No one knows exactly what causes Meniere’s syndrome, but for 30 years it’s been variously blamed on an allergy, a histamine hypersensitivity, salt retention, a deficiency of nutrients due to small intestinal malabsorption, or even the result of spasm of the small blood vessels (Practitioner, 1971; 207: 759). No orthodox medical treatment is fully effective. Destructive surgery on the labyrinth or vestibular nerve in the ear may be considered necessary in severe cases that don’t respond to the conventional anti nausea drugs.

Abundant evidence supports the role of allergies in this condition (Otolaryngol Clin North Am, 1974; 7: 757; Laryngoscope, 1972; 82: 1703). Although orthodox medical literature mainly blames salt and advises a salt free diet (MJ Chatton, Handbook of Medical Treatment , Los Altos, CA: Lange Medical Publications, 1972: 307), in naturopathic medicine salt, gluten, caffeine, fried foods, alcohol, and any drugs are all considered possible culprits and are routinely removed from the diet (R Trattler, Better Health through Natural Healing, Wellingborough: Thorsons Publishers, 1987: 432). Other naturopathic measures include supplementing with calcium to improve the calcium to phosphorus ratio in the diet, plus vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6.

Another cause could be increased intestinal permeability the so called leaky gut syndrome, or malabsorption. In my practice, I’ve found that malabsorption usually results from a defective gastrointestinal function, like hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid), a decreased flow of pancreatic juice, a fungus type or a parasitic gut infestation or a bacterial gut dysbiosis. It’s wise to get all these tested for.

It may be that an allergic response affects the labyrinth of the inner ear, causing ruptures (Otolaryngol Clin North Am, 1968; 1: 433). Release of fluid has a paralytic effect on the vestibular nerve fibres (Acta Otolaryngol, 1965; 59: 275). High resolution tomography has demonstrated narrowing of some of these passageways in a substantial number of patients with Meniere’s syndrome (Radiol Clin North Am, 1974; 12: 517).

In osteopathy, manipulative therapy often produces beneficial results in cases where there is no irreparable nerve damage (J Am Ost Assoc, 1952; 51: 407).

In herbal medicine, the extract of the root of Zingiber officinale (ginger) works as an anticholinergic (blocks the effects of acetylcholine) and an antihistamine, helping to reduce nausea, vomiting and vertigo. It also seems to work in the gastrointestinal tract by absorbing and neutralising toxins and acids here, which slows the feedback interaction between the stomach and the nausea centre in the brain (ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec, 1986; 48: 282-6; Lancet, 1982; i: 655-7). Extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves have been shown to be helpful in all types of vertigo, with tinnitus, and with acute cochlear deafness (Presse Medicale, 1986; 15: 1569-72; Presse Medicale, 1986; 15: 1559-61). Dr John Christopher, the famous US practitioner of botanical medicine and author of School of Natural Healing (1976), recommends that a few drops of oil of garlic be placed into the ears each evening upon retiring (about the contents of a garlic capsule). You might also benefit from drinking two teaspoons of cider vinegar in a glass of water or using rosemary oil as an inhalant (T Bartram, Bartram’s Encyclopaedia of Herbal Medicine, London: Robinson Publishing, 1998: 291).

!AHarald C Gaier

Registered Osteopath, Naturopath and Homoeopath

• Brain tumor.
  
  
• Hemangioma.
  
  
• Carotid aneurysm.
  
  
• Meniere’s disease.
  
  
• Seizure disease.

Conventional medicine frequently cannot provide relief for your mjigraines.
So, you’re turned to a good resource for exploring other options. Whatever
method you choose, please stick with it for a minimum of three months.
It is critical to give a new therapy a chance to work.



What kind of Physical Medicine can you use to help migraines?

The breath is a good place to start changing any old pattern. Try doing
relaxation breathing, with consciously slow, deep, even breaths, at some
regular time during the day, every day. Also, regular aerobic exercise
is known to decrease the frequency of migraines. Choose an aerobic activity
that’s fun for you, such as hiking, Nordic track, volleyball, or whatever,
and do it 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes.



Hydrotherapy, described at length in the Introduction to Modalities section,
can be very helpful with migraines. Here are some key concepts:

• apply cold wet packs to head, forehead and back of neck. This creates
  constriction of the blood vessels and reduces the rushing of blood into
  the head, which is frequently a cause of migraines.

  
  

• rub finger tips on head, especially around the temples and the nape
  of the neck, after dipping them in ice water.

  
  

• soak feet in a hot foot bath with apple cider vinegar and peppermint,
  to draw blood down to the feet, cleanse the blood and cool it down (with
  the mint).

  
  

• for a severe headache, alternate applications of hot and cold wet,
  wrung out towels to the head and face. Always end with cold.

  
  

• hot hip bath, to draw the blood down from the head.

  
  

• alternating hot and cold hip baths

  
  

• ice pack to head

  
  

• some folks get instant relief by taking a cool enema, because often
  migraines are created by toxic wate build-up in the digestive tract.

Also, make sure your spine is in alignment, especially the cervical, or
upper 7, vertebrae. Check with your local osteopath, naturopath or chiropractor.
Some folks find relief from the use of therapeutic ultrasound to the neck
area. Others use a micro-current device called TENS (“transcutaneous
electrical nerve stimulator”) which applies a tiny frequency to the
affected nerves, causing conduction to be blocked and pain to be relieved.
TENS units are also believed to stimulate the production of endorphins,
the body’s own natural painkillers. This unit is widely used in doctors’
offices, but can easily be used at home. Your doctor may be able to rent
or lend you a TENS unit, or help to to purchase one.



Can Herbal Medicine Provide Relief From Migraines?

Plant medicine has been used for as long as man has begun to fashion tools
from his natural surroundings. Many plants have particular biochemical
properties, usually alkaloids (so called because they render the system
less acid, and more alkaline), which can contol pain, as well as many other
therapeutic effects. Medicinal plants which have analgesic (pain-killing)
action can be toxic, sometimes at what would seem a small dose. Please
consult with a qualified herbalist, naturopath or botanically trained pharmacist
before experimenting with the following plant drugs:

• Atropa belladonna (the active ingridient, atropine, can be toxic
  in not very high doses) is useful for cerebral congestion, occipital or
  dull frontal ache with malaise, cool skin, mental sluggishness, and unpleasant
  dreams.

  
  

• Bryonia alba (White Bryony, can be toxic) for a frontal migraine,
  with pain around the eye sockets, for right-sided headache, tenderness on
  pressure, and made worse with any motion.

  
  

• Cimicifuga racemosa (Black cohosh) is good for congestive migraines,
  such as from colds, rheumatism, menstruation.

  
  

• Cnicus benedictus: (Blessed Thistle) is specific for strenthing the
  function of the liver. This botanical is useful for migraines due to hepatic
  problems, such as with a history of hepatitis or alcoholism.

  
  

• Gelsemium sempervirens (Yellow Jasmine, which may be toxic in high
  doses) is for migraines with acute excessive cerebral bloodflow, which
  presents with restlessness and excitability.
  
  
  
  
• Lavandula officinalis: (Lavender flower) is great for calming the
  nervous system. It works through the sense of smell. Rubbing a little
  lavender oil on yourr temples, or dropping some in the bath water can be
  extremely soothing. For the migraine associated with depression or poor
  digestion.

  
  

• Melilotus officinalis: (Melilot flower) for migraines with no known
  cause which come on in the cold and leave the entire head sore and tender
  to the touch.

  
  

• Nepeta cataria: (Catnip) for a nervous headache, because it acts
  as a sedative for both cats and humans!

  
  

• Passiflora incarnata: (Passion flower) is for the migraine due to
  an attack of nervousness, which presents with great fatigue and where the
  head feels “full.”

  
  

• Piscidia erythrina (Jamaican dogwood, can be toxic) for all kinds
  of head pain.

  
  

• Rosmarinus officinalis: (Rosemary) for the migraine associated with
  hypertension (high blood pressure).

  
  

• Salix spp.. (Willow, both black and white) for the inflammatory migraine.
  This is the plant from which aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid) was first
  derived, and like aspirin it reduces pain and inflammation.

  
  

• Scutellaria lateriflora: (Skullcap) is a sweet-tasting nerve soothing
  medical plant.

  
  

• Tanacetum parthenium (Feverfew) is for the migraine which improves
  with warm applications. This is a common garden plant and many people with
  chronic migraines can prevent them by eating two or three of the Feverfew
  leaves every day.

  
  

• Valeriana spp. (Valerian root), similar biochemically to valium,
  this plant is both sedative and stimulating and works well for the migraine
  due to nervous excitability.

  
  

• Viscum flavescens, album (Mistletoe. Beware, this plant is toxic
  in quite small doses) reduces the increased flow of blood to the brain typical
  of migraine states and works well for frequent headache with flushing of
  the face.

A terrific herbal tea formula to detoxify the system (often the only treatment
needed to prevent or reduce migraines) is:

1 part Chamomile

1 part Hops

1/2 part Skullcap

1/2 part Catnip

1/2 part Oatstraw

1/4 part Peppermint leaf

Your local herbalist can mix up this blend for you, or you can order it
ready-made from Frontier Herbs (1-800-669-3275). Brew one heaping tablespoon
to 1 cup just boiling water. Steep for 3-5 minutes then drink with a touch
of honey 2-3 times daily.



Can Diet and Nutrition Be Used Effectively To Help Migraines?

Yes, absolutely. It may be helpful to begin with a short (5-7 day) therapeutic
fast to rid the body of toxins. Some specific nutritional ideas are:

• if headache is in left side, squirt carrot juice into left nostril;
  if on right side, squirt into right nostril, if both sides affected, squirt
  into both nostrils

  
  

• drink lemon juice and 1/2 tbsp. baking soda mixed in glass of water.
  This will help balance the pH of your blood and flush out digestive wastes.
  

  
  

• With a 2 p.m. headache or evening headache try to increase potassium-rich
  foods such as various seaweeds (dulse, kelp), sunflower seeds, wheat germ,
  almonds, raising, parsley, dates, yams, soybeans, garlic and spinach.

  
  

• Take a teaspoon of honey in warm water each morning before eating.

Foods to avoid are:

• any food that causes a bad physical reaction, whether it be the migraine
  itself, or fatigue, or indigestion. Try to pay attention to your food intolerances,
  and ingest these culprit foods sparingly.

  
  

• spicy foods, alcohol, excess stimulation, coffee, caffeine, chocolate,
  fried foods, stimulating foods.

