My Great Big Fat Pain in the Neck

My Great Big Fan Pain in the Neck is a story by a friend. You need to read this story if you or someone you know are experiencing pain problems that have been diagnosed as things like psychogenic ailment, migraines, ulcers, fibromyalgia, pinched nerve, bone spurs, spinal stenosis or herniated disc.

There's an alternative diagnosis that could apply: TMS or Tension Myositis Syndrome as explained by Dr. John Sarno in two of his books. As my friend writes: "His thesis, supported by years of successful treatment of patients in severe pain, is that such conditions are not due to physical damage ..., but are muscular (hence myositis), and emotion laden. Some trigger, usually stress (even positive stress like a wedding - or starting a new level of !), can cause the postural muscles to constrict, causing ischemia (oxygen deprivation), which causes pain. This engenders fear, which makes the condition worse."

She continues; "However, and this is profoundly important, just the knowledge that the condition is muscular can reduce the fear, which reduces the psychological and physiological tension, and thus the pain.

It works. I have learned to talk to my autonomic nervous system and ask it to tell the arterioles of the affected area to expand to my highest good, flooding the cells with rich oxygenated blood - the key is oxygen. I picture oxygen joyfully bubbling along in my blood stream, and I experience immediate physical relief."

Read the full story for more detail. I pass this on because this personal account shows with all necessary clarity why we need to incorporate complementary healing modalities and concepts into our traditional Western medicine approaches.

Her doctors were talking about surgery which proved entirely unnecessary. My friend's initiative and willingess to take responsibility for her own health found her a workable solution that cost nothing and gave her control over her condition now and forever.

This story has a happy ending due to the actions of a resourceful and determined person. The inherent tragedy is that this kind of action and effort should be entirely unnecessary. We spend billions on a health care system and pay countless professionals whose business it is to know these things for us. What do we need this system for if we have to figure everything out by ourselves anyway?

Every chance you get, support the movement for greater openness and acceptance of complementary healing modalities and approaches. Support allocation of research funds to research in this area. And last but not least: Consider getting second and third opinions from alternative sources for yourself and your loved ones whenever you need help with an ailment.

This does not mean you should stop using your doctor, it means you should keep and open mind and look for things you can add to your healing arsenal. Make your team bigger!

That said, if your doctor is not co-operative and supportive when you want to think out of the box, find someone who is. You need to surround yourself with people who support you and are willing to engage in open discussions about the things that matter to you.

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The double whammo corner: Type 2 Diabetes & Obesity

Gleaned from the Nutrion & theImmune System blog: Nutrition & the Immune System: Type 2 Diabetes & Obesity: "A Primer:

• 90 to 95% of the 16 million people who have diabetes have type 2 diabetes


• 80% of those with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese


• Patients at risk of developing type 2 diabetes can prevent disease onset and improve their blood sugar through modest imporvements in diet and exercise.


• In the last 2 decades the incidence of obesity among adults and children has risen nearly 50 percent.


• While the amount of fat in the average American diet has decreased in recent years, the incidence of obesity is still on the rise. People too often replace fat with high-density carbohydrates, starches and sugar."

We need our noses rubbed in it. So why do we always wait until things reach crisis proportions before we as a society act? Let me introduce you to the concept of the 'Tipping Point'. Until something - anything - reaches a critical mass and gains momentum, it may be unnoticeable to us. Unless we are uncommonly sensitive, our perceptions do not allow us to notice anything until then. Or our system of priorities puts too may other things ahead in the action queue.

When this something manages to break through our collective perception and prioritization filters, it has reached the 'Tipping Point'. Here is where it reaches momentum and starts behaving or eliciting behaviours different - sometimes radically different - from what we are used to. The status quo is upset.

In the words of author Malcolm Gladwell, the Tipping Point is "that moment in an epidemic when a virus reaches critical mass". Get the idea?

Trend watching is much more fun when you try to estimate where the Tipping Point might be. It also helps explain the existence of collective forms of lethargy, apathy and paralysis.  ⊕

If Busy Then Commiserate This! Else?

From a post at Your eyes, Your ears, Your smile, Your touch: "I envision myself as a sort of spiritual RCA Victor dog 'listening for his master's voice'.

Then a car's horn blares, or a dog down the block starts barking, or a familiar whistle is heard from just beyond the rise. All of that concentrated attention is tossed into a heap and forgotten as he bounds away to investigate...whatever."

Been there, done that. The good news is I don't live there anymore. The bad news is I visit far too often. That's the 'charm of the old neighbourhood' factor at work, I guess.  ⊕

Hacking into God's half acre

The discussion board of Soul Searching appears to have been hacked. Or how would you interprete the message you get when you follow the link?

":: [ SynC0p Ownz y0ur b0x ] ::"

And who are they anyway? "SoulSearching.ie is designed and maintained by the Irish Jesuits in conjunction with students, chaplains and staff from 3rd level college around the island of Ireland. While it has been designed specifically with Irish students in mind everyone is welcome to use our services and join in on all that goes on."

