Workshop #7 Natural Health Care

[abimommy]

Workshop #7 - Natural Healthcare.

Welcome to our sixth Natural Family Living discussion: Feeding the Family; First Foods, Healthy Eating for the Whole Family. This discussion will key in on Part 3 – Feeding the Family; First Foods, Healthy Eating for the Whole Family from Peggy O’Mara’s (http://www.mothering.com/sections/about_us/about_us.html#staff) book Natural Family Living (http://www.mothering.com/shop/index.php?target=products&product_id=29778).

Some of the topics we'll discuss are;

Chapter 12 - Alternative Medicine and Family Health
What is Alternative Medicine?
Basic Principals of Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicine emphasizes "self-healing"
Alternative medicine takes into account the whole person
Alternative medicine focuses on prevention
Alternative remedies are relatively gentle
Not Really "Alternative" After All
How proven are alternative therapies?
Herbal Medicine
Homeopathy
Naturopathy
Chiropractic
Aromatherapy
Bach Flower Remedies
Bodywork
Massage
Reflexology
Shiatsu
Craniosacral Therapy
Ayurveda
Anthroposophy
Humor and Faith
Finding an Alternative Practitioner
Recommendations/Referrals
Licensing and education Requirements
Questions to ask
Things to look for



Chapter 13 The Natural Approach to Common Infant and Childhood Ailments
Keeping Your Children Healthy
Supplement with vitamins
Echinacea
Garlic
Keep sweets and processed foods to a minimum
Consider avoiding dairy
Humidifiers
Slow Down
Give your child a massage
Hydrotherapy
Eucalyptus steam inhalation
Foot compresses
Fever
herbs
Homeotherapy
Light foods and Fluids
Comfort
Earaches
Allergy
Nutritional Deficiency
Mechanical Obstruction
Herbs
Aromatherapy
Homeotherapy
Colds and Flu
Herbs
Aromatherapy
Hydrotherapy
Coughs and Sore Throats
Liquids
Herbs
Aromatherapy
Homeotherapy
First Aid
Arnica
Tiger Balm
Calendula
Aloe Vera
Lavender Oil
Tea Tree Oil
Chamomile
St. John's Wort
Witch Hazel
Rescue Remedy
Tummy Tincture
Living With Asthma
Diet
Supplements
Massage
Eucapnic or Buteyko breathing
Herbs
Homeopathy
Acupuncture
Preventative measures, avoiding triggers
Other natural remedies
Yoga
Chiropractic
Shiatsu
Relaxation Techniques

Helping Your Child Cope With a Medical Experience
Insist on staying with your child
Reassure your child in an honest way
Become your child's advocate
Know whom to go to with a concern
Do not neglect your other children
After a Hospitalization
Spend time processing the experience
Be prepared for little hurts to become a big deal
Relish and Share Support
Encourage Laughter, the best medicine
When to Call Dr
If your Ill Child
Fever of 104 or fever accompanied by chills or excessive sweating
Appears to be unusually weak, limp, apathetic or difficult to waken
Complains of severe pain
Has a bulging fontanel (soft spot) with a very strong pulse (a sign of meningitis). A healthy fontanel should not sink in or or protrude, and the pulse should be regular but not especially strong
Has had diarrhea or vomiting for more than a day and appears dehydrated (signs of dehydration include loss of skin elasticity, going either hours without urinating, dry lips, sunken eyes or a sunken fontanel).
Has problems with balance or coordination, or numbness in any area.
Has difficulty breathing.
Loses consciousness
Has not improved after three days of home treatment
Is under two months old


Chapter 14: What Makes a Healthy Family?
Healthy Families start with love
Love Yourself
Communication
Respect. Healthy families respect one another.
Time
Spirituality or Morality
Resilience
Sharing Family Responsibilities
Articulate your reasons
Tailor the chores to the child
Make rules about Make-work
Make allowances for allowances
Enlist the help of your partners
Easing Up On Housework
Involve your Children
Create a cleaning schedule that works for your family
Do a "clean sweep" several times a day
Relax Your Standards
Forget about spring cleaning
Hire Help
What Makes an Unhealthy Family?
Family "Unfriendly" Policies
Toward a more family-friendly workplace
The transformation power of parenting

Please join us in discussion on Natural Health Care. We welcome everyone to share their personal experiences, what works for your family, your struggles and your ideas. This is an open dialog and we ask that everyone be respectful of others' opinions. Take what feels right to you and leave the rest behind. Please be respectful to all our members so that the workshop can be a place of meaningful and respectful discussion for all our members. If you have a favorite quote from Natural Family Living, please share it.