Sometimes diet alone is not enough. This is where supplementation with
specific vitamins, minerals or amino acids may be necessary, at least at
first, to bring your metabolism into balance so that you reduce the possibility
for the onset of a migraine. Here is a list of supplements which may help
you; but please consult with a qualified nutritionist or naturopathic physician
first:

• Vitamin B-complex inejcted into the muscle (IM) every 2-10 days
  
  
  
• omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. raw flax or linseed oil, 1 T daily)
  
  
• omega-6 fatty acids, found in fish, and olive oil
  
  
• Vitamin B3 , 500 mg at the onset of the migraine
  
  
• Magnesium 400-800 mg daily, as a muscle and nerve relaxant
  
  
• Quercetin , a concentrated bioflavonoid which will help with vascular
  tone so that the neck veins are less likely to become engorged with blood,
  500 mg/day

How Can Homeopathy Help Migraines?

Homeopathy is a form of “energy” medicine, which like Traditional
Chinese Medicine uses substances to stimulate your own innate power to heal.
Homeopathic medicine is often touted as the “medicine of the 20th
century” by its proponents because it uses miniscule doses of plants,
minerals or animal parts to produce “remedies” with very little
resultant environmental damage. The following remedies may be considered:

• Aconitum napellus for a headache that is hard to describe; comes
  with great violence: wild, tearing and burning in brain, scalp; with fear,
  fever and anguish; fullness, throbbing in left forehead and strong beats
  in right side by fits; skull feels constricted by the feeling of a band
  around the forehead.

  
  

• Anthracinum for a headache that feels as if a hot, searing pain was
  passing through head; for the migraine which creates dullness, confusion,
  dizziness, or loss of consciousness.

  
  

• Apis mellifica for a migraine which is primarily localized in the
  occiput, with occasional sharp shrieks; pains like bee-stings; no thirst,
  easy sweating; this migraine is worse from heat and a warm room; better
  in a cold room, in cold air, and with cold applications.

  
  

• Argent metallicum for the migraine that comes on at noon along with
  other troubles; pressing, burning pain in skull; the pain gets gradually
  more violent and then suddenly ceases.

  
  

• Argent nitricum for the migraine that includes an all-over ache and
  fatigue; plus a feeling of expansion, as if the head were enormously enlarged;
  the patient wants cold air, cold drinks, cold things; craves sweets; is
  beset by strange notions and impulses.

  
  

• Arnica montana for burning in head, the patient feels as though the
  brain were hot but the rest of body feels cool; a migraine with aching pains
  over eyes, radiating to the temples; pain shoots through the head from coughing,
  sneezing; or a migraine from injuries to the head, such as a concussion.

  
  

• Arsenicum album for periodic headache every other day, every 4th
  day, 7th, l4th; very congestive headache; chilly; the patient desires the
  body warm and the head cold; the head throbs, the patient complains of a
  burning feeling accompanied by restlessness and anxiety; has a slight thirst
  but drinks often, in sips and is worse after midnight.

  
  

• Belladonna for a migraine that presents with great violence, comes
  and departs suddenly, lasts indefinitely; congestion; throbbing in brain,
  violent throbbing and cutting stabs; worse from jerking motion (walking,
  going upstairs), stooping; bursting pain as if brain was pressed out; worse
  from noise, light, lying; better with pressure, drawing head back.

  
  

• Bryonia is the remedy to treat the patient who is worse from from
  any motion, cannot bear any disturbance, mental or physical; bursting or
  splitting or heavy crushing headache; fronto-occipital headache; irritable,
  thirsty; dry lips and mouth; worse from straining at stool.

  
  

• Calcarea carbonica has a headache picture of icy coldness in and
  on head, on vertex; heaviness in forehead; tearing headache above eyes down
  to nose; head numb as if wearing a cap; cold, damp feet; worse from milk.

  
  

• Cedronis is the remedy for attacks of headache which occur with clockwork
  regularity; sick headache every other day at 11a.m.

  
  

• Chamomilla for the congestive migraine with pressing, bursting pain,
  worse from thinking about it; the patient is irritable, capricious, oversensitive
  to pain; one side of the face is red, the other pale.

  
  

• Cinchona is also for congestive headache; the patient’s extremities
  are covered with cold sweat; feels a stitching pain from temple to temple;
  fluid loss, such as hemorrhages bring on this migraine; worse from draft,
  open air, sun, touch; better with hard pressure.

  
  

• Cocculus indicus has a headache which feels as if the skull would
  burst; the headache makes them feel unwell, and presents with vertigo;
  thought or smell of food nauseates; pulsating pains, vertex, temples, occiput
  or nape; worse from eating, drinking, sleeping; better with rest indoors;
  the least jarring movement is unbearable.

  
  

• Crotalus cascavella for the feeling that the skull compresses brain
  like an iron helmet; that something alive walks in a circle in the head;
  that a red-hot iron is stuck into vertex; pain lancinating to the right
  temple; this patient wakes up with a migraine; great excitement causes
  a migraine with nosebleed; icy feet and great coldness; has peculiar hallucinations.

  
  

• Epiphegus for the headache which presents when you are”tired
  out”; better with good sleep; constantly wants to spit.

  
  

• Eupatorium perfoliatum for a terrible sick headache on waking which
  lasts all day; pain in occiput; must use hands to raise head; pain is throbbing,
  shooting, darting, thumping.

  
  

• Gelsemium is another remedy for a congestive headache; most violent
  in occiput; headache due to nervous tension, presents with nausea in the
  temples and over eyes; worse from vomiting; better with copious urination;
  the patient want to lie bolstered up in bed.

  
  

• Glonoinum (which is homeopathic nitroglycerine) is for the migraine
  that feels like an upward rush of blood; waves of terrible bursting, pulsating
  head pain; worse from bending head backward and from sunstroke, worse from
  having haircut; the patient holds head with both hands.

  
  

• Heloderma is the remedy for a very violent headache, pressure as
  if the skull too full, as if a tumor is forming and pressing inside skull;
  burning in brain, or sensation of a cold band around the head; intense arctic
  coldness, as if being frozen to death from within outwards.

  
  

• Iris versicolor is one of the best prescriptions for headache due
  to stomach or liver problems; always begins with blur in front of the eyes;
  this migraine may cause nausea and vomiting, burning of the tongue, throat,
  esophagus and stomach; profuse secretion of ropy saliva; or vomiting spells
  every month or 6 weeks.

  
  

• Lachesis treats the violent congestive migraine with vomiting and
  loss of sight; throbbing, bursting, sun headache (chronic), better with
  pressure on vertex, sleeps into headache (dreads to sleep); better with
  any discharge, worse from suppressing discharges (such as using antihistamines).
  Usually a left sided migraine.

  
  

• Mercurius solubilis is for a migraine that makes the head feel full,
  with a bursting feeling; as if the head were constricted by a band, as if
  in a vice, worse at night; the headache is most painful around the nose
  and eyes; worse from cold, damp, draft, cold or warm room; dirty feeling,
  offensive taste on tongue and in mouth; offensive sweat.

  
  

• Natrum muriaticum is one of the best remedies for chronic headache;
  dreadful pain, bursting, compressing as if in a vice; may start at 10-11a.m.
  until 3p.m. or into the evening; periodic, every day or 3rd or 4th day,
  better with sleep (dark and quiet); the patient feels relief from sweating.
  

  
  

• Nux vomica has a headache connected with gastric, hepatic, abdominal
  or hemorrhoidal troubles; migraine comes on waking, or rising, after eating,
  in open air, on moving eyes; headache of sedentary persons, after coffee;
  the patient is oversensitive and touchy; better with head wrapped up, covered,
  lying down, with warmth and heat.

  
  

• Phosphorus is the remedy for aa migraine which is congestive and
  throbbing, worse from heat, motion, lying down, better with rest. The patient
  is chilly and worse from cold but wants cold drinks in the stomach and cold
  applications to the head; craves ice; this migraine is particularly voilent
  when the patient is hungry; violent neuralgic pain (darting, tearing, shooting
  ), periodic headache with stiffness of face and jaws; worse from noise and
  light.

  
  

• Psorinum patients are always hungry during the migraine; they may
  present with a symptom picture in which the headache alternates with a hacking
  cough; if this patient goes without a meal, they may develop a full-blown
  migraine which feels full at the vertex as if the brain would burst out;
  especially in the morning, it feels as if there is no room in forehead for
  brain; better with after washing and eating.

  
  

• Pulsatilla is the remedy for a throbbing congestive headache; when
  the head is hot, and the patient feels better with cold applications or
  slowly walking in open air; the onset of the migraine may be connected with
  menses and overeating; the patient is thirstless, weeps esaily, has moods
  swings, is better with motion, worse from heat.

  
  

• Rhus toxicodendron (homeopathic poison ivy) is the remedy for the
  migraine which makes the patient feel stupefied, intoxicated; as though
  there were a weight in head; the patient feels that when stooping a weight
  falls forward into forehead drawing the head down; she must hold her head
  up straight to relieve this strange feeling; on waking and opening eyes
  she gets violent headaches; in children this migraine may come on from being
  cold or damp, or wetting their bed.

  
  

• Sanguinaria is for a sick headache; pain starts the occiput, spreads
  over head to right eye, with nausea and vomiting; a migraine comes on every
  3rd or 7th day; sun headache; from morning to night, increasing all day,
  with nausea, chills, vomiting of bile; better with lying down in the dark,
  sleep; the palms and soles feel as though they were on fire.

  
  

• Sepia for the migraine, particuarly in a woman, which may be described
  as nervous, bilious (due to indigestion or heartburn), periodic, or violent;
  better with lying and quiet, often cured by sleep, violent motion (such
  as energetic dancing), long walks in open air; worse from stooping, coughing,
  jarring, light, thinking, smell of food.

  
  

• Silica for a chronic sick headache with nausea, even vomiting; begins
  nape of the neck, goes forward over vertex to eyes, especially right eye;
  better with pressure, lying down, wrapping head up warmly, heat, profuse
  urination; the patient is chilly, sweats much on their face and feet.

  
  

• Spigelia is the sun-induced migraine which starts every morning with
  sunrise, gets worse till noon, gradually decreases till sunset; even on
  cloudy days; pain from occiput to eyes, especially left; worse from all
  movements, noise jar; intolerable pains in eyeballs, eyes feel too large
  for their sockets.

  
  

• Sulphur migraines make the patient feel they’re burning everywhere;
  there may be a “tight hat” sensation; better with head uncovered;
  throbbing; periodic sick headache; once a week or every 2 weeks with characteristic
  seven day aggravation; Sunday headache; worse from motion, eating, drinking;
  patient is hungry when they wake up and “starving” by l0 a.m.

  
  

• Thuja occidentalis feels as if a nail were driven into vertex, severe
  stitches in left temporal region; boring, pressing in head; pulsating in
  temples; hthe patient is not inclined to speak; they have a dull, stupefying
  headache, better with bending head back, worse from stooping, tea and onions;
  this remedy has cured the most severe and chronic headaches which come on
  after getting vaccinated.

