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Archive for June, 2012

Get away from that keyboard, for your upper back’s sake (look who’s talking…)!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on June 29, 2012 | 2 Comments »

English: An alphanumeric computer keyboard.

English: An alphanumeric computer keyboard. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is a well-known fact that many of us spend more and more time sitting at a desk typing on a computer and using a mouse, or using a lap top sitting on a bed (which is even worse). Those repetitive small movements, generally accompanied by bad posture and tension related to work, often lead to recurrent pain in the upper back. It used to be a secretary issue, but now that there is ”a computer in every pot”, anyone can be affected, even at a relatively young age.

This is what we call a posture-related cervical backache. If you have tried applying a heat pad you probably observed that your muscles are relaxing. Heat helps but it does not solve the issue totally, especially if it has become chronic.

Here is one homeopathic medicine that is particularly effective in relieving this stiffness due to the contracture of the upper back muscles:

Cimicifuga 6C (it is also called Actea racemosa and comes from the Black Cohosh): take 5 pellets several times a day.

It is also important to check that the height of your desk and chair is adapted to your body.

Take short breaks away from the computer.

Find a good Yoga teacher!

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Homeopathy for sunburn

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 24, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Lobster

Lobster (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We often forget that skin is one of our organs and also the largest one. It acts as a barrier between our internal organs and the outside world with all its aggressions, and we should take good care of it. Since we just entered summer, many of us are looking forward to enjoying the sun and some might get a little bit too much at once.  When we get sunburned (you can read a good summary of the mechanisms that are involved here), not only we damage our skin immediately (do I have to remind you about the pain, the burning sensation, the unbearable contact of cloths and sheets, the horrible looking peeling, etc.?) but also in the long-run. The long-term consequences are even worse when sunburns occur during childhood and repeatedly. We all know we have to use sunscreens and avoid the hours of the day when sun is the strongest, and wear a hat and so on, but do we? Well, I am embarrassed to admit I failed the test not so long ago and got ONE bad sunburn. I got it all wrong. Add first sun exposure of the year, no sunscreen, worst time of the day, and you get: ”The lobster woman”.

Contrary to thermal burns that are caused by infrared radiations, sunburns are due to Ultraviolet radiations UVR that are part of the sunrays (this is why you can get even more sunburns when the sun is hazy:  only the infrared radiations are stopped so you do not feel the heat as much and you do not realize you are still exposed to the UVR). UVR trigger release of mediators (such as histamine) and synthesize of prostaglandins and more. It causes vasodilation of the cutaneous blood vessel (it increases the blood flow: that is what causes the sensation of warmth) and an inflammatory reaction.

This reaction takes a few hours and that is why the pain gets worse after 6 to 48 hours.

The energy in the UVR can damage the DNA of the skin cells (that is why we often experience peeling of the skin a few days later. It also contribute to early aging of the skin). The body can usually repair those cells, but if there is repeated sunburns or long sun exposure, some cells might escape the repair and mute into cancer cells. Keep in mind that there is still controversy about this as some skin cancers are not caused by sun exposure.

Here is what I did to relieve the pain, the inflammation, the redness, and to avoid blisters and peeling. Of course, if you have large blisters or fever or are in a lot of pain, go see a doctor, even more so if the involved area is large. This combination is for immediate relief and for a quicker and better healing of the skin. It does not help with the possible long-term consequences of repeated sunburn.

As soon as possible:

Apis 30C and belladonna 6C: alternate 5 sublingual pellets of each every 15 minutes, then every hour, and finally 3 times a day. This will reduce the edema, the sensation of heat, the redness, and the pain. Also, apply Calendula ointment first then lotion, several times a day and cover with gauze. Make sure the skin is totally repaired before stopping the applications.

Calendula is one of the most popular homeopathic medicines. It is made from the Garden marigold (Calendula officinalis), a native flower to Southern Europe and also cultivated widely throughout North America. This flower has been applied locally for centuries as a natural healing and soothing substance. Likewise, homeopathic preparations of the flower have been used safely for generations to naturally speed the healing process.

Today it is known that Calendula’s wound-healing properties are due to the presence of essential oils, saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids. These compounds have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties and stimulate skin regeneration. It promotes the formation of granulation tissue which is an essential step in the healing of wounds.

So my advice is to always have those three medicines with you when you go on vacation or when you spend your weekend swimming, hiking, sailing, etc.

Don’t get me wrong: the best is to not get sunburn at all, but if you do, you should try those medicines.

You can thank me later!




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Intelligence test

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 21, 2012 |

English: A chicken running Français : Un poule...

English: A chicken running Français : Un poulet en train de courir (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Test your wits with these questions. I translated and adapted them from a French test and they are pretty easy (no relationship between the two statements!), and I found them relaxing. It is the first day of summer after all!