We would like to invite everyone to join us no matter where you are in your thinking or feelings. These discussions are meant to be nonjudgmental so please keep in mind when reading members' responses that this is a true discussion based on Natural Family Living and not a place to debate or criticize. For more ideas and information, please see our Health and Healing forum (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=45).

We’re excited to offer this workshop and hope it will give our members a glimpse into the grassroots of Mothering magazine and Natural Family Living.

This workshop will be facilitated by our moderators QueenoftheMeadow (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/member.php?u=26013), AutumnBreeze (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/member.php?u=11470) and Mamaverdi (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/member.php?u=26416). They are here to guide the discussion and keep it on topic. They will occasionally post references or ask questions to keep the conversation flowing. Please feel free to contact them at any time with questions, suggestions or concerns. Please keep in mind our workshop guidelines (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=874173) and current user agreement (http://www.mothering.com/mdc/mdc_useragreement.html) at all times.

We are compiling a Natural Family Living Resources Sticky (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=876855) which we will update with each workshop. Please feel free to refer to it for more information.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

Hey everyone! Welcome to the new workshop! I'm so excited to hear about how everyone else uses or doesn't use alternative health care for themselves and their families.

I tend to use herbs, diet, homeopathy and supplements to help support my family. I just finished making my first batch of cold and cough syrup for the family last week. I really like the idea of being knowledgeable and involved in my families healthcare. There is something very empowering about that.

[purplegirl]

I use acupuncture often. It helped me with a freaky ailment that my doctor wanted to use meds on. I also use herbs. I had an issue with High blood pressure. One week on this herb compound--Carditone and my pressure has been perfect.

[frontierpsych]

I'm looking forward to learning a few things from reading this workshop. We're under Tricare, and they don't always cover everything (they didn't cover my homebirth or my chiropractor) but now that I'm a mom I want to learn things I can do for my son now and in the future to care for him naturally.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

When people ask me what alternative medicine is I usually say that it's like the ecology of the body. The understanding that every part of us, our emotional state, our physical state, our environment are intertwined. Although there certainly is a part of alternative medicine that is about treating a symptom, there is also a very large part of it that goes beyone that to treat the cause.

For example, if one of my children gets an ear infection, we don't use antibiotics, because a huge majority of ear infections are caused by viruses. We use garlic mullien ear drops to help with the pain and to fight the infection. That treats the symptoms. I also give my kids vitamin C and immune supporting herbs to help their bodies heal themselves. Now if they had reaccuring ear infections, I'd start looking for underlying causes, like food allergies and sensitivities, environmental allergies, whether they are sticking peas in their ears when I'm not looking. I'd start on a regular system of immune support.

We are also lucky to have been able to find a doctor who supports and is very knowledgeable about alternative health care. It is great to have a practioner that can guide you also. I think if you can find a provider who is willing work with you, that you are headed down the right path as well.

[Bellabaz]

I grew up in a home where we turned to natural healing methods first before going to teh conventional doc for meds. I had ear infections prety often as a kids and my mother always used garlic for them. I know of someone else's mother who used their urine for ear infections. We went to the chiropractor and took vitamin C and when we were sick we took teas/herbs for immune support. We were also never vaxed.
With my dd, the first place I stop when the doc dives me a rx for her is the natural food store. The two or so times she has had an ear infection I have used ear drops that contain garlic and tea tree oils. There was no way I was giving my one year old the adult dose of antibiotics taht the doc claimed were necessary! FOr myself and dp, we use teas and herbs to help us as well when we feel it is necessary. We also use diet to maintain and support healthy bodies.

I agree that it is empowering knowing your body and how to heal it without chemicals. I do believe that there are circumstances when conventional methods are necessary and beneficial but many times simple, natural remedies with little side effects are overlooked as ineffective in favor of the latest medications. I also find it frustrating that many modern docs do not even consider looking to these modalities for healing and are so quick to write a rx for you.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

I grew up in a home where we turned to natural healing methods first before going to teh conventional doc for meds. I had ear infections prety often as a kids and my mother always used garlic for them. I know of someone else's mother who used their urine for ear infections. We went to the chiropractor and took vitamin C and when we were sick we took teas/herbs for immune support. We were also never vaxed.
With my dd, the first place I stop when the doc dives me a rx for her is the natural food store. The two or so times she has had an ear infection I have used ear drops that contain garlic and tea tree oils. There was no way I was giving my one year old the adult dose of antibiotics taht the doc claimed were necessary! FOr myself and dp, we use teas and herbs to help us as well when we feel it is necessary. We also use diet to maintain and support healthy bodies.