  
  

• Veratrum album for when the head feels as if packed in ice; feels
  as if a sheet of ice lies on the vertex and occiput; neuralgic headache
  of great violence; violent pains drive the patient to despair, they collapse
  with nervous fatigue, maybe they faint or break out in a cold sweat.

Can Acupuncture Provide Relief From Migraines?

Another form of “energy” medicine is the ancient scientific art
of acupuncture. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a 3000+ year old
system of diagnosis and therapeutics which works primarily in stimulating
the body’s natural “vital force” (known as Qi – pronounced chee).
There are several areas of TCM, including diet and nutrition, acupuncture
and moxibustion (a stick of compressed mugwort which is burned and held
close to the body to insert Qi into the area of distress), Qi Gong (slow
breath and movement exercises) and medicinal herbs. Chinese medicinal
herbs to be considered to prevent or perhaps even remedy migraines are listed
below. Please consult with a qualified acupuncturist (certified from the
NCCA) or Chinese herbalist. The following selection of Chinese herbal combinations,
brewed into the “soup” medicine, may be selected for you:

• Pinellia and Gastrodia C. (Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang): Spleen
  Qi Xu (Deficiency) with Spleen Distressed by Dampness: chronic headache
  with dizziness, cold extremities and vomiting

  
  

• Minor Bupleurum F. (Xiao Chai Hu Tang): Liver Qi Stagnation.

  
  

• Cnidium and Tea F. (Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao San): Wind: headache in
  any part of the head with fever an chills, dizziness, nasal congestion

  
  

• Evodia C. (Wu Zhu Yu Tang) plus cnidium (chuan xiong) and ginger
  (gan jiang): Stomach Deficient and Cold: dry heaves or spitting of clear
  fluids with vertex headache

  
  

• Bupleurum and Peony F. (Jia Wei Xiao Yao San or Dan Zhi Xiao Yao
  San): Liver Qi Stagnation with Spleen Qi Xu (Deficiency) and Heat.

  
  

• Tang Kuei, Evodia and Ginger C. (Dang Gui Si Ni Jia Wu Zhu Yu Sheng
  Jiang Tang): Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency) and Yang Xu (Deficiency) with Internal:weak
  constitution, cold extremeties, nausea and vomiting, extremely thin pulse

  
  

• Coptis and Rhubarb C. (Xie Xin Tang); Niu Huang Jiang Ya Wan (patent):
  Liver Yang Rising: flushed face, red eyes, dark urine, constipation, greasy
  yellow tongue coat

  
  

• Chuan Qiong Cha Tiao Wan (patent): Wind-Cold; headache in these locations:
  sides of head (Xiao Yang), top of head (Jue Yin), forehead (Yang Ming),
  back of head, neck/upper back (Tai Yang)

  
  

• Tian Ma Wan (patent): Wind-Cold with Xue (Blood) Stagnation

  
  

• Ci Wu Jia Pian (patent): Qi Xu (Deficiency) with Kidney Jing Xu (Essence
  Deficiency)

  
  

• Cnidium 9 (patent): Xue (Blood) Stagnation

  
  

• Uncaria 6 (patent) plus Salvia Shou Wu (patent): Hypertensive headache

The Chinese often eat a fish head soup with Gastrodia and Ligusticum (available
in most good Chinese restaurants) for chronic migraines. There are also
many acupoints useful for treating migraines. One of the most famous points
is located in the fleshy web of the thumbs (Large Intestine 4). In fact,
you can squeeze this area to stimulate a bowel movement (which in itself
will help relieve the migraine) and to reduce the pain of a migraine, especially
if is presents in the lower face. For the migraine which focuses on the
eyes and upper face, a point 2 inches up from the wrist (Triple Warmer 5)
will curtail pain, and so will a point below the base of the big toe (Liver
3). For migaiens which come on more frequently with the change of seasons,
a very effective point is called “Wind Gate” (Gall Bladder 20),
located at the top of the neck, just below the hairline on either side of
the thick muscles which run up from the back. These points can also be
effectively pressed for relief. Some people find great relief from putting
two tennis balls inside an old stocking and tying them together. You can
then lie on your back on the floor, preferably in a dark and quiet room,
with the tennis balls pressing into the top of the neck. Your local acupuncturist
will give you a constitutional work-up, looking at your tongue and feeling
your pulses, before deciding on the correct point combination to remedy
your migraine.

What About Using Guided Imagery or Meditation For Migraine Relief?

Migraines, obviously, are located in the head, and therefore both affect
and are affected by your mental condition. Many people find a psychological
approach to relaxation the very best way to handle migraines. Consider
the following metaphors and correlations between the migraine and your mental/emotional
wellbeing. Perhaps some of these ideas will provide insight as to buried
sources of stress which continue to create physical problems. Knowing yourself,
and acting responsibly upon that knowledge, is an important key to restoring
balance and vitality.

• You may feel that something has to be accomplished or achieved or
  some goal reached. This sense of need may create a migraine which doesn’t
  relax until after the effort is exerted.
  

  
  

• Perhaps your migraine is because you dislike against being driven;
  you’re resisting the flow of life.

  
  

• Migraine headaches are often involved with anger.

  
  

• Chronic pain syndrome develops as a result of having chronically
  negative attitudes and/or unconscious emotional response mechanisms that
  keep a person continually in stress. Chronic attitude problems are so much
  a part of a person’s self-image that he or she does not recognize them as
  separate from the personality. Nothing is more difficult to identify than
  our assumed ‘natural’ ways of being in the world that are essentially patterns
  we have developed to help us cope. Certain body parts suceptible to chronic
  negative patterns include the spine, the stomach (as in ulcers), and the
  head (tension and migraine headaches).

  
  

• Perhaps you have sexual fears. This migraine can usually be relieved
  by masturbation.

  
  

• Migraine, according to some psychology researchers, is always a
  displacement of sexuality into the head. Whereas sufferers from tension
  headaches are trying to separate their heads from their bodies, migraine
  patients are transferring one particular bodily theme, sexuality, into their
  heads and trying to live it out at this level instead. Sexual expression
  exists on both of the possible poles: either patients have banished their
  sexuality from their lives (“I don’t want to have anything to do with
  such things”), or they are anxious to impress on everybody what a marvelous
  sex life they have.

  
  

• Physiologically, a migraine attack is in some ways like an orgasm
  in the head, as tension reverts to relaxation (dilation of the blood vessels)
  at climax. Sometimes several orgasms are necessary for relaxation to set
  in and the attack to come to an end. It is also relevant that digestive
  disturbances and constipation are high on the list of migraine patients’
  side-symptoms; in other words such people are ‘closed up’ at the lower level.
  Married couples tend to use their ‘migraines’ as an excuse for not having
  sex.

Are There Any Subtle Energy Medicine Techniques Effective For Migraines?

Flower essences, popularized earlier this century by the British physician
Edward Bach, are especially helpful for migraines induced by some kind of
emotional upset. The following may be considered, although it will probably
be more effective for you to consult with someone trained in the use of
flower essences:

• cerato
  
  
• centaury
  
  
• holly
  
  
• red chestnut
  
  
• hornbeam
  
  
• white chestnut
  
  
• scleranthus
  
  
• gentian
  
  
• oak
  
  
• aloe vera
  
  
• angelica
  
  
• bleeding heart
  
  
• chaparrel
  
  
• vine
  
  
• mimulus
  
  
• water violet
  
  
• pine
  
  
• cherry plum, or
  
  
• rescue remedy which is the widely used combination flower essence
  formula useful for any symptom caused by emotional trauma. Works great
  for kids who get minor scrapes and bruises, but cry hysterically because
  they are startled, or want attention. Comes in a creme or droplet (weak
  alcohol tincture) form.

A newer form of vibrational medicine is the use of sound for healing. Some
health care providers with specail training can determine “missing”
tones from the patient’s voice, and then use a machine to produce the missing
tone, thus filling in the harmonic spectrum of the patient’s major form
of expression (the voice), thus restoring balance and vitality, and presumably
helping relieve any symptoms of distress. A qualified sound therapist may
help reduce or eliminate your migraines.



Color, either by wearing clothes of certain colors, or placing claer plastic
colored gels over light sources in your environment, can reduce all sorts
of physical, mental and emotional ailments. In particular, for migraines,
the following colors should be considered. During the migraine:

• purple raises the threshold of pain and is soporific if directed
  towards the face, throat and chest.

  
  

• scarlet can raise blood pressure via three effects: vascoconstrictor,
  raises heart rate, calms the kidneys. Be careful, however, because migraines
  are more usually associated with higher blood flow. For those with migraines
  due to decreased blood flow, scarlet may be effectively directed towards
  the face may for relief.

• lemon (helps to dissolve blood clots) and yellow (acts on the motor
  nerves, thereby helping to energize muscles; acts on the lymphatic system
  as it is a mild tissue stimulant) for 2 weeks, then

  
  

• lemon and orange (as decongestants) for 4 weeks

  
  

• this is repeated for as long as is necessary

• blue over the liver for 5 minutes

  
  

• blue on the face

• Ruby
  
  
• Cat’s Eye
  
  
• Sapphire
  
  
• Amethyst
  
  
• Sugulite

• Migraine
  
  
• Convulsive seizure
  
  
• Neoplasm (cancer)
  
  
• Meniere’s disease
  
  
• Hyperinsulinism in diabetes mellitus patients
  
  
• Head injury
  
  
• Meningitis
  
  
• Uremia (toxic blood due to kidney failure)
  
  
• Hepatic coma (liver failure)
  
  
• Alcohol or drug intoxication
  
  
• Poisoning
  
  
• Epilepsy

How Can Physical Medicine Help With Stroke?

Gentle, regular aerobic exercise can help prevent stroke. But if you or
a family member already has suffered from one or more strokes, a simple
hydrotherapy technique may provide relief, and even minimize long term sequelae.
Hydrotherapy is discussed at length in the Introduction to Modalities section.



One technique is to lower your body temperature, with a cold bath for
example, as much as possible without inducing shivering as soon as possible
after a stroke has occurred, or is suspected to have occured. The idea
here is that if the stroke is ischemic (temporary restriction of oxygenated
blood) the body naturally and preferentially preserves blood flow to the
brain, so cooling the rest of the body will cause the blood to shunt rapidly
to the brain. However, if the stroke is hemorrhagic, cooling the body rapidly
will cause vasoconstriction, thereby helping to control the bleed.

Another hydrotherapy technique with a similar rationale is to soak the feet in
a hot foot bath, as soon as possible after the stroke has occurred, while
applying a cold compress to the neck, face and scalp. If this technique
can be applied as a stroke is happening, it may even abort the stroke.
Make sure the ice-cold compress touches the skin over the carotid arteries
under the jaw bone. Mustard paste or powder may be added to the foot bath
to increase the heating effect. Make sure to continue this treatment for
at least 20 minutes and keep adding hot water to the foot bath and make
sure the cold compress stays really cold. Or, you may take a neutral bath
that is neither freezing cold, nor warm. Immersion in water of neutral
temperature is extremely soothing to the central nervous system.



