. Alternative, complementary and holistic health care .

Some recent experiences with Coenzyme Q 10 for arthritis/back problems.  I
recently posted a few comments and inquiries concerning the use of this
supplement and would now like to provide an update on some "experiences"
locally. I used that word in preference to the more scientific-sounding "data"
in view of the fact that no formal (or even informal) research has been done in
this setting to my knowledge. I am reporting on eight cases of back/arthritis
and of the history of taking Coenzyme Q 10 for it. Case one, a former chemistry
instructor, now about 65, female. Reported she was crippled with arthritis
before starting; after several months on 60 mg per day, all problems with it
gone. Has remained on it. Case two, her husband. Milder symptoms but gone after
same regimen (late 60s biochemistry prof retired); case three, another retired
biochemist, male 64–his symptoms alleviated somewhat but not totally gone, but
staying on the supplement; his wife, same age housewife, symptoms alleviated
and continuing use. Case 5, male 55, a jogger, professor of demography, severe
symptoms gone after about 3 weeks on the supplement, now cutting his
consumption to 30 mg per day, jogging again! Case 6, social scientist, 62, 60
mg per day, severe problems with arthritis gone (90% reduced in any case) after
3 and 1/2 weeks on the regimen, now reducing to 30 mg daily; his wife, no
reduction in symptoms after 60 mg daily for nearly a month (her age 57, white
collar professional); her friend, female 65, a volunteer worker, 60 mg daily
for about a month, no results. Apparent results for 75% of the cases, if indeed
it was the result of Coenzyme Q 10. Placebo effect? Coincidence? The
unpredictable nature of arthritis? I wonder if anybody is aware of other
observations concerning this kind of situation?–

I’m a Stanford alum living in Palo Alto, who learned to give excellent
swedish/esalen massage in the 70′s. I’ve given thousands of backrubs, but
rarely get one myself.

I’d enjoy being able to get together with a Stanford area woman once a week or
so morning or afternoon to take turns giving quality relaxing theraputic
massage. In good weather, there are some great private but beautiful foothills
spots for massage al fresco.

I can teach you how, or we can learn from each other. I’m 6’1", 172, and fit,
gentle and communicative. My hands are eloquent, I’m told. There are few
activities so centering and relaxing.

If you’re slim, fit,18-45, any race, and interested in a LTR (backrub), we can
arrange to meet on or near campus to talk further.

Email me at:   StanfordAlum…@anon.penet.fi

————————————————————————-
To find out more about the anon service, send mail to h…@anon.penet.fi.
Due to the double-blind, any mail replies to this message will be anonymized,
and an anonymous id will be allocated automatically. You have been warned.
Please report any problems, inappropriate use etc. to ad…@anon.penet.fi.

        This is a post about the recent history and development of the
Wellness movement in this country, and based on some recent remarks
made to the MALS symposium here at Dartmouth by Lee Hanson, Wellness
Director for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Hampshire.
           Lee has a background in exercise physiology and experience as an
EMT which explains her attraction to this movement.  She told the
assembly that she had to wonder what she could be doing to PREVENT some
of the acute crises she regularly attended as a paramedic, which led
her into a Master’s program and subsequently to her present position.
Lee is currently initiating a wellness program for all police and fire
fighters in the State of New Hampshire.  She presented a fine synopsis
of the wellness movement and with her obvious good health and
enthusiasm, managed to facilitate a lively discussion after her talk.
Here are the main points of reference she touched upon:
           The wellness movement is about a shift in paradigm; a shift from an
old industrial model for delivering care in medicine, to the new age of
information.  In the old model, those receiving health care were
considered "patients".  The term itself connotes a passivity; a "being
done to" kind of stance.  Here I am, cure me; fix me.
           In the new model we emphasize that those who purchase health care
services are in fact consumers.  The consumer pays for, whether
directly or indirectly, the goods and services a consumer purchases.
And this is true in health care as it is with plumbing, carpentry, or
hair styling.  The consumer of health care services seeks treatments
and counseling to meet personal challenges to health and to take
advantage of opportunities to enhance health and wellbeing.  This model
is one of increasing self-care and management, while the old model
perpetuated an often passive dependence on the physician in most cases.
           Another important component of the wellness movement is vision.
The term "wellness" itself was coined in 1977 by Don Ardell, who
identifeid the term to mean something beyond a mere absence of disease.
 In order to move from this state, of merely "not sick" to optimal
fitness and health requires both personal and transpersonal vision and
a conscious commitment to excellence.
           The wellness movement seeks to shift the responsibility for health
away from the provider and increase the responsibility for health to
the consumer through offering information which enables the consumer to
make informed choices.  Life-style choices.  Another key concept to
wellness is empowerment.
           Lee defines empowerment as equalling self-esteem plus competence
plus inner strength.  So wellness professionals work to develop and
urge programs and life-style changes and practices which increase
self-esteem, competence, and inner strength.
           The Industrial Age of Medicine, which we are leaving now was known
as "the second wave",(the first being the organization of formal
academic programs of medicine and the advent of antibiotics to kill
infectious diseases).  It was characterized by the following
characteristics;  there was a standard way to treat everyone, there was
a pill for every ill, the tools to become healthy were in the hands of
the provider, and the whole model empowered mainly the provider.  In
the Industrial age the provider was overwhelmingly the physician.
           In contrast the new model is characterized as "the Information
Age", the third wave, which is patient or consumer-centered.  In this
age there are a diversity of responses to health problems.  The choices
are made consciously by the consumer or client, once accurate
information has been provided, and there is an emphasis on the
individual and an increase in responsibility the individual takes for
his or her own sickness or health.
           Lee made reference to a fact pointed out to my nursing class in
medical economics at Simmons 15 years ago, which despite AIDS remains
true; 90% of all illnesses are self-limiting.  That is the majority of
colds, coughs, flus and the like which most consumers seek help for in
a primary care setting such as an office or clinic are self-limiting.
The body responds with its immune system with symptoms of fever, cough,
etc., and as the body cleans out the foreign invader, the individual
returns to health and a higher level of wellness than before as the
blood is now enriched with more antibodies for future attacks.
           In 90% of the cases, we practice medical self-care.  We take drops
or lozenges or pills, go to bed, drink liquids, and let the body do its
thing until we feel better.  This being true, the majority of
counseling involved at the pediatric and adult clinics here involves an
education for the client as to how this process works, and in large
measure, reassurance that all is happening as it should.  Most of the
counseling I have done in clinics with young parents involves this,
along with a large measure of reassurance that they are taking good
care of their child.
           Lee identified several types of consumers and studies which
correlated these types with outcomes of illness.  Specifically in these
examples; cancer:

