Electric Blankets - What they can do to you.

I love to get into my cold bed and snuggle up enjoying the warmth grow slowly around me until I am cosy and warm - but I'm the exception. Most of us prefer to get into a warm bed and many of us use electric blankets to achieve this state.
There is nothing wrong with this approach. The problems occur when they go to sleep with the electric blanket still blazing away.
As a Bowen Therapist, I am always advising clients not to put external sources of heat on their bodies if they can help it as heat causes the blood vessels on your skin to dilate, dehydrating the skin and thus, the muscles below. This may feel good in the short term but the next day, the pain in that area will be worse than before because the tissues will be even more dehydrated and the main way our bodies signal that we are dehydrated is by pain.
I usually recommend rugging up so that the body creates its own heat from within - but not to overdo that either.
As for sleeping, it is now well known that snoring and other problems can be made worse by sleeping too hot. Doctors usually recommend sleeping a little cooler than usual for optimum breathing.
In addition, imagine how much fluid you might lose if you are lying on an electric blanket and sweating all night.
Heat stress from sleeping with the electric blanket on can even cause raised blood pressure, increased heart rate and seizures in extreme circumstances.
New Mums are often warned about the dangers of putting too many bed covers on newborns. Newborns are especially susceptible to heat stress but all of us would benefit from not putting our bodies through unnecessary heat stress nightly.
Hot water bottles are probably a better option if you must have extra heat in your bed and don't happen to have THOL (The Heater On Legs) lying next to you like I do.
At least water bottles tend to cool down during the night so the dangers of overheating are far less.
As for THOL.....

Hypothyroidism - can you avoid it?

I am not a doctor but I am interested in natural alternatives to avoid or cure common illness. This is the first in a series of articles about common health issues that I found interesting and you might too.
Recent reading has led me to believe that a lot of people are being diagnosed with hypothyroidism (which means a slow thyroid) these days.
Hypothyroidism has the following symptoms; weight gain, hair loss, lack of energy and increased sensitivity to cold.
Once diagnosed, most patients are prescribed drugs such as Synthroid or Levothyroxin to synthesise the missing thyroxin in their bodies.
These drugs can have serious side effects including rapid heartbeat, chest pain, weight loss, headache, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, irritability, insomnia, fever and changes to menstrual cycles. That all sounds pretty awful to me so I thought there must be a natural alternative.
Turns out the natural alternative is a diet which is much easier to follow than I expected. It is called the TypeT diet and is basically as follows:
- eliminate black tea, coffee and other caffeine sources
- reduce or eliminate sugar
- reduce white flour and white rice consumption
- drink raspberry leaf tea as it helps the thyroid and has no caffeine
Apart from the elimination of all caffeine, I would find this diet pretty easy to follow and much preferable to the nasty effects of the drugs.
So if you have the symptoms of hypothyroidism or know someone who has, suggest this to them - it can't hurt and it may just help them avoid taking another unnecessary drug whose side effects sound worse than what they are trying to cure.
Please note: always do your own research before taking any health advice from these articles and if you have any doubts, consult your health professional.

Natural Health Articles

I have just added two new links - Mercola.com. and Healthiertalk.com. Both are sites that contains hundreds of natural health articles. I can really recommend you have a look at them. There is so much information there, it will keep you going for a long time.

Facts about Acupuncture

This article is a summary of the main points detailed by Chris Kresser in his series of articles that can be viewed at his blog site "The Healthy Skeptic". I have a link to his site on my home page.

I have been interested in Acupuncture for some time now as the more I learn about how Acupuncture - or more specifically, Acupressure, the more I realise the similarities with how Bowen therapy works. I figure that the Chinese spent thousands of years refining acupuncture and we can learn a lot from them.

The only things I found difficult to get my head around were the Meridians and the role of Chi. Chris's articles explained all that to me so I felt I needed to explain them to you too. However, if you want more details, I can recommend Chris's articles.

CHI AND THE MERIDIANS EXPLAINED
Chi is actually oxygen and the meridians are actually our blood vessels. There was a misinterpretation of the ancient Chinese texts and that is where the mistake happened.
So, if Chi is oxygen, then the Chinese believe that oxygen circulates through the blood vessels of the body. This is the same as we know in Western medicine - simple.