I agree that it is empowering knowing your body and how to heal it without chemicals. I do believe that there are circumstances when conventional methods are necessary and beneficial but many times simple, natural remedies with little side effects are overlooked as ineffective in favor of the latest medications. I also find it frustrating that many modern docs do not even consider looking to these modalities for healing and are so quick to write a rx for you.


Yes, there is definately a time for modern medical treatment. And there are definatley times when both work together. I'd be dead without modern medical treatment. I had a bleed in my brain and went into status epiliepticus. Without antiseizure meds, I would have seized to death. But not that the trauma is over, three years ago, I have been able to half my meds by using them in conjunction with herbs and supplements. So that works well together.

[mamaverdi]

One of the things I love about natural healing methods is that they can work hand-in-hand with other necessary technocratic type treatments.

For example: when my dh tore his rotator cuff, we ended up healing it with a combination of strong pain meds (at the beginning), Physical Therapy exercises, an Osteopath who does hands-on osteopathy, and homeopathy. The Osteopath said she was shocked by the ease of healing: quickly and completely b/c of the homeopathy.


We had the same success with healing urinary tract infections in our basset hound: switching her to a raw diet and using herbs and homeopathy, she went from an infection every two weeks to none at all. :D

What do others do if they cannot find alternative health practioners in their area? This is something I regularly run into in TX. :(

[purplegirl]

One of the things I love about natural healing methods is that they can work hand-in-hand with other necessary technocratic type treatments.

For example: when my dh tore his rotator cuff, we ended up healing it with a combination of strong pain meds (at the beginning), Physical Therapy exercises, an Osteopath who does hands-on osteopathy, and homeopathy. The Osteopath said she was shocked by the ease of healing: quickly and completely b/c of the homeopathy.


We had the same success with healing urinary tract infections in our basset hound: switching her to a raw diet and using herbs and homeopathy, she went from an infection every two weeks to none at all. :D

What do others do if they cannot find alternative health practioners in their area? This is something I regularly run into in TX. :(

I struggle with having access to good alternative health practitioners here in Delaware. Fortunately, I am close enough to Philly and Baltimore that if I had to, I could easy find someone skilled in one of those cities. I rely on the internet, MDC and friends to help me find resources too. My local coop has been enormously helpful when I needed to find practitioners as well.

[wrkngMAMA]

The biggest problem I have with my ds's diet (vitamins, etc.) and natural care is his father (whom I am not with). He watches DS during the weekdays while I work. Maybe this should be on another post, but are there any resources that I can give him (he's not much of a reader) that would help explain to him the importance of consistency and the effectiveness of natural care? He can be irresponsible and lazy, but overall he exibits an interest in natural care that I hope I can get him to act more consistently on...

[Bellabaz]

What do others do if they cannot find alternative health practioners in their area? This is something I regularly run into in TX. :([/QUOTE]

We have an herbalist that lives in the area but other than that the closest alternative practicioner is 2 hours away. We have a great store that sells natural body products, organic/health food/vitamins, bulk herbs, homeopathic remedies, etc. It like a big general store. The staff there are really knowledgable about many remedies and there are reference books available for customers to llok up different uses of various herbs/remedies/tonics. Its a really great resource for us. I also rely on others whom I know who turn to these modalities for healing because often they have tried something that worked or vice versa.

[sunanthem]

I went to school for massage where I learned about aromatherapy, cranio sacral, kinesiology, reiki and more. I use herbal treatments and e.o.'s in my home often. I have made my own natural first aid kit as well.

I would suggest for those looking for therapy near them, try to find a school. Like massage schools regularly give clinic days where you can get a one hour massage for $25 (sometimes with 2 students working on you!) Also, metaphysical bookstores or unitarian churches and the like often have healing circles which are free and open to the public; often you may be able to get a free reiki treatment. We also have acupuncture offices here that have monthly clinic days where they do treatments for a discount. I cant imagine it being hard to find practioners; there are so many resources on the web that list practiioners and where they are.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

The biggest problem I have with my ds's diet (vitamins, etc.) and natural care is his father (whom I am not with). He watches DS during the weekdays while I work. Maybe this should be on another post, but are there any resources that I can give him (he's not much of a reader) that would help explain to him the importance of consistency and the effectiveness of natural care? He can be irresponsible and lazy, but overall he exibits an interest in natural care that I hope I can get him to act more consistently on...