If someone has collapsed due to a stroke, and is waiting to get medical
attention, raise the head gently if you are absolutely sure no spinal injury
has been sustained, and keep the paralyzed side up. Don’t let the stroke
victim lie on the paralyzed limbs if at all possible. The paralyzed limbs
may be massaged to maintain proper circulation.



Two of the most distressing sequelae of stroke are inability to speak clearly,
and inability to perform fine motor skills, particularly with the hands.
For someone struggling to regain the ability to speak normally, speech
therapy is highly recommended. And read on, because there is help with
Acupuncture also. To help minimize permanent damage to hand coordination
please begin exercises, such as the exercise ideas listed below, as soon
as possible, and don’t give up.

• squeeze a soft or spongy ball with the hands whever you’re watching TV or talking on the phone
  or enjoying a sunset;
  
  
• stretch and reach for objects;
  
  
• count coins with the fingers;
  
  
• type;
  
  
• play piano;
  
  
• get some help to figure out safe movements routines that will allow
  you to bathe yourself, prepare a meal for yourself and put yourself to bed,
  as soon as possible.

Can Diet and Nutrition Affect the Outcome Of My Stroke?

Yes, absolutely. Since strokes often occur because of fatty deposits in
the arteries, which indirectly compromises smooth blood flow to the brain,
it makes sense to eat a low-fat diet. Strokes also occur because of insufficient
integrity of the walls of the blood vessels, so eating foods that improve
vascular tone, notably the dark-colored berries (whose active ingredient
is the blue-black pigment anthocyanadin) would be wise. In general, the
eating principles for minimizing the chance of a recurring stroke, or to
stay as healthy as possible after you’ve suffered a stroke, are to keep
the diet:

• low in sugar, low in cholesterol
  
  
• low in unsaturated fats
  
  
• with these calorie percentages: 70% complex carbohydrates, 12-15%
  protein and 15-18% fat (preferably NOT animal fat).
  
  
• high in fiber
  
  
• low in Sodium. Sodium can raise blood pressure, putting excessive
  pressure on the vascular system.

Specifically therapeutic foods post-stroke include:

• high Potassium foods such as millet, buckwheat, oats, rice, raw goat’s
  milk, raw leafy vegetables, watermelon, garlic, onions, cornsilk tea, diuretic
  foods such as dandelion greens and grapes.

  
  

• high Magnesium foods such as garlic, broccoli, celery, cherries,
  nectarines, pineapple, kumquats, watermelons, squash, pomegranate, guava,
  parsley, cucumber, dandelion greens.

  
  

• foods rich in Calcium (seaweeds, swiss and cheddar cheese, collard
  greens), Phosphorus (Brewer’s yeast, wheat bran, pumpkin and squash seeds),
  Manganese (pecans, Brazil nuts, almonds, barley, rye, ginger, bay leaves),
  Sulfur (eggs), Iodine (clams, shrimp, haddock, halibut, oysters, salmon,
  sardines), and tryptophan (lean turkey breast, bananas.

  
  

• egg yolk, kale, celery, fish, raw goat’s milk, veal joint broth,
  cod roe, rice polishings, nutritional yeast.

  
  

• increase omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids: rich sources are vegetable,
  nut, seed oils, (especially flaxseed oil), salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines,
  walnuts, evening primrose oil, black currant oil.

If you have some kind of juice extracting machine at home, or are willing
to invest in one, now is a good time to learn about the therapeutic effects
of juicing. Don’t underestimate the profound healing effect that raw vegetable
or fruit concentrates can have on your body. Taking specific juice combinations,
at least 5 pints of fresh juice weekly, can work well to minimize stroke
sequelae. Try the following “health cocktails:”

• celery, carrot, prune
  
  
• carrot, celery, parsley, and spinach
  
  
• carrot and spinach
  
  
• carrot, beet, and celery
  
  
• carrot, spinach, turnip, and watercress

Other food combinations for post-stroke health to consider, based on you
taste buds, are:

• prune and rice polishings
  
  
• raw goat’s milk and 1 tsp. sesame, sunflower, or almond butter, 1tsp. honey and sliver of avocado
  
  
• black cherry and egg yolk

Foods to be careful to avoid include:

salt and salty foods: such as pickles, olives, chips, packaged snacks,
prepared meats, especially canned ham, frankfurters, bacon, bologna, corned
beef and lunch meats, frozen fish fillets, sardines, herring, caviar, anchovies,
shellfish, dairy products, spicy foods: salsa, white and black pepper, mustard,
ginger and hot foods, canned tomato juice, V-8 juice, processed cheese,
canned, dried or instant soups, frozen peas and beans, most processed and
refined foods, MSG, mayonnaise, salad dressings, gravies, ketchup, food
with Sodium benzoate as a preservative, Sodium proprionate found in some
cheeses and breads, baking powder, baking soda, ice cream, milkshakes, soft
drinks, smoked meats and fish, Jello, pretzels, potato chips, salted nuts,
candy, rennet tablets, pudding mixes, beverage mixes, spicy foods, alcohol,
fried foods, fatty foods, pork. In addition, as a general rule, avoid
overeating and try to prevent reaching higher than normal levels of blood
calcium.



By age 40 everyone should have baseline blood chemistries (assessing liver
and kidney and hormonal function, at least) which will then be a reference
point for how “gracefully” you are aging. Blood work you and
your doctor will evaluate later in life will have much greater significance
if there’s something to compare it to. Consult with your primary care physician
(holistically oriented MD, DO or ND) about how often you should get routine
physicals and blood evaluations. Remember, prevention is the very best
way to approach your health care, and you need to get realistic assessments
of vital health parameters relatively regularly after age 40.



Sometimes food alone is not enough to preserve maximal health. Many North
Americans are malnourished, which, surprisingly, is especially likely to
be true of you are more than 20% over your ideal weight. The following
nutrients have been proven to be beneficial in miantaining healthy cardiac
tissue, as well as reducing the likelihood of another stroke:

• Vitamin E 400-1600 I.U. daily. A good anti-oxidant which helps
  repair damaged tissues through various mechanisms.

  
  

• omega-3 fatty acids, 1 tablespoon daily, for example from raw flaxseed
  oil, to provide your body with a high quality fat with which to build new
  cells. Every single cell in your body has a cell wall which controls what
  goes in and out, and thus what triggers the nucleus of the cell, where the
  DNA resides, to make whatever protein is needed moment to moment. The cell
  wall is built largely of lipids (fat) and whatever fats and oils you ingest
  is what is available to make your cell walls. Thus, you want to provide
  your body with the finest quality fats and oils possible, to preserve the
  integral functioning of all the cell walls in your body. Don’t feed your
  body saturated fats such as the fat on red meat, or lard. This only stocks
  up your body with ingredients which ultimately cause reduced nerve function
  (the brain and nerve sheaths are mainly made of fat), toxic build-up and
  heart disease.

  
  

• Coenzyme Q10, 10-50 mg daily. This is one of the most popular supplements
  in Japan, where most of the research has been done on this potent natural
  substance. It works specifically by allowing the maximal amount of oxygen
  conversion from body fluids in the cardiac muscle, thus reducing the need
  of the heart to work overtime to pump sufficient oxygen to the other tissues
  in your body. In large doses (250 mg daily for 7 days) it can turn congestive
  heart failure around. Please consult with your holistically trained MD,
  DO or naturopathic physician (ND) before experimenting with high doses.

  
  

• Vitamin C 3g daily. The most researched anti-oxidant, Vitamin
  C, can “gobble up” the dangerous free radical electrons which
  cause progressive tissue damage. Vitamin C should be supplemetned by anyone
  who lives in a city, or commutes regularly in traffic, or who has a history
  of smoking.

  
  

• Bromelain 250 mg two or three times daily, away from food. This
  is a protein-digesting enzyme derived from the pineapple stem and acts as
  a potent natural anti-inflammatory. Many strokes are initiated by a mild
  infection or inflammation inside the blood vessels, where a plaque can begin
  to form. The plaque distorts the blood flow through the vessel, which creates
  an eddy which may in turn create coagulated blood which can cause a blood
  clot (thrombus) which then dislodges and gets stuck higher up in a smaller
  vessel, preventing blood flow to the brain. Bromelain will help reduce
  inflammation by digesting the by-products of tissue repair as it is in process.
  But if you take the bromelain with food, it will be used digesting the
  protein in the meal. So take it at least 2 hours away from food to maximize
  the antinflammatory effect.

What about herbal medicine to help after I’ve had a stroke?

• Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) is great, in tea or tincture form,
  for thrombotic conditions with hypertension, including cerebral and coronary
  thromboses; combine with Tilia platyphyllos (lime blossom) in essential
  hypertension.

  
  

• Allium sativum (good old garlic; eat one clove daily). Garlic is
  high in the two amino acids that contain organic sulfur compounds (Cysteine
  and Methionine) which help render fat soluble toxins more water soluble.
  Thus, garlic helps rid the body of toxins through the channels of urination,
  defecation and perspiration. Garlic also helps dissolve fatty stores in
  the body, where toxic wastes are more likely to accumulate.

  
  

• Arnica montana (toxic in high doses internally, use the homeopathic
  mother tincture, a 10:1 dilution of alcohol to plant material) 25 drops
  three times daily for shock or brain tissue changes, and to prevent further
  coagulation.

  
  

• Capsicum frutescens (Cayenne pepper) following stroke. This remarkable
  culinary herb is a classic, and powerful, “alterative” which means
  that it regulates an imbalance which has gone awry in either direction.
  In this case, if your stroke is ischemic (due to a clot cutting off proper
  blood flow to the brain) the Cayenne will stimulate the return of blood
  to the cerebral tissues. If, on the other hand, your stroke is hemorrhagic
  (a bleed inside the skull), the Cayenne will act as a local styptic (stenching
  blood flow). The best way to take Cayenne for maximizing your circulatory
  power is a hearty pinch in a small glass of water first thing each morning.
  You may want to find a small jar with a lid to shake up this firy-hot and
  tasty little toast. Especially great on cold days; it will keep your feet
  and hands warm for hours. Try to find organic (non-sprayed, non-irriadiated)
  Cayenne at your local health food store, and buy several ounces in bulk.
  
  
• Crataegus spp. (Hawthorne, white and black). This botanical is perhaps
  the most useful of the heart tonics, and works particuarly well to strengthen
  connective tissue, which is needed post-stroke for damage repair. It also
  works very well to digest fat, and will lower cholesterol if taken regularly.
  Eat the berries raw, or use a teaspoon daily of the tincture.

