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ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH :
Since women's health
is such a huge topic, I have chosen to concentrate on one aspect of
women's health which continues to be an issue.
There are over a hundred symptoms associated with PMS. Unfortunately,
because each woman is different, there is no agreed upon cause or
treatment for the effects of PMS within the medical community.
What they do all agree on is that a regular menstrual cycle is a sign
of good health. Isn't that special? Doesn't help to know you're healthy
if you are in pain or having mood swings that cause you to have to
make the decision to stay home for a day rather than risk the chance
of having to call your best friend for bail money.
Well, conventional medicine can offer pain pills, water pills, and
hormonal therapy, but alternatives to these forms of comfort can be
more relaxing and have fewer side effects. And while I for one am
not going to "run with the wolves", I would like to achieve
some sort of balance between seeing cramps as a medical "problem"
and a "gift of mother earth." Give me a break, I just want
to not cry or punch out people at the drop of a hat for a week out
of each month. Let's explore those options:
Acupuncture relieves pain and stress, and can leave you feeling so
relaxed that you're feeling too good to punch anyone out. Same goes
for massage, and your massage therapist can show you self massage
to do on your lower abdomen any time you need to relax cramps. No
medicine is involved, and both of these alternative therapies are
non-invasive.
Chinese medicinal herbs are used in concocting teas and poultices
for the relief of PMS symptoms. These include Kava Kava Chai and ginseng
teas. The top recommended teas are made from Viburnum and help with
cramping, irritability, and swelling. Dandelion helps with swollen
breasts, muscle spasms, and acne. Your herbalist can recommend the
appropriate combination of herbs for your individual symptoms, as
well as bath soaks and foot rubs.
Osteopathy is an alternative medicine that can help with internal
organ ailments and fight osteoporosis. The women's health center at
Oklahoma State University (founded by the Osteopath society) sponsors
the "Take Charge" program, which sponsors health education
and alternative therapy forums for women across the country.
Chakra and crystal healing energy is used in a wide variety of ways
to increase blood flow which (ironically, if you think about it) lessens
headache and tension symptoms of PMS. This appears to work, but is
a little touchy feely crystal dolphin wacko for me; I prefer yoga
and herbal teas, pragmatic and to the point.
Although not considered alternative therapy, per se, exercise is a
great way to relieve symptoms and lessen fatigue. One form of exercise
which could be considered alternative is yoga. The slow stretching
movements and low impact cardio of yoga is very good for menstrual
symptoms.
Hypnosis is fast becoming the alternative medicine of choice for PMS
sufferers. Hypnosis is geared toward finding out the causes and conditions
of symptoms, therefore relieving the pain holistically, that is to
say, removing the root cause of irritability and stress. While it
is obviously hormonal in nature, the mood swings of PMS can be brought
under control with light hypnosis which focuses on teaching the patient
that the moodiness is temporary, and not to be taken to heart. Now
I don't know about you, but I am much more likely to believe a hypnotist
when she says "It will be okay, you will get through this, it
is temporary," than I am to believe my husband, who says"
Are you on your period? That explains it…"
You see why it's important to save up bail money if you're not using
alternative medicine?
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