Hmm, that's a rough one. How old is your ds?

[Mab]

I just finished making my first batch of cold and cough syrup for the family last week.

would you share how you make those syrups? i'm really interested. thanks!:love

[isisreturning]

i'm really interested in expanding my knowledge of natural healing methods. i fear i'm a bit late in developing this interest, but then again, i guess anytime is a good time to start.

my ds had chronic ear infections which we treated numerous times with antibiotics, then finally with ear tubes. the ear infection issue is resolved for him now, but i do suspect allergies based on frequent puffiness/redness under his eyes and certain patterns of cranky/contrary behavior (above and beyond what's usual and normal).

my dd was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in dec 07 and went through conventional medical treatment for it - including surgery, 6 rounds of high-dose chemo and 6 weeks of radiation. during treatment she was given tons of other medicines - very strong broad-spectrum antibiotics, anti-nausea meds, anti-reflux meds, narcotic pain meds, antihistamines, and so on. she stopped eating and was on I.V. nutrition for many months. today, she is 99% tube-fed, with regular similac formula. it anguishes me so much to consider all the vile stuff that's gone into her body. but, for the time being, she is "no evidence of disease" and we are thankful she is still alive. nonetheless, i know there is a lot more we could be doing to supplement her continued wellness and recovery - from the cancer but also from the devastating effects of the "treatment" she endured. i'd love any ideas, and i'd specifically appreciate ideas on:
*high-calorie, nutritionally dense alternatives to gross commercial dairy-based formula (she doesn't show signs of eating orally anytime soon and her stomach seems very sensitive to changes - she got diarrhea when i tried switching dairy-based formula brands)
*general immune support
*specific ideas about cancer prevention/cancer recovery

thanks all -

isis

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

would you share how you make those syrups? i'm really interested. thanks!:love


I need to find out what I did with my book of my most recent recipies! I know it's under a pile of paper somewhere around here. I have a bunch of herbal books and recipies that I have changed and adapted to what I need at the moment.

But basically, it has in it cherry bark (good for coughs), rosehips (high in vit C), elecampagne (good for respiratory immune support),elderberry's (immune support, ginger and cinnamon (both for flavor and antiviral and antibacterial properties). You put those in water, simmer for a couple of hours and then you can mix the same amount of honey, maple syrup, or vegetable glycerin with your strong tea. You can actually double the sweetener, but I did that and it was way to sweet to have alone. I ended up putting two TBLS in hot water and a squeeze of lemon. That was yummy and got more fluids into the boys during the last colds!

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

i'm really interested in expanding my knowledge of natural healing methods. i fear i'm a bit late in developing this interest, but then again, i guess anytime is a good time to start.

my ds had chronic ear infections which we treated numerous times with antibiotics, then finally with ear tubes. the ear infection issue is resolved for him now, but i do suspect allergies based on frequent puffiness/redness under his eyes and certain patterns of cranky/contrary behavior (above and beyond what's usual and normal).

my dd was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in dec 07 and went through conventional medical treatment for it - including surgery, 6 rounds of high-dose chemo and 6 weeks of radiation. during treatment she was given tons of other medicines - very strong broad-spectrum antibiotics, anti-nausea meds, anti-reflux meds, narcotic pain meds, antihistamines, and so on. she stopped eating and was on I.V. nutrition for many months. today, she is 99% tube-fed, with regular similac formula. it anguishes me so much to consider all the vile stuff that's gone into her body. but, for the time being, she is "no evidence of disease" and we are thankful she is still alive. nonetheless, i know there is a lot more we could be doing to supplement her continued wellness and recovery - from the cancer but also from the devastating effects of the "treatment" she endured. i'd love any ideas, and i'd specifically appreciate ideas on:
*high-calorie, nutritionally dense alternatives to gross commercial dairy-based formula (she doesn't show signs of eating orally anytime soon and her stomach seems very sensitive to changes - she got diarrhea when i tried switching dairy-based formula brands)
*general immune support
*specific ideas about cancer prevention/cancer recovery

thanks all -

isis


Wow! That must have been so hard. :hug Modern medical treatments can be very harsh, but very important when you are in extreme situations like your dd was in.