1)The passive patient;  believes the MD is responsible for their health
and outcomes

2)Concerned consumer; are "half-way  on the path"; they dote on every
word their provider says and follow the instructions meticulously.
They need a facilitator to work with to achieve health.

3)Health action/Health responsible; walk to the beat of their own
drummer; often considered "diffficult" by providers, take health into
their own hands.

She showed us a survey done regarding these types over time.

1975; 85-90% fell into #1 category and these folks died faster than the
other groups of cancer.  Leaving 5-10% in category #2 which died when
the MD told them they would, and 1-2% in #3 who drive MDs crazy but who
outlived prognosises delivered MDs.  The #3 category corresponds to
Bernie Segal’s "exceptional patient" category.

In 1988 the picture has shifted.  The percentages of #1 are down to
55-60%, #2,30-35%, and #3, 40-50%.

The projections made for the year 2000 look like this; #1, 30-40%, #2,
40-50%, #3, 20-25%.  Source: Health Strategy Group

   The Information Age of Medicine is further defined as a triangle of
effort which sat on its widest base for the old industrial age as being
turned upside down.  If I could draw this it would be easier to see,
but you can do this yourself.  I don’t because not all terminals can
process drawings.  At any rate, what this visualization means is that
NOW the majority of health care is or will be self-care.  Self-care is
defined as any activity that promotes health, which can mean reading
this posting and others like it in misc. health alternative,
Wellspring, and other computer net sources which are proliferating at a
phenomenal rate, calling 800 numbers which are organized to answer
specific and common questions about health and common problems; skin
problems, toilet training etc., and reading self-care manuals 2 of
which she cited which are favorites of mine because of their excellent
lay-out; Taking Care of Your Child, and Taking Care of Yourself, the
new age’s answer to Dr. Spock, and manuals any household would be
enriched by having as a permanent part of the home library.
           Also included under the category of self-care are activities
undertaken to increase health such as regular exercise, attention to
diet,(she recommends eating most of the day’s food before 1pm and
emphasized the need for a good breakfast consisting of fruit, whole
grained items, yogurt etc.), and meditation.  Of course I add to this
massage and music in including self-care treatments and those families
can help give each other.
           Next on the pyramid is informal self-help and networking groups,
which of course again are proliferating here at Dartmouth through the
excellent computer services we have been endowed with.  These include
all the groups who have bulletins published regularly and include a
host of special interests including various religious and cultural
groups, hobbies, and activities; outdoor, indoor, craft, dance, yoga
etc.  Next up are the more formal groups organized in churches and
civic meeting areas such as AA, Al-Anon, Narcanon, Overeaters Anon etc.
 Then as the triangle narrows toward the top come the professional as
facilitator, followed by professional as partner, and finally
professional as authority.  The last being those hopefully getting
rarer situations when one is in some kind of accident and brought to
the ER comatose.  We need to rely on the provider for swift and
accurate attention to our acute needs.
           Lee cites a book here which may be of further interest by Tom
Ferguson called Road to Empowerment; Medical Megatrends which further
emphasizes the dynamics of the shift; from passive to active,
responsible consumer, from one ill, one pill to a Smorgasbord of health
care alternatives, from a field dominated by doctors to one of health
information experts, from the doctor as God to client-centered
medicine, from standard medical practice to individualized care, from
technology in the hospital to more home based care, from taking care of
the results of accidents, toxic poisonings to prevention of such.
           Finally, the word she used often to describe the facilitation of
this shift as one of "partnership".  Partnering at its most basic level
of communication involves collaboration.  We join together to recommend
that you enlist your provider as a partner in maintaining and enhancing
your health, by coming to the visit prepared.  Bring a note pad.
Insist on clarification of any terms or issues you do not understand.
Bring a list of questions and be prepared to answer common question
asked in any history-taking;  what is the primary complaint?  What are
the symptoms?  How long have they been present?  Fever?  And so on.  Be
choosy.  If you don’t feel comfortable with one approach, keep at your
research, there may be a less expensive less invasive way to handle it.
           All of this ultimately is very good news.  Health care costs will
go down as self-responsibility increases in general.  Prenatal care is
an excellent example.  It is far less expensive to eat properly and
practice personal ecology while pregnant than to smoke, drink booze
take cocaine or whatever and have to deliver a low-birth-weight infant
prematurely who winds up in the neonatal ICU.  The cost per pregancy in
savings is hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Which are better and more
happily spent on a home, meals together and recreation and educational
goods and activities.  A nice car.
           In closing I want to emphasize with Lee that the wellness movement
is not a phenomena which can happen in isolation.  It is a profound
cultural shift which is being facilitated primarily in the workplace
where most American adults spend most of their time.  It is not just
about jogging and sprouts.  It is about affecting the quality of each
day, and making it more enjoyable for everyone.  As we learn to better
nurture ourselves through the acquisition of more skills, the
development of our unique gifts and talents, we are enriched, and in
turn have more to give our loved ones.
                                               Peace, Monica

