine. At times even key symptoms would only be considered but generally overall picture of the symptoms is considered to make the selection giving special importance to key symptoms. This rule is applied particularly in chronic cases. In acute cases, the methodology is somewhat different. However, each practitioner has own ways of doing it and maintains his own list of medicines

*Origins of Homeopathy, the word “Homeopathy” is derived from two Greek words meaning “similar suffering”. History tells us that it was the Greek physician Hippocrates, who, in the fifth century, first wrote of the medical practice of treating like with like. So far as is known he was the first doctor to treat an illness with a substance that produces, in a healthy person, similar symptoms to those displayed by the person who is ill. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the principle “similia similibus curentur”, (let likes be cured by likes), was quoted by many physicians, including Paracelsus, often regarded as the ‘father’ of holistic medicine. Homeopathy is therefore not new but the form we know today is attributed to Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755 - 1843), a German Physician who in 1796 prove his "Law of similars". The basic principal  of homeopathy is "Let like be cured by like". There is no scientific proof as to how Homeopathy works and although individual trials have positive results, some researchers have suggested this is down to a placebo effect. However that argument falls down when it comes to work on animals and many vets use homeopathy on animals.

Homeopathic remedies are prepared by serial dilution, the term used for this is called succession, (succession means shaken)  this is known as potentisation. For example  the original solution, known as a mother tincture and one example is a plant or herb, though homeopathic remedies are made from a variety of substances, and the herb is placed in a solution of alcohol. This is left to potenize  and the liquor strained off and this is known as 'Mother Tincture'. In the "C" system of potency or '100', one drop of this mother tincture is placed with 99 drops of alcohol and succussed and this makes '1C'. To make 2C, one drop of 1C is added to 99 drops of alcohol, succussed and this makes 2C and so on some remedies go on being diluted well into the millions e.g. 2M. The medicines are often given in tablet form, though they can be powders or even applied topically as in a cream. To make the tablets/powders a few drops of the appropriate remedy tincture is added to a bottled or phial of lactose tablets/powder and these pills are to be allowed to dissolve in a clean mouth, that is a mouth not tainted with strong flavours such as mint or coffee as they would neutralise the effect of the remedy as homeopathic medicines are very gentle and delicate. Generally 30 mins should have elapsed since eating etc.

Homeopathy works on an energy/vibrational level and treats the whole person i.e. holistically and not just a specific disease or symptom but takes into account of how the patient is feeling mentally, emotionally as well as physically. The homeopath taking the case will want to know, if the weather affects the condition in anyway, does food for example does eating cold food make the patient feel worse or better and taking a case history a patient can expect an hour long consultation as the homeopath is looking for the correct remedy to match the homeopathic drug picture. The homoeopath, views the symptoms as a direct manifestation of the body’s attempt to heal itself therefore a substance is given capable of producing similar symptoms if given to a well person. Homeopathy does not treat diseases but, rather, individuals with specific symptom pictures.

Homeopathy do not have side effects as they work in a totally different way from orthodox medicine however if a remedy is not quite right the patient could end up proving a remedy, where symptoms may show up but no harm will come to the patient. Occasionally, on first taking a Homeopathic medicine, the symptoms become worse. This is one of the "Laws of Cure" and called an ‘aggravation’, and should be regarded as a good sign as it shows that the remedy is working you should stop taking the remedy until the aggravation has passed and only resume if necessary. Aggravations are most common with skin disorders, as the body “throws out” the disease. Higher potencies work at a much deeper level. Occasionally patients may exhibit symptoms of conditions suffered prior to condition under treatment, or their symptoms may manifest in other parts of the body. For this reason only trained homoeopaths should prescribe high potencies because only they can properly monitor such situations. Other users should limit themselves to the 6th and 30th potencies. When you think about how homeopathic medicines are made in effect it can be quite difficult to ascertain how they do work for when the remedies are succussed theres no actually remedy in the solution especially when it comes down to the very high potencies. There are different theories to how this may be one is that the liquor used in making the remedies retains a memory or the original substances and this is transmuted in an energy.

The "Laws of Cure" from a more important organ to a lesser one i.e. an internal organ to external like the skin, from above down i.e. from pains in the abdomen the pain travels down the legs to the feet then out of the body. And ailments in reverse order, symptoms from old ailments may manifest themselves before leaving the body. You will feel better in yourself, even though you are still suffering from the ailment and the aggravation, where the ailment worsens before getting better.

