Blog #10: Hypnosis for Pain Control

     It is important to be selective with the use of hypnosis for pain relief, since pain is a message from the nervous system.  When discomfort is covered up, a person can be at risk of further injury because warning signals about the body’s vulnerabilities are diminished or re-interpreted.  I strongly recommend appropriate diagnostic tests, such as x-ray, MRI, blood work or urinalysis, as well as a course of physical treatment, such as chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, medication, or appropriate dietary changes before turning to hypnosis for relief.  Once it has been established that a person’s pain sensations are no longer necessary or appropriate for feedback and healing, hypnosis can help dramatically. 

     Some examples of the appropriate and safe use of hypnosis with pain are at the dentist’s office, with phantom limb pain, with burns or abrasions that will be protected from further irritation, to prevent discomfort in the course of a normal childbirth, and to relieve muscle spasm arising from emotional distress. Many of my patients and students have reduced or eliminated acute pain from burns and other injuries, as well as chronic pain of unknown origin.  

     Several years ago, I helped a patient eliminate severe low back pain with hypnosis.  First, I sent her for x-rays and an MRI of her low back, both of which appeared normal.  She was an athletic woman who missed long-distance running and playing on a volleyball team.  She limped into my office the first day of treatment, and could think of no injury that caused her back problem.  She received chiropractic and acupuncture for two months.  At the end of that time, her pain was reduced by 30 percent, but no further improvement occurred.

     She was highly hypnotizable and had a positive, expectant attitude about therapy.  A combination of progressive relaxation and glove anesthesia proved effective for her.  Progressive relaxation involves focusing on one area of the body at a time, from the head down to the feet, or vice versa, and allowing each area to relax.  Learning glove anesthesia can be quite challenging, but this woman learned the technique quickly and was pain-free by her sixth hypnosis session.  The glove technique involves temporarily eliciting a cold, numb feeling in one hand, placing that hand over the area of pain, and transferring numbness to that part of the body.  This woman used the two techniques at home several times each day.  She resumed her athletic activities and her low back remains pain-free. 

     This blog’s offer:  contact me for a free consultation about your pain.  I will tell you if hypnosis could be effective and will tell you what, if any, tests and therapies would be advisable prior to using hypnosis and self-hypnosis for pain control.

    Share this blog with your friends and co-workers.  If you have missed any previous blog entries, you can access them by going to my blog site and scrolling down from this current entry.  

                        Blog # 9 Hypnosis and Meditation: What’s the Difference?

     There are many similarities between the two.  Here’s the main difference:  in meditation, a mantra, color, image, feeling, or energy pattern is focused on in order to eventually free the mind from all distraction and allow the meditator to enter into the present moment and/or connect with divinity.  In self-hypnosis, the conscious, thinking mind connects with the intuitive, subconscious mind and gives directions and suggestions via words, music, color scent, taste, touch, imagery, and more, in order to achieve something specific in one’s life.  Both can use the same state of mind, the place between waking and sleeping, to benefit the individual. 

     The state of mind between waking and sleeping can be reached and utilized at least twice a day, when falling asleep and when waking up.  Early in the morning and late at night are good times for meditation, and are times when one can easily use self-hypnosis without specific inductions.  It is very important to have positive expectations and a loving, respectful attitude toward oneself and others when giving suggestions.  If there are conflicted attitudes about a particular goal or toward oneself, then it would be best to obtain the help of a professional hypnotist, at least initially. 

   The previous blog discussed how to use words to speak effectively and positively to the subconscious mind.  To make words even more effective, they can be paired with a favorite imagined color, fragrance, taste, sound, or texture.  One of my favorites, rose, can encompass color, fragrance, texture, and possibly even taste and sound. 

     A simple, but effective meditation can help make the mind more calm and positive just prior to self-hypnosis.  My personal favorite involves smiling inward with the eyes while also letting a half-smile happen on the mouth.  The smiles are not forced – they feel natural and comfortable.  Let the eyes close, and breathe peacefully three times, then open the eyes.  That’s it.  The more often this is done, the more effective this meditation will be.  It can be done seated, standing or lying down, with the spine straight. 

