For some time now I have notice that people are paying more and more attention to take care of their body, whether they are ill or healthy.

We are also quite aware, that next to official medicine in daily practice, we also have available other possibilities, how to treat our body.

Alternative treatment comprehends complementary and alternative methods of treatment.

Alternative treatment is about preconceptions which way of treatment if more useful and also considers how to make treatment more effective than the official medicine.

I read couple of books written by those who practice alternative medicine daily.

I think is always good to look up all possibilities there are, before you decided for any treatment.

But, don’t get me wrong, I am still good with official medicine, which I deeply respect.

Although, that doesn’t mean, I can’t practice alternative medicine.

Most common methods of alternative treatment

• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic
• Homeopathy
• Herbal medicine
• Osteopathy with naturopathy
• Official medicine

In my post today I will briefly introduce each of the above mentioned treatments and methods (in fallowing posts that will come, I will wrote more about each alternative treatment).

Acupuncture – exist as treatment and has an academic tradition from more than 2000 years.

Thus today’s doctors have a huge knowledge, which allows them to predict certain course of disease treatment and to subscribe appropriate drugs for each stage in which disease is developing.

In Chinese medicine, and thus also in the acupuncture our health is defined with human ability to maintain a harmonious internal environment.

Acupuncture is a simulative therapy

Thin steel needles, or needles of gold or silver are stick to certain points in the body.

Needles stimulate certain point all the way to the subcutaneous tissue.

Treatment includes monitoring of the critical points at energy channels, named also meridian, usually through the chaff with the needles on the certain places.

With this is released blocked life energy.

Conventional surface treatments are: forearms, hands, lower part of legs and feet, sometimes also the back, although acupuncture points are all over the body.

Jig point is often far away from the part which has been treated.

For example, with certain point on the feet can be used for the head treatment. If the patient is relaxed, the stitch should be painless.

The patient could feel when needle enter the body, but afterwards when needle goes deeper, patient feels nothing.

Acupuncture needles are full and thin, long from 12 mm to 10 cm, and goes in to 6 mm, or even deeper.

Needles remain in for about few seconds or could be also ztill one hour, depend from disorder and acupuncture method.

Average time is for about 20 min. Acupuncture examination includes overall of patient tongue and pulse – touched on both wrists.

If is necessary, a therapist can carry our also a physical examination, which is often focused on certain parts of the body).

Acupuncture therapist is always very careful to avoid blood vein and main organs. Blood is rarely shown, but in case there is any, it’s only a small drop. Therapist may use only sterilized needles.

For the patient is recommended that he eats something before the treatment. This is to avoid tiredness and weakness.

After the healing patients is recommended to avoid tiring movements for some times.

Chiropractic – beginning and evolving of chiropractic has start in the West.
All of its acknowledged educational institutions are operating in developed countries. It is also confirmed from the World Health Organization.

In many countries, is included in their health care system.

When we talk about beginning of chiropractic, we shouldn’t forget Hippocrates (450-375 BC) which is known after his work on the conclusions about spinal manipulation methods, described as »the most efficient among mechanical medicine«.

Official inauguration goes back to 1895 and belongs to Mr. D. D. Palmer from the State of Iowa.

Today the World chiropractic Association (WFC) brings together organizations from more than 78 countries.

Well know chiropractic is Dr. Yasuhiro Todo, founder of Slovenian Chiropractic Association – SCA. He defines chiropractic as a scientifically validate treatment method, which is specialized in the treatment of problems with the nervous-muscular-skeletal systems. If the vertebra in the incorrect position it may damage appurtenant joint ties.

Muscle groups could respond to this situation with cramp or with pain. This failure can consequently irritate spinal nerves platforms.

The President of Life Chiropractic College wrote: “Chiropractic with the spinal subluxation correction with normalization of backbone in biomechanics and with removing neurological barriers, allows the body to cure with its own vital forces”.

Homeopathy - is more than 200 year old method of treatment, based on the law of similarity. It heals similar to the similar.

Homeopathy comes from the word – homoios, which means similar and pathos means suffering.

It is heal with specially prepared medicines from nature, which have no side effects.

Homeopathic medicines boost defense mechanisms and immune system; therefore we could be healed with natural way.

Homeopathic medicines are prepared by a special procedure, the so-called potentiation.

This is the dilution; which is hardly stirred on the each stage of dilution.

Who is homoeopath?

Homoeopath is a doctor or therapist of natural medicine. Real homoeopath takes into account three principles: the law of similarity, potentiation and patient individuality.

Homoeopath prescribes medicine to a patient, after he’s done with a long and thorough discussion with the patient.

Used as a rule is also, that homeopath subscribes only one medicine to treat the complex problems of individual patient.

Which problems are not treated with homeopathy?

Homeopathy cannot cure the diseases which have arisen from irreversible defects in the functioning of the body or bodies.

One good example is children’s diabetes, where there has been a complete termination of the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas, and unfortunately in these cases homoeopath cannot help it.

But with success could be treated elderly patients with aged form of diabetes. Homeopathy can help them to reduce the amount of official products.

Homeopathy does not treat the problems that they can be eliminated only with the operation.

If the body still retains part of the function, then the possibility to improve the situation still exists.

It is the same with the treatment of mental illness.

Homeopathy can help if there was a disturbance at a functional level, such as depression, phobias, anxiety, and hyperactivity.

However, if the cause of the disease is organic nature, then there is not much to do to improve it.

How does homeopathic medicine work?

With those healing medicines, which in healty people eliciting certain signs or symptoms, homeopathic is treating ill person with similar difficulties.

The most common example is the onion. We all know, that when we cut unions we begging to cry and tear from the nose.

So like this, union (Allium cepa) is used as a homeopathic medcine for the form of acute coryza or in hay fever.Those who have try to smoke know, that with drag of the first cigarete you get a dizzy feeeling and nausea.

Thus, the tobacco (Tabaccum) is used as a treatment forvertigo and to treat weakness.For homoeopath symptoms are not disease, but is only manifestation of internal disturbances, which helps to choose the proper medicine, which then often acts on the whole body.