***  I refer to the article from the Daily Mail below

 

Homeopathy DOESN’T work: New video reveals the flawed science of claims 

• In recent years numerous studies have revealed major flaws in principles
• Extreme dilution can mean none of the active ingredient is left in solution
• There has been no repeatable evidence to support claims of effectiveness
• A recent review of 200 studies concluded it is no better than a placebo

Homeopathic remedies have been used for roughly 200 years as an alternative method to curing ailments – but that doesn’t mean they work.

In recent years, scientists have conducted numerous analyses to determine the effectiveness of homeopathics, all revealing major flaws within the fundamental principles.

Homeopathic remedies are no more effective than placebos, a video from the American Chemical Society explains, and are not only a waste of money, but could be putting your health at risk. 

Homeopathic remedies have been used for roughly 200 years as an alternative method to curing ailments – but that doesn’t mean they actually work. In recent years, scientists have conducted numerous analyses to determine the effectiveness of homeopathics, all revealing major flaws within the fundamental principles

This type of alternative medicine represents a distinct category; not all natural or herbal remedies are considered homeopathic.

The term was first coined in 1807 by a German doctor named Samuel Hahnemann, the Reactions video explains, and focuses on three principles: like cures like (the most famous), dilution, and ‘water remembers.’

Hahnemann believed that medicine in his time was doing more harm than good, so he began to conduct experiments on volunteers and himself.

One such experiment included eating the bark of a cinchona tree, which was then used as a treatment for malaria.

Scientists have since found that this bark contains quinine, an antimalarial drug.

After eating some of the bark, Hahnemann experienced symptoms which he likened to those of malaria, spawning the first principle ‘like cures like.’

The doctor thought that if a substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them.

After eating some of the bark, Hahnemann experienced symptoms which he likened to those of malaria, spawning the first principle ‘like cures like.’ The doctor thought that if a substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them

THE FLAWED SCIENCE OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Homeopathy was built around three principles: 'like cures like,' dilution, and 'water remembers.'

The practice was spawned about 200 years ago, and modern reviews of homeopathy studies have concluded that it is only as effective as a sugar pill – a placebo.

The first principle, like cures like, suggests that if a particular substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them.

This goes hand in hand with the second principle, in which the active ingredient is diluted to extreme amounts, based on a scale that increases by factors of 100.

But, recent studies have shown that ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial,’ the video explains. 

The third principle of homeopathy claims that ‘water remembers,’ which goes to say that the water can ‘remember’ what has been dissolved in it, passing it along to the patient.

There has been no repeatable evidence of this found to date, though. 

The video cites a review from the US National Institute of Health which said that the key concepts of homeopathy are ‘inconsistent with fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics.’ 

So, the remedy uses just a tiny amount of the active ingredient.

To explain why homeopathic remedies are problematic, the video points to the example of coffea cruda, an extremely diluted form of unroasted coffee beans used to treat sleeplessness.

This can be made by putting one drop of the coffee bean extract in a vial containing nine drops of water, and then taking a drop from that vial and putting it in another containing nine drops of water.

The process is then repeated sixty times.

The video points to the example of coffea cruda. This can be made by putting one drop of the coffee bean extract in a vial containing nine drops of water, and then taking a drop from that vial and putting it in another containing nine drops of water. The process is then repeated sixty times

Based on Hahnemann’s work, homeopathic remedies use a dilution scale that increases by factors of 100, which is denoted with a ‘C.’ But as the video explains, ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial’

Based on Hahnemann’s work, homeopathic remedies use a dilution scale that increases by factors of 100, which is denoted with a ‘C.’

But as the video explains, ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial.’

That means that by the 60th vial, there isn’t any coffee extract left in the solution at all.

The third principle of homeopathy claims that ‘water remembers,’ which goes to say that the water can ‘remember’ what has been dissolved in it, passing it along to the patient.

But, no repeatable evidence of this has been found to date.

According to the video, all of the foundational principles of the practice are ‘bunk,’ citing a review from the US National Institute of Health which said that the key concepts of homeopathy are ‘inconsistent with fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics.’

This type of alternative medicine is not evaluated by the FDA.

And, a 2015 report from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council looked at the results of roughly 200 studies on the effectiveness of homeopathy.

Through this, they determined that these are no better than a sugar pill, and are not proven effective for any health condition.