  
  

• Ginkgo biloba (standardized extract of Gingko leaves) is used all
  over the world to increase circulation, particularly to the brain. Because
  of this action, Gingko is widely used to promote long and short-term memory
  capacity. It does this by dialating cerebral blood vessels.

  
  

• Trifolium pratense (Red clover) is high in natural coumarin, a blood-thinning
  agent. Do not use in hemorrhagic stroke or if you are already on a prescription
  anticoagulants. However, you may want to switch to clover if your aspirin
  a day is bothering your stomach, or if you object to being maintained on
  pharmaceutical medication. Fresh Red clover sprouts work as well (you need
  at least a handful daily, in a salad or sandwich) as the tincture form.
  Please do NOT wean yourself off prescription drugs without consulting
  with a qualified healthcare professional.

Can Chinese Medicine Help After I’ve Had A Stroke?

There are varying diagnoses of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that could
describe what we in the West call “stroke.” In TCM, the doctor
or acupuncturist looks at the interaction between your constitution — that
is, what genetic/physical characteristics you were born with that impinge
on your total health — and the disease complex. In conventional medicine,
the doctor is more likely to focus solely on the disease. Therefore, the
first order of business with a Traditional Chinese Medical treatment is
to arrive at the correct diagnosis, and select acupoints and/or herbal medicine
accordingly. The following “patterns” are some of the more common
TCM diagnoses which cover the symptoms of stroke: Penetrating Wind; Liver
Fire; Phlegm, esp. Heart Misted by Cold Phlegm; Yang Shi (Excess); Yin Xu
(Deficiency); Liver Yang Rising Causing Liver Wind; Stirring of Liver Wind.
These perhaps do not mean much to someone who has not studied TCM, but
are given to begin to familiarize you with a new vocabulary, and so that
you can recognize that these unfamiliar concepts are not mumbo-jumbo, but
thoughtful assessments of your condition, based on a tradition over 3,000
years old.



Some of the best known points to restore consciousness after a stroke are:

• Gall Bladder-20. This very important point is called “Wind
  Gate” and is located at the nape of the neck, on either side of the
  big muscles that hold the head onto the shoulders. This is an area of the
  body that is especially important to protect during a change of seasons.
  The term stroke is transliterated in Chinese as “Wind Stroke.”
  The Chinese believe that all evil external influences that could disrupt
  our health come into the body through “Wind.” Gall Bladder-20
  is a point at the back of the head which is particularly susceptible to
  being penetrated by Wind. So, wear a scarf on a windy days and don’t sit
  in a draft. By needling these points, one on each side of the top of the
  spine, pathogenic “Wind” may be cleared. In addition, the Spirit
  can be awakened, the Brain function clafiried, the “Heat” rising
  from the Liver cooled and the balance between the Qi (vital energy which
  runs through the meridians; a Yang substance) and the Blood (a Yin substance)
  can be restored. A powerful point.

  
  

• Governing Vessel-20 is located right at the top of the head and is
  often “pecked” with the thin needle to draw a tiny drop of blood
  to revive consciousness.

  
  

• Governing Vessel-26 is also on the midline of the body, and in this
  case directly above the upper lip. This point is famous for restoring consciousness
  after an epileptic seizure, but works well for shock of any kind. You can
  even work this point very effectively by pushing with your little finger
  into the horizontal groove between the bottom of the nose and the upper
  lip, firmly, at a 45 degree upward angle, until the stroke victim wakes
  up. In terms of Chinese Medicine, this point works by dispelling Wind,
  calming the Spirit, clearing the senses and eliminating “Mist”
  (can be psychological cloudiness or excess fat) around the Heart.

  
  

• Heart-5 is another point, located in the soft crook of the elbows,
  which pacifies the Spirit, regulates the Qi of the Heart, brings “Fire”
  down from the head and relieves stiffness of the tongue and slurred speechfrom Wind-stroke.

  
  

• Kidney-1, the beginning of the Kidney merdian, is located on the
  bottom of the foot, where the pads of the toes meet the arch. Although
  not the most comfortable point to needle, it works well to pacify the Spirit,
  restore collapsed Yang, revive consciousness, clear Fire and Heat (especially
  in the head), and nourish Kidney Yin (and thereby suppresses Liver Fire).

Just a few of the major points are being given here. Many more may work
for you, depending on your TCM diagnosis, the style of the doctor, and your
sensitivity to needle stimulation. After consciousness is regained, the
following points may be additionally considered:

• scalp acupuncture is excellent for restoring physical function post-stroke.
  The limbs are affected on the opposite side of the brain from where the
  stroke occurred. So, if your right leg is paralyzed or partially paralyzed,
  you need to get scalp acupuncture on the LEFT side of your head, in the
  leg area. If you have a sensory deficit in the leg (that is, you can’t
  feel pain or temperature) you will need to be needled in the leg sensory
  area. If your deficit is motor (can’t control muscle function in the leg,
  a much more serious problem) you need to get a needle in the leg MOTOR area
  of the scalp. Scalp acupuncture is an entire TCM subspecialty. In China
  there are numerous doctors who specialize in this scientific art, particularly
  because it is one of the most effective tools known to TCM for restoring
  nerve function. Other points, on the body, to help minimize post-stroke
  sequellae are:

  
  

• Heart 7, near the inner wrist, as a general sedative — it has a
  regulating effect on the inner organs and nourishes Heart Xue (Blood).

  
  

• Kidney 6, below the inner ankle pacifies the Shen (Spirit) and stabilizes
  the Will; nourishes the Heart; cools and clears Heat; clears Xu (Deficiency)
  Fire; and stimulates adrenals.

One of the most interesting treatments to come out of the more modern Chinese
approach to stroke rehabilitation, is the acupuncture technique used to
restore normal speech function. Although this may sound disconcerting,
be open minded and consider the following: as soon as possible after the
stroke, the sufferer who has resulting speech impairments (aphasia) will
receive a course of 10 or more treatments of TONGUE acupuncture. The doctor
or acupuncturist will grasp the patient’s tongue with a piece of gauze,
and lift it up gently to insert a long needle quickly and momentarily deep
into the underside of the tongue at two points just outside the big veins
that run under the tongue. Often the beginning of improvement will occur
after the first treatment.



Another, extremely potent, aspect of TCM is the use of Chinese medicinal
herbs, either loose and brewed into “soup” or formulated in pill
form, and sold as “patents.” Specific for stroke are:

• Ren Shen Zai Zao Wan (Tsaitsuowan) (patent) combined with Da Huo
  Luo Dan (patent) treats Liver Wind Stirring which refers to strokes with
  symptoms such as facial paralysis, limb paralysis, hemiplegia, numbness
  of limbs, pain, limb contractures, poor articulation and speech output problems.
  Administer as soon as possible after the stroke, once bleeding is stabilized.
  

  
  

• Xiao Huo Luo Dan to treat numbness, paralysis, muscle spasms.

  
  

• Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang for hemiplegia, deviation of mouth & eyes,
  difficult speech, salivation, frequent or incontinent urination.

  
  

• Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang to treat thrombosis due to Liver Wind Stirring.
  

  
  

• An Gong Niu Huang Wan (patent) for the TCM diagnosis Fire Toxin
  with Heart Agitated by Phlegm Fire.

  
  

• Salvia Shou Wu (patent) plus Styrax 14 (patent)

How Can Homeopathy Help With Stroke?

Please read the section on Homeopathy in the Introduction to Modalities.
Homeopathy is a complex medical science in which minute doses of plant,
mineral and animal substances are used, effectively, to treat many types
of illness. Homeopathic remedies that may be choosen for the stroke patient
are described below. Please consult with a qualified homeopath or naturopathic
doctor to help select the best remedy for you.

• Arnica montana for the stroke which gives a cerebral lesion similar
  to a bruise, or a frank hematoma (for post acute crisis survival).

  
  

• Belladonna is given when the face is flushed and you have a throbbing
  headache, the pain of which is worse with light, noise, any jarring movement,
  lying down and in the afternoon, but better in a semi-erect posture.

  
  

• Kali muriaticum can absorb the clot (for post acute crisis survival).

  
  

• Natrum muriaticum for when the face is pale and you have a throbbing
  headache, nausea, and vomiting.

  
  

• Nux vomica is the remedy for when the stroke occurs after a heavy
  meal or too much alcohol; and you feel vertigo followed by a momentary loss
  of consciousness.

  
  

• Opium for when the patient is unconscious, breathing heavily; when
  the face is dusky and cyanosed (blue, due to lack of blood.)

  
  

• Sulphur is for the heavy red-faced beer-drinking type, who complains
  of feeling heat on top of his head.

  
  

• Veratrum album is given when the clinical picture is one of collapse;
  shock, sweating and cold; with a cold sweat on the forehead.

What Are Some Subtle Energy Medicine Approaches To Help Before, Or After,
A Stroke?

Many people have derived great comfort from a series of remedies developed
by a British physician, Edward Bach. These remedies are similar to homeopathic
remedies, but are made exclusively from flowers. Some of the flower essences
commonly chosen post-stroke to minimize central nervous system damage are:

• chaparrel
  
  
• red clover
  
  
• dill
  
  
• mallow
  
  
• mugwort
  
  
• clematis

Other people choose to work with color, either by wearing clothes of certain
colors, or by using colored plastic gels in front of light sources in the
home or office environment. Immediately after stroke, the following colors
have shown therapeutic benefit:

indigo (an astringent, antipyic, antiemetic, and hemostatic) applied
the the entire cranium.

After the stroke patient has stabilized, the following colors are useful
to prevent further stroking:

• lemon (helps to dissolve blood clots; acts as a chronic alterative)
  applied onto the front of the body.

  
  

• magenta (regulates the circulation system) applied to the face, neck
  and chest.

Can Psychological Approaches Help Relieve My Discomfort After Having A Stroke?

Consider the following ideas which may or may not ring true for you. If
they do, think about how you can use the power of your own mind to avoid
detrimental thought patterns for yourself.

• Stroke may come on because of a dominant and often obsessive need
  to control one’s environment; LACK OF TRUST; do you find it difficult if
  not impossible to trust the intention or activities of others? Do you continually
  worry about financial and material security and well-being? There’s a strong
  association between stroke and feelings of vulnerability and belief that
  external world is unsafe.

  
  

• Stroke may represent a kind of giving up; resistance; where you’d
  rather rather die than change (or think you would). This is clearly a rejection
  of life.

Affirmations may help you get beyond these negative thought patterns. You
may write them across the bathroom mirror in lipstick, or recite them outloud
to yourself while driving, cooking, and bathing, or find a ritual that is
meaningful and relaxing for you to let the healing words sink in.

• Life is change, and I adapt easily to the new.
  
  
• I accept life: past, present, and future.