I am so glad to hear that she seems to be doing well. Could you add probiotics (they come in powder and liquid) to your dd's feedings. That might start healing her digestive system and then go from there. Her system is probably very sensitive right now, so whatever you do, do it gently and slowly.

You could check on the special needs forum about different formulas there. There are a lot of families that are dealing with tube feeding. They may have some good ideas.

I know there is a book about natural treatments and healing from cancer, but I can't think of the name off the top of my head. I know that medicinal mushrooms can be very supportive for people who have had their immune system compormised from cancer treatments, but I really don't know a lot about it in terms of children.

I think this is the one I was thinking of.

http://www.amazon.com/Alternative-Medicine-Magazines-Definitive-Cancer/dp/1587612801/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224623182&sr=8-3

Have you looked into an naturopaths, homeopaths, etc in your area that may be able to help?

[lillyfire]

I went to school for massage where I learned about aromatherapy, cranio sacral, kinesiology, reiki and more. I use herbal treatments and e.o.'s in my home often. I have made my own natural first aid kit as well.

What's in your natural first aid kit? It would be so nice to have some of the essentials on hand instead of always running out to pick them up.

[abimommy]

What's in your natural first aid kit? It would be so nice to have some of the essentials on hand instead of always running out to pick them up.

It is the list under "First Aid" in the OP.

:)

[lauren]

I don't have a lot of time to post right now, but wanted to mention one of my favorite books for a quick reference:

http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Medicine-Healthier-Child-Conventional/dp/0895295458

For each ailment/sickness, it gives Conventional approaches, CHinese Medicine, HOmeopathy, Herbs. It also says what symptoms to look for that warrant getting urgent medical attention. I have used it with all 3 children. When I need something more in-depth I use it as a jumping off point to do further research.

[Faliciagayle]

My DD had her first (horrible, nasty) cold at about 9 months. To help her, I started eating a bunch of garlic in raw, cooked, and supplement form; I also supplemented with Vit C at 2000 IU or more during her sickness. I gave her Hylands C tablets, rubbed her chest with a eucalyptus blend, dotted her (our) pillows with Eucalyptus essential oil, and gave her doses of homeopathic cold tincture on the recommended schedule.

It took a long time to get better, but there were many influencing factors.
(travel, moving across country, etc etc).


We don't vax, and typically use natural and homeopathic remedies, diet, teas, some supplements.

Our first aid kit is based of Mothering Magazine recommendations, and influenced by "Gentle Healing for Baby and Child (http://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Healing-Baby-Child-Child-Friendly/dp/067103622X/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224987138&sr=8-7)," by Andrea Candee; and the book "Natural Baby and Childcare (http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Baby-Childcare-Practical-Holistic/dp/1578262054/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224987262&sr=1-1)," by Lauren Feder.

This being said, I do believe in Western medicine as well. When DD teethes (holy cow) sometimes the ONLY thing that will enable her to sleep or calm the pain is Children's Tylenol.

We have a hands off approach when it comes to Dr. visits. We got to well baby visits because our Ped is awesomely supportive of selective/no vax, and she pursues other avenues toward healing than antibiotics/prescription drugs/standard western medicine.

[Bohemian Squash]

Isis, we went through the same thing with my ds. We went to a naturopath who figured out he had a dairy intolerance! He hasn't had an ear infection in over a year now.

[sunnylady303]

I just found this thread. My 2YO has severe asthma and has been hospitalized 10 times in the last year. I am so tired of the merry-go-round of steroids, inhaled steroids, allergy meds, antibiotics, antifungals, breathing treatments, GERD meds that we are on all the time. There has to be something else more natural that can help. I've gotten a few suggestions in the last couple of days, but do you all have ideas?
I would also like to know more about the first aid kit.

I'm just noticing as I am posting this that this is a book discussion. I don't even have this book, but I guess I need to see if our library does. In the meantime, do you all have ideas about asthma treatment?

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

I just found this thread. My 2YO has severe asthma and has been hospitalized 10 times in the last year. I am so tired of the merry-go-round of steroids, inhaled steroids, allergy meds, antibiotics, antifungals, breathing treatments, GERD meds that we are on all the time. There has to be something else more natural that can help. I've gotten a few suggestions in the last couple of days, but do you all have ideas?
I would also like to know more about the first aid kit.

