Author Archive
Fatigue – the Holistic Approach to evaluation and treatment
Posted by: | CommentsThe holistic approach to evaluating fatigue involves considering what I believe are three major domains of possible dysfunction. They are the biochemical, the energetic and the mental/emotional domains.
The biochemical domain is meant to represent many of the standard medical reasons a person may have fatigue, such as due to infections, inflammatory conditions, metabolic derangements, hematologic reasons, etc.
These are investigated using standard medical methods such as lab analysis, history and physical and imaging studies. What is also included though are ideas and biochemical evaluations into areas not typically considered in standard medical practice. This might include investigating for hormonal imbalances such as sub clinical thyroid disorder, sex hormone imbalances (progesterone, estrogen, testosterone), adrenal glandular dysfunction, nutritional imbalances, heavy metal and other toxicity, etc.
The energetic domain represents ideas based on the broad family of energy medicine techniques and methods. Concepts taken from diverse disciplines such as Homeopathy, Chinese medicine, Applied Kinesiology and others have the common thread of understanding of an energy “system” which is inherent to our being.
Just as standard medicine recognizes various organ systems such as the gastrointestinal system, the nervous system, the immunological system, etc., energy medicine proponents recognize the existence of an “energy system” which may be dysfunctional and ultimately interface with any one or several of our other organ systems and thereby cause symptoms of disease, such as fatigue.
Finally, the realm of the mind and emotions must be considered. Past traumas, fixed dysfunctional ways of thinking and believing, anxieties, phobias, and self sabotaging thought patters are just a few of the many ways one may unintentionally be channeling away energy in order to compensate for a problem. A common end result is fatigue.
The holistic approach to evaluating fatigue, or any other complex problem for that matter, can be time intensive but is a necessary path in order to discover its underlying causes and thereby effectively treat it.
Bottom Line? -Evaluation and treatment of all the above domains has proven to be the most efficient and comprehensive way of approaching this complex but so very common problem.
Natural bio identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) can dramatically improve the state of health and wellness of many women and men who suffer from the ill effects of natural or premature aging.
Fatigue, low libido, brain fog, irritability, decreased bone density and reduced muscle strength are common symptoms to both sexes. Women may also suffer from hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, body aches and vaginal dryness.
While the decision whether or not to proceed with BHRT should be determined between you and your physician, there are several tips worth sharing that are sometimes overlooked. Consider the following:
Tip 1: Make sure this is what you really need. Symptoms of low estrogen and testosterone are common to many other medical conditions. A thorough medical evaluation is necessary to make sure you are not overlooking something else that is making you feel this way.
Tip 2: Commit to a plan of overall wellness. Good nutrition habits, drinking plenty of clean water, exercise and avoidance of health draining things like smoking and excessive alcohol are necessary for optimum benefits.
Tip 3: Natural does not always mean “harmless”. Every medical intervention carries a finite risk. Thankfully, natural bio identical hormones minimize the risks noted in synthetic hormones. Routine monitoring of breast and uterine health in women and prostate health in men is imperative none the less.
Tip 4: Make sure your doctor has specific training and experience in prescribing bio identical hormones. Many doctors have not been trained in bio identical hormone replacement therapy. They may even equate it with synthetic (pharmaceutical) hormone replacement therapy.
Tip 5: Learn about the various methods available for hormone replacement. Oral tablets, topical creams and subcutaneous (under the skin) pellet implants are the most common varieties available.
Tip 6: Women who still have their uterus need progesterone too. Time for a little bad news. If you still have your uterus, then estrogen therapy will cause the lining of it to thicken, just like it did when you were menstruating. Natural progesterone is necessary to induce a period so that this growth does not get out of hand and cause a condition called endometrial hyperplasia and/or produce heavy, unplanned bleeding!
Tip 7: Testosterone replacement in men may cause sterility. This may not be an issue if you have already sewn you seeds and are not planning for more children. This is still important to consider, particularly if there is a chance that you may still want to father any more children.
Bottom Line – Natural bio identical hormone replacement therapy can dramatically improve one’s state of health and well being. Like any medical procedure though the decision to proceed needs to be assessed by an experienced and qualified medical professional who can help you determine the best fit for your needs.
To see my VIDEO discussing bio identical hormone replacement options,
CLICK HERE.
The emotional freedom technique (EFT) is a holistic healing method that can quickly diffuse acute emotional flairs as well as help heal deep emotional wounds quickly, directly and easily. Sometimes even physical based problems respond to EFT.
The deeper emotional work that can be done with EFT is best performed under the guidance of a well trained EFT practitioner, preferably a licensed health care provider.
Briefly stated, EFT is based on techniques taken from psychology and traditional Chinese medicine. Energy meridian points on the face and body are tapped with the finger tips while one is verbalizing a known problem. What actually occurs during this process is open to debate, but in general is believed to be related to “re setting” or “re educating” the bodys’ energy meridian system, which ultimately interacts with our brain and entire body system. The result is often dramatic improvement in emotional and mental states relating to whatever problem we were tapping on. So, if one were tapping about anxiety, one would feel less anxious, or if the tapping were about a headache, the pain would be less, and so on.
So, how do you EFT?
What follows is a general outline of the process of performing a “round” of EFT. As this is an outline, many subtle nuances are not discussed here. Consult an experienced EFT practitioner for further details.
