What makes a healer stand out from the crowd?

I had an interesting conversation with a friend this past weekend. Jim asked me what compelled someone to book time with me with regard to their health. I thought about it. I considered the fact that many come to me via word-of-mouth referral- having helped someone others want to see if I can help them.

I considered the amount of training and experience I have, and the wonderful system of German combination homeopathy and classical single remedies, with nutritional guidance, all blended into a system that really works for my clients.

But then I answered him: “Because I really care, and my clients know it. They can feel it.”

And that is the difference. Unfortunately, orthodox medicine trains its doctors, and nurses to a lesser degree, to cut off their emotions as they work with patients. I simply can not and do not choose to do this. I feel such great compassion for the people who ask me for help. Because I really feel for them, I go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to try to improve their quality of health.

This of course means more time. TIME- you know, the thing you just never get in the medical world? lol I can’t work with very many people at once, as I give so much time to each person.

So, alternative practitioners are not wealthy, but we are satisfied, rewarded human beings!

I finished up my explanation to Jim by saying, “I am working my way to heaven, one person at a time.”

It feels very good to me!

Tips on drinking and Christmas parties!

Here’s a fun one…. To drink less at Christmas parties, choose white wine, or white wine spritzers. And make every other one simply sparkling water. It works. No one knows you are not imbibing with them, and you are getting additional water which you all know is essential when drinking alcohol.

Also, take 3 grams of Vitamin C (buffered, preferably, or Ester C) before the party, and 3 more afterwards. And, if you think there might be a hangover anyway 🙂 take 3 pellets of Nux Vomica 30c, a homeopathic remedy from the health food store, just before you go to bed.

Happy Holidays to all!

Have a great one!

Intermittent Fasting: what is the fuss about? Does it work?

Does it work? Is it easy? Do I end up missing all my favorite foods like most other diets I try?

Well, let’s see, the answers are “yes, pretty easy, and no…”

Intermittent fasting (IF) is very popular at the moment, and perhaps with good reason. Scientific evidence is proving that this fitness trend may have true value in assisting with weight loss, improving health, and even with the simplification of lifestyles. One less meal a day, for example to prepare and clean up! Many studies show that this fasting method has powerful healthy effects on the physical body, reduce the risk of developing diseases like diabetes, and may even extend lifespan.

This system of intermittent fasting is a life choice change, not a type of extreme diet that becomes a fad and just as quickly fades away. When not fasting, one eats normally, with the emphasis on healthy foods and a reduced intake of carbohydrates.

How does it work? What is it doing in the body? Intermittent fasting triggers the process of “autophagy,” which essentially means the process whereby your body cleans up waste and detoxifies. This happens when you sleep, when you exercise, when you fast, and when you eat certain foods, such as berries, cruciferous vegetables, eggs, fish, and legumes.  Fasting gives autophagy a great kick start.

There are several fasting time frames to choose from, times for eating and not eating; these choices are reasonable, moderate and varied. The most common and probably the easiest is the 16:8 system, also known as the Leangains protocol. Eating is restricted to 8 hours of the day, such as 1–9 p.m, with a fast for 16 hours in between. Another common way to use the regimen is fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week. This is harder for many people, but everyone is different.

There are lots of great books out there covering this very topical subject. One of the best  I have found on this subject is Fast, Feast Repeat, by Gin Stephens, if you wish to dig deeper. An easy read with fabulous recipes at the back is Intermittent Fasting for Women over 50, by Anne Marie Green.

Give it a try!

NOTE: Check with your doctor before you start a fasting program. And if you are already diabetic, or struggle with disorders like anorexia or bulimia, you need to take great care. Best to have the close supervision of a nutritionist, naturopath, or other healthcare provider who can monitor your blood sugar, etc.

REFERENCES and good studies and books to look at:

Intermittent fasting interventions for treatment of overweight and obesity in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, February 2018.