     This blog’s offer:  bring in one other person for a hypnosis session and/or self-hypnosis instruction and I will work with both of you for the price I usually charge for just one person.  Self-hypnosis is best covered in three sessions but can be covered in less.  Goals such as stress management and improving sleep are topics that can usually be covered effectively in groups or individually.  Please share this blog with others.  You can contact me at (773) 274-6827, or at artdoc11@yahoo.com  

                                               Blog #8 Hypnosis for the Good Life

     The word “hypnosis” really refers to self-hypnosis, since virtually all hypnosis can be accomplished only with the cooperation of the person being hypnotized.  Also, a hypnotist cannot make a person do anything he or she would be unwilling to do in their ordinary waking consciousness. Hypnosis is a skill that can be used for a lifetime to help people make beneficial changes in their lives.  These changes are possible because hypnosis can reach the subconscious and bring it into agreement with the conscious mind.   Often, when people claim they want to make changes but have not been done so, it is because, on a subconscious level, there is reluctance to make these changes.  Contradictions between the conscious and subconscious mind can be due to many things, including previous negative programming, guilt or shame about past actions, or an inability to perceive the benefits of the release of a habit or addiction.  Hypnosis can trick the subconscious to treat us to a better life.

     Over the years, I have experienced for myself and observed in students and patients many examples of the power of hypnosis.  In my early 20’s, I permanently eliminated my own migraine headaches through just one self-hypnosis session.  I can easily control and eliminate occasional sleep apnea symptoms for weeks at a time through simple self-hypnosis techniques.  I can lower occasional high blood pressure within two minutes with self-hypnosis, and keep it low for months.  I have stopped severe bleeding and pain from deep cuts and second and third degree burns on my hands.  Many of my students and patients have successfully used hypnosis to stop smoking, lose weight, eliminate chronic pain, enhance creativity, strengthen their immune systems, and overcome food and environmental allergies. Sometimes the resolution of problems came after just one or two sessions; other times, people needed to experience more extended sessions or instruction before they achieved the desired results. Of course, a desire for improvement and a willingness to make significant material changes in one’s life are essential for change.  At the very least, hypnosis will help people feel more relaxed; sometimes these techniques can help them achieve amazing results.  

     Successful hypnosis uses words effectively.  It is vital to speak to the subconscious clearly, simply, specifically, in the present tense, and in a positive manner.  To sleep more soundly, a person could give him or herself a suggestion about this at night, before drifting off to sleep.  An example of an effective sentence would be:  I sleep soundly and deeply each night, and wake up in the morning refreshed and feeling great. 

     This blog’s offer:  call or email me with a sentence you have constructed to help you reach a desired goal and I will offer suggestions for possible change or improvement of this sentence.  Please share this blog with others who might be interested or who could benefit from this information.                              

     Welcome to blog #7!  Because rest and vacation are important ways to replenish, every seventh blog will be fun and relaxed.  This one is about Iceland, where I traveled a few years ago.  Check out my Iceland photos on my blog under the photo gallery tab.  ewagnerholistichealth.com gets you to my blog.

     Iceland was first settled in 870-930 A.D. by Vikings from Norway and Denmark. The Sagas, which recall legends of the Viking settlers, are still renowned in Iceland and were probably the world’s first novels.

     Iceland’s 320,000 population triples during tourist season.  Twenty years ago, most of its people lived in rural and farm areas. Now, two thirds live in or around Reykjavik, Iceland’s largest city.  Agriculture is being concentrated in the larger remaining farms.  The Icelanders are the most trustworthy, trusting, generous, considerate, and clean people I have encountered in my travels.  Their qualities may stem from the low population density they enjoy. 

     The average temperature in June is 56 F; temperatures during the long winters range from the 20’s to 30’s.  Rain and snow are common. There are 24 hours of light at summer solstice and 24 hours of dark at winter solstice.  Northern lights are visible in the colder months.       

