Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine back issues from May 2006:
Letter from the publisher.
May 01, 2006; ... Ups and downs in the judicial system have been making headline news for much of the last three months. As much as I would like to think that the judiciary has little to do with the practice of alternative medicine, I am reminded that the courts still judge our practices and our licenses to ...
Make the most of the new energy of spring.
May 01, 2006; ... Congratulations! You made it through another winter! Now, the warmer temperatures and the longer hours of daylight will be an awesome relief. No more feeling like a hibernating bear cooped up inside your house; you can go outside for lovely walks and appreciate the new life of spring. In ...
MS means "Meaningful and Special" at the Inn at Jackson.(multiple sclerosis)
May 01, 2006; ... The Inn at Jackson will open its doors with a special week of free lodging, workshops, and networking for people living with multiple sclerosis. From May 7 to May 11, 2006, the Inn at Jackson will be very selective about its guests, for this is the time set aside exclusively for persons or ...
Chi Master introduces a breathing exercise beneficial and safe for asthma sufferers.
May 01, 2006 ... Master Lu, a 70-year-old Chi Master, recently introduced a breathing exercise safe for asthma sufferers. The Five Elements Breathing Method is a promising approach to increasing lung capacity for children with asthma and exercise-induced asthma, and for others suffering from respiratory ...
Anthroposophical medicine.(Shorts)
May 01, 2006; ... Licensed MDs and DOs in North America who seek a holistic, intuitive way to practice medicine may find the Physician's Association for Anthroposophical Medicine (PAAM) of interest. Anthroposophical medicine, based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), works with nature to enhance ...
Anthroposophic lifestyle & allergies in children.(Shorts)
May 01, 2006; ... Factors associated with an anthroposophical lifestyle decrease the risk of allergies and asthma in children, according to two European studies. Anthroposophy, based on the writings of mystic and social philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), combines human development with an investigation ...
Adrenal cortex insufficiency & allergies.(Shorts)(The Fourfold Path to Healing)(Book review)
May 01, 2006; ... Are allergies, asthma, eczema, and other inflammatory conditions signs of adrenal cortex insufficiency? They certainly are treated that way, according to Thomas S. Cowan, MD, in his book, The Fourfold Path to Healing. The adrenal hormone cortisone and its derivatives are often the ...
Tracking allergens.(Shorts)(User's Guide to Natural Allergy Relief)(Book review)
May 01, 2006; ... In Basic Health Publications' User's Guide to Natural Allergy Relief, author Jonathan Berkowitz, MD, says that the most effective way to relieve allergy symptoms is to avoid the allergens that cause them. This may be easier said than done, and it requires some detective work. People prone ...
Tinospora & allergic rhinitis.(Shorts)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... The herb tinospora relieves allergic rhinitis, according to a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (January 2005). Also known as guduchi, gulancha, and giloy, tinospora is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to increase longevity, improve memory, and improve immune function ....
Neti pot ... nasal irrigation.(Shorts)
May 01, 2006; ... One way to relieve inhalant allergy symptoms--if you can get over the "yuck" factor--is nasal irrigation with a neti pot. Jala neti ("water cleansing") is a yoga technique, commonly practiced in parts of India. It involves pouring warm, slightly salted water into one nostril while keeping ...
Latex allergy prevention.(Shorts)
May 01, 2006; ... Frequent exposure to natural rubber latex products is known to cause sensitization and allergic reactions. Health care workers, food service workers, and infants who undergo multiple surgeries (i.e., those with spina bifida) have the highest risk. Estimates of latex sensitization among ...
Impermeable bedding covers & allergic rhinitis.(Shorts)
May 01, 2006; ... A pair of studies printed in the New England Journal of Medicine (July 17, 2003) question the effectiveness of using impermeable bedding covers to reduce allergy symptoms. Impermeable bedding is believed to reduce exposure to house dust mites, found in bedding, carpeting, and upholstered ...
