Letha’s Asian Health Secrets

If you’ve been following medical research news, there seems to be nothing safe left to take for pain. Ibuprofen (Advil and the like) cause stroke; aspirin causes bleeding ulcers, and now Tylenol-the last bastion for people afraid to cause stomach upset–is crumbled. When I had a herniated disc–a back injury not a computer problem–I took up to 10 – 12 extra-strength Tylenol daily for a while instead of a cortisone shot. Doctors assured me it was ok to take the shot once in my life, but only once. It causes bone loss. So I took the Tylenol for pain instead. When that wore off, I did Soaring Crane Qi Gung exercise to fly from pain. I should have kept on going. A recent study shows that the recommended dose (8 extra-strength Tylenol daily) for only four days causes liver damage. You’d think a country that can send a man to the moon could invent a safe pain-killer. We will look at natural ways to curb pain. Lucky for us several Asian herbs repair liver damage. A few liver-protective herbs even reverse stress-related hairloss. Imagine, nice hair from a healthy liver.

Tylenol has been on the market for 20 years. Previous studies had shown that Tylenol in combination with an opiate drug hydrocodone caused liver damage. Experts had thought the liver toxicity was due to hydrocodone. But this new study, conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, clearly shows that it was Tylenol that zaps the liver rather than hydrocodone.

The scientists said that patients who “really need Tylenol should not stop taking it. (Thanks a lot!) If patients are concerned they should discuss their medication with their doctor.” Give us a break! If doctors knew anything better they would recommend it. Tylenol is an alternative to aspirin for people who are concerned about gastrointestinal side-effects. There are other natural pain-killers that pose NO risk. The following several posts will include help for pain sufferers. Then we will look at a few herbs to reverse liver damage.

Natural pain remedies

The first thing to remember when using natural medicine is treating pain depends on the location of the pain. The remedy should match the location and character of the pain. For example, is it a sharp pain in the leg (sciatica) or head (migraine) or a gnawing constant pain in the stomach from hunger? Taking a general knock you out pain-killer is bound to have side-effects. We will try to be as specific as possible when treating pains. Here is the list we will consider:

• Headaches
• Migraines
• Arthritis
• Rheumatism
• Traumatic injuries and surgery
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Pain from exercise
• Poor circulation
• Eye aches from computer use
• Chest pain from indigestion and stress
• Stomach ulcer pain
• tooth and gum pain
• Menstrual pain
• Prostate discomforts
• Psychosomatic pain (a “pain in the neck” or ass) from irritating people

Consider the Source:
The following advice is based on your symptoms of discomfort. Try to notice when (under what circumstances) you feel pains.

Headaches
Food allergies and overeating:
If the head pain results from hard-to-digest, rich food it will more likely be a dull ache at the top of the head, sinus congestion, fuzzy mental concentration, and an expanding feeling in the head.Try to eliminate dairy foods, fried foods, and fat foods or weird combinations like a meal with oysters, beef or duck followed by cheese and dessert. Lots of different proteins eaten together weakens digestion and increases food allergies.
If pain is worse on the top of the head and in the sinus cavities, sniff or apply inside the nose with a Q tip a drop of Australian tea tree oil – really clears sinus congestion and increases oxygen intake to clear your senses fast. Apply a drop of tea tree oil on the temples and back of the neck if you need more clarity.
If you get migraines, eliminate cold raw foods and drinks first thing in the morning. Keep your bowels going smoothly by drinking hot green or white tea or other low caffeine tea for breakfast. Homeopathic nat. mur. 200C and homeopathic belladonna 30C a dose of each taken 1 – 2 times daily often works to prevent and treat a terrible migraine.

Caffeine withdrawal
If you have coffee-withdrawal headaches, try a homeopathic remedy called Caffeine Withdrawal, a pill made by NatraBio recommended to improve caffeine withdrawal symptoms including: insomnia, anger, impatience, upset stomach, heartburn, nausea, headache and irritability. It combines Chamomilla 4x, Cantharis 6x, Gratiola 6x, Nux vomica 6x, Paullinia sorbilis 6x, Ignatia 8x. (www.homeopathic.com)

Hangover
If you have an old-fashioned hangover from the usual causes, use homeopathic nux vomica 30C. Melt 3 pills under your tongue, between meals 1 – 3 times spaced by at least 30 minutes until the pain goes away. Refrain from driving even if the pain improves. Melt the remedy in water 3- 4 pills per glass of water and drink it throughout the day. You need the water.
Chinese herbalist recommend a tea made from kudzu flowers for hangover, but that is slow and sometimes is hard to find the herbs. Remember to drink lots of water because alcohol is dehydrating and throws off electrolyte balance to cause spaciness and pain. Apply Tiger balm to painful areas of the head and neck.

Acupressure for sick headaches
Finally, here is an acupuncture point to reduce pain and settle your stomach. It is useful for tension headaches, migraines, and headaches that result from overeating. (Acupuncturists know it as the luo point that connects the lung and large intestine meridians.) Massage it with your hands. Here is how to find it: Put one hand palm down flat on the table. Put the other hand on top of the first so that both palms are facing downward. Now link your thumbs so that your fingers are pointing in opposite directions. Take the pointing finger of one hand and find the acupuncture point on the opposite arm above the wrist. That’s the point you stimulate on both arms. It is about two inches up from the end of each thumb. It will feel like a groove. Rub it with your fingers until you start to feel better. You can also apply Tiger balm. Switch sides and rub the other arm in the same place.

To be continued….