     Iceland, the youngest of the European countries, was formed by underwater volcanic eruptions along the North American and Eurasian plates 17 – 20 million years ago.  Myvatin (midge lake) in NE Iceland is a geothermal wonderland.  Eyjafjallajokull is the volcano which erupted a few years ago.  Much glacier and ice cap melting accompanied this eruption.  Possibly the purest, best-tasting tap water in the world comes from Iceland’s melting glaciers. 

     A sign in the Reykjavik airport says: “More U.S. factory stacks = more Iceland glacier cracks.” Glaciers are melting at the alarming rate of one meter or more per year. 

     The clean energy derived from thermal activity is used throughout the country.  Iceland has begun to export this energy to the rest of the world.  Alcoa’s aluminum smelter, dams, funnels, high tension power lines, towers, and reservoirs all contribute to habitat destruction and pollution there.  Protests and bankruptcy have stopped some of these problems, at least temporarily.

     Iceland has 1500 kinds of mushrooms.  Habitats include grasslands, wetlands, woodlands, lava lands, and savannahs.    Once the island had many trees, but settlers’ grazing sheep destroyed all the trees by eating the bark.  Erosion resulted.  In 1945 the nootka lupine plant was introduced to help anchor and hold nitrogen in the soil, but because it tastes bitter, the sheep won’t eat it, and without these natural controls, this tall plant shades out indigenous lichen, grasses, shrubs, fungi, and young trees.  In the past generation, the government has instituted a policy of planting twenty trees for each citizen. 

     Native or long-term resident animals include arctic fox, reindeer, pigs, sheep, Icelandic ponies, cows, cats, dogs, and an occasional polar bear.  Birds include puffins, razorbills, ducks, gannets, sandpipers, arctic terns, owls, gulls, and guillemots.  Among the sea animals are arctic char, trout, salmon, haddock, monkfish, turbot, halibut, herring, cod, shrimp, oyster, mussels, lobster, shrimp, whale, and dolphin.  Herring and cod, upon which many coastal towns have been dependent for a livelihood, have moved further away from shore, into the colder waters. 

     Naturally growing crops are rhubarb, cabbage, potatoes, onion, turnips, cauliflower, kale, and some grains (rye, barley).  Greenhouses extend the growing season and allow peppers, greens, tomatoes, broccoli, beets, radishes, strawberries, bananas, and apples to grow.  Animal products include eggs, milk, cream, skyr (yoghurt), lamb, beef, chicken, and farmed fish such as salmon.

     People travel in Iceland by airplane, bus, car, four wheel drive vehicles, canoe, kayak, and of course, on foot, but travel is mainly via the Ring Road and the roads diverging from it.  The Ring Road is rough in spots, not all sealed, can flood at any time, and is icy before June and after August.  Travel through the interior is also popular.  Guides and four wheel drive vehicles are necessary for interior travel. 

     Housing ranges from modern to old.  The ancient grass houses are just one story tall.  Primarily stone, concrete and steel structures exist in the cities.

     One of the population’s favorite past times is soaking in pools or hot mineral springs.  Drinking in Reykjavik on Friday summer nights is also popular, as is camping in some of the more remote wilderness areas in the interior. 

     Iceland was first among the Western nations to elect a woman president and to legalize gay marriage.  Its primary religions are Lutheran and Pagan, and people find no conflict between the two. 

     This month’s tip:  come enjoy an armchair safari on Sunday, October 7^th from 2 to 4 pm at the North Park Village Nature Center, in Chicago.  I will be sharing slides of my photos from a trip to Kenya during the annual wildebeest migration.   Please let others know about this blog and the event on October 7^th.

                     Blog # 6:  The Five Elements in Asian Medicine, Our Bodies, and the World

     The previous five blogs addressed topics involving the five elements in Asian Medicine (AM):  metal (air), water, wood (trees, eye exercises), fire, and earth (organic farming).  Today, we cover how these five elements correspond to internal and sensory organs, and to the world in general, and how AM, which includes acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, massage, meditation, qi gong, and moxabustion can help balance these five elements in the human body.

