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to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. | February 24, 2011 | |  |  | Natural Therapies for Relieving Tremors | | | Be a Champion "Survivor" In Your Own Home | | | Dry Your Hands Right... Or Washing May Do More Harm Than Good | | | Heart Attacks Are Now Preventable | | | The Libido-Boosting Mind-Set That Will Make You Love Sex Again | | | |  |  | |  | |
 | | Natural Therapies for Relieving Tremors The razor slips, cutting your leg... the spoon misses your mouth, spilling the soup... the pen wavers, leaving your note illegible. For people with essential tremor (ET) -- a chronic neurological disorder in which the hands, head and/or other parts of the body tremble uncontrollably -- such frustrating experiences occur daily. Some people, unable to handle job duties or tired of other people’s curious glances, retreat into social isolation. If ET hasn’t affected you (or someone you love), the day may come. ET can develop at any time but becomes more common with age, affecting up to 14% of people over 65, according to the National Institutes of Health. ET’s cause is unknown, though genetics may play a role. Symptoms result from abnormal impulses in areas of the brain that initiate and coordinate muscle movement. Unfortunately, when it comes to conventional treatment with drugs or surgery, there is much room for improvement -- yet many ET patients are never told about safer alternative therapies. Problems with conventional treatments: The antiseizure drugs and blood pressure-lowering beta-blockers prescribed for ET work for only about half of patients and can cause serious side effects, such as slow heartbeat, dizziness, fainting and blurred vision (which may explain a recent study reporting that nearly one-third of ET patients stop taking their medication). For severe ET, the conventional treatment is deep-brain stimulation, in which electrodes are surgically implanted in the brain to deliver electrical impulses to areas that control movement. This procedure carries risks for brain hemorrhage, stroke and infection. Safer options: A functional neurologist, usually a chiropractor or medical doctor with advanced training in neurology, can treat ET without drugs or surgery. So why don’t patients know this? According to functional neurologist Scott Theirl, DC, a diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board, many conventional doctors are unfamiliar with these options because they haven’t had the specialized training. Also, the treatments do not lend themselves to large clinical trials, Dr. Theirl said, "given that they are specific to each patient and change with each visit to reflect the patient’s current condition." Nevertheless, he added, many ET patients report significant improvement with the following three therapies, especially when the techniques are used together. Here’s what ET patients should know about... Neurotransmitter optimization. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that allow nerve cells to communicate with each other. Some are excitatory, stimulating the brain... others are inhibitory, calming the brain. Dr. Theirl explained that ET symptoms can be exacerbated when stress -- physical, cognitive or emotional -- causes neurotransmitters to elevate initially and then decline over time, creating imbalances of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters and impairing the function of neurotransmitter receptors. Using the results of urine tests that measure levels of various neurotransmitters, a functional neurologist devises an individualized program of supplementation with specific amino acids (precursors from which neurotransmitters are synthesized), such as 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), tyrosine, theanine and taurine. "These supplements help rebalance neurotransmitter levels naturally, replenishing the patient’s metabolic 'fuel tank' and letting the nervous system function at a higher level," Dr. Theirl explained. Brain-based therapy. First the doctor conducts neurologic and orthopedic tests to assess which particular areas of a patient’s brain and body are contributing to ET. "The act of moving a muscle is complicated. Generally, the prefrontal association cortex first decides what to move... the premotor cortex decides how to move... the primary motor cortex initiates movement... the cerebellum coordinates the smoothness of movement... and the primary somatic sensory cortex senses how the movement happened. When one area malfunctions, there is a 'miswiring' of the brain. Brain-based rehabilitation aims to retrain the brain and body back to the original wiring," Dr. Theirl said. Specialized exercises help by stimulating specific areas of the brain. Examples: Moving a hand or foot to the beat of a metronome exercises brain regions that improve muscle speed and decrease tremors... listening to slow-tempo music in one ear improves signals to muscles on that side of the body... eye-movement exercises target areas that reduce muscle spasms and improve neck muscle coordination. But brain-based rehabilitation is not a one-size-fits-all therapy, Dr. Theirl emphasized. Each patient’s routine must be based on the types and amount of stimulation needed -- otherwise the exercises could fatigue the brain, worsening ET symptoms rather than improving them. Hands-on therapy. Manual techniques -- for instance, chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy or therapeutic massage, depending on an individual patient’s response -- can improve muscle tone and promote relaxation of tight muscles affected by ET. Consequently, there is better feedback to the brain from the muscles and joints. Bonus: Manual therapies also ease the muscle pain and tenderness that accompany ET. To find a functional neurologist: Visit the Web site of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board at www.acnb.org and click on "doctor locator." Source: Scott Theirl, DC, is a functional neurologist in private practice at Functional Restoration in Glendale, Wisconsin, a diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board and a fellow of the American College of Functional Neurology. He uses noninvasive therapies to treat patients with movement disorders, chronic pain, brain injuries, balance difficulties, learning problems, autism and other neurologic conditions. www.FunctionalRestoration.com