ACUPUNCTURE POINTS EXPLAINED
Acupuncture points are actually neuro nodes situated at points of thin skin. Neuro nodes have many nerve endings that can reflect pain from organs, etc. Interestingly, Reflexology uses many of the same points as acupuncture - as does Bowen therapy.

HOW ACUPUNCTURE HEALS
Acupuncture works in three ways:
1. It relieves pain
2. It reduces inflammation
3. It restores homeostasis
Acupuncture works on the peripheral nervous system so if those nerves are cut or blocked, acupuncture doesn't work. However, there are so many acupuncture points for each area that if one doesn't work, others usually will.

HOW ACUPUNCTURE ACTS
1. It promotes blood flow, thus healing (eg: a 3% lack of blood flow to the breasts can greatly increase the incidence of breast cancer)
2. It creates "micro traumas" which stimulate the body to spontaneously to start the healing mechanisms.
3. It releases natural pain killers (chemical endorphins)
4. It reduces the intensity and perception of pain
5. It relaxes shortened muscles which then takes the pressure off joints and nerves and promotes blood flow
6. It reduces stress by stimulating the release of oxytocin- the chill hormone

WHY WE NEED ACUPUNCTURE AND OTHER HOLISTIC THERAPIES
In ancient times, when we got injured, our brain evolved to cut off the blood supply to the injured site to save our life. For example, if you cut your knee you would live because you wouldn't bleed to death.
This system still works well for us for small cuts but these days when we can fix more serious injuries, the body's restriction of blood flow can hamper healing because there is less oxygen, chemicals and nutrients getting to where it is needed.

HOW ACUPUNCTURE WORKS IN MORE DETAIL
Acupuncture jumps the neural threshold on the position nerve pathway which stimulates the brain to release its natural painkillers.
But then the body slowly returns to the old habit and the pain returns.
After another treatment, the neural threshold is jumped again and after a few more jumps, the nervous system figures out that it's better to operate in a non-pain rather than a pain state. Bowen theray works this way too.
Then the brain stops seeing the body part as injured and restores normal blood flow to it so that healing can occur.
Acupuncture needles also stimulate the immune system as they are foreign invaders. This helps the body decrease inflammation as the white cells that rush to the site of the "invasion" also clean up a lot of the inflammation waste products.
Also, by "popping" the body's mast cells with the needles, acupuncture helps release anti-inflammation chemicals.

WHY HOLISTIC THERAPIES WORK FOR THE LONG TERM
Holistic therapies like acupuncture and Bowen therapy address the underlying causes of disease and try to remove them. Western medicine only tries to suppress the symptoms of disease. Western drugs suppress not only symptoms but the normal functions of the body which over time can worsen the underlying condition because they interfere with the body's self-healing mechanisms.
Examples of the sorts of drugs that have this effect include blood pressure drugs, statins and anti-inflammatories. When you come off them, your symptoms are worse than when you went on them because blood hasn't been flowing to the joint, etc. as it should.
Drugs also have side effects which for some people are worse than the symptoms they were prescribed to help.
Acupuncture works best as a preventative medicine; when the body still has some strength and just needs its immune system tweaking.

May 2011 Newsletter

Welcome clients to my May 2011 newsletter.
If you don't want to receive these newsletters, please send me an email and I'll take you off my list.
Feel free to forward this email on to friends and family that you think may find it interesting.


TIP OF THE MONTH - TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS FROM DESK WORK TO STRETCH AND BREATH
Too many of us (me included!) spend far too long perched on chairs in front of computer screens with our arms out in front of us tapping away. I always advise clients to take frequent breaks to stretch and do some deep breathing.
Start by standing up and taking some slow, deep breaths to re oxygenate your body.
Then you can try the standing hamstring stretch (see picture attached). This is great for sore lower backs and cramping hamstrings. Remember to bend from the hips keeping your back straight.
The other area that presents a problem is the upper back and neck. Shoulder rolls are a great release for this area - 5 forward and 5 backwards for each shoulder followed by both together. You can even do this while still sitting.
For the neck you can slowly and gently tip your head right back. Hold this pose for about 20 seconds then slowly move your head forward and down. You can then tilt your head slowly from side to side. Caution! - always do neck movements slowly and with total control so you don't injure yourself.
You can finish your stretches with a pinch and release of the trapezius muscle. To accomplish this get a good grip between thumb and fingers of your trapezius (located between the neck and shoulder) and squeeze. Then slowly pull upwards until the skin slips off the muscle. This move is most easily accomplished on people with good muscle definition who are well hydrated.
Oh, and don't forget to keep a bottle of water on your desk and take frequent sips to stay well hydrated.