I'm just noticing as I am posting this that this is a book discussion. I don't even have this book, but I guess I need to see if our library does. In the meantime, do you all have ideas about asthma treatment?


No, no! Don't worry that you haven't read the book. We're just kind of using it as a guide of what types of subjects we are discussing.

As for asthma, our previous doctor put ds1 on MSM for his asthma. It's works as an antiinflamatory and really seems to help to prevent his asthma attacks. He was five when he started taking it, so I'm not sure what the dose would be for a 2 year old. You might want to research it though.

But I'd also look into food sensitivities. These can really affect asthma in children too.

[sunnylady303]

MSM? I'm sure this is really something obvious and I'm going to go "duh" but I don't know what that is.

[mamaverdi]

MSM is Methylsulfonylmethane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylsulfonylmethane) (not Mainstream Media :lol). It is most commonly used with glucosamine for joint pain.

I really like this site: University of Maryland Medical Center Complementary Medicine.

Here is the link to the section on treatment of Cystic Fibrosis (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/cystic-fibrosis-000045.htm#Treatment%20Options). While of course Asthma is not CF, it does share some common traits.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

Just a heads up about putting essntial oils in your bath. Do not, under any circumstances, pick up black pepper EO instead of what you thought was white grapefruit EO and put 4 or 5 drops of it in your bath. :o

Is anyone else using alternative therapies with children with special needs?

[RaelynsMama]

I just found this thread. My 2YO has severe asthma and has been hospitalized 10 times in the last year. I am so tired of the merry-go-round of steroids, inhaled steroids, allergy meds, antibiotics, antifungals, breathing treatments, GERD meds that we are on all the time. There has to be something else more natural that can help. I've gotten a few suggestions in the last couple of days, but do you all have ideas?
I would also like to know more about the first aid kit.

I'm just noticing as I am posting this that this is a book discussion. I don't even have this book, but I guess I need to see if our library does. In the meantime, do you all have ideas about asthma treatment?

I'm sorry to hear about all of the problems you've been having. I don't know how well this would work for your family, but I've heard that a chiropractor could do WONDERS for asthma, among other things, the idea being that all of the important nerves running from your brain down your spinal cord to the rest of your body can become pinched by spinal misalignments. Spinal misalignments can be caused by birth, some kind of fall, and every day stress on your body.
Your body has the innate ability to heal itself, and a chiropractor adjusts the spine, allowing your nerves to freely send all of those important messages to the rest of the body. Chiropractors are also wonderful for ear infections, allergies, back and neck pain, sciatica, and many other ailments. It's safe for all ages and during pregnancy. Do some research in your area to find a qualified chiropractor, some are a little expensive, but some are extremely affordable, and some insurances even cover them. The chiropractor I'm going to start oing to charges $40 an adult visit, and children of adult patients under 2 are free, over 2 is a $20 fee. Good luck! :)

[liza-s]

I am looking for some advice is eventually teaching my boy biofeedback techniques. (He's only 10 months, so I have some time.) I have Tourette Syndrome, and have been completely unmedicated since I was 6 months preg. It was first time in 13 years. I'm managing okay with the assistance of biofeedback, meditation and aggressively fighting stress (it that makes any sense). There is strong family trend for TS and ds has probably at least 50% chance of TS and very likely he'll have something in the spectrum. I learned biofeedback myself at about the age of 18 before I knew there was a word for it. I would like to help it become just a natural coping technique for ds, but I don't know how early kids can learn it etc. Any thoughts???

[Megs Mom]

I am looking for some advice is eventually teaching my boy biofeedback techniques.

Liza, can you recommend a place/way for an adult to affordably learn biofeedback? I'd like to use it for severe migraines.