     AM five element treatments and other holistic therapies can often effectively address imbalances in internal organ function, especially when the problems have arisen fairly recently.  For this reason, it is often wise to consult a holistic health professional first for many issues.  If necessary, the health professional will refer you out for more conventional care, involving medication or surgery.  The chart below gives some five elements correspondences.  Refer to it to help clarify the rest of this blog. 

Element	Season	Internal Organs	Sensory Organs	Color	Weather	Flavor	Direction
Metal	Autumn	Lung/Large Intestine	Nose	White	Cool/Dry	Spicy	West
Water	Winter	Kidneys/Bladder	Ears	Black/Blue	Cold	Salty	North
Wood	Spring	Liver/Gall Bladder	Eyes	Green	Warm/Windy	Sour	East
Fire	Summer	Heart/Small Intestine; Pericardium/Triple Warmer	Tongue	Red	Hot	Bitter	South
Earth	Late Summer; Transitional Between Seasons	Spleen, Pancreas/ Stomach	Mouth and Lips	Yellow	Warm/Damp	Sweet	Center

       The five elements can be linked in an endless circle which can be entered at any element.  As a rule, any strong element A has a nurturing, strengthening effect on element B immediately following A, and has a subduing, counteracting effect on element C, which follows B.  Looking at our country’s unusually warm, weak 2011-12 winter and its effects on our environment and health from a five element standpoint, we would see this:  a deficient winter resulted in an atypical spring which was hotter and longer than usual, with some late freezes, resulting in early budding vegetation followed by considerable frost damage, plus more mold and pollen than usual, resulting in more allergic symptoms, especially itchy eyes (the sensory organ of spring/wood).  Spring 2012 was also less windy than usual, since wind results from a strong warm front meeting a strong cold front.  A strong, cold winter (A) would have made the spring (B) more typical, and also would have subdued the summer (C).   Since winter was weak, summer is/was excessively hot and dry, with severe, widespread forest fires, and the worst droughts the U.S. has suffered in many decades.  People had more fevers, respiratory problems, hot flashes, heat stroke, and heat-related deaths than usual this summer.  If there is no intervention in the cycle (i.e. cold air currents from the arctic) late summer and autumn may also be unseasonably warm.

     Humans and other organisms experience five element patterns within their bodies.  Imbalances can often be observed and corrected through AM.  An example:  Joe has weak kidneys (the water element).  That means his kidneys (A) are unable to cool his body sufficiently; they cannot handle or balance fluids properly and therefore do not rid his body of enough toxins to maintain good health.  As a result, the liver (B) is stressed and inflamed (too warm) from handling an increased toxic load.  Because the liver is inflamed, this will tend to inflame the heart (C) as well.  The kidneys also may not be filtering enough water to maintain safe levels sodium and potassium, and this can stress the heart.  Weak kidney function has many causes, including: 1. dehydration or insufficient fluid intake, 2. damage from medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen, Aspirin, or naproxen, some antibiotics and blood pressure medications, and 3. over-consumption of toxic substances such as alcohol, cocaine, and heavy metals (i.e. cadmium, lead, mercury).  It is essential to correct the root causes of Joe’s weak kidneys, which in this case are staying out in the sun too long without drinking enough water to compensate for fluids lost through sweat, his over-indulgence in alcohol, plus his regular use of ibuprofen to alleviate low back pain, which can itself be a symptom of poor kidney function.  It is important to also support his weak kidneys with AM or another holistic therapy and thus help them regain normal function as soon as possible so that negative impact on other internal organs can be minimized or avoided.  Uncorrected kidney deficiency will eventually result in excessive liver heat/fire and in symptoms such as headaches, hot flashes, and red, itchy eyes.  If this imbalance is allowed to go on even longer, it will affect the fire element (the heart), and hypertension or certain types of heart problems can develop, such as angina, rapid heartbeat and cardiac arrhythmias.  If the kidney deficiency continues even longer, the earth element will be impacted and digestive problems such as heartburn, ulcers, gastric reflux and decreased appetite can develop. 

