Stress Reduction With Alternative Health Techniques

by Virginia Stiles

Do you sometimes feel frustrated when you have a medical challenge and you just get another pill to take? Do you sometimes think there should be other methods of treatment? Do you sometimes wish you could focus on prevention instead of treating symptoms?

Good news! In case you haven't heard, there are alternative health choices. Please, don't get me wrong - I go to my doctor, and I take his medicine, but sometimes an alternative, perfectly legal and legitimate method also works for me. This is such a huge subject; I'll try to give you an overview with publications and websites to check it out for yourself and your family.

Stress is one area that you can make preventive measures work for you. Stress comes from trying to change things over which you have no control - terrorism, demands from your job and family, divorce, death of loved ones, moving - all these can add to your stress. An adrenaline rush is your body's response to stress - it can give you energy to do what you need to solve your stress. If you can't change it, accept it - relax, breathe, and think, "This, too, shall pass." Stress is linked to heart disease, accidents, suicide, emotional disorders, and workplace hazards. The WebMD says that "75-90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints." Another danger of long-term stress occurs when people use drugs or alcohol to relieve it, leading to even more health problems. If stress lives with you, try to make small changes, one step at a time.

It has been found that high blood pressure, headaches and chronic pain can be relieved with hypnosis, biofeedback, or acupuncture. I personally have experienced a "Healing Touch" when my friend who does massage held her hands just above my shoulders. I could actually feel the muscles relaxing in my neck and shoulders.

Dr. Andrew Weil, MD has a helpful website (www.drweil.com). If you want to eat better, reduce stress, age well, or lessen your risk for disease, you can get a personal health plan and interactive tools online. I registered to get a daily recipe for healthier eating.

Another informative website is www.nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine from the National Institutes of Health. This site offers definitions for Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Chiropractic, Dietary supplements, Electromagnetic fields, Homeopathic medicine, Massage, Naturopathic medicine, Osteopathic medicine, Qi gong, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, and Traditional Chinese medicine. I have been going to an Osteopathic doctor for more than 50 years and would not change.

Yet another helpful resource is www.prevention.com, the Prevention Magazine. I've read this one many times.

Everything I read keeps coming back to two facts: 1) There is a mind body connection. How you think will affect how you feel. Learn to accept what you cannot change, and use methods like biofeedback and meditation to deal with your stress. 2) What you eat has a huge effect on wellness illness. I am much healthier than my adult son because I was raised in the 50s, when we cooked at home every day and ate real food. Soda was a monthly treat (root beer floats) and dessert was a Sunday treat. My son was raised in the era of fast food and dessert every night. If you change what you and your kids eat, you will change your health. Here are some ideas to help: Never, never skip breakfast (you wouldn't fill the gas tank AFTER a trip, right?); Plan daily menus ahead (including snacks); Keep healthy snacks available (if you don't want them to eat it, don't have it in the house); and Subscribe to a magazine or look for recipes online or at the library that are healthy as well as delicious.

Here's wishing you and your family a long life full of healthy excitement and adventure - Remember, change can be achieved one step at a time!