]]> 14632 https://healthy.net/2000/12/06/hearing-loss/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hearing-loss Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:28:02 +0000 https://healthy.net/2000/12/06/hearing-loss/ Do people seem to mumble a lot lately? Do you have trouble hearing in church or theaters? Is it hard to pick up what others say at the dinner table or at family gatherings? Does your family ask you to turn down the volume on the TV or radio?

These are signs of gradual, age-related hearing loss called presbycusis. High pitched sounds are the ones to go first. Hearing loss from presbycusis cannot be restored, but hearing aids, along with the Self-Care Tips listed on page 61 can be helpful.

Hearing loss can also result from other things:

• Acoustic trauma – This may be caused by a blow to the ear or from excessive noise. Excessive noise includes that heard from low-flying airplanes when living near an airport, when flying in an airplane, or when working with heavy, loud machinery.
  
• Blood vessel disorders including high blood pressure.
  
• A blood clot that travels to nerves in the ear.
  
• Ear wax that blocks the ear canal.
  
• Chronic middle ear infections, or an infection of the inner ear.
  
• Meniere’s disease (a disease marked by excess fluid in canals of the inner ear which help maintain balance).
  
• Multiple sclerosis.
  
• Syphilis.
  
• Brain tumor.
  

Babies and young children should have their hearing checked during routine office visits. You may notice that your child does not hear properly, however, if he/she does not respond to sounds and is not learning to speak as quickly as you think they should. Children can be born with hearing loss or a hearing impairment or develop hearing loss from an ear or upper respiratory infection.

---

Self-Care Tips

For gradual, age-related hearing loss (presbycusis):

• Ask people to speak clearly, distinctly, and in a normal tone.
  
• Look at people when they are talking to you. Watch their expressions to help you understand what they are saying. Ask them to face you.
  
• Try to limit background noise when having a conversation.
  
• In a church or theater, sit up front.
  
• To rely on sight instead of sound, install a buzzer, flasher, or amplifier on your telephone, door chime, and alarm clock. Also, an audiologist (hearing therapist) may be able to show you other techniques for “training” yourself to hear better.
  

To Clear Ear Wax: (Use only if you know that the eardrum is not perforated. Check with your doctor if you are in doubt).

• Lie on your side. Using a syringe or medicine dropper, carefully squeeze a few drops of lukewarm water into your ear (or have someone else do this). Let the water remain there for 10-15 minutes and then shake it out. Do this again, but use a few drops of hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil or an over-the-counter cleaner such as Murine Ear Drops or Debrox. Let the excess fluid flow out of the ear.
  
• After several minutes, follow the same procedure using warm water again, letting it remain there for 10-15 minutes. Tilt the head to allow it to drain out of the ear.
  

You can repeat this entire procedure again in three hours if the ear wax has not cleared.

To prevent hearing loss:

• Don’t put cotton-tipped swabs, fingers, bobby pins, etc. in your ear.
  
• Don’t blow your nose with too much force. It is better to do so “gently” with a tissue or handkerchief held loosely over the nostrils.
  
• Avoid places that have loud noises (airports, construction sites, etc.). Protect your ears with earplugs.
  
• Keep the volume on “Walkmans”, car stereos, etc., on low. If someone else can hear the music when you have earphones on your head, the volume is too loud.
  
• Follow your doctor’s advice for disorders that can cause hearing loss (Example: High blood pressure, Meniere’s disease, etc.).
  
• Avoid prolonged use of medicines that cause hearing loss or overdosing on such medications. (Example: Heavy use of aspirin, streptomycin, quinine).
  

Also be aware of things that can help you hear sounds if your hearing is impaired.

• Hearing aids (See your doctor).
  
• Devices made to assist in hearing sounds from the TV and radio.
  
• Special equipment that can be installed in your telephone by the telephone company.
  
• Portable devices made especially to amplify sounds. (These can be used for movies, classes, meetings, etc.).
  

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Questions to Ask

In a child: Does the child not respond to any sound, even a whistle or loud clap? (Did the child’s mother have German measles when pregnant with the child)? Does the child not respond to sounds after experiencing any of these things? Recent earache or upper respiratory infection Airplane travel
In a child or adult: Do you have any of the following with the hearing loss? Discharge from the ear Earache Dizziness or feeling that things are spinning around you Recent ear or upper respiratory infection Feeling that the ears are blocked or filled with wax
Can you not hear a regular (non-digital) watch ticking when held next to the ear?
Do you hear a ringing sound in one or both ears all of the time?
Did you lose your hearing after being exposed to loud noises such as those associated with airplanes, work or hobby related loud noises (i.e., heavy machinery, power tools, firearms, etc.) and has this not gotten better?

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Healthy Self: The Guide to Self-Care and Wise Consumerism

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

]]> 14996 https://healthy.net/2000/12/06/cranial-osteopathy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cranial-osteopathy Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:28:02 +0000 https://healthy.net/2000/12/06/cranial-osteopathy/ One of the greatest pieces of physiological research in the twentieth century was undertaken by William Garner Sutherland D.O. He was one of the early graduates of the original American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri in 1900. Whilst a student he noticed that the structure of certain cranial bones, particularly where they joined each other, were bevelled in a striking manner. He noted that there was a marked internal bevel where the squama of the temporal bone overlaps the great wing of the spheroid and the inferior border of the parietal, which itself displayed a marked external bevel. As he was studying under Dr Still, Sutherland was very conscious of the relationship between structure and function. If these bones were so structured, then, he reasoned, there must be a physiological function related to it. Further investigation of the bones of the skull led him to note many other articulations, such as the ‘tongue and groove’ junction between the lateral part of the basilar portion of the occiput, where it fits into the medial aspect of the anterior third of the petrous portion of the temporal bone.

Sutherland reasoned that these joints could only make sense if they contributed towards motion between the bones. Against all the accepted medical thinking he reasoned, studied and observed the cranial structures and their functions, with a view to establishing what these were. Gradually, over many years he came to understand the inter-relationship between the bony structures of the cranium and its contents and functions. These include not only the nerve and brain tissues but strong fibrous bands which divide and support the various areas of the brain and which are intimately involved in the motion of the cranial structures. The two main tension membranes are the Falx Cerebri and the Tentorium Cerebeli.

Side View of Adult Cranium

Infant Cranium Showing: 1. Anterior Fontanelle; 2. Posterior Fontanelle.

Section of side view of speroid bone.	Section of side view of occiput
Side view of sacrum.
The arrows indicate directions of synchronous co-ordinated alterations in position of the main components of the cranio-sacral mechanism, during flexion (inhalation). The reverse, a return to a neutral position, occurs during extension (exhalation). The dotted line indicates the sacral position at the limit of flexion (inhalation),

Illustration shows cranial and sacral movement during inhalation and exhalation

The erroneous belief that the skull is a rigid bony structure, and that the sutures are immovable arose from anatomists studying these structures from dried specimens. The study of living bones is quite different. It is a simple matter to feel the resilience of the skull in the living skull, even into adult life.

The bones that make up the skull are, in health, movable and do in fact, move in a rhythmic manner throughout life. The range of this movement is small, but to the trained hand, easily felt. Since nothing in the body is without purpose, this function is reasoned as contributing to the normal running of the body. It might be argued that what is felt is no more than a resiliency, a plasticity, which would be necessary. to avoid the skull being over rigid, and thus in danger of fracturing in case of a blow. This is partly true, but does not explain the rhythmic expansion and contraction that takes place in the skull, independent of the normal respiration and heart beat.

Primary Respiratory Mechanism

Research over the past half century has demonstrated that this movement is part of a mechanism which has been named the ‘primary respiratory mechanism’. This involves not only the skull bones, and their contents but, by virtue of strong fibrous tissue connections, the spinal column and the sacrum (the triangular bony structure at the base of the spine). As these structures move (much as the diaphragm and chest move in breathing, but on a much smaller scale) an important circulatory function is being carried out in the skull and throughout the body. Blood and cerebro-spinal fluid are pumped through the intricate channels surrounding the structures of the brain and the central nervous system.

It has been shown under the electron-microscope that the tissue which binds all other tissues together, the connective tissue, or fascia, of the body, has a tubular structure. The cerebro-spinal fluid permeates these structures and carries with it hormonal secretions vital to the health of the body. The most important glands in the body lie within the skull, and their ability to function is now known to be influenced by the efficiency, or otherwise, of the primary respiratory mechanism.

What does all this mean in terms of health and disease? It explains a good deal that was previously unexplained, and opens up the possibility of treating conditions that have proved untreatable or stubbornly resistant to treatment, by more conventional methods.

Illustrates cranial manipulation aimed at restoring normal mobility between the zygomatic and the temporal bones. This treatment is extremely gentle. No force is used, only a holding of the appropriate bones whilst the patient’s respiratory effort creates the corrective

If in adult life there occur blows to the head, whiplash injuries to the neck, heavy dental extractions, blows to the base of the spine, even more subtle structural pressures resulting from new dentures, then the complex mechanism, described above, can be interfered with and a variety of symptoms, local and distant can occur. Local conditions that commonly result from this type of cause include tinnitus (ringing in the ears), Meniere’s disease (loss of balance), facial neuralgia, migraine and other headaches, visual disturbances, jaw dysfunction (difficulty in chewing or in opening the mouth) etc. Distant effects can include any sudden changes in the metabolism of the body which could have hormonal origins.

Treatment of Cranial Distortion in New-born Babies

A vast range of conditions have been helped by cranial osteopathy’s ability to positively influence the hormonal balance. Such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, fluid retention, asthma and other allergic problems have all been favourably (together with other natural methods) influenced. The most exciting and important application of this approach is, however, in the treatment of babies and children who have suffered cranial distortion before, during, or soon after birth.

A variety of factors can affect the soft bones and cartilaginous structures of the foetus before, and during birth, and of the infant, soon after. If the mother-to-be has a spinal curve or an acute lumbar curve (hollow back) then the developing foetus may lie in such a way as to crowd or warp, the skull bones. If labour is induced, and the mother’s birth canal has not had the opportunity to soften and prepare for the engagement of the foetal head, or if the birth is too rapid and the contractive forces acting on the foetal head are too powerful, or if the process of labour is too long and difficult, the effect on the soft head bones and their supporting structures (tension membranes etc. ) can be to so mould them that a return to normal never takes place. If instrument delivery is clumsy this too can cause cranial distortion, and long term problems. This is not to say that forceps delivery is always harmful, indeed it often prevents even worse damage, but it certainly can cause damage, wrongly applied.

If a baby is born prematurely, and is laid on a normal surface then the very weight of the head can have a compressing and warping effect. After all, the foetus has been cushioned in fluid, and a water bed would be a better start as a surface on which to lie, for such a newcomer.