Effects of intermittent fasting on health, aging, and disease. de Cabo R, Mattonson MP. New England Journal of Medicine, December 2019.

Effect of Alternate-Day Fasting on Weight Loss, Weight Maintenance, and Cardioprotection Among Metabolically Healthy Obese Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, May 2017.

Alternate-day fasting in nonobese subjects: effects on body weight, body composition, and energy metabolism. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2005.

Fast, Feast, Repeat, by Gin Stephens. St. Martin’s Griffin; Illustrated edition (June 16, 2020)

Intermittent Fasting for Women over 50, by Anne Marie Green.  June 16, 2020  Amazon Services.  (Good introduction to IF and great recipes.)

Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting. Annual Review of Nutrition, August 2017.

Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes. Cell Metabolism, May 2018.

 

What is homeopathy?

So many people equate homeopathy with ‘holistic.’ While homeopathy is a holitic modality, it is not the same thing as ‘holistic.’

By Diane Solomon DHM DipI.O.N   www.solomonhealing.wordpress.com

Homeopathic philosophy is very different to that of orthodox medicine as we know it. The medical world maintains an accent on finding a “single bullet” to attack any invader in the body. A good example is an antibiotic, which acts like a specific “hammer,” targeting and killing specific bacteria. The body’s own immune system does not take part in the fight, but is overridden by the antibiotic itself. In fact, the immune system is suppressed during the duration of the course of antibiotic treatment.

Current medical opinion takes the views that symptoms are a direct manifestation of the illness and therefore doctors treat the ailment by suppressing the symptoms. Homeopathy, by contrast, sees the symptoms as the body’s reaction against the illness as it attempts to overcome it, and seeks to stimulate, not suppress this reaction. It acts with the body, to raise its own defenses to battle the problem. Therefore, the immune system takes part in the fight, and the body is stronger for it.

Homeopathic remedies appear to trigger a healing process in the body by stimulating the body’s natural forces of recovery. It is a natural medicinal science that uses very small doses of plant, animal, or mineral substances to stimulate the body’s innate healing ability. Homeopathy views most symptoms as efforts by the body to re-establish homeostasis and therefore seeks to support the body’s inherent efforts to heal itself.

Homeopathy uses specially prepared, infinitesimal doses of substances that, in larger quantities, would cause the very symptoms they are trying to address. This basic principle has been known since the time of the ancient Greeks. Derived from the Greek word “Homoios” meaning “like,” homeopathy is the practice of treating “like with like.” Here’s an example. When cutting onions for cooking, your eyes itch and run, your nose runs, and you sneeze. Onions made into a homeopathic remedy, known as Allium Cepa, can be very effective in reducing the symptoms of runny nose, itching eyes, and sneezing that accompany a cold or allergies. Another example is Poison Ivy (Rhus Tox). In homeopathic doses, Rhus Tox is a valuable remedy for certain skin rashes since in its undiluted state it causes them. Therefore like cures like.  This principle is known as the “law of similars,” and has been used throughout history. Hippocrates himself wrote, “Through the like, disease is produced, and through the application of like it is cured.”

A German physician, Samuel Hahnemann, developed homeopathy in the early 1800’s. A respected physician and chemist, he was nevertheless appalled by the medical practices of his day, such as bleeding, and the use of toxic substances such as arsenic and mercury. He sought a method of healing which would be safe, effective, and gentle. At that time the main treatment for malaria was quinine from cinchona bark. He decided to take quinine himself as an experiment. Imagine his astonishment when he discovered that taking small regular doses of cinchona bark produced symptoms very similar to those of malaria! But when given to a patient suffering from malaria, the symptoms were alleviated, and the patient would recover.