I don't think the Jesuits had this kind of experimentation in mind. The culprit is a candidate for 'dark prayers' if I ever saw one. The Jesuits are much to nice for that, though. They'll probably just forgive him/her which will likely bug him/her even more.  ⊕

Natural Help For An Enlarged Prostrate

More men die with prostate cancer than of it. I don't know why prostate cancer should be such a different condition from many other cancers. Nobody knows, really. There is growing support for the notion that when it comes to prostate problems, one should try other things first before submitting to the knife.

Here's an article from Dr. Rita Louise, PhD is, a Naturopathic Physician, medical intuitive and a 20-year veteran in the Human Potential Field.

Natural Help For An Enlarged Prostrate: "It is important to take care of your prostate and address any prostate, be it an enlarged prostate, prostetitis (inflammation of the prostate) or prostate cancer early on. Take an active role and protect yourself by having your prostate checked regularly. Traditional treatments for prostate issues include the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate. While most people experience a relief of symptoms, it may leave them impotent. For the health conscious, this should only be used as a last resort."

The article contains a lot of specific recommendations for what men can do when the prostate says hello. And I quote:

1. If you are over 40, have your doctor perform a prostate exam during your regular checkup.


2. Incorporate a healthful diet filled with lots of fruits and vegetables and low on unsaturated fats, sugars and processed foods.


3. Kegel exercises can be done to improve circulation to these tissues. A kegel exercise is performed by pulling up all the muscles around the scrotum and anus. Repeat this movement 10 times. Try doing this 'invisible' exercise 5-6 times daily. (Note form HV: This exercise is part of a Wai-Tan-Kung Qi Gong sequence.)


4. For men suffering from prostate enlargement, saw palmetto is the place to start. Saw palmetto has a long history of relieving testicular inflammation and inhibiting the hormone responsible for prostate enlargement.


5. Zinc has also been used for decades to support a healthy prostate.


6. The herbs nettle and pygeum have also been show to be effective for relieving symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. They can be used alone or in conjunction with saw palmetto.


7. A great combination for prostate issues is Nature's Sunshine Men's Formula with Lycopene, which contains pygeum, saw palmetto, gotu kola, stinging nettle and zinc.


8. You can also try Nature's Sunshine's PS II or P-X. PS II contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial for maintaining healthy prostate gland function.


9. Incorporate the herb damiana into your wellness program. Damiana has a long history of helping balance the body's hormones.


10. Hydrangea is another herb that supports the urinary system, where it is know to promote the overall health of the prostate gland and help to reduce inflammation and swelling.


11. Take antioxidants. Supplementation with antioxidants (vitamins A,C, E and selenium), such as those found in Defense Maintenance or super Antioxidant will help to protect these sensitive tissues from oxidative damage. (Note from HV: I am aware of evidence that supplements based on isolated compounds mixed together are a whole lot less effective than getting antioxidants in their natural package: fresh, raw fruits and vegetables.)

End of quote.

From my own experience, I can tell you that stretching of the legs, particularly a Japanese plow (a form of side splits) helps loosening up the things in the prostate area. It (the streching) also alleviates lower back pain. Try it, but do it gently to start and don't bounce, just hold the stretch for at least a minute or so. Listen to your body and follow the directions it gives you and repeat.

The reference above to the Kegel exercise may seem totally out of the blue, but don't you find it fascinating that it was made part of Qi Gong movements long before Kegel ever walked the planet? Open your heart to all possibilities and embrace what is there right before you.

As Rabindranath Tagore said:

"All the struggle to learn, when all we have to do is remember."

In other words: History matters because every generation has to relearn what prior generations figured out. Why struggle to re-invent what is already available?

'nuff said, I'm out of spoons.  ⊕

Now for something completely different

Antarctic Time Warp Discovery: "Time has been a somewhat intractable problem in science. There is no agreement even on the nature of time itself, although experiments have been made to 'travel' to different time periods. The discovery of a time anomaly in the Antarctic - reported in Pravda yesterday - dates back eight years. "

Suspend your disbelief for a minute and go read the article through to the end. Then ask yourself this: 'What on Earth should I do with this information?'  ⊕

Your eyes, Your ears, Your smile, Your touch

Your eyes, Your ears, Your smile, Your touch is a delightful blog written by a man who is a 'Candidate for the Roman Catholic Diaconate pursuing his time of discernment'.

Every search has it's challenges. Here are some observations from the inside:

"Three strike morning - Toss a student out of class, yell at the kids, snarl at a friend and all before the liturgy of the eucharist.

I look at myself in this tinted mirror and ask God; Have you got the right guy?

I remind myself that this is Lent and I should be focusing more, not less on 'doing the right thing'.

I feel like God gave a pop quiz and I came home with a d-minus.

No lasting wounds though."