NEW FACEBOOK GROUP AVAILABLE
I mentioned last month that I had a new business facebook page - Carolyn Blackburn Bowen Therapy. I have also started a group called "water drinkers". For those of you who are on facebook, you might like to check them both out out as I give regular tips and information about water and it's effect on the body

BOOK REVIEW - YEAST-FREE AND HEALTHY
My book of the month is "Yeast-Free and Healthy" by Richard Turner and Elizabeth Simonsen.
It was published in 1987 but is still relevant today - probably more so with our terrible fast-food habits.
This book is for people who have been feeling unwell for some time and suspect they may have a health-destroying yeast imbalance.
The main focuss of the book is the dreaded Candida. Candida albicans is a common yeast that is present in all our bodies but if we are healthy and eat a good diet, it doesn't take over. However, if we eat and drink too much of certain foods and beverages, candida can run amok and cause all sorts of disturbing symptoms from thrush to digestive disturbances and even contribute to inflammation and cancer in the long run.
And guess what the Candida in your body thrives on? Our old enemy sugar is top of the list, followed by the usual suspects of white flour products - particularly bread and of course, alcohol and soft drinks.
The book goes through an elimination diet to help you clear your body of candida overgrowth. It then details a yeast-free diet to keep you clear of Candida and suggests a way of slowly reintroducing certain foods and drinks so that you can work our what sets your Candida off badly and what doesn't.
One of the foods the book suggests you avoid while detoxing is mushrooms. I hadn't realised that mushrooms are closely related to yeasts but of course, they are a fungi. Certain cheeses (particularly those with blue veins) are also off the menu.

MORE INFORMATION ON ACUPUNCTURE
I recently read a series of articles by Chris Kresser on his blogsite "The Healthy Skeptic" - there's a link to it on my blog site.
Chris is a qualified Acupuncturist and his articles have helped to dispel the myths and mistaken beliefs about Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in particular. I am going to write a detailed article on my blog site which basically summarises Chris's main points but the two things I found the most astounding were that the Chinese did not invent or ever base their medicine on "Meridians" and that "Chi" is not really energy.
The term "meridians" was used by Indian medics and adopted by the western man who "translated" the ancient Chinese medical texts. He had a bit of trouble understanding their terms. He also had no medical training, so the "meridians" became a convenient explanation for something he couldn't comprehend. In fact, what the Chinese were referring to were the veins and arteries of our circularity system. The Chinese worked out that blood circulates throughout the body in a time when western doctors were still "bleeding" their patients to remove the evil "humours".
The other term - "chi" was often referred to in the Chinese texts as the vital force of life that we inhale and that travels in the blood to give life and vitality to the organs and muscles of the body. Chris Kresser says that this description sounds more like oxygen than "energy".However, he does point out that there is energy involved as well. Food is converted into energy that the body needs to function and utilize the oxygen we breath. The Chinese understood all this and that is why their medicine focused on improving the blood flow around the body so that the life-giving oxygen could do it's job.
So the idea that Acupuncture somehow harnesses "energy" from the universe that then travels around the body in mystical "meridians" becomes; oxygen is inhaled and absorbed into the blood where it circulates to all parts of the body to help bodily functions. Sounds a lot like what we now know in western medicine and not mysterious at all.
I have often thought that Acupuncture and Bowen Therapy work in similar ways and it's good to find out that Acupuncture really does have a scientific basis as has Bowen.


MORE INFORMATION ON MY WEBSITE AND BLOG SITE
Prior newsletters are available and you can also check out updates and detailed articles on my blog site at http://bowentherapytips.blogspot.com/
If you would like to see more information about Bowen Therapy, you might like to check out my web page on the
Natural Therapy Pages at http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/therapist/25736
You can also follow me on facebook - Carolyn Blackburn Bowen Therapy
And follow me on Twitter - @Bowentweeter

Best wishes to you and your families,

Carolyn .