He also tested belladonna, mercury, arsenic and silver nitrate, common poisons and substances used in medical practice at the time, to see what their effects would be on healthy people. Once again he found that small, dilute doses of these substances would induce symptoms similar to the illnesses for which they were being used. Many similar experiments over many years led Hahnemann to the conclusion that remedies obtained from animal, vegetable, and mineral sources were just as effective in extreme dilutions. He worked to establish the smallest effective dose, realizing that his was the best way to avoid side effects. In doing this he unexpectedly discovered that the more a remedy is diluted, the more effective it becomes.

Homeopathic medicines are manufactured through a scientific pharmacological procedure called potentization. This is a process of diluting and shaking and further diluting and shaking. The most commonly used dilution in the United States is the decimal or “x” potency. A 1x potency is a concentration of 1/10th, 2x is 1/100th, 3x is 1/1000th etc. To create a common potency, a 6x, one would start by making a 1x. This is done by mixing ten drops of the original plant or mineral substance with 90 drops of water and alcohol, then shaking hard, or hitting against a surface such as a book, thirty to fifty times. This is known as dilution and succussion. For a 2x, you simply take ten drops of the 1x, and, just as you did before, mix with 90 drops of alcohol and water, and succuss. Continue with the 3x, 4x, 5x, until you create a 6x.

No one can yet satisfactorily explain how homeopathic doses work. One theory is that succussion creates an electrochemical pattern somewhat akin to a holographic memory, which is stored in the dilutant, and then spreads through the body’s water. Another theory suggests that the dilution-succussion process creates an electro-magnetic field. Recent work by physicists using nuclear resonance imaging has ascertained that there is a different structure and shape to the molecules of a homeopathic remedy and those of simple water and alcohol. This has gone some way to stopping the claim that “there’s nothing in them” which has plagued homeopathy to date. Also, there have been more and more careful studies recently which help to confirm the effectiveness of homeopathy. In any case, with modern physics constantly discovering smaller and smaller particles and their effects, and with the discovery that insects can detect and act on pheromones in the air to one part per million, the idea of an infinitesimal dose having an effect on the body no longer seems impossible.

Because they are so greatly diluted, homeopathic remedies are not harmful. They are safe, non-toxic and non-addictive. Homeopathic remedies, like all medicines, are regulated by the FDA. Because they are so extremely dilute and are free from side effects, they are completely safe for the patient. Homeopathic remedies will not interfere or react with other medications the patient may be taking.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Diane Solomon DHM, Dip.I.O.N., is a nutritionist and homeopath trained in London at the prestigious Institute of Optimum Nutrition and The British Institute of Homeopathy. She has practiced since 1985. She moved back to the States in 1992, and now lives in southern New Hampshire where she writes books and articles.

 

RECOMMENDED READING:   INTRODUCTORY :

1)  The Family Guide to Homeopathy, Alain Horvilleur, M.D., Health and Homeopathy Publishing, Inc.; Virginia, U.S.A.; 1986

2)  Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines, Stephen Cummings and Dana Ullman, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Los Angeles, Ca. U.S.A.; 1984

3) Homeopathic Medicine, A Doctor’s Guide to Remedies for Common Ailments, Trevor Smith, M.D.

 

THEORY:

1) The Science of Homeopathy, George Vithoulkas, Grove Press, Inc, New York; 1980

 

PROFESSIONAL:

1)  Lectures On Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi, India; 1993 Reprint Edition

2)  Homeopathic Drug Pictures, M.L.Tyler, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi, India; 1980

 

Diane Solomon DHM DipI.O.N (London)

BOOKS: AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Diane-Solomon/e/B0186OZOVQ

www.solomonhealing.wordpress.com 

http://www.Facebook.com/SolomonHealing

Introduction to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome book

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a guide to the homeopathic treatment of CFS/M.E

Do you know someone who suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Or you do yourself? I did. For eight long horrible years. Until a homeopathic remedy cleared in two short weeks.