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 | | Be a Champion "Survivor" In Your Own Home Sometimes we all need to be a survivor in our own homes when sinks clog, metals tarnish, things spill on carpets, floors and clothes, odors arise, etc. and we don’t have what we think is the "right tool" for the job. Then what? Then we get creative with the materials that we do have available. And, in fact, there are many fixes that are more effective and far safer using simple ingredients that are already in your kitchen cupboard... Like using tea to clean hardwood floors, bread to take stains off of wallpaper, dish soap to unclog a toilet and kitty litter to take away all sorts of odors, even if you don’t have a cat. The list is endless of the fun and very effective ways to solve these daily challenges... and Joan and Lydia Wilen are the queens of "Household Magic". They have published numerous books on the subject, and now, in partnership with Bottom Line Publications, are launching a household magical tip of the day e-letter... FREE. | |
You can sign up now to learn all their secrets...  | |  | | |
 | | Dry Your Hands Right... Or Washing May Do More Harm Than Good Of course we wash our hands after using the restroom -- but how we dry them determines whether bacteria die off or thrive and spread, according to a new study in the Journal of Applied Microbiology. Researchers measured the number of bacteria transferred from hands to other surfaces after volunteers washed and then used different types of electric hand dryers like the ones found in many public restrooms. Most hygienic: High-velocity air-jet electric dryers that quickly strip water away while hands are held still. Less hygienic: Conventional warm-air hand dryers, which work by evaporation. Reasons: When hands are rubbed together (as they usually are to hasten drying with these machines), bacteria that live in the skin can be brought to the surface and then transferred to other objects... and people often are too impatient to dry hands thoroughly with these slower machines, so the remaining moisture allows bacteria to move more readily from one surface to another. Bottom line: Hand drying is an important part of hand hygiene, not a mere optional step after washing. Take time to dry hands thoroughly, no matter where you are or what method you use (including paper or cloth towels), so you’ll be less likely to spread any bugs that survive the soap and water... and less likely to pick up new ones from whatever you touch next. Source: Anna Snelling, PhD, is a senior lecturer in microbiology at the University of Bradford in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, and leader of a study of hand-drying methods.
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| | | Heart Attacks Are Now Preventable The number of heart attacks has increased by 27% over the past 20 years, in spite of all the supposed advances of modern medicine. What’s going on here? Could we be mistaken about some things? Perhaps we’re under some major misconceptions about heart disease. Like... Myth #1 -- Heart disease and heart attacks are an inevitable part of aging. Myth #2 -- Cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease and heart attacks. Myth #3 -- Blood pressure drugs help you avoid heart problems and live longer. Myth #4 -- Aggressive, "type A" behavior increases your risk of a heart attack. Myth #5 -- Low-fat, low-cholesterol diets are good for you and your heart. | |
Learn more... | | | | |
| | | The Libido-Boosting Mind-Set That Will Make You Love Sex Again How many times have we heard that once women hit menopause, their libidos are bound to take a nosedive? Well, that’s a bunch of bull -- because it doesn’t have to happen. Yes, yes, estrogen levels go down and sometimes this creates a hormonal imbalance that can interfere with desire. Yet, once that potential problem has been addressed or ruled out, the fix for a low lust level may lie not in our hormones, but in our heads. How so? Clinical psychologist and sex therapist Marianne Brandon, PhD, coauthor of Reclaiming Desire, explained to me, "If you expect to lose your libido as you age, your chances of having that happen increase substantially. But you can reclaim your libido with the most sensual organ you have -- your brain." What to do... Focus on creating and receiving pleasure through your five senses, rather than just your sex organs. Appreciating the sensuality in sounds, sights, smells, tastes and textures helps you reconnect with your own sensuality and enjoy it in new ways, Dr. Brandon said. Try these: Listen to new types of music to discover styles that you find stimulating... run your fingers over a bit of fur or welcome the warmth of sunlight on your skin... hold a piece of glass to the light and watch it sparkle... really savor the sweetness of a piece of fruit or chocolate... inhale the aromas of various flowers or spices to see if any particular scent gives you an erotic tingle. Learn to love the body you have today. Feeling self-conscious about sags, wrinkles or other signs of aging can interfere with sexual desire. To move past that, repeatedly remind yourself that your body serves you well and deserves to be honored. And remember that men tend not to notice these so-called flaws the way women do, Dr. Brandon pointed out. In fact, men generally think that their own bodies and ours look even better than they actually may. Reconnect at the heart before you try to connect at the pelvis. Research shows that women tend to base their perceptions of what arouses them on their emotional reactions rather than on their physiological responses. Most women find that intimacy is key to desire, so it is difficult to get excited about a partner with whom you do not feel a strong emotional bond. "You and your partner may have been flying on autopilot for many years. If you reestablish emotional connection and tenderness outside the bedroom, that intimate sharing will spill over into your sex life," Dr. Brandon said. "Fortunately, as men age, they often become more amenable to giving and receiving emotional attention." Think of sex as a journey, not a destination. Stop defining penetration and orgasm as what sex must be. Dr. Brandon explained, "I encourage women to see sex as a path to pleasure and enjoyment, not a search for some ultimate goal. If you focus on the moment-by-moment experience rather than a race to the end, sex can become anything and everything you want it to be." Source: Marianne Brandon, PhD, a clinical psychologist and sex therapist, is cofounder of the Sexual Wellness Center and founder of Wellminds Wellbodies, a center for holistic and integrative psychological care, both in Annapolis, Maryland. She is coauthor of Reclaiming Desire: 4 Keys to Finding Your Lost Libido (Rodale) and Monogamy: The Untold Story (Praeger). www.Wellminds.com
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 |  |  Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades. An award-winning author of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 25 years, college-age twins and teenaged son. |  | | Bottom Line Publications | 281 Tresser Boulevard, 8th Floor | Stamford, CT 06901
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