Tapping points are defined as follows:
- Karate chop = fleshy part on the little finger side of the hand midway between the knuckle and wrist.
- Eye brow = on the bony ridge where the eyebrow starts.
- Outside eye = along the temple.
- Under eye = about an inch below the center of your pupil on the upper cheek.
- Under nose = the cleft just below the nose in the mid line.
- Chin = the cleft below the lower lip and the tip of the chin in the mid line.
- Under arm = mid chest level about 1 hand breadth below mid arm pit.
Lets take it step by step:
#1 – IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON. Be as specific as you can. Consider the following examples. Stress, tension, worry, anger, frustration.
#2 – Rate the severity of the problem as you feel it now. On a scale of one to 10, how severe is the emotion NOW. One being essentially gone and 10 being the very worse it could ever be. How bad is the stress, tension, worry, etc. Rate it and make a mental note or actually write it down.
#3 – Create a “Set up” statement. This statement is an affirmation of the problem at hand as well as a stated belief that despite this problem, you still love and accept yourself. This statement is very critical for many people as it is believed to deal with “psychological self sabotage”. For example; “Even though I FEEL SO STRESSED out right now, I deeply and completely accept myself”. For your situation simply remove the underlined words in the example and fill in with your issue.
#4 – Start tapping with finger tips on each point in this order.
- Karate chop point – “Even though (insert your problem here) I deeply and completely accept myself”. Repeat this phrase 3 times while tapping this point.
- Eye brow point – tap while stating your concern or issue (ex. this anxiety, this headache, this stress, this… whatever)
- Outside eye point – tap while stating your concern or issue
- Under eye point – tap while stating your concern or issue
- Under nose point – tap while stating your concern or issue
- Chin point – tap while stating your concern or issue
- Under arm point – tap while stating your concern or issue
# 5 – Now, take a deep breath and reflect. How do you feel about what you just tapped on? How would you relate its severity on a scale of 1 to 10?
If it has dropped significantly, congratulations! If its severity has dropped but not that much, you can repeat the process again and likely drop it more.
If it did not drop at all the possibilities are that you were not as specific on the topic that was really bothering you, or perhaps your technique was at fault. In any case, consulting with an experienced EFT practitioner can make a big difference in outcomes.
TO SEE THE EFT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
Click Here
Pamela Schwarz, ND – a journey to wellness
Posted by: | CommentsI met Pamela at the last NAET annual conference in Buena Park, Calif. She was one of the presenters. She was so dynamic and passionate about NAET. This video interview will let you know why she is this way.
This video will inspire anyone with a serious health problem and give them hope and motivation to consider natural and alternative therapies, including NAET.
FYI – I am a certified level 2 NAET practitioner.
Health and Healing – absolute or relative?
Posted by: | CommentsAs this blog is essentially about health and healing, albeit from an alternative point of view, it seems appropriate to initiate it with its first post about that same subject.
Having practiced medicine “from both sides of the track”, ie. conventional and alternative, I am struck by the common notion that whatever intervention is used, be it conventional medicines, surgery, herbs, acupuncture… whatever, the results should be none short of miraculous . . . and . . . they must be fast.
Perhaps I’m over stating the point. But still there is the expectation, I must say both on the parts of the patient and the doctor/practitioner, that the problem/disease should be quickly and thoroughly eradicated and left in its place should be nothing but pristine health.
Any semblance of irregularity or incompleteness of cure is met with dissatisfaction and disillusionment.
This is not to say that this situation is not accepted. It actually is, by most people. They just “learn to accept it”.
The practitioner often feels like a failure as well. I believe this is a big reason why some people migrate from doctor to doctor, method to method seeking the ultimate cure. This may be why many practitioners become “seminar junkies”, nearly perpetually attending seminars or otherwise seeking and learning new techniques to further hone their diagnostic and treatment/healing skills.
But is this really a bad thing? To want ultimate health. To want rapid and permanent cure to whatever ails us? Is it wrong to not accept “this is just the way it’s going to be”?
Well, my answer is . . . No, but with a qualification.
I believe that the desire to be completely well and free are fundamental human feelings. I encourage everyone to not accept a poor health situation. I believe there are many health and healing options available to us and our primary limitation is . . . ourselves.
Many times we choose to limit our health and healing options by not taking the time or personal energy to look for them. As a practitioner, I know that my own limitations and weaknesses are the fuel that keeps me searching, studying and seeking out new and better ways to bring people back (including myself) to a state of health.
The only problem I see is that at some point, one has to realize and accept the fact that we will never be perfect.
We can follow the best diets, take the best supplements, take the best remedies and still have problems. Or, the problem seems to take its sweet time to resolve.
What we fail to realize is that health and healing are not finite points in time. Health and healing is a process. Much like a life. It has a beginning, a mid life and an end. And like a life, it should not be judged too harshly. It should be appreciated at whatever stage it is in. Though certainly encouraged to improve to its best abilities.
Sometimes, lingering illnesses, whether benign like a common cold or more serious and possibly life threatening have to be endured. The challenge is to do so without a sense of defeat.
So, I believe health and healing is relative, not absolute. As such, we must align our expectations to maximizing our health to the degree possible, utilizing as many safe methods at our disposal as appropriate. But, most of all being appreciative and aware of our small degrees of improvement, even if our ultimate goal of complete cure is still somewhat out of reach.