So I wrote a book about CFS, and here is the introduction…

I had already completed my nutrition degree in London, more than 20 years ago, from the Institute of Optimum Nutrition in London, and had been practicing nutrition for some years, when I, of all people, came down with the dreaded Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. (M.E. is the UK term for CFS). Imagine my shock, disbelief, and denial when I got the flu and never got better. It couldn’t happen to me, I was a nutritionist! I ate organic food, drank very little alcohol, I exercised, I took tons of nutritional supplements.

Over the next 7 years I tried everything. First of all, of course, came the orthodox physicians. I heard everything from “You’re hyperventilating, breathe out of a brown paper bag and you’ll be fine” to “Try to get some more rest- here is a prescription for tranquilizers and sleeping pills.“

I also tried, oh, so many alternative practitioners, who, while more caring people, couldn’t seem to help either. I would find a bit of improvement from herbs, a chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, or whatever, but it would not hold, and I’d sink right back down. I sought out naturopaths, acupuncturists, Chinese herbalists, a chiropractor, a DO, massage therapy. I even tried hypnotherapy, in case I had somehow brought this all on myself and therefore my mind could undo it. Nothing was of much use, certainly nothing lasting. There was no reprieve from the never-ending headaches, body and muscle aches, and inexplicable, all consuming fatigue. Imagine you flew from L.A. to Bangkok, with the flu, and a hangover, and then add the sensation that you’ve drunk 5 cups of coffee so you can’t sleep. When you sleep, it is a light floating semi-sleep full of horrible dreams, and you wake up hundreds of times. You just hurt all over like someone has hit you with a baseball bat about 40 times, and you honestly wish you were dead. That’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

In the end it was homeopathy, to be exact a nosode remedy of the Coxsackie Virus that did it. I got worse for a week, then got better. A few weeks later I was 80%, and 6 months later, after attention to allergies, and adrenal exhaustion, I was back to normal. There was no pain, no foggy feeling in the head, no exhaustion, no swollen glands, no sore throat, no sore muscle points. I felt like the black and white TV of my life had suddenly been given a sharp new color tube. I was so incredibly impressed with homeopathy, and what it could do, from my own experience and others, that I began to study it myself to add to my practicing modality of nutrition

The truth is, no one in the world of homeopathy knows exactly how homeopathy works. But I have helped dozens of people with CFS to recover some or most of their health with a remedy similar to Coxsackie. It might be another flu virus, or Cytomegalovirus, or even the mononucleosis virus. This is not to say that I think everyone with CFS will recover this dramatically with the use of a viral nosode, but it certainly can be a part of the picture. Or at least a viral involvement must be eliminated as a cause.

As a fully recovered Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferer (a rare beast), I have a lot of experience to share, and a lot of understanding and compassion for all those suffering from various illnesses or symptoms. In the last 15 years I have worked with allergies, ADD/ADHD, children’s ear infections, menopausal and hormonal problems, tinnitus, meniere’s, depression, insomnia, and much more.

 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a guide to the homeopathic treatment of CFS/M.E

19 Secrets to a Better Night’s Sleep

Try some of these ideas for better sleep:

• 1) Start getting to bed as early as you can. Our bodies do most of their recharging, detoxifying, and regeneration between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. So it is best try to be asleep by 11.

• 2) Stop working at least 1 hour before you wish to be asleep. This way your mind has a chance to unwind.

• 3) Don’t watch TV or read from your device right before going to bed. Read something light and pleasurable, spiritual or religious, to relax your mind, or write in a journal.

• 4) Take melatonin, 5-HTP, or Valerian herb half an hour before bed. Melatonin: 2 mg-5mgs.  One of melatonin’s precursors, such as 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) can also help, such as 50-100 mgs.  Valerian is a very relaxing herb (smells awful though!); 350-500 mgs.

• 5) Try homeopathic remedies before sleep. Available online or in your health food store, the following can be very helpful: Sleeplessness Relief by Similasan, Calms Forte by Hyland’s, Calming by BHI are all combination remedies which supply such homeopathics as Coffea, Avena Sativa, Valeriana, Chamomilla, Passiflora, and others.