This means that some patients could be skipping necessary care and putting their lives at risk.

The video points to the example of a homeopathic asthma inhaler; an untreated asthma attack can be fatal, and a patient turning to this type of remedy is essentially using a placebo.

For less severe medical uses, they say it is at best a harmless waste of money. 

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NATURAL AND OLD FASHIONED REMEDIES

Since this is essentially a Holistic Webpage and because I strongly believe in Holistic Medicine I came across this article. I've featured Honey more than once as a remedy for ailments in the past and this article reinforces this.

This article is from the Daily Mail and extracted from a book "Old-fashioned Remedies — From Arsenic To Gin" by Dr Rob Hicks.

Got a nasty insect bite? TEABAGS could be the answer says GP, who reveals natural remedies to all your holiday health woes

• Dr Rob Hicks, a London GP, says most ailments can be treated naturally
• Honey can be used on minor wounds as the sugar can kill bacteria
• Cucumber soothes sunburn, ginger tackles travel sickness and bananas kill a hangover

By DR ROB HICKS

Holidays are a much longed-for time to relax and you don’t want them ruined by a health complaint. Yet few of us have room to pack a first-aid kit. Here, Dr Rob Hicks, a London GP, offers his DIY tips for dealing with everyday medical problems.

HONEY OR SUGAR FOR MINOR WOUNDS

For centuries honey has been used to treat skin wounds and burns

Small grazes or cuts can become infected, especially in hot climates where bacteria can flourish.

For centuries honey has been used to treat skin wounds and burns and is now used in hospitals around the globe to deal with skin infections.

Honey helps kill the bacteria that may cause infection. When honey comes into contact with damaged skin, it triggers the production of antibacterial hydrogen peroxide.

Furthermore, the sugars in honey mean there is little space for water molecules (bacteria need water to survive, so reducing the amount available makes it hard for them to thrive). Dabbing on honey or a sprinkling of sugar can deprive the bacteria of water, which ultimately destroys them.

After washing hands thoroughly, clean the wound, dab a little honey on it and cover with a clean dressing. Any honey will do — you don’t need to use the expensive kind.

Alternatively, sprinkle on sugar. To prevent spillage, smear a thin coating of petroleum jelly around the wound first.

These ‘sweet’ treatments can be reapplied a couple of times a day.

If the injured area becomes red, hot, painful, or discharges pus, or if fever occurs, seek medical advice straight away as this may indicate an infection.

TEABAGS FOR  INSECT BITES

A bite from a gnat, midge, mosquito or even an ant will normally cause a red lump with a hole in the middle — this then turns itchy as the bite can provoke a mild allergy-like reaction. As a result chemicals called histamines are released into the surrounding skin, which is what gives us the maddening urge to itch.

While bites themselves are rarely a problem, this itch can be, as scratching can break the skin and introduce infection that, in turn, leads to potential problems such as scarring.

There are endless possible treatments, but two of my favourites are teabags and oatmeal.

Steep a few teabags in boiling water for ten minutes, allow to cool and then apply the liquid to the sting site using a cloth. This helps to relieve inflammation as tannins in the tea are astringent, so reduce the swelling.

Alternatively, mix uncooked oatmeal and water into a paste and apply to the itchy area directly, or put the paste into a muslin cloth and hold to the skin.

Oatmeal can help reduce inflammation and has a calming, cooling effect on the bite.

Steep a few teabags, left, in boiling water for ten minutes, allow to cool and apply liquid to the insect bite using a cloth. It will help to relive inflammation of the sting

BICARBONATE OF SODA FOR CYSTITIS

Variously called sodium bicarbonate, baking soda, or simply ‘bicarb’, it’s good to have a small tub of this in your travel bag.

On holiday, exposure to chemicals such as the chlorine in the swimming pool can irritate the area where urine leaves the body (the urethra) and can trigger cystitis in women. Essentially, this is inflammation of the bladder and can lead to a burning sensation when you pass urine.

There are other factors that can make it a common holiday ailment: heat and alcohol can dehydrate the body, making the bladder more prone to inflammation; ‘holding on’ when it’s inconvenient to go to the toilet, or facilities are unavailable, can also contribute.

Bicarb is alkaline, so drinking half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda stirred into a glass of water several times a day helps as it makes urine less acidic and less likely to cause stinging.

It won’t reduce the inflammation in the bladder but it will reduce the pain while the inflammation goes down.