1 – Is there a 4th of July in France?

2 – Some months have 31 days. How many months have 28?

3 – Among the animals who have a tail, how many species eat with it?

4 – In the state of California, is it legal to marry your widow’s sister?

5 – How many 9 between 0 and 100?

6 – Divide 30 by 1/2 and add 10. What is the total?

7 – There are three apples and you take two. How many do you now have?

8 – Your Doctor prescribes that you take one pill every half hour and gives you three. How long are they going to last you?

9 – A farmer owns 17 chickens. All but 9 die. How many are left?

10 – What is the only animal that Moses did not bring on his arc?

11 – How many pairs of sock are there in a dozen?

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE ANSWERS IF YOU DARE.

1 – Did you think French people would go directly from July 3rd to July 5th?

2 – 12

3 – All. Unlike you should do with your hat, animals do not take their tail off to eat.

4 – It is still illegal to get married if you are dead. And this is not only in California.

5 – 20  (9,19,29,..,89,90,91,..99)

6 – 70

7 – The two you took, unless you ate them already.

8 – One hour

9 – 9

10 – I don’t know. Ask Noah

11 – 12

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All on board! Homeopathy and motion sickness

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 18, 2012 | 1 Comment »

English: Mission: STS-41-B Film Type: 70mm Tit...

To illustrate the use of homeopathy in motion sickness, here is a true story. One of my friends who is a psychiatrist trained in homeopathy told me about a new patient who came to her to have a Xanax prescription renewed (Xanax is a benzodiazepine used to treat high anxiety and panic attack). The patient was a young and active woman and my friend questioned her about the reasons for taking such a medicine. It all started with motion sickness she said… The patient who had been car sick for a long time saw her symptoms getting worse and worse: it was now happening even when she was the driver, and even on a flat and straight road. It was to a point that she had to stop frequently to vomit, and you and I know how difficult it is to stop on the road in LA, especially on a freeway! What made it worse was the fact that her job required her to drive everyday. So as a result, because her apprehension towards driving grew more and more,  she also develop anxiety. And that is why she was using Xanax. She had tried the usual anti-motion sickness medications, but she was not getting consistent results and did not want their side-effects. My friend offered to prescribe the right homeopathic medicine for her which happened to be Tabacum. She associated it with Argentum nitricum which is for certain types of anxiety. The results are amazing and the motion sickness has greatly diminished. She does not take Xanax, she does not even need Argentum nitricum anymore since she has no more anxiety. She only carries Tabacum with her and uses it when she needs it.

We do not know exactly what causes motion sickness, but here is the theory:

It happens when the body, the inner ear, and the eyes send conflicting signals to the brain (for example, from inside a ship’s cabin, your inner ear may sense rolling motions that your eyes cannot see.)

This mainly happens when there is unintentional movement of the body like when you are in a car, an airplane or a boat. It is also more likely to occur with complex types of movement, especially movements that are slow or involve two different directions (for example, vertical and horizontal) at the same time.

It makes good sense when you look into the origin of the word nausea and you see that the Greek work ”nausia” (”naus” meaning ship) and the Latin ”nausea” meant seasickness.

It seems that levels of neurotransmitters such as histamine, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine are involved. That is why many of the drugs that are used to treat motion sickness are influencing the levels of those neurotransmitters and therefore have sides effects (mainly drowsiness and dry mouth).

Most cases of motion sickness are mild and self-treatable. However, in some extreme cases it deserves the attention of a physician with special skill in diseases of the balance, and the nervous system

Homeopathic solution:

Petroleum 6C: 5 pellets 1 h before the trip, 5 pellets on board before departure and then as necessary. Specifically efficient in seasickness that happens on an empty stomach (you usually feel better by eating before getting on board and by closing your eyes).

There are also 2 other very efficient medicines for motion sickness: use them the same way (5 pellets 1 h before, 5 pellets before departure and then as necessary)

Tabacum 6C: This is the typical treatment when you need fresh air (open the window in a car, or go on the deck)

Cocculus 6C: If you need heat and confinement (and cannot stand the smell of tobacco), Cocculus is for you.

If you have mixed symptoms, just alternate those 3 medicines. I hope I have been of some help. I was always quite prone to motion sickness, so I know what it is!

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The homeopathic kit you should take on a deserted island

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 15, 2012 |

The uninhabited island of Maafushi in South Ni...

Last Tuesday I did my monthly interview with Josh Lane on his “Here’s to your health” growing radio show. We pictured a trip to Catalina, which is a beautiful Island (far from deserted!) in south California. We discussed the potential health issues that tourists can experience there or in a similar situation, and the homeopathic medicines that they should take with them. We delivered a lot of information, so I decided to summarize the medicines and their indications on the blog for people who would like a quick review. I will develop each situation in future posts.