     Fortunately, unpleasant symptoms will probably motivate Joe to eliminate the roots of his problem, assuming he can recognize these roots.  An acupuncturist’s thorough history-taking, as well as skilled pulse and tongue diagnosis can help identify the root causes of health problems.  AM treatment can also help resolve these problems.  A few of many treatment options follow.  Specific acupuncture points can dramatically subdue inflammation and help cool and moisten the kidney (water) element.  Many herbs disperse heat/inflammation and tonify the water element.  A few non-toxic, herbs are green tea, watermelon seeds, turmeric, and nettles.  Food and drink, such as water, vegetable and fruit juices, watermelon, cucumber, tomato, celery, green leafy vegetables, berries (especially cranberries), cherries, grapes, apples, and red bell peppers can be helpful.  These foods must be organically grown;  pesticides cause inflammation and will put further strain on kidneys and liver.  Qi gong exercises, like the six healing sounds plus almost any standing and moving qi gong forms, such as eight pieces of silk, “kick and swing” exercises, and “mental physics” exercises, or brisk walking all can help the kidneys and liver. 

     Please share this blog with others.  This month’s offer: make an appointment at my office for a complementary pulse and tongue diagnosis.  This does not apply to patients I am currently treating.

                                                             Why Organic?    

     Conventional farming uses pesticides and chemical fertilizers.  Organic farming minimizes pesticides and uses natural, nutrient-rich fertilizers.  Pesticides exert stress on the liver and kidneys and can negatively impact digestion, detoxification, the immune system, and energy level.  Most pesticides used today have an estrogenic and, eventually, a mutagenic effect on the body.  This means that the person who is exposed to pesticides, whether through diet, skin contact, or inhalation, will be more likely to suffer from such symptoms as fatigue, edema, food sensitivities, rashes and other skin outbreaks, irritable bowel syndrome, infertility, depression, and reduced mental concentration.  They will also be more likely to develop degenerative ailments, such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, Parkinson’s, disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.  Biodynamic farming, an even more holistic approach to farming than organic, uses natural composts, treats farm animals humanely, and synchronizes planting and harvesting with times of day and phases of the moon.

     Our soil has been adulterated by chemical fertilizers and depleted through continuous planting and harvesting without times of rest, i.e. a fallow year after several years of farming.  Crops pull nutrients from the soil in order to grow, and these nutrients are often not fully replaced.  Fewer nutrients in the soil results in fewer nutrients in crops, and therefore less nutrients for humans and other animals to absorb from food.  Instead of using nutrient-rich fertilizers such as mushroom compost, vegetable compost, liquid kelp, or manure from grass fed, organically raised cows, conventional farmers use chemical fertilizers that only replace a few lost minerals – usually just phosphorous, nitrogen, sulfur, potassium, and calcium.  Even these minerals are not replenished completely by chemical fertilizers.   Produce and animal products from large, organic farms are less toxic and more nutrient-rich than the products from conventional farms.   We can enjoy and benefit from even better nutrition by shopping at organic farmers markets or growing food in our homes, yards, or community gardens.  Indoor or backyard composting is one way to enrich our soil and decrease household waste at the same time.  Check out Urban Worm Girl, a Chicago-based home composting non-profit.  Nutritional products, such as herbal tonics and some vitamin and mineral supplements made from food rather than chemicals, can help make up for some of the nutrients lacking in today’s diets.  Some companies which sell excellent vitamin products include Shaklee, Standard Process, and The Synergy Company. 

     GMO agriculture is relatively new; there is not yet sufficient data to predict how these products will affect the world’s populations.  What we do know is that a significant number of people have developed sensitivities and allergies to wheat, corn, soy, and other genetically modified crops.   This does not bode well for the future of more sensitive people, since more and more crops are being modified in this way.  Some European countries are boycotting GMO crops. 

     Some of the most striking arguments for eating organically grown food can be found in chapters 23 and 24 of A Cancer Therapy Results of Fifty Cases, written by Max Gerson, M.D., copyright 1958.  Ground-breaking then, it is still highly relevant today.  I recommend that you obtain the book and read it.  It can be found at the public library and can be purchased in paperback or as an e-book. 