If symptoms don’t improve after a couple of days, or if you have a fever, blood in the urine or loin pain, seek medical advice straight away.

CUCUMBER FOR SUNBURN

Sunburn can occur in as little as 20 minutes. But you may not even know you have been burnt until five hours later when the damage done will come out as red inflamed patches of skin.

Cucumber, a well-known soothing remedy for tired and sore eyes, can also help bring relief to sore, sunburned skin.

This is because it contains vitamin C and caffeic acid (an antioxidant also found in coffee) which both have anti-inflammatory effects that help reduce the irritation of sunburn.

Cucumber, a well-known soothing remedy for tired and sore eyes, can also help bring relief to sore, sunburned skin because it contains vitamin C and caffeic acid (an antioxidant also found in coffee) which both have anti-inflammatory effects

While many foods contains vitamin C, it’s the combination of these compounds that works best — together with the cooling effects of the cucumber, especially if it’s been in the fridge.

For small areas of skin, slices of cool cucumber can be put straight on. If larger areas are affected, it may be more practical to grind cucumber into a paste using a blender or fork, then apply.

To make it less messy, you can hold it in place with a sterile dressing and keep it there for as long as is needed.

BANANAS FOR HANGOVER

Drinking won’t just dehydrate you (because alcohol is a diuretic), many people also feel light-headed and woozy the morning after.

This is because normally the liver releases glucose into the bloodstream. But when the liver is busy processing alcohol, this doesn’t happen, which can lead to low blood sugar levels.

While drinking plenty of water can rehydrate you, a banana helps raise depleted sugar levels — the reason being that it has a low glycaemic index. This means the sugar it contains is released slowly.

While a biscuit, for example, would raise blood sugar, it would do it quickly, so the body would release a flood of insulin to quickly reduce blood sugar levels.

This sudden fall in blood sugar would leave you feeling just as bad as you had before. The banana would give a more sustained recovery. A banana is also gentle on the stomach, which may be irritated by the alcohol.

CAMOMILE TEA FOR SORE EYES

Tea, especially camomile, is a particularly good choice for swollen and irritated eyes, whether caused by lack of sleep, allergies or simply sand.

Camomile contains anti-irritant compounds such as terpenoids, and flavonoids, a form of antioxidant that soothes inflammation.

Brew a cup of camomile tea. Remove the teabag and allow it to cool then place against closed eyes.

GINGER FOR TRAVEL SICKNESS

Travel sickness is caused by conflicting information received by the brain from the ears about balance and from the eyes about what you see. This jumble of information triggers feelings of nausea and tummy upset when travelling in cars, boats and planes.

Ginger is used to relieve morning sickness in pregnancy and to help overcome the nausea associated with chemotherapy. Some scientific studies suggest that it can also help with motion sickness.

It’s believed that compounds called gingerols and shogaols — which give ginger its spiciness — are what provide the benefits, possibly by blocking chemical messages in the brain, so helping to relax muscles in the stomach and gut.

How you take it is up to you, but popular ways include ginger tea, ginger biscuits and dried ginger

Note: The content of this feature is for information purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions.

Dr Rob Hicks’s book Old-fashioned Remedies — From Arsenic To Gin, published by Remember When, is available now.

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LEECH THERAPY

Since this is a holistic website I thought I would post this article from the Daily Mail. 

The European medical leech Hirudo medicinalis and some congeners, as well as some other species, have been used for clinical bloodletting for thousands of years. The use of leeches in medicine dates as far back as 2,500 years ago, when they were used for bloodletting in ancient India. Leech therapy is explained in ancient Ayurvedic texts. Many ancient civilizations practiced bloodletting, including Indian and Greek civilizations. In ancient Greek history, bloodletting was practiced according to the humoral theory, which proposed that, when the four humors, blood, phlegm, black and yellow bile in the human body were in balance, good health was guaranteed. An imbalance in the proportions of these humors was believed to be the cause of ill health. Records of this theory were found in the Greek philosopher Hippocrates' collection in the fifth century BC. Bloodletting using leeches was one method used by physicians to balance the humors and to rid the body of the plethora.