• 6) Take a hot shower, bath,  or sauna before bed.  Raising your body temperature this way late in the evening can make falling asleep easier.

•7) Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This routine can help “program” your system.

•8) Reduce or avoid caffeine. A recent study showed that some people do not metabolize caffeine efficiently, so that the wired feeling from coffee can last long after drinking it. Therefore a cup of coffee late in the afternoon can keep you awake many hours later. For those that do handle caffeine well, you should still avoid it after 7 PM.

• 9) Don’t drink alcohol before bed. Alcohol can make you sleepy, but this is only short term. You may wake up several hours later and find it hard to fall back asleep. Alcohol prevents you from sleeping more deeply, when healing and regeneration takes place.

• 10) Don’t drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will help reduce the number of times you have to get up to use the bathroom. Also, be sure to go last thing before you go to bed.

• 11) Get regular exercise. Lots of studies show that regular exercise, such as 30 minutes a day, will help you sleep. But don’t exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake!

• 12)  Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible, or even try an eye mask. Light can disrupt circadian rhythm and your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. This interferes with sleep. If possible, don’t turn the light on in the bathroom if you get up in the night. After a few bumps you’ll get the hang of it!.

• 13) Try a white noise machine. I love my little white noise machine- I set it to “waterfall” and it covers my furnace coming on, my cat talking to me, cars outside, and all other unwanted noise!.

• 14) Try wearing socks to bed. Your feet can feel colder than the rest of your body. Wearing socks to bed has been shown in studies to reduce the number of times you wake in the night.

• 15) Don’t use a loud alarm clock. Try a sun alarm instead- this is a more natural way to wake up. The globe slowly gets brighter and brighter, casting increasing light into the room, so you wake as if the dawn had woken you. It works very well. Try The Sun Alarm™ SA-2002 .

• 16) Don’t keep your bedroom too warm. It certainly should not be warmer than 70 degrees F.

• 17) If sleep is still a difficult issue, think about getting your hormone levels checked. Insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress, or imbalances of hormones at menopause can really play in.

• 18) Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This is a gentle tapping system based on acupressure principles, and is easily learned. EFT has been shown to help resolve some of the emotional stresses that may contribute to insomnia. The results are usually speedy, and last well.

Picture by <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/my-bed-is-my-best-friend_12468437.htm#query=sleep&position=0&from_view=keyword”>Image by gpointstudio</a> on Freepik

: http://www.allroulettesystems.com/de/roulette-strategie.html
Whois  : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=124.107.85.117

What NOT To Do If You Have A Cold or Flu (and What TO Do)

Oh boy, here we go, cold season.  There is a great deal you can do, and NOT do, to avoid or treat colds, so you don’t lose much time to the silly viruses that plague us. 

The don’ts with regard to colds and flu:

Don’t Tough it Out

Don’t go to work – no one wants your germs. We always think we need to “work right through” and “tough it out.”  I strongly suggest you don’t! You will be better faster for resting for a few days and besides, your colleagues and friends will appreciate it!

So take a few days off; don’t ignore the feelings that you are getting a cold. Rest. Let your body fight the illness, and take all the things you can to help your body: plenty of rest, drink fluids, take Vitamin C, stay warm, take herbs and nutrients that help your immunity. (See the bottom of this blog for things to help!)

If you MUST be at work, keep your distance from everyone, cover your mouth if you sneeze, and be sure to wash your hands. Public health agencies recommend proper hand hygiene as one of the best defenses against the spread of viruses and bacteria.

Don’t Smoke!

If you smoke, you may more easily succumb to the viruses that cause colds and flu. This is probably because your lung tissue has been damaged or at least compromised by inhaling nicotine and tobacco. If you have a cold or flu, stop smoking until you are completely better. And why not use that to try to stop smoking entirely!

Don’t  Forget To Drink Lots of Liquids!