     This month’s offer:  bring in your nutritional supplements plus a week’s food diary and I will make suggestions about changes you can make to improve your energy level and health.  There will be a charge of $50.00 for this service, and insurance does not apply.  Please share this blog with others.

                                                     Fire!

This summer, as I write this fourth blog, wildfires rage in Colorado, California, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska, Idaho, Alaska and Hawaii (Maui).  Global warming is likely responsible for much of the temperature and weather extremes that led to these fires.  A hundred years ago, when the world’s ecology was more in balance, fires begun by lightning strikes were ultimately beneficial to the environment despite their short-term harm to vegetation and animals.  Fires burn away dense land-covering, re-open large areas of land to sunlight, and allow the re-emergence of grasslands and young trees.  Seeds of some flowers and grasses only germinate when exposed to fire’s high temperatures.  Today, closely supervised burning of carefully chosen areas is one way to effectively manage wilderness areas.

With the recent decrease of wooded areas and aquifers, and the construction of homes in or near woodlands, fires have posed an increasingly serious problem for humans.  Not only do forest fires reduce the total amount of oxygen available; they also increase the amount of dioxins in the air.  In cities and suburbs, destructive fires can be caused by burning leaves, neglected cigarettes, or faulty electrical wiring.   Clearing sections of trees from wooded areas to provide fire-breaks and treating indoor and outdoor fires with great care can help with prevention.  By keeping increasing numbers of plants in our homes and using air filters, we can partially counteract oxygen loss and air pollution due to fires. 

I had the opportunity to experience the threat of forest fires at close range on a visit to Montana and Glacier National Park in 2003, a year of record fires in Glacier.  As far away as Missoula, where I spent the first few days of my trip, ash filled the air and turned my white car grey overnight. Because I felt extremely fatigued, achy and feverish, and too ill to treat myself, I made an appointment with a local chiropractor and acupuncturist.  She offered me warm water and powdered turmeric (an anti-inflammatory and tonic herb) afterward.  Her skillful treatment kept me comfortable and energetic for the rest of my visit.

In Chinese five element theory, summer is the season of the element fire.  According to this theory, forest fires or global warming could be represented by one or more pathologically strong elements in the body or Nature, such as fire (fever or inflammation) throwing some or all of the other four elements (earth, metal, water wood) out of balance.  Illness or environmental distress can result.  A skilled acupuncturist can use fire, the most powerful of the five elements, to help patients heal from illness and stay healthy.

This blog’s tip:  mid-June through the end of July is the most powerful time for the element fire.  Acupuncture treatments are especially effective during these several weeks.  I highly recommend making an appointment during this time, in order to reduce inflammation and to use the strength of the fire element in your body and the environment for accelerated healing.                                                       

Welcome to this blog!  If you scroll down, you can read the previous posts.  Check out Health Tips TV and some of the other cool things on this website/blog.    

    “Walking Trees”: Correcting Eyesight without Glasses or Surgery

A qi gong-like exercise which I call “walking trees” has been responsible for the correction of my near-sightedness for several decades.  I’ve taught it to many patients and some friends and family members.  Those who have used this exercise daily, in the prescribed manner, have almost always obtained beneficial results.  “Walking trees” also could be considered yoga; it involves specific movements accompanied by a positively expectant state of mind.  I first learned of this exercise through the Edgar Cayce Association.  Edgar Cayce was arguably the most famous and accurate psychic of the twentieth century.  He referred to this yoga/qi gong as the “head and neck exercises”. 

“Walking trees” can be done sitting, standing, or walking.  It is best done walking out of doors among trees, on somewhat uneven terrain.  The spine should be reasonably straight.  This therapy consists of six sets of movements, each done three times.  First, the head and neck are flexed forward and then brought back to midline before again flexing forward.  After three of these movements, the head and neck are extended backward, three times, then flexed laterally to the right, then to the left, then rotated clockwise and finally rotated counterclockwise three times each.  Between each set of three, and before each new type of movement, the head and neck are returned to midline.  Head and neck should be moved slowly, in a relaxed manner, and to their furthest possible range without causing discomfort. 