Chelation-related death.(Shorts)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... In August 2005, a five-year-old autistic boy died during intravenous chelation therapy at a physician's office near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His death was the result of using the wrong chelating agent, according to Dr. Mary Jean Brown, chief of Lead Poisoning Prevention for the Centers ...
Case report: allergic rhinitis, asthma, and "sub-laboratory hypothyroidism".(Literature Review & Commentary)
May 01, 2006; ... A 34-year-old female presented with a long history of ocular allergies and perennial allergic rhinitis with seasonal exacerbations. She had been treated with oral, intranasal, and ophthalmic antihistamines and glucocorticoids, with varying degrees of success. She also had suffered from ...
Case report: seasonal allergic rhinitis treated with intravenous nutrients.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... A 38-year-old man had a long history of seasonal allergic rhinitis, occurring each spring and lasting about a month. Symptoms included nasal congestion, itchy eyes, and fatigue. During a symptomatic period, an intravenous infusion of 2.5 g of C, 600 mg of magnesium chloride, 1,000 mcg of ...
Plastics create a sterile environment.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... The mean serum concentration of bisphenol A (BPA) was significantly higher in 45 Japanese women (mean age, 32 years) with a history of three or more consecutive first-trimester miscarriages than in 32 age-matched healthy women with no history of live birth, infertility, or miscarriage ...
Drug industry-funded study on statin drugs and coenzyme [Q.sub.10].(Literature Review & Commentary)
May 01, 2006; ... Twenty-one hypercholesterolemic patients (mean age, 56 years) who were otherwise healthy received 20 mg/day of simvastatin for six months. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) decreased from 61% at baseline to 58% after one month (p = 0.02), but returned to the baseline value ...
Treatment of anal fissure with L-arginine gel.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... Fifteen patients (median age, 36 years) with chronic anal fissures were studied. Ten had been unsuccessfully treated by local application of isosorbide dinitrate. Of the ten, six had experienced a severe headache during treatment. The patients applied 1 ml of a gel containing L-arginine ...
Selenium for esophageal cancer prevention.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... Two hundred and thirty-eight residents of Linxian, China, with histologically confirmed mild or moderate esophageal squamous dysplasia (a precursor to esophageal cancer), were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 200 mcg/day of selenium (as selenomethionine), 200 mg twice ...
Does vitamin B12 help prevent cardiovascular disease?(Literature Review & Commentary)
May 01, 2006; ... The Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention (VISP) trial did not show efficacy of high-dose vitamin therapy (2.5 mg of folic acid, 25 mg of pyridoxine, and 400 mcg of vitamin B12 daily) as compared with low-dose vitamin therapy (20 mcg of folic acid, 200 mcg of vitamin B6, and 6 mcg of ...
Diet prevents premature births.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... Two hundred-ninety women (aged 21 to 38 years) with low-risk pregnancies were randomly assigned to continue their usual diet (control group) or to adopt a cholesterol-lowering diet (intervention group) that promoted fish, low-fat meats and dairy products, oils, whole grains, fruits, ...
Triclosan--a controversial antibacterial.(Health Risks and Environmental Issues)
May 01, 2006; ... Triclosan is a chlorinated aromatic compound with antibacterial properties, as well as antifungal and antiviral properties. It goes by the trade name, Microban[R], when used in plastics and clothing, and as Biofresh[R] when used in acrylic fibers. The companies that manufacture and use ...
Playing with numbers.(The War on Cancer)
May 01, 2006; ... If you listened to the mainstream media in February, you might have thought that the end of cancer was finally in sight. The cancer death rates were down at last, we were told, for the first time in over 70 years. "It's a notable milestone," said Dr. Michael Thun, head of epidemiological ...
Incredible medicine.(Healing with Homeopathy)
May 01, 2006; ... Homeopathy is both effective and incredible at the same time, and it seems that no amount of double-blind, controlled studies or clinical cases seems able to set the issue to rest. Ever since Hahnemann first set out his theories in the Organon of Medicine in 1810, homeopathy has been the ...