It is not an “old wives’ tale” about drinking fluids when you have a cold. And even if it were, that might be a good thing – I suspect “old wives” know rather a lot!  So drink plenty or chicken broth, water, tea, and fruit juice.

Don’t  Drink Alcohol

Alcohol is a definite no-no when you are getting a cold. It tends to lower immune response, and also dehydrates you.  Yowig down something to make you care less, but it won’t make you feel any better, and will slow down your recovery! The opposite of what you want!

Don’t Fight Sleep

You need more sleep than usual to fight off a virus and all its accompanying inflammation symptoms. You probably feel very tired, so give in gracefully, check out, and sleep!

Don’t Allow Stress

If you endure constant levels of stress, you are more prone to getting a cold or the flu. So if you feel yourself coming down with something, try to eliminate stress.

Don’t Take Too Many Cold Medications, or Mix Them

If you absolutely have to take something to help with your cold, I get it. But decongestants can actually make things worse and inflame your nasal cavities.  And beware of mixing over-the-counter drugs, as well.  Ask your pharmacist for advice. There are so many natural herbal and nutritional supplements that work better. And they are safer! (Scroll down for tips)

Don’t  Take Antibiotics (unless prescribed for a secondary bacterial infection)

The virus that causes the common cold does not respond to antibiotics. Period. And there is evidence that taking antibiotics reduces your immun response, and you want your immunity cracking along at its best! So don’t ask your doc for antibiotics.  Instead, try the protocol below that has been serving me, my family, and my clients for many years!

The “do’s”: here are great ways to avoid or treat a cold:

VITAMIN C: Take 2 grams of Ester C, Liposomal Vitamin C, or Calcium Ascorbate (2000 mg, or 4 x 500 mg capsules) straight away.  Buffered C (Calcium Ascorbate or Ester C is easier on the gut. Then take 500 mg every hour for the first day, then taper off over three days. But be persistent; you may think you’ve killed the virus, but you may have just subdued it and it will show it’s ugly face again! The Vitamin C supports the immune system to keep the invader out. If you get gassy or get abdominal cramps or diarrhea, take a little less. If you still have symptoms, take a little more. As we get older, it takes more and more C to do the job.

** I take a minimum of 6 grams (12 x 500mg capsules) a day in the summer, 8 grams in the winter, and then much more if I feel the slightest sore throat. You have to ACT FAST. I carry it everywhere… handbags, glove compartment, coat pockets… 🙂

VITAMIN D: 10,000 units per day for three days, then 5,000 per day for two more weeks.

VITAMIN A as Beta Carotene: 25,000 ius; take two immediately on onset of symptoms, then 2 a day for a week. There is no downside; Beta Carotene is water-soluble.

ZINC LOZENGES: Slowly suck a Zinc lozenge, once every two hours for the first day, then three a day till cold symptoms and sore throat are gone

OSCILLOCOCCINUM: If you think it’s flu (body aches as well) take a dose of homeopathic Oscillococcinum every hour, 3 times. Available at health food stores & Amazon. Directions say take entire tube – not necessary. A third of the tube is fine as one dose.

NETI POT with warm salt water plus Olbas oil or a little Tiger’s Balm.  Flush out sinus passages and prevent viral spread and replication. Dramatically more effective than antibiotics for sinus infections.

Other good ideas: how to avoid or treat a cold

Echinacea/Goldenseal extract; Take two droppers-full (Zand Insure Herbal or Nature’s Way Echinacea/Goldenseal tincture.) Tincture is better than capsules as you want the herbs to coat the throat- don’t rinse them away! Once every three or four hours the first day, then twice a day for three more days.

Eat lots of garlic and onions; i.e. onion soup with a clove of garlic in it. Onion soup is marvelous for expectoration – clears out the mucus.

Drink lots of liquids, preferably mineral water with lemon. NOT ALCOHOL, as it lowers the immune system.