I think I'll follow along from the sidelines to see where this will lead.  ⊕

Health Claims on Food and Dietary Supplements Made Easier by FDA

Contrast this with the ridiculous European stance I referred to earlier today: Health Claims on Food and Dietary Supplements Made Easier by FDA: "The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on December 18, 2002, it will ease the restrictions preventing food and dietary supplement manufacturers from putting specific health claims on their products' labels. Some claims will be allowed, even if the scientific evidence supporting them is not conclusive. The FDA states the new guidelines will precipitate greater communication in food labeling of the health benefits of consuming particular foods, thereby enhancing the public's health.

Manufacturers of foods and nutritional supplements (which are classified as foods by the FDA) have rarely been permitted to put health claims on their labels, due to the stringent criteria established by the FDA. Food and supplement manufacturers have had to demonstrate the same level of significant scientific agreement as pharmaceutical companies, which has usually led to the FDA denying requests related to health claims.

The new guidelines will allow companies to provide health benefit information if the scientific evidence supporting the information outweighs the evidence against it. A panel within the FDA will review the existing studies and determine if there is enough data to support a specific health claim for a particular product. The panel may allow a health claim to appear on a label outright or may add specific language qualifying the claim, if necessary. The FDA will continue to deny claims that are not scientifically substantiated. However, the exact process it will use to evaluate the scientific evidence has not yet been determined. The agency has established a task force to begin reviewing the process and will make its recommendations at a later date."  ⊕

Nutrition & the Immune System: Kids Cafes

Bob W in Chicago has a great site on Nutrition and the Immune system. There's a lot of good information here, well researched and sprinkled with the insightful opinions of a concerned father.

He takes a proactive approach and is a great role model. For kids and adults both. We should all get off our behinds more often. Here's a taste of a recent adventure as Bob describes it:

Nutrition & the Immune System: Kids Cafes: "My daughter and I volunteered at the Depository last year with her school mates. It was a fun morning. You might try to organize something similar at your school or with your friends. For us it involved sorting through donated food and repacking fruit for distribution onto food pantries and the like."

Check out the rest. There's more in Chicago than meets the eye.  ⊕

Europe Getting Closer to Severe Supplement Restrictions

mercola.com: Europe is Getting Closer to Severe Supplement Restrictions: "It appears that the European Union is getting very close to putting severe restrictions on nutritional supplements in Europe. Their Food Supplements Directive creates a restricted list of vitamins and minerals that after August 2005, nutrients not on the list will be banned. A similar list exists for herbal products. The legislation states anything that 'restores, corrects or modifies physiological function' in the body will be deemed a drug."

The Europeans sometimes have a more liberal attitude towards things than other parts of the world. Sometimes they are just plain backwards. Banning herbals and naturals is not a solution. Public safety can be handled by setting standards for extracts and product labeling. This will allow consistent and predictable dosages, something which is often difficult or even impossible today. Back that up with meaningful public education about preventative measures you and I and everyone can take, and public health will make a quantum leap for the better.

Why must everything be so hard when the solutions are so simple?  ⊕

In the face of obesity creativity sprouts unfettered

Dr. Joseph Mercola reports: mercola.com: "They Changed the Size of Your Clothes and You Didn't Even Notice: "As more Americans have become overweight, A.S.T.M. has increased the measurements for the standard sizes. Clothing companies, too, began using 'vanity sizing,' putting, say, a size 6 label on a size 10 in the hopes of luring a customer. Even men's sizes, which are considered more accurate because they are labeled in inches, are often 'relaxed' to measure an inch bigger than the advertised size. An average woman was thought to be a size 8, but actually is a size 14."

We're due for a reality check right about now. Like Frank Zappa sang it:
"You is what you are and you ain't what you're not."
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The Role of Work

Indigo Ocean is a thoughtful woman living in Hawaii. Recently she had some good thoughts about the role of work in our lives. She thinks that work can be a blessing and a bane. It can at least pay bills even if you dislike it and it can liberate you if you're doing soemting you love. Even work you see as a 'bane' can have merit: it may still be better than doing nothing. It gets you out of bed and out of the house where you might otherwise be trapped in an emotional downspiral. But go to Hawaii and read for yourself.  ⊕

Celebrity worshippers 'are lonely'

BBC News reports: Celebrity worshippers 'are lonely'. The report goes on to quote: "Young people who are obsessed with celebrities may have psychological problems, according to experts.

They may be lonely, insecure or lacking in social skills. The may also have a poor relationship with their parents.

'They may be reacting to bad relationships,' said Dr John Maltby of Leicester University.

The findings are based on a study of 191 children between the ages of 11 and 16, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences."

OK, so that's great. A lot of questions, few if any answers and a set-up for more grant money. Behold the fine art of research proposal writing.

Did we not always know that obsessions of any kind is counter productive? I suspect strongly that the line between harmless and harmful celebrity worship can be explained thus: Are the respondents (i.e., the people in the study) object referral or self-referral types?

Object-referral types define themselves by objects or their relationships to objects in their external environment. The external environment is never at rest and neither are these people.

Self-referral types define themselves by their inner feelings and act close to their authentic selves. One's actual self doesn't change all that much so these types are more stable and more grounded.

Do you see the difference? I wonder if the researchers do; maybe I should send them an email or something.  ⊕