The acupuncture treatment of allergic rhinitis.(Acupuncture and Moxibustion)
May 01, 2006; ... Keywords: Chinese medicine, acupuncture, allergic rhinitis ********** Allergic rhinitis (AR) is defined as inflammation of the nasal membranes caused by an allergen such as pollen or animal dander. It is characterized by a complex of symptoms, consisting of any ...
Phytotherapy for the Management of asthma Part 2: materia medica and therapeutics.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
May 01, 2006; ... Treatment Goals for Phytotherapy of Asthma Treatment goals will obviously vary according to the needs of the individual case at the particular time of treatment. However, based on the considerations discussed in Part 1 of this article (TLDP, April 2006), they can be divided into ...
OPCs for allergy symptom relief.(Therapeutic Nutrition)
May 01, 2006; ... The allergic response is a highly complicated and multifaceted dysfunction of the immune system. Designed to protect against dangerous invaders such as pathogenic organisms, the results of the allergic response, when mobilized against harmless foreign (or even autogenous) substances, can ...
Side effects of asthma and allergy medications--and medicine-free cures.(Web Page Potpourri)
May 01, 2006; ... What are the side effects of Proventil (Generic Albuterol)? http://www.BuyGenericAlbuterol.com/albuterol-side-effects.html "More common side effects of Generic Albuterol may include: aggression, agitation, allergic reaction, anxiety, back pain, chest pain or ...
The dysox model of asthma and clinical outcome with integrated management plan.(Oxygen Homeostasis)
May 01, 2006; ... In this column, we look at the problems of the etiology and management of bronchial asthma through the prism of oxygen homeostasis. We briefly discuss the dysox model of asthma and present clinical outcome data concerning 24 unselected patients with bronchial asthma who followed--partially ...
Portable air cleaners--to buy or not to buy?
May 01, 2006; ... Concerns about indoor air quality and the rising incidence of asthma and allergies have made portable air cleaners a big business. US consumers spent about $275 million on these devices in 2003, and that number is expected to increase to $370 million by 2008. (1) But just how effective are ...
A nutritional supplement formula for influenza A (H5N1) infection in humans.
May 01, 2006; ... Abstract By early February 2006, the World Health Organization had reported 165 human cases of H5N1 influenza since December 2003, with 88 fatalities. However, the avian H5N1 influenza virus apparently is not yet efficiently transmitted between humans. Though a near-term ...
The use of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) in the management of histamine-mediated allergic responses.
May 01, 2006; ... Allergies and asthma are two examples of histamine-mediated allergic responses. Both conditions are increasing in frequency and are difficult to target with modern medicine. The modern approach to drug research is target-specific and does not consider the natural defense mechanisms of the ...
Prostate gland enlargement.
May 01, 2006; ... The prostate gland is about the size and shape of a walnut and weighs in at around one ounce. Women seem to know more about this little gland than men do. About 11% of men don't know that they have this gland in their body. Only 15% of men have ever heard of the term prostatitis. Of the ...
High-dose vitamin B12 for at-home prevention and reversal of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases.
May 01, 2006; ... Introduction It is interesting to consider what proportion of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) may result from under-nutrition, (1) especially when it seems that there may be an easy, low-cost, perfectly safe, nutritional way that may allow people to avoid a miserable illness that many ...
Nanotechnology's latest oncolytic agent: silver, cancer, & infection associations.
May 01, 2006; ... Introduction Silver-based drugs have one core common denominator--their active ingredient is their content of "oligodynamic" silver ions (i.e., [Ag.sup.+]). Carl Nageli (1893) first coined the term oligodynamic (from the Greek oligos = few and dynamis = power). Nageli ...
Digitalis's anticancer effects.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2006; ... Wayne Martin, in articles published in TLDP (July 2003; June 1999), wrote of the "anticancer effects of digitalis" and referred to a Purdue University survey in 1900-1930 that looked at heart patients maintained on digitalis for life. In his survey, the Purdue University doctor who wrote ...
Pantothenic acid and allergy relief.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2006; ... In 1962, I visited Roger Williams, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Texas. I had read about his suggestion that 500 mg of pantothenic acid taken daily would alleviate allergies. Professor Williams had spent much time talking to major pharmaceutical firms about ...