If a newborn child cries too much, refuses food, is stiff and difficult to handle, has sleeping problems, has swallowing difficulty or even shows a distinct preference to lie on one side or not to lie on its back, or is dopey and just ‘too good’, taking no interest in anything, or rubs or bangs its head, or fails to develop normally, then chances are that there is a cranial distortion. All such children should be seen as soon as possible by a cranial osteopath, as should all cases of cerebral palsy and spasticity.

The treatment methods are exceedingly gentle, and treatment can be started within hours of birth. There is no heroic pushing and pulling which so many people associate with conventional osteopathy, but a gentle, subtle attempt to restore structural normality and with it functional normality (health). Learning the specialized techniques of cranial osteopathy requires lengthy and diligent study and practice. The anatomy and physiology of the skull, and its relationship with other spinal and body structures and functions, is a demanding study. Sensitive and subtle manual skills are required in the application of cranial manipulation, which is not so much concerned with altering the position of bones as with releasing articular strains between the structures and restoring physiological motion. As has been stated, it is in infants and the new-born that the greatest good can be achieved. The following quotation from The Selected Writings of Beryl Arbuckle D. O. published in the USA by The National Osteopathic Institute and Cerebral Palsy Foundation (1977) illustrates this:

The under-developed cerebro-spinal system of the newborn is housed by an immature cranium and vertebral canal. To the skull, with all its intricate construction, so often taken for granted, its physiological movement, little considered and less understood, is attributed the function of protecting the brain. The infant skull is very immature having little ossification and many of the bones are in separate parts, cartilaginous and membranous. The vault consists of very thin bones with but one layer and no bony sutures. The overriding thus possible during delivery is one of nature’s provisions for the reduction of cranial size to better enable the passage of the head through the birth canal. If, by chance, for any one of a hundred reasons, that infant is unable to reduce to the full extent this natural moulding it is impossible to prognosticate the severity of the symptoms which may be manifested in later life on account of the persistent unnatural strain throughout the stress bands of the aural membranes. ‘An osteopath sees cause in a slight anatomical deviation for the beginning of disease’ (A. T. Still). There may result severe or slight muscular handicaps, mental difficulties, from idiocy to mere confusion or general slowness, inability or instability.
The physician who is able to recognize these deviations and able to make the necessary corrections intelligently at the very first sign of slight difficulty, often years before serious symptoms could be manifested, while the child is still in the developing or growing stage, will turn the trouble of today into the triumph of tomorrow.

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]]> 15321 https://healthy.net/2000/12/06/scalp-acupuncture-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=scalp-acupuncture-2 Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:28:02 +0000 https://healthy.net/2000/12/06/scalp-acupuncture-2/ Scalp acupuncture is a modern acupuncture method. The Chinese attribute its development to Chiao Sun-Fa, a 35-year-old physician in North China, and it has been used in China since 1971. The principle of scalp acupuncture is very straightforward; the aim is to stimulate the diseased area of the brain in order to facilitate a return of function in that area.

This method is based on elementary functional neuroanatomy, and has nothing to do with traditional Chinese medicine. If part of the brain is damaged, for instance by a stroke, then the scalp is stimulated over the damaged area of the brain. All the scalp points are representations of the underlying functional areas of the brain. It therefore follows that the most common use of scalp acupuncture will be in diseases in which there is brain damage, such as strokes or severe head injuries, although this method can be used for a variety of other conditions. Scalp acupuncture is particularly useful for reducing chronic muscle spasm.

I. Localization of Scalp Points

When using scalp therapy it is vital to localize the scalp area accurately. There are very few good reference texts for such scalp points so accurate scalp maps have been included in this text.

Motor area

0.5cms posterior to the midpoint of the anterior-posterior line defines the upper limit of the motor area. The lower limit intersects the eyebrow-occiput line at the anterior border of the natural hairline on the temple. The upper 1/5 represents the lower limbs and trunk, the middle 2/5 represents the upper limbs and the lower 2/5 the face.

Contralateral motor disturbance of the appropriate area.

Sensory area

This is a line parallel to the motor area and 1.5cms behind it. The sensory input to the lower limbs and trunk is represented on the upper 1/5, the middle 2/5 represents the upper limbs, and the lower 2/5 represents the face.

Contralateral sensory disturbances of the appropriate area, pain and vertigo.

Foot motor-sensory area

Parallel to and 1cm lateral to the anterior-posterior line. The line is 3cms long and starts 1 cm posterior to the line representing the sensory area.

Motor and sensory disturbances of the lower limbs and genito-urinary system

Chorea-tremor area

Parallel to and 1.5cms in front of the motor area.

Parkinson’s disease and tremor and chorea from any cause.

Vasomotor area

Parallel to and 1.5cms in front of the chorea-tremor area.

Cerebral oedema and hypertension.

Vertigo-auditory area

A 4cm horizontal line with its centre located 1.5cms above the apex of the pinna.

Tinnitus, vertigo and deafness.

1st Speech or usage area

Taking the parietal tubercule as a reference point insert three needles separately at 40° to each other. Each line is 3cms long.

Parietal lobe lesions.

2nd Speech area

This line is 3cms long and starts on a point 2cms posterior-inferior to the parietal tubercule and parallel to the anterior-posterior line.

Nominal aphasia.

3rd Speech area

A 4cms line originating at the midpoint of the vertigo-auditory area and running posteriorly.

Sensory aphasia.

Optic area

This area originates 1cm lateral to the midpoint of the occipital protruberance and runs for 4cms parallel to the anterior-posterior line in an anterior direction.

Cortical blindness.

Balance area

This area originates 3cm lateral to the midpoint of the occipital protruberance and runs for 4cms parallel to the anterior-posterior line in an anterior direction.

Cerebellar disease

Gastric area

A line directly above the pupil starting from the hairline and running for 2cms in a posterior direction parallel to the anterior-posterior line.

Epigastric discomfort.

Thoracic area

Midway between the anterior-posterior midline and gastric area. It is a 4cms line with its midpoint on the hairline, running parallel to the gastric area.

Respiratory and cardio-vascular diseases.

Reproduction area

A 2cms line parallel to the gastric area originating at the hair line and running posteriorly. The thoracic area and reproduction area originate at points equidistant from the gastric area.

Uterine haemorrhage.

II. Needling Technique

Skin Sterility

It is important to sterilize the skin before inserting the needle. The Chinese use a solution of 2.5% iodine and 75% alcohol to do this. Hair is not usually a problem and it can be parted to expose the scalp, but if long-term scalp therapy is required then it may be easier to shave the scalp area.

Needle Insertion

The Chinese usually insert a 2-inch or 3-inch needle into the scalp area, running it down the subcutaneous layer. This requires a great deal of dexterity with an acupuncture needle and it is easier to use several short consecutively connecting needles over the scalp area.

Needle Stimulation

The needle should be rotated without any lifting and thrusting movement. In general the more a scalp area is stimulated the better is the result, the Chinese recommending that the needle be rotated manually at a frequency greater than 200 times per minute for about five minutes. This should be repeated two or three times during a twenty to thirty minutes period of treatment. Many Chinese use electrical stimulation over the scalp areas, the stimulator being used at high frequency (about 3000Hz), and maximum tolerable intensity, for about twenty minutes. When the scalp is stimulated the patient often feels a burning sensation in the scalp and a dull, numb or distended feeling in the relevant area.

Selection of Scalp Areas

In order to know which scalp areas should be stimulated a clear neurological diagnosis must be made. The contralateral area is usually stimulated, but better results seem to be obtained if the area is stimulated bilaterally.

III. The Indications for the Use of Scalp Acupuncture

Routine medical management should always be carried out first, and if scalp acupuncture is indicated then it should be used to aid recovery and deal with the chronic sequelae.

Cerebro-vascular Accidents

Scalp acupuncture is particularly useful in all types of strokes, whether the origin is cerebral thrombus or a cerebral haemorrhage. Do not start scalp needling for at least a week after the stroke; scalp acupuncture increases the blood flow to the damaged area of the brain and local cerebral bleeding may be increased if it is used too early. Scalp acupuncture can be started up to two years after the onset of a stroke, with beneficial results.

Prescription

Use the relevant scalp area; if there is motor pathology in a specific area then use the relevant motor area. This rule applies to all pathology, therefore a clear neurological diagnosis of which area(s) is affected is essential.

The contralateral area on the scalp must be used but, in general, better results are obtained if the affected area is stimulated bilaterally.

Treatment

Sometimes strokes respond very quickly, but not always. It may be necessary to give several courses of scalp acupuncture. As with all types of acupuncture keep treating the patient as long as there is improvement, and then give a few more treatments to consolidate. Each course involves about eight treatments and there should be a gap of at least a week between courses. The treatments should be given daily or every other day.

Severe Head Injuries

Follow the same rules of treatment and prescription as for cerebro-vascular accidents. Scalp acupuncture is particularly useful for reducing chronic muscle spasm. Treat after routine medical treatment when the patient’s condition is stable.

Intracranial Inflammation

After routine medical treatment is completed, and the patient’s condition is stable, treat the areas that are damaged. Follow the same rules for treatment and prescription as for cerebro-vascular accidents.

Extra-Pyramidal Disease

Chorea and paralysis agitans are the main extra-pyramidal diseases. The most important scalp area is the chorea-tremor area. Parkinson’s syndrome responds better than Parkinson’s disease. Follow the same rules for treatment and prescription as for cerebro-vascular accidents.

Suggestions for Other Diseases

Disease	Area
Meniere’s	Bilateral vertigo-auditory area
Respiratory diseases	Bilateral thoracic area
Gastric diseases	Bilateral gastric area
Urticaria	Bilateral upper 1/5 of the sensory area
Cardiovascular disease	Bilateral thoracic area
Cerebral oedema	Bilateral vasomotor area

IV. Conclusion

Scalp acupuncture is useful for a wide variety of diseases, especially those of cortical origin. It is most useful for strokes and severe head injuries, but it should always be considered for other conditions where other methods of acupuncture are failing to give adequate results. It is particularly useful in reducing chronic muscle spasticity.

]]> 22257 https://healthy.net/2000/12/06/vitamin-b3-niacin-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=vitamin-b3-niacin-2 Wed, 06 Dec 2000 13:28:02 +0000 https://healthy.net/2000/12/06/vitamin-b3-niacin-2/
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is used commonly to refer to two different compounds, nicotinic acid and niacinamide. B3 was first isolated during oxidation ofnicotine from tobacco and was thus given the name nicotinic acid vitamin, shortened to
niacin. It is not, however, the same as or even closely related to the molecule nicotine. Niacin, as nicotinic acid or niacinamide, is converted in the body to the active forms, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and a phosphorylated form (NADP).

Niacin is one of the most stable of the B vitamins. It is resistant to the effects of heat, light, air, acid, and alkali. A white crystalline substance that is soluble in both water and alcohol, niacin and niacinamide are both readily absorbed from the small intestine. Small amounts may be stored in the liver, but most of the excess is excreted in the urine.