Good luck avoiding or getting over that cold this fall and winter!

Aches and pains? Tips for pain relief

Have you twisted your ankle? Suffering from some overuse injury in muscles? Arthritis in your knee or shoulder? Many of us immediately reach for an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen, or even the prescription drug diclofenac. Or many of us don’t. That’s because it causes us stomach pain. Even for those who it doesn’t seem to bother, ibuprofen taken systemically can cause bleeding or irritation to the stomach lining. So, it’s not a good idea to take it often even if you believe you are fine with it.

Now, most of you know I’m a homeopathic and nutritionist, so you wonder why I’m suggesting a drug! True, I think you should first reach for homeopathic Arnica, 30 C, or a good Arnica cream. But if you really need an extra whammy, try ibuprofen cream. Now I know you can buy this over the counter in the pharmacy, but it’s pretty expensive.

TIP:

I simply take an ibuprofen tablet, and crush it up, in any body lotion or body cream I have. Works like a charm. There you have it: topical ibuprofen cream. Cheap and useful.

But don’t forget your homeopathic Arnica!

(A good brand is *Traumeel or Traumed… And I have no connection with the company that makes them.)

Research links:

~ Topical Administration of Ibuprofen for Injured Athletes: Considerations, Formulations, and Comparison to Oral Delivery

Martin Anthony Christopher Manoukian,¹ Christopher William Migdal,¹ Amode Ravindra Tembhekar,¹ Jerad Alexander Harris,¹ and Charles DeMesa²

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5629190/

~  Efficacy and safety of 5% ibuprofen cream treatment in knee osteoarthritis. Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14994406/

~ Treatment of knee osteoarthritis with a topical non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug. Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the efficacy and safety of a 5% ibuprofen cream.   Rovenský J, Miceková D, Gubzová Z, Fimmers R, Lenhard G, Vögtle-Junkert U, Schreyger F.Drugs Exp Clin Res. 2001;27(5-6):209-21.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14994406/

A Potential Blood Test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)?

New test on the way for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/M.E.?

Found interesting news today: there may be a test on the way, at last, for CFS/M.E.

FINGERS CROSSED!

But is a single biomarker even possible? At this point anyway?

Here is the first bit of the article. “A blood test – it’s like the holy grail for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Not only would it legitimize the disease, and make it easier to diagnose the disease, but it should also give us clues as to what’s causing it and perhaps even provide the long-sought biomarker drugs companies could use to assess the effectiveness of their drugs.”

“The “Developing a Blood Cell-Based Diagnostic Test for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Using Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell” study employed a different testing regimen (using Raman spectroscopy) and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the results. The authors believe that an AI-led approach is going to crack ME/CFS and similar diseases. (A blog on the potential role AI could play in ME/CFS is coming up.)

The mostly Oxford-led study also included researchers from the London School of Tropical Medicine, Poland, and the US. Led by long-time mitochondrial researcher Karl Morten of Oxford and Raman specialist Jiabao Xu, it was funded by the ME Association, with help from the Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (!).”

Read the rest here

Cort Johnson is someone you should follow if this topic interests you!

The Homeopathic Nosode: the miracle remedy!

I recently received a question from another homeopath, on my Facebook Solomon Healing page, inquiring about the use of nosodes for CFS. Here is an excerpt from my book, about how to choose and use a nosode.

Viral or Bacterial Nosode Treatment

If one has employed a Voll, Vega or even Kinesiological screening, a viral match may be found, the most common in CFS being Cytomegalovirus, Coxsackie B1-B6 (B influenza), Mononucleosis (Glandular fever), Human Herpes virus Type 6 (HHV6), or Epstein Barr. Or if digestive issues are paramount, H Pylori may match. It is also possible that one of the “Bowel Nosodes” may match, and be chosen as part of the treatment. (See the section on Bowel Nosodes).