Natural desensitization treatment for hay fever.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2006; ... Does hay fever make you miserable in the spring and summer months? If you begin to get sniffles and sneezes in the springtime, you may be reacting to tree, grass, and/or flower pollens, or even mold spores. Want to avoid the side-effects of taking prescription drugs or over-the-counter ...
Amiodarone revisited.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2006; ... Amiodarone is an iodinated benzofuranic derivative containing 37.2% iodine by weight. Amiodarone is widely used in the management of cardiac arrhythmias. (1 and vide infra) The amiodarone molecule is deiodinated in vivo, resulting in urinary excretion of iodide in amounts equivalent to ten ...
Combining fruits and vegetables in the same meal.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2006 ... Dr. Collin writes in the December 2005 issue of TLDP about his discovery that combining fruits and vegetables in the same meal does not cause digestive and other problems. He expresses his regret that all these years he subscribed to "some nut's food theory" and didn't properly challenge ...
Calcium and vitamin D really don't reduce fractures? Take a second look.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2006; ... On February 16, 2006, the New England Journal of Medicine published new findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Study on the use of calcium and vitamin D for hip fracture reduction (Jackson, R et al. NEJM 354,7:684-96,2006). Headlines around the country read, "Calcium and Vitamin ...
Autogenous therapy for allergies.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2006; ... Once again, it's time to break the bowl of medical treatments (and hurt the P companies feelings) concerning allergy, shingles, and asthma. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Autogenous therapy for allergy, from first morning urine, yields a 95-98% success rate when injected IM ...
Strontium for osteoporosis: to dose or to megadose?(Editorial)
May 01, 2006; ... Studies published over the past several years have shown that supplementation with pharmacological doses of strontium (as strontium ranelate) can increase bone mineral density (BMD) and reduce fracture risk in postmenopausal women. The amount of strontium used in the largest of these ...
Living well, dying well.(The Quality of Life)(Book review)
May 01, 2006; ... The Quality of Life by Janet Lembke The Lyons Press, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, Connecticut 06437 USA; www.LyonsPress.com ISBN 1-59228-128-1, Hardback, 209 pp, c. 2003, $22.95 Poet and nature writer Janet Lembke learned, over the five-and-a-half ...
Consciousness and remote healing.(Limitless Mind: A Guide to Remote Viewing and Transformation of Consciousness)(Book review)
May 01, 2006; ... Limitless Mind: A Guide to Remote Viewing and Transformation of Consciousness by Russell Targ New World Library, 14 Pamaron Way, Novato, California 94949 USA; 800-97-BOOKS ISBN: 1577314131, Paperback, 209 pp., c.2004, $14.95 Russell Targ was a ...
Can you be cured naturally?(Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About)(Book review)
May 01, 2006; ... Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau Alliance Publishing Group, Inc., P.O. Box 207, Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60009 USA ISBN: 097559950X, Hardcover, c.2004, $29.95, 572 pp. Kevin Trudeau's, Natural Cures "They" ...
Remote sensing, information systems, and allergies.(Medical Anthropology)
May 01, 2006; ... Introduction Recent advances in information systems combined with anthropological and geographical data have led to fascinating discoveries about how certain diseases occur. One of the more common conditions associated with differences in geography and culture are allergies and ...
Asthma and breathing.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)
May 01, 2006; ... "Buteyko Breathing" teaches subjects how to reduce the depth and rate of respiration. Thirty-nine asthma patients, ages 12-70, were recruited and, after stratification for severity based on daily use of bronchodilators, randomly assigned to receive either general asthma education and ...
Asthma and relaxation training.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... In sixteen recruited asthmatic adults, mean forehead muscle tension fell from 1.9 to 1.3 [micro]v(p=0.02), blood pressure and heart rate fell significantly (p<0.01 and p<0.001), and FE[V.sub.1]/FVC percentage improved from 78 to 83 (p=0.044) from baseline to post-training in those randomly ...