"The Course in Miracles is the Only Required Course in life."
                           -A Course in Miracles

Hi! I am a high school student and I am very interseted in learning more
about naturopathic med. ( I am exploring ideas for my future.) I would
really appreciate any help that you may be able to give me or even
directions that you cpuld lead me in for my search. Thank You!
Heather

I have ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis/rheumatism that is
characterised by the inflammation of joints, leading to the calcification
of the joints, reduced movement, and eventually fusion.

Current mainstream medical treatment is to prescribe strong anti-
inflammatory drugs, to prevent the inflammation, and therefore prevent
calcification, etc.

I am taking Indocin for this purpose, and it works fairly well. I have
little or no side-effects.

What I would like to find out is if there is a homeopathic remedy that
can help reduce the residual pain and or inflammation. I have seen over-
the-counter homeopathic remedies, even tried "Alpha Cold+Flu" with some
seeming effect.

Can anyone recommend a good homeopathic doctor in my area?
Make a suggestion of which medications I might try?
Recommend a good book which will deal specifically with my kind of
arthritis?

Thank you.

bill coderre

ps. AS is unlike "regular" arthritis and also unlike "regular" rheumatism.
It is therefore important to find treatments specifically for it, not
general treatements for osteo-arthritis or rheumatism.

Would there be any adverse effects to a 20yr old male fasting 1 day/week?
-S
—
Strider                        |    SUNY @ Buffalo    |   p…@acsu.buffalo.edu
Lord Mayor, The Hill People    |    (716) 645 4167    |   V127M…@ubvms.bitnet

"Son, I am able," she said, "though you scare me."  "Watch," said I, "beloved."

We do not get this newsgroup at our site so please email me if you
have any responses.

I don’t know anything about this group, but the title looked interestng.
I am a real believer in juice therapy and would enjoy corresponding with
others who have seen health improvements through juicing (wheatgrass
juicing included).

Best wishes for good health,
Bob C.
—
————————————————————————
Bob Calvert                                My boss is a Jewish carpenter
r…@wts.com                "Nine men in ten are suicides" – Ben Franklin
————————————————————————

     Request for stories of empathetic physical symptoms!

     An obstetric professional, I am currently doing a research
project for my forthcoming book: The Secret Life of Expectant
Parents

     It is not uncommon for certain health practitioners
(especially massage therapists and persons doing therapeutic touch)
to feel in their own body the symptoms of others.

     I am especially interested in physical symptoms of pregnancy
or labor in men, other family members, or health professionals.

     Please leave a message on-line ONLY if you can also leave me
a phone number to reach you. (This helps cut down on fabricated
stories and gives us a chance of personal contact!)

     I won’t use your real name if you don’t want me to. However,
I must have VOICE or WRITTEN contact.

     In addition to  leaving a message on line, either leave a
phone number, or contact my research assistant:

Tanya Colby
1720 W 1300 North #5
Salt Lake City  UT  84116

(801) 596-9767

     Or me, Carl (603) 837-9511

    Looking forward to hearing from you!

     Carl Jones
—
 þ SLMR 2.0 þ

After consuming an absurd number of bulbs of garlic one day this weekend, a few
questions came to mind:

1) does garlic lose any of its potency (with respect to its health benefits) if
it is cooked (whole bulbs baked in the oven for about 45 minutes before eating)

2) is it possible to OD on garlic?

Thanks for any info

peace

greg

Define alternative health care?

===
Ghost Wheel – ns…@acad3.alaska.edu