The “walking trees” exercise might best be attempted seated first and then standing.  When a person no longer gets dizzy standing while doing this exercise, it is time to begin walking, first on even ground and then among trees, where roots and stones may cause the ground to gently swell or sink.  The eyes are kept open, and if glasses or contact lenses are normally worn, they are removed during this time.  If the person is so near-sighted without glasses that they might be in danger of walking into branches, protective clear goggles can be worn.  Numerous factors make this a particularly effective exercise.  Movement in various directions while the eyes are open forces the eyes to focus on different spots.  Doing this exercise while walking challenges every part of the eye, including the lens and the surrounding muscles.  Walking on uneven ground, outside among trees, carries benefits even further, for now the practitioner is able to breathe in more oxygen from the surrounding vegetation, and to absorb other forms of beneficial energy from the out of doors.  At the same time, the trees absorb the person’s carbon dioxide.  According to acupuncture five element theory, the wood element is associated with trees and the liver, and the eyes are the sensory organ connected with the liver. 

This exercise can be used to support acupuncture treatment of visual problems.  It is best to do “walking trees” every day for an entire year.  Gentle use of “walking trees” can also aid in the healing of neck and upper back injuries through the mobilization, stretching and strengthening, and relaxation which this exercise allows.  To this end, it is usually practiced morning and evening, in a comfortable seated position.  Over several weeks or months, local blockages in acupuncture channels which traverse the head and face, the neck, and the upper back can be reduced or eliminated, restoring normal flow of qi and blood through the tissues.  Since everything is connected, in the body and in the universe at large, this will ultimately improve a person’s overall health.

This blog was extracted from an article I wrote for the Oriental Medicine Journal in 2011.  You can reach their website by clicking on omjournal.com  You can reach the A.R.E., the organization which organizes and shares Edgar Cayce’s readings by clicking on edgarcayce.org  Share this blog with others who might benefit.  This blog’s free offer is the opportunity to read the entire article on correcting eyesight without glasses.  Just contact me at artdoc11@yahoo.com or (773) 274-6827 to arrange a time to drop by my office.  I will also take a few minutes to teach you “walking trees” if you have questions about it.

Welcome to this blog!  Approximately every two to four weeks I will be sharing information, tips, and offers through this blog.  Please feel free to contact me at artdoc11@yahoo.com with any questions or suggestions. 

                     Why Tap Water May Be Hazardous to Your Health                                                    

If you’ve ever traveled to South or Central America, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, or even to some European countries and made the mistake of drinking water directly from the tap, you may have had an unpleasant surprise.    Our country’s unfiltered, chlorinated tap water seems like a blessing in light of such experiences. 

Our tap water is not perfect, of course.  It contains a significant amount of chlorine, a disinfectant and known carcinogen; it may have copper, cadmium, or lead from old or damaged water pipes and almost certainly contains traces of the many medications our population uses.  Well water taken from aquifers near commercially-run farms, or near land-fills or factories may be dangerously toxic.  Love Canal is a well-known example.  President Jimmy Carter declared this site a federal emergency area in 1978. 

Simply boiling your water in a pan on the stovetop for three to five minutes will do a reasonably good job of killing bacteria and removing chlorine and many heavy metal contaminants.  Charcoal filters, reverse osmosis systems, and steam distillation all will remove many contaminants from tap water.  By far the most difficult contaminant to remove is fluoride, a compound of fluorine.  Fluorine, the first and smallest of the gaseous molecules on the elemental chart, is one of the most toxic elements on the planet.  Over the past sixty years or so, fluoride compounds have been added to tap water in many cities and states as a way to reduce the incidence of cavities.  These fluoride compounds are not pharmaceutical grade; they are waste products from the phosphate fertilizer industry.  One of the many hazardous impurities in these waste products is arsenic, a human carcinogen with no safe level.  Not only is much of our water treated with fluoride compounds; many brands of toothpaste and some foods and drinks also contain them. 