The use of leeches in modern medicine made its comeback in the 1980s after years of decline, with the advent of microsurgeries, such as plastic and reconstructive surgeries. In operations such as these, problematic venous congestion can arise due to inefficient venous drainage. Sometimes, because of the technical difficulties in forming an anastomosis of a vein, no attempt is made to reattach a venous supply to a flap at all. This condition is known as venous insufficiency. If this congestion is not cleared up quickly, the blood will clot, arteries that bring the tissues their necessary nourishment will become plugged, and the tissues will die. To prevent this, leeches are applied to a congested flap, and a certain amount of excess blood is consumed before the leech falls away. The wound will also continue to bleed for a while due to the anticoagulant hirudin in the leeches' saliva. The combined effect is to reduce the swelling in the tissues and to promote healing by allowing fresh, oxygenated blood to reach the area.

The active anticoagulant component of leech saliva is a small protein, hirudin. Discovery and isolation of this protein led to a method of producing it by recombinant technology. Recombinant hirudin is available to physicians as an intravenous anticoagulant preparation for injection, particularly useful for patients who are allergic to or cannot tolerate heparin.

Gruesome, medieval and utterly bizarre... but leeches freed me from awful migraines

• Writer Emma Parker Bowles cures her headaches with leeches
• Leech therapy, or hirudotherapy, involves having leeches such your blood
• Leeches have been used for medicinal purposes for over 3,000 year

This sucks: Emma Parker Bowles tries leech therapy in the hope that it will cure her migranes

They undulate through the water in their glass bowl, the shiny black shapes glinting as they catch the light. 

And when I peer closely at the leeches, I am sure they writhe and wriggle faster – excited as they sense me, their next meal. 

These bloodsuckers are about to be put on my face.

Their ‘keeper’, Alicja Kolyszko, puts her tweezers in the water to catch one.

‘They are very hungry,’ she says in her jolly Eastern European accent. ‘You are going to be their last supper!’

I am drawn to things dark and gruesome. And it doesn’t get much more gruesome than having bloodsuckers attached to your personage.

Dear Lord, what have I let myself in for?

As Alicja advances towards me, with a long black slimy creature wriggling in the grip of her tweezers, I remind myself just how bad my migraines are, and how I would go to any lengths to get rid of them.

The word headache doesn’t even begin to describe them – as the eight million Britons who suffer from migraines will no doubt agree. 

Migraines are miserable with bells on – actually, the idea of listening to the sound of a bell with a migraine brings me out in a sweat. When I am suffering with one, I can’t even stand the sound of my sheets rustling.

Apart from the intense throbbing, all-encompassing pain in my head, I also feel extremely nauseous and sensitive to light. I feel as if I am a vampire – a small sliver of daylight and POOF: I will spontaneously combust.

But don’t just take my word for it: severe migraine attacks are classified by the World Health Organisation as among the most disabling illnesses, comparable to dementia, quadriplegia and psychosis.

I had my first migraine at boarding school when I was 15. It was a hot summer, and when the school gardener got going with his lawnmower outside my window, I literally wanted to die.

Oddly, I didn’t have another one until my 20s and since then they have struck sporadically – I could go for six months without suffering, then there would be a whole week of agony.

Say hello to my little friend: ¿Hirudotherapist¿ Alicja shows Emma the leeches which are about to be places on her face to feast on her blood

Some find there are triggers: hormonal cycles, stress, red wine. But mine hit me without rhyme or reason.

Which is why I decided to give leech therapy, or hirudotherapy – to give the treatment its correct medical term – a go.

As a believer in alternative medicine, I wanted to try something natural and holistic that didn’t involve days spent downing industrial-strength analgesics.

I remembered reading about Demi Moore having leech therapy at a clinic in Austria last year. The actress had the treatment to ‘detoxify her blood’ as part of an alternative beauty therapy. 

‘I have always been somebody looking for the cutting edge of things that are optimising your health and healing,’ she said afterwards. If it’s good enough for Demi, it’s good enough for me, I thought.

Living in Los Angeles now, I have seen Demi in the flesh. Up close, believe it or not, she is a natural beauty, very un-Hollywood. No fillers or collagen that I could detect.

So if the leeches could do things for my appearance as well as my health, then all the better.

And before you put me and Demi in a box marked ‘Complete loons’, it seems modern medicine is also looking to this rather medieval practice as a solution for a host of ailments.

Vampire weekend: Alicija careful places the leaches on Emma's face to start the migrane treatment

In the 1980s, leeches began to be used by reconstructive plastic surgeons needing to remove stagnant blood from reattached limbs, to stave off gangrene.