Let me stop here for a moment and define nosode, probably a new term to you. A nosode (from nosos, the Greek word meaning disease) is a homeopathic remedy made from diseased or pathological products such as respiratory discharges, blood, fecal, urinary, or diseased tissue or pus from an infection. It may sound awful, but the remedy, once diluted repeatedly with alcohol and water, is powerful in its ability to cure, yet harmless in terms of pathology.

If a virus or bacteria is suspected, or is diagnostically proven, a nosode should be prescribed. A common method is to take one dose of 30c of the nosode remedy every three days for three weeks. The understanding of past homeopathic practitioners has been to employ the 30c potency of nosodes only once in 6 months, but in my experience, this is simply not enough. I began my practice in this manner, and found that the patient returned in two to three weeks testing just as strongly for the virus. Yet when he took the remedy at frequent intervals for several weeks, the symptoms, and the test match disappeared in three to four weeks.

It is always possible that one may have to instruct the patient to take a short break in this treatment, to allow some intermediary detoxification to take place. There have been many occasions where a 200c of the nosode tested, possibly indicating that the person has harbored the virus, or the viral memory, for a longer period of time. In this case a dose once a week for three weeks has been effective, with doses of the 30c potency, as well, every two to three days, depending on the level of illness of the patient and his or her sensitivity to remedies. If a client/patient is extremely sensitive, it is wise to remember the “Less is more!” mantra, and leave time in between doses.

It is often the case that it is simply impossible to ascertain whether a virus is involved in the CFS patient’s ill health. Or if a virus is suspected, which one could it be? There is little to be lost by trying a shotgun treatment: a combo of viruses that are most apt to be involved. For example, Reckeweg sells a wonderful viral combo remedy simply called R88, and I often started a patient on this remedy. It included flu nosodes, Coxsackie, Epstein Barr, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex and others. American readers can obtain R88 at this website: http://www.EmporiumOnNet. Those of you from the United Kingdom can find it here: http://www.EmporiumOnNet.co.uk.  There are other viral homeopathic combos available that are worth a try such as http://www.DesBio Virus Plus. However, I have no personal experience of these others, but you may find it hard to get R88.

(Also please note that some nosodes require prescriptions, so you may have to ask your medical doctor for help.)

If there is improvement after three weeks on R88 (and two or three weeks after this to rest and review), then it is time to use a 30c of an individual nosode, as per the instructions above. Which one, you ask? If you have no means to diagnose, try the R88 ingredients, in nosode form, one at a time. Yes, this may be time-consuming, but so are years and years of CFS/M.E.  But I would start with Coxsackie B4, then Epstein Barr, then Cytomegalovirus.

See Ainsworths online, in the UK: http://www.ainsworths.com/index.php?node=_RemedyStore2&amp;.

It is essential, as well, during this nosode therapy, to employ drainage support, as described above. Without it, the patient can experience a severe aggravation of his symptoms. If the patient is severely compromised and weak, it is a good idea to prescribe the drainage remedies for approximately a week or even longer, with Vitamin C and lots of pure water, before taking of the first dose of the nosode remedy. In these weakened individuals, it is definitely safer and easier on the patient to start with a 30c of the nosode, even though the 200c may test.

Often, at this time, a single constitutional remedy will test, or be chosen according to standard homeopathic practice. If this is the case, one can also prescribe a 30c to be taken every other day, with the proviso that the vital force is strong enough (at least 80 on the Dermatron/RM10 Voll machine.) If the vital force is weakened, even this middle potency can cause an aggravation, an undesirable reaction in a compromised individual. If there is any doubt, it is preferable to wait until gentle drainage and nosode work has been completed, sometimes as little as three to four weeks, but often longer. Each patient is different, and will recover at a different speed. A patient whose vital force is depleted, (hand-to-hand reading is well below the ideal 84) is in a deeper, more chronic, and more pathological phase of disease.

FROM: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a guide to the homeopathic treatment of CFS/M.E.