Another important fact about vitamin B3 is that it can be manufactured from the amino acid tryptophan, which is essential (needed in the diet). So niacin is not truly essential in the diet when enough protein, containing adequate tryptophan, and other nutrients are consumed. When niacin is not present in sufficient amounts, extra protein is needed. Also, when we are deficient in such nutrients as vitamins B1, B2, and B6, vitamin C, and iron, we cannot easily convert tryptophan to niacin. Many foods that are low in tryptophan are also low in niacin or, as in corn, the niacin is not readily available. Corn is low in tryptophan and its niacin is bound, so it must receive special treatment. Native Americans knew this and would soak corn in ash water before or after grinding to release the niacin. Even when they subsisted almost solely on corn, they did not experience the serious niacin deficiency
disease called pellagra. In the time around the American Civil War, in the South poor white farm workers subsisted on “quick cornmeal,” the poorly prepared white people’s version, and pellagra was epidemic until the discovery that it was a dietary deficiency disease. Pellagra, the disease of the “three Ds”–diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia–historically
has been a problem of corn-eaters, whereas beriberi has been a disease most correlated with rice-eating cultures.

Sources: Only small to moderate amounts of vitamin B3 occur in foods as pure niacin;
other niacin is converted from the amino acid tryptophan, as just discussed. The best sources of vitamin B3 are liver and other organ meats, poultry, fish, and peanuts, all of which have both niacin and tryptophan. Yeast, dried beans and peas, wheat germ, whole grains, avocados, dates, figs, and prunes are pretty good sources of niacin. Milk and eggs are good because of their levels of tryptophan. Though B3 is stable, the milling and processing of whole grains can remove up to 90 percent of the niacin. Thus, manufacturers will often “enrich” their products by adding niacin.

Functions: Niacin acts as part of two coenzymes, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)
and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), that are involved in more than 50 different metabolic reactions in the human species. They play a key role in glycolysis (that is, extracting energy from carbohydrate and glucose), are important in fatty acid synthesis and in the deamination (nitrogen removal) of amino acids, are needed in the formation of red blood cells and steroids, and are helpful in the metabolism of some drugs and toxicants. Thus, niacin is a vital precursor for the coenzymes that supply energy to body cells.

Basically, the coenzymes of niacin help break down and utilize proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Vitamin B3 also stimulates circulation, reduces cholesterol levels in the blood of some people, and is important to healthy activity of the nervous system and
normal brain function. Niacin supports the health of skin, tongue, and digestive tract tissues. Also, this important vitamin is needed for the synthesis of the sex hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, as well as other corticosteroids.

Niacin, taken orally as nicotinic acid, can produce redness, warmth, and itching over areas of the skin; this “niacin flush” usually occurs when doses of 50 mg. or more are taken and is a result of the release of histamine by the cells, which causes vasodilation. This reaction is harmless; it may even be helpful by enhancing blood flow to the “flushed” areas, and it lasts only 10-20 minutes. When these larger doses of niacin are taken regularly, this reaction no longer occurs because stores of histamine are reduced. Many people feel benefit from this “flush,” but if it is not enjoyable, supplements that contain vitamin B3 in the form of niacinamide or nicotinamide can be used, as they will not produce this reaction. (Note: When vitamin B3 is used to lower cholesterol levels, the nicotinic acid form must be used; the niacinamide form does not work for this purpose.)

Uses: Niacin is used to support a variety of metabolic functions and to treat a number of
conditions. Many niacin deficiency symptoms can be treated by adjusting the diet and by supplementing B3 tablets along with other B complex vitamins. Many uses of niacin are based primarily on positive clinical experience and are not as well supported by medical research, although more studies are being done.

Niacin helps increase energy through improving food utilization and has been used beneficially for treating fatigue, irritability, and digestive disorders, such as diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion. It may also stimulate extra hydrochloric acid production.
Niacin, mainly as nicotinic acid, helps in the regulation of blood sugar (as part of glucose tolerance factor) in people with hypoglycemia problems and gives all of us a greater ability to handle stress. It is helpful in treating anxiety and possibly depression. B3 has been used for various skin reactions and acne, as well as for problems of the teeth and gums. Niacin
has many other common uses. It is sometimes helpful in the treatment of migraine-type headaches or arthritis, probably in both cases through stimulation of blood flow in the capillaries. This vitamin has also been used to stimulate the sex drive and enhance sexual experience, to help detoxify the body, and to protect it from certain toxins and pollutants. For most of these problems and the cardiovascular-related ones mentioned below, the preference is to take the “flushing” form of niacin, or nicotinic acid, not niacinamide.

Nicotinic acid works rapidly, particularly in its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. It stimulates circulation and for this reason may be helpful in treating leg cramps caused by circulatory deficiency; headaches, especially the migraine type; and Meniere’s syndrome, associated with hearing loss and vertigo. Nicotinic acid also helps reduce blood pressure and, very importantly, acts as an agent to lower serum cholesterol. Treatment with about 2 grams a day of nicotinic acid has produced significant reductions in both blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. To lower the LDL component and raise the good HDL
cholesterol, people usually take 50-100 mg. twice daily and then increase the amount slowly over two or three weeks to 1500-2500 mg. Generally, for those with high cholesterol levels it has been used to help reduce the risk for atherosclerosis. Because of its
vascular stimulation and effects of lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, vitamin B3 has been used preventively for such serious secondary problems of cardiovascular disease as myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) and strokes. Also, some neurologic problems, such as Bell’s palsy and trigeminal neuralgia, have been helped by niacin supplementation. In
osteoarthritis, to help reduce joint pain and improve mobility, niacinamide has been used in amounts beginning at 500 mg. twice daily up to 1,000 mg. three times a day along with 100 mg. daily of B complex.

Niacin has been an important boon to the field of orthomolecular psychiatry for its use in a variety of mental disorders. It was initially well demonstrated to be helpful for the neuroses and psychoses described as the “dementia of pellagra,” the niacin deficiency disease. Since then, it has been used in high amounts, well over 100 mg. per day and often over 1,000
mg. per day (up to 6,000 mg.), to treat a wide variety of psychological symptoms, including senility, alcoholism, drug problems, depression, and schizophrenia. Niacin has been helpful in reversing the hallucinatory experience, delusional thinking or wide mood
and energy shifts of some psychological disturbances. Though this therapy has its skeptics, as does all application of nutritional medicine, some studies show promising results in treatment of schizophrenia with niacin and other supplements. Other studies show little or no effect. More research is definitely needed on niacin’s effect in mental disorders.

People on high blood pressure medicines and those who have ulcers, gout, or diabetes should be very careful taking higher-dose supplements of niacin because of its effect of lowering blood pressure, its acidity, its liver toxicity, its potential to raise uric acid levels, and its effect in raising blood sugar–though recently niacin has been shown to have a positive effect on glucose tolerance (it is part of glucose tolerance factor) and, thereby, on diabetes as well. Exercise and niacin are helpful for people with adult diabetes through their positive effects on blood sugar and cholesterol.

Deficiency and toxicity: As with the other B vitamins, there are really no toxic effects from
even the high doses of niacin, though the “niacin flush” previously described may be uncomfortable for some. However, with the use of high-dose niacin in recent years, the occasional person experiences some minor problems, such as irritation of the
gastrointestinal tract and/or the liver, both of which subside with decreased intake of niacin. In addition, some people taking niacin experience sedation rather than stimulation.

Deficiency problems have been much more common than toxicity, and for a long period of history, the niacin deficiency disease, pellagra, was a very serious and fatal problem. Characterized as the disease of the “three Ds,” pellagra causes its victims to experience dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia. The fourth D was death.

As described previously, the classic B3 deficiency occurs mainly in cultures whose diets rely heavily on corn and where the corn is not prepared in a way that releases its niacin. One of the first signs of pellagra, or niacin deficiency, is the skin’s sensitivity to light, and the skin becomes rough, thick, and dry (pellagra means “skin that is rough” in Italian). The skin then becomes darkly pigmented, especially in areas of the body prone to be hot and sweaty or those exposed to sun. The first stage of this condition is extreme redness and sensitivity of those exposed areas, and it was from this symptom that the term “redneck,” describing the bright red necks of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century niacin-deficient fieldworkers, came into being.

In general, niacin deficiency affects every cell, especially in those systems with rapid turnover, such as the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system. Other than photosensitivity, the first signs of niacin deficiency are noted as decreased energy
production and problems with maintaining healthy functioning of the skin and intestines. These symptoms include weakness and general fatigue, anorexia, indigestion, and skin eruptions. These can progress to other problems, such as a sore, red tongue, canker sores, nausea, vomiting, tender gums, bad breath, and diarrhea. The neurological symptoms may begin with irritability, insomnia, and headaches and then progress to tremors, extreme anxiety, depressionÑall the way to full-blown psychosis. The skin will worsen, as will the diarrhea and inflammation of the mouth and intestinal tract. There will be a lack of stomach acid production (achlorhydria) and a decrease in fat digestion and, thus, lower availability from food absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, and E. Death could occur, usually from convulsions, if the niacin deficiency is not corrected.

Niacin deficiency symptoms can be seen in diets with niacin intake below 7.5 mg. per day, but often this is not the only deficiency; vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and other B vitamins, as well as protein and iron may be low. To treat pellagra and niacin deficiency disorders, vitamin B3 supplements should be taken along with good protein intake to obtain adequate levels of the amino acid tryptophan. As described earlier, about 50 percent of daily niacin comes from the conversion in our livers of tryptophan to niacin with the help of pyridoxine (vitamin B6).

Requirements: Many food charts list only sources that actually contain niacin and do not
take into account tryptophan conversion into niacin. Approximately 60 mg. of tryptophan can generate 1 mg. of niacin. But tryptophan is available for conversion only when there are more than sufficient quantities in the diet to synthesize the necessary proteins as tryptophan is used in our body with the other essential amino acids to produce protein.

Niacin needs are based on caloric intake. We need about 6.6 mg. per 1,000 calories, and no less than 13 mg. per day. Women need at least 13 mg. and men at least 18 mg. per day. The RDA for children ranges from 9-16 mg.

Niacin needs are increased during pregnancy, lactation, and growth periods, as well as after physical exercise. Athletes require more B3 than less active people. Stress, illness, and tissue injury also increase the body’s need for niacin. People who eat much sugar or refined, processed foods require more niacin as well.

Realistically, 25-50 mg. per day is adequate intake of niacin if minimum protein requirements are met. On the average, many supplements provide at least 50-100 mg. per day of niacin or niacinamide, which is a good insurance level. For treatment of the variety of conditions described previously, higher amounts of niacin may be needed to really be helpful, and levels up to 2-3 grams per day are not uncommon as a therapeutic dose. The other B vitamins should also be supplied so as to not create an imbalanced metabolic condition.

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