But now there are numerous studies into medical uses for leeches. One found that a single session of leeching – the medical application of bloodsucking leeches – can significantly reduce knee pain caused by arthritis for at least two months.

Researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany claimed improvement levels were comparable to those achieved with daily moderate doses of painkillers such as ibuprofen. And before you say you’d probably rather pop a pill, consider the damage regularly taking painkillers can do to the stomach.

AT THE BLEEDING EDGE OF MEDICINE - FOR 3,000 YEARS

Bloodletting is the withdrawal  of quantities of blood from a patient to cure or prevent illness and disease.

Evidence of the practice dates back 3,000 years to Ancient Egypt. It was widespread in mid-19th Century Britain, when six million leeches were imported each year for this purpose.

Though doctors recommended it – fevers, apoplexy and headaches were thought to be caused by ‘too much blood’ – barbers carried out the procedure. 

Leeches – parasitic worms that feed on blood – were used as an alternative to just cutting the patient’s arm to release blood.

The withdrawal of enough blood to induce syncope (fainting) was considered beneficial, and many sessions would end only when the patient began to swoon.

Bloodletting was discredited at the end of the 19th Century as doctors felt it left patients weak and prone to infection, but it has had a recent resurgence, with a wave of celebrities trying it.

Another clinical trial at the university is investigating whether nerve pain caused by shingles could also be remedied by leeching.

The secret is in the leeches’ saliva: it apparently contains a large number of analgesic, anaesthetic, and blood-thinning compounds that tackle pain and inflammation, say the researchers.

Google led me to Alicja, a Russian/Polish hirudotherapist with ten years’ experience. She is based in Las Vegas and New York but she has clients from all around the world.

Her passion for natural medicine goes back to her childhood in 1960s Poland, where leeches were used as a popular ‘country healing method’ to cure various health problems. 

Back then, Kolyszko reminisces, leeches were sold at many pharmacies. Her grandmother would bring one home whenever any family member got sick, pop it on for an hour, and everything would be better.

I called her and within five minutes I was swept away by her passion for leeches, or ‘black pearls’, as she describes them.

These aren’t your common-or- garden leeches (there are more than 700 species that live wild in freshwater and marine environments – one once attached itself to my buttock while I was bathing in the Mekong river in Cambodia). 

Medicinal leeches are specially cultivated in a sterile environment. The largest leech farm in the world – Biopharm in Hendy, South Wales – was established in 1812, moving to its current base in 1984.

Alicja has treated people with all sorts of conditions and illnesses, from infertility to heart conditions to alopecia, and even runs a hirudotherapy training school.

She says the secretions from leeches’ saliva can be used to treat the entire spectrum of physiology: blood-clotting, digestion, connective tissue, disease, pain, inhibition of enzymes, and as a treatment for inflammation.

Go with the flow: An illustration showing a doctor performing bloodletting on a man

Armed with this information, and her assurance that she had helped many migraine patients live pain-free, I find myself reclining on my living-room sofa waiting for a leech to bite into me for the first time. It is – how can I put it politely? – an unusual experience.

For a start, when they sense (I am told, smell) flesh, they wiggle and crane their heads toward you. But the worst part is the anticipation. It’s like getting an injection – the sensible thing is not to look at the needle, though I find it impossible not to. And so it is with the wriggling leech.

Just before it bit into me, I could feel its cold and slimy body against my temple. But once it actually did, I was relieved that it felt like no more than a mild sting – the leech secretes an anaesthetic that numbs the skin, otherwise the pain would be unbearable. Botox is a million times worse.

Once Alicja is sure the leech has got to work, then it’s time for the next one, and the one after that, until you have four attached to you. You can definitely feel them working – it is a mild tugging sensation.

I know this sounds extraordinary, but I felt incredibly relaxed. The treatment takes about 40 minutes, until the leech is full and falls off, leaving a mark in the shape of a peace sign. They swell to about four times their normal size, as they become gorged with blood.

Once the leeches have done their job, Alicja sends them off to leech heaven by putting them in alcohol (she says it upsets her every time) as reusing them would risk cross-infections. The few hours after the treatment are not for the squeamish – as you do continue to bleed. The next day, I felt exhausted but wonderful. Within a few days, the wounds scab and disappear.

To get the most out of hirudotherapy, you need about three sessions within weeks of each other. I have not had a migraine since that first session. More than that, I feel rejuvenated.

Leeches really are miracle workers. I am a total convert.

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