Interestingly, up until the 1970’s, European physicians used fluoride as a thyroid suppressing medication for patients with hyperthyroid (over-active thyroid function).   A dosage of 2 mg per day was found to be effective.  Many people in this country receive more than 2 mg of this compound per day from drinking water and toothpaste.  Fluoride disrupts thyroid function in many ways; check out   http://rense.com/general57/FLUR.HTM  for details.  Fluorine and Iodine are both halogens, that is, they have similar chemical structures.  Because fluorine is smaller and more active than iodine, it displaces it in the body.  The thyroid gland needs iodine to function normally; fluorine won’t do.  In fact, fluoride competes with TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) for receptor sites on the thyroid and thus can slow thyroid function.  Most likely the ever-increasing cases of hypothyroid (under-active thyroid function) in the U.S. are due at least in part to the increase of fluoride in our bodies.  Only three methods significantly reduce the amount of fluoride in water:  activated alumina filters (55%), reverse osmosis (70 -95%), and steam distillation (100%).   

Below are two more links of interest.  http://www.fluoridealert.org/50-reasons.htmhttp://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=19990817225011 

Share my blog/website at ewagnerholistichealth.com with others.  The offer with this blog:  if you suffer from hypothyroid function and want to correct this holistically, contact me for a consult and possible help through chiropractic, diet, herbs, acupuncture, and more.

WELCOME!

                              

Welcome to this blog!  In the coming weeks and months, I will be sharing insights, tips, special offers, and more approximately every two weeks.  This blog will primarily be concerned with holistic healthcare, self-care, creativity, and the environment.  Please feel free to email me with questions and suggestions at artdoc11@yahoo.com 

Today, I want to share with you a concern about air quality and also partial solutions to that concern.  The oxygen level in the air, especially in major cities, is lower than in forested areas, and the carbon dioxide level is higher, due to the human population explosion and the high concentration of people in cities.   Manufacturing, automobile traffic, and the decreasing number of trees in the city and in the world also contribute to this problem.  The increasing severity of respiratory problems which arise on days with the most severe air pollution offers strong evidence that poor air quality is a threat to our health and longevity.  Of course, using more environmentally friendly modes of transportation, such as walking, biking, public transportation, carpooling, hybrid, electric, or diesel vehicles, will help, at least on a small scale.   Also, more environmentally responsible consumption, such as eating organic or vegetarian, purchasing   second-hand items, buying as much local produce and other products as possible, growing our own food, traveling less, and other things can also be helpful.  Changes that can be made inside the home, such as using air filters, natural, non-toxic painting and cleaning supplies; avoiding particleboard and out-gassing plastic products can also be positive steps to take.  An especially important, inexpensive, and effective partial solution, and something we often don’t think of using, are indoor plants.  Although it can take 20 or more plants to supply enough oxygen and dispose of enough carbon dioxide to provide optimally beneficial air for one human, even one or two plants, strategically placed, say in the bedroom or living room, will make a significant difference.   Virtually all plants will be helpful, but some are easier to take care of, smaller, or more effective in either providing O2 or reducing CO2.   The snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue, spider plant, Boston fern, English ivy, rubber plant, Areca palm tree, ficus tree, money plant, and the peace lilly are all especially effective in oxygenating and purifying the air.  It also will help to have some windows open when weather permits, especially if the home is near trees.  And, of course, it is best to smoke outside of the home. Those of us with pets which may destroy plants or be poisoned by them, can still enjoy hanging plants in our homes.

Also helpful, on an individual basis, is breathing to optimize oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output.  Over the years, many of us have begun to breathe more shallowly, moving away from deep abdominal breathing into shallow chest breathing.  If you place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your lower abdomen and then breathe, you will quickly be able to tell how deep or shallow your breathing is.  Usually, it is easiest to breathe abdominally when supine.  My suggestion is to devote five minutes a day to monitoring your breath and helping increase your lungs’ vital capacity. 

Today’s offer:  bring in a copy of this blog and receive a breathing assessment, along with suggestions and exercises to help improve your lung function and the oxygenation of your body for only $30.00.  No insurance accepted with this offer. 

Also, check out the health tips TV page of this blog site.

Below is a link you might find interesting.  Cut and paste to your browser.    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/13/carbonemissions.climatechange