[dancebaraka]

Just a heads up about putting essntial oils in your bath. Do not, under any circumstances, pick up black pepper EO instead of what you thought was white grapefruit EO and put 4 or 5 drops of it in your bath. :o

Oh my goodness!
Bathtime just got a little more interesting :yikes:

~~~~~

Just wanted to post that there are many, many medicines growing right around us. Nature has a way of putting just what we need close by. A great example: In the Southern U.S. you'll find a weed called Yellowroot. It is an amazing ancient remedy for all kinds of coughs, colds- basically it is an immune builder remedy on par with Goldenseal root. So why oh why would we endanger Goldenseal when all the help we need is right there, free for the picking!?!?

You can find out more info on wildcrafting herbs if you sift thru the many resourceful pages at http://www.herbshealing.com/

Also, wanted to put in a plug for homeopathy, one of my dearest allies. With one 100+ remedy kit, you could treat an entire village for years. Now that is sustainability!
:thumb
A great homeoapthy resource is http://abchomeopathy.com/

[liza-s]

Liza, can you recommend a place/way for an adult to affordably learn biofeedback? I'd like to use it for severe migraines.

I was pretty much intuitively self-taught (chronic pain & uncontrolled muscle movements from childhood...) As a teenager I learned what I was doing was biofeedback and was able to perfect my practice with the help of a mentor. I saw a psychitrist at a non-drug pain clinic once, but that was going to cost to much and I didn't like him. He hooked me up to a machine with a bunch of electrodes that measured brain activity and by skin temp and blood pressure while I did visualization exercises. It was neat to see that there was measurable changes in my body function, not just an improvement in how I feel. It might be worth finding a local doc or other provider to get you started, but I would honestly only pay for a few sessions unless they were very affordable.

Now, my "free" way of practice is using a skin temperature meter (its a strip that is different colors at different temps) and sometimes a blood pressure monitor. I pretty much use meditation and visualizations of relaxation and warmth. This usually warms my skin (capillaries open) and also drops my blood pressure. That should help with migraines.

I went through a recent dry-spell when pumping breastmilk (direct nursing was fine). I finally had a successful pump when I basically did the same thing, I visualized flowing milk and warmth. It was amazing and relieving in soooo many ways.

Feel free to PM if you'd like to talk directly.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

Oh my goodness!
Bathtime just got a little more interesting :yikes:

~~~~~

Just wanted to post that there are many, many medicines growing right around us. Nature has a way of putting just what we need close by. A great example: In the Southern U.S. you'll find a weed called Yellowroot. It is an amazing ancient remedy for all kinds of coughs, colds- basically it is an immune builder remedy on par with Goldenseal root. So why oh why would we endanger Goldenseal when all the help we need is right there, free for the picking!?!?

You can find out more info on wildcrafting herbs if you sift thru the many resourceful pages at http://www.herbshealing.com/

Also, wanted to put in a plug for homeopathy, one of my dearest allies. With one 100+ remedy kit, you could treat an entire village for years. Now that is sustainability!
:thumb
A great homeoapthy resource is http://abchomeopathy.com/


That's awesome! I just made my first tincture this year! It was a yarrow tincture. It's good for bleeding, heavy periods, and it's got antiviral properties. Next year, I need to get my butt in gear earlier in order to collect more of my own herbs. I've been ordering some from Mountain Rose Herbs. But I have identified a lot of remedies in my back yard. Can't wait until dandelion season again! :D

[DaytonsMom]

I just found this thread. My 2YO has severe asthma and has been hospitalized 10 times in the last year. I am so tired of the merry-go-round of steroids, inhaled steroids, allergy meds, antibiotics, antifungals, breathing treatments, GERD meds that we are on all the time. There has to be something else more natural that can help. I've gotten a few suggestions in the last couple of days, but do you all have ideas?
I would also like to know more about the first aid kit.

I'm just noticing as I am posting this that this is a book discussion. I don't even have this book, but I guess I need to see if our library does. In the meantime, do you all have ideas about asthma treatment?

i just wanted to say that i had asthma since i was 10. my dad had it as a baby. the doctor told my grandma to take him off of all dairy products for a year or two i can't remember, and that would cure him of it and it did. if i go off of dairy and wheat i have no problems ususally. but i'm also allergic to dogs (we have 2) so i have an air purifier on during the day. it helps so much!! if we don't have it on i'll start to get congested and have trouble breathing. even when i am vacuuming everyday with my dyson animal vac.

also when i was 11 or 12 my parents took me to a acupuncturists for a while. my asthma completley went away, i could even run around and have no problems. but they couldn't afford it for long. but it's defintly worth a try. it helped so much and didn't really hurt that bad at all. it might be hard to get a 2 year old to lay there though. but maybe if he saw you or dad go first. it's worth a try.

i've been on a lot of the meds and have an albutural inhaler for emergencys, but if i eat right i usually don't have any problems. best of luck to you guys. i now how scary it is. it was always scarier for my mom than me though, i was pretty used to it. even now she gets anxious when i start wheezing! =)