So let’s start with the obvious, unless you decide to swim to the island…

Seasickness:

Petroleum 6C: 5 pellets 1 h before the trip, 5 pellets on board before departure and then as necessary. Specifically efficient in seasickness, on an empty stomach (you usually feel better by eating before getting on board and by closing your eyes).

There are also 2 other very efficient medicines for motion sickness: use them the same way (5 pellets 1 h before, 5 pellets before departure and then as necessary)

Tabacum 6C: This is the typical treatment you need fresh air (open the window in a car, or go on the deck)

Cocculus indicus 6C: For a patient if you need heat and confinement (and cannot stand the smell of tobacco)

If you have mixed symptoms, just alternate those 3 medicines.

Jellyfish sting:

Urtica urens 6C: Take 5 pellets sublingually as soon as possible, then every 10 minutes for an hour and every 2 hours after that. Urtica urens is therefore a medicine you should carry in your bag when going to the beach!

Insect bite:

Combine Ledum palustre 6C and Apis mellifica 30C, 5 pellets every 15 minutes, than every hour. For people hypersensitive to mosquito bites and who react with big edema, Ledum 30C, 5 pellets/day during the period of exposure, is a good way to make sure you have it already in your system when you get stung.

Sunburn:

Apis 30C and belladonna 6C: alternate 5 pellets of each every 15 minutes then every hour and 3 times a day. This will relieve the edema, the sensation of heat, the redness, and the pain. Apply Calendula ointment first then the lotion, several times a day and cover with gauze. Make sure the skin is totally repaired before stopping the applications.

Trauma:

Even with the best of precautions, muscle soreness from overexertion or bruising from falls and blows can occur. Apply Arnicare gel to naturally relieve muscle pain, stiffness and bruising.

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Carry Apis in your pocket, so a bee does not spoil your lunch

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 10, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Apis mellifera - Honey Bee

Apis mellifera – Honey Bee (Photo credit: Camponotus Vagus)

This weekend, I went to one of my friends’ house for lunch. When I got there, my friend told me that she had just been stung by a bee or a wasp. The ”bee” had stung her thigh through the fabric of her pants and the whole area was already reddish and swollen. I asked her if she was allergic but she did not think so. It was nothing alarming but because she is recovering from a tough surgery and is still pretty feeble, I wanted to help her quickly. So I asked her to put some ice on her thigh knowing that it usually brings some quick relief. In the mean time,  I went back to my car to see if by any chance I had a tube of Apis mellifica 30C, which I did. I had her take 5 pellets immediately and repeat it 10 minutes later. After the first intake she said the pain  was gone and the edema was reduced to almost nothing. Which was excellent news since I was starting to get hungry!

Apis mellifica is a fast acting homeopathic medicine but its action does not last very long. That is why you have to take it often. It is made from the honey bee and is used in all cases of edema that is improved by cold applications. So the obvious indication is an insect bite, but it is also used in urticaria, sun burns, sore throat (granted that drinking cold liquids or eating ice cream make it feel better), and in so many other situations.

I am sometimes asked if people who are allergic to bee venom can take Apis. The answer is they can and do not risk to react provided that they use dilutions such as 9C or above. And since Apis is most effective in 15C or 30C, this is not a problem.

Apis is one of those ”emergency” medicines that you need to have available right away. It is good idea to carry it with you if you go on a hike or go camping. Although I have most of the homeopathic medicines I might need at home, I have to build a complete kit of the essentials that I will leave in the trunk of my car. As a matter of fact I will work on it and post the list on this blog soon. How do you like that?

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Answers to the quick Quiz on bones

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 8, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Skulls 'n bones ?

Skulls ‘n bones ? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How many bones in the human body?

  • 56
  • 123
  • 206
  • 420

A: The adult human body has 206 bones

We are born with more bones

  • True
  • False

A: Babies may have from 300-350 bones at birth. As they grow up, some of the bones fuse together.

What is the total mass of the skeleton in an adult?

  • Less than 5 pounds
  • 10 pounds
  • 20 pounds
  • More than 30 pounds

A: approximately 10 kilos

What are the three types of bone cells?

Tip: they all start with ”osteo”

A: Osteoblasts, Osteocytes and Osteoclasts

How many vertebrae do we have?

  • 16
  • 26
  • 31

Tip: less than a mouse

How many ribs?

  • 16
  • 24
  • 38

Tip: Elephants normally have 20

How many bones in our arms and legs?

Tip: human beings usually have two arms and 2 legs…

A: 30 in each, so a total of 120

How many bones in a human foot?

  • 15
  • 26
  • 38
  • 45

Tips: probably more than you would think

A: 26. More than half our bones are in our hands and feet!