Allergy and multiple personality disorder.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... The author presents three case histories of patients with multiple personality disorder. One client was found to be allergic to citrus fruits in all personality states save one; the allergic response was abruptly terminated by switching to a different personality. The second client was ...
Dermal allergy.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... The authors report case histories of two known allergic subjects. In subject one, baseline Prausnitz-Kustner wheal reactions to intradermal antigenic challenge at 1:10 and 1:500 dilutions encompassed 62 [mm.sup.2]. After hypnotic sessions, the reactions were reduced to zero. In subject ...
Hives and intense emotions.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... In this classical 1950 study on a volunteer subject, after baseline measurements demonstrated no forearm skin response to mechanical stroking and exposure to very small amounts of pilocarpine and histamine, the subject was then engaged in a discussion of a disturbing topic, which caused ...
Asthma and emotional expression.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... Of 61 volunteers with asthma, the mean percentage of predicted one-second forced expiratory volume improved from 64% at baseline to 76% four months later (p<0.001) in those randomized to write for 20 minutes a day for three consecutive days about their most emotionally traumatic life ...
Hives and expectation.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)
May 01, 2006; ... In this case report, a subject known to be prone to the development of hives was tested by striking the forearm with a small paddle, leading to the immediate development of a reactive hyperemia and development of an urticarial (hive-like) reaction in the area of skin touched by the paddle ....
Applied outside-the-box thinking in hay fever.(Allergies and of Medications)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... Many people suffer from hay fever. Seventy-nine patients, mean age 34, with moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis and mild allergic asthma to grass or birch pollen of at least two years duration, were randomized to either continue standard drug treatment or continue drug treatment, ...
Asthma and hypnosis.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... At a summer camp for asthmatic children, 17 asthma patients ages seven to 15, were treated with one hypnotherapy session. Comparisons of before/after 30 minutes of therapy included increases in forced vital capacity from a mean of 102 to 130 L/min; increases in peak flow from 54 to 75 ...
Asthma, hay fever, and hypnosis.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006; ... In this case history of a patient with hay fever and asthma, baseline measured reactions to intradermal testing with known allergens were recorded: grasses: 72 [mm.sup.2], trees: 50 [mm.sup.2], and spring flowers: 33 [mm.sup.2]. Following seven hypnosis treatments, the patient had relief ...
Contrast medium reactions and emotions.(Allergies and Side Effects of Medications)
May 01, 2006; ... A meticulous study of 228 deaths from reactions to administration of contrast media in radiological procedures concluded that "the most important factors in production of contrast media reactions are the patient's fear and apprehension." Lalli AF. Contrast media reactions: data ...
Eliminating allergies and sensitivities easily with NAET.(Pain Free 1-2-3!)(Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques)
May 01, 2006; ... Food Allergies Although many of my patients' food and other sensitivities resolve when we treat their underlying yeast overgrowth, parasitic infections, and underactive adrenal glands, problems sometimes persist and need to be treated. These kinds of sensitivities can be hard to ...
Townsend calendar.(Calendar)
May 01, 2006 ... APRIL 20-NOVEMBER 4: COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING COURSE ON ACUPUNCTURE. 300 credit hours of multimedia home study and intensive clinical workshops. Presented by University of California Irvine, College of Medicine, Department of Medicine; St. Luke's Hospital; Academy of Pain Research. CONTACT: ...
Black cohosh: state of the science and art.(Women's Health Update)
May 01, 2006; ... The medicinal use of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa or Cimicifuga racemosa) has a long herbal tradition in North America and Europe. A member of the buttercup family, black cohosh is native to the eastern part of North America and found as far west as Arkansas. Black cohosh was used by ...
Nutrients to reduce allergic symptoms: many nutrients appear to affect atopic allergic reactions. We will review some highlights from the literature.(Nutritional Influences on Illness)
May 01, 2006; ... Vitamins Niacin Both niacin and niacinamide inhibit mast cell degranulation and histamine release, events that promote allergic symptoms. (1) Pruritus (itchiness), when caused by chloroquine treatment for malaria, is prevented about half of the time by a concurrent ...