How many bones in one ear?

  • 3
  • 8
  • 16

Tip: ask Van Gogh, but speak loud.

A: 3

Which homeopathic medicines have an action on bones?

  • Calcarea phosphorica
  • Phosphorus
  • Calcarea fluorica
  • Silicea
  • Radium bromatum
  • Symphytum
  • Hekla lava (specific action on heel and maxillary)
  • Aurum metallicum (action on flat short bones)
  • All of them

Which homeopathic medicines have an action on osteoporosis?

  • Calcarea phosphorica
  • Phosphorus
  • Calcarea fluorica
  • Silicea
  • Radium bromatum

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Quick Quiz on bones

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 6, 2012 |

English: xray of toe bones Deutsch: Röntgenbil...

English: xray of toe bones Deutsch: Röntgenbild der Zehenknochen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How many bones in the human body?

  • 56
  • 123
  • 206
  • 420

We are born with less bones than an adult

  • True
  • False

Tip: Unfortunately, after a certain age we do not grow bones nor teeth.

What is the total mass of the skeleton in an adult?

  • Less than 5 pounds
  • 10 pounds
  • 20 pounds
  • More than 30 pounds

What are the three types of bone cells?

Tip: they all start with ”osteo”

How many vertebrae do we have?

  • 16
  • 26
  • 31

Tip: less than a mouse

And how many ribs?

  • 16
  • 24
  • 38

Tip: Elephants normally have 20

How many bones in our arms and legs?

Tip: human beings usually have two arms and 2 legs…

How many bones in a human foot?

  • 15
  • 26
  • 38
  • 45

Tips: probably more than you would think

How many bones in one ear?

  • none, it is only cartilage
  • 3
  • 8
  • 16

Tip: ask Van Gogh, but speak loud.

Which homeopathic medicines have an action on bones?

  • Calcarea phosphorica
  • Phosphorus
  • Calcarea fluorica
  • Silicea
  • Radium bromatum
  • Symphytum
  • Hekla lava
  • Aurum metallicum
  • All of them

Which homeopathic medicines have an action on osteoporosis?

  • Calcarea phosphorica
  • Phosphorus
  • Calcarea fluorica
  • Silicea
  • Radium bromatum


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Root canal: the homeopathic route

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 4, 2012 | 1 Comment »

dentist 牙医的黑暗魔法

dentist 牙医的黑暗魔法 (Photo credit: LittlePen)

If you are like me, you hate going to the dentist. On the other hand, I have to admit that without them I would probably be toothless by now. So, although I am grateful for dentists, I still hate going there because it is almost NEVER good news.

One of the things I dread to hear is that I need a ”root canal”. The first time I heard this term in the US, I thought ”This is really America! They can even give me a new root canal!”

I learned the painful way that this meant precisely the opposite. In this case French is more explicit: we call it ”devitalizing” a tooth. And that is exactly what it is, taking the life out of the tooth.

English: By Ruth Lawson. Otago Polytechnic.

English: By Ruth Lawson. Otago Polytechnic. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Under the enamel and the dentin is the pulp chamber. The pulp is a soft tissue containing the nerves and the blood vessels. Through narrow canal(s), nerves and blood vessels go down the root(s) to the tip(s) of the tooth.

When there is a deep decay or a trauma (such as a chipped or broken tooth), irreversible damage to a tooth nerves can occur. It can also happen when a tooth has not been treated correctly and is deteriorating. In all cases,  Mr dentist must perform a root canal therapy, otherwise an infection could end up propagating to the jaw bone.

The purpose of the procedure is to completely remove the pulp and the nerves, and it requires cleaning up the root canal(s). This is a very common procedure in France where it can be done by all dentists. Here in the US it seems a little bit more complicated and frightening, but this is not the topic today. I would rather give you some homeopathic tips to make the whole experience less unpleasant!

To Recover better from Your Root Canal Therapy:

Take 5 sublingual pellets of each of the following medicines 3 times a day, starting the night before the procedure. Continue the treatment as long as needed (usually one to three days). It will lessen the pain and discomfort, and will allow you to heal faster. Of course, if there is severe pain or if you suspect an infection, you will have to talk to your dentist, if you can still talk…

Staphysagria 6C: this is a medicine that is particularly efficient in surgical wound

Hypericum perforatum 6C: one of its major indications is nerve trauma

and of course Arnica 6C: for all cases of trauma, swelling and bruises.

This is actually a combination that you can use for other surgeries or dental work, and it makes a big difference in your recovery.

Also, if you feel very nervous and apprehensive before a procedure, take Gelsemium or Argentum nitricum. You can read about those in my post on stage fright/competition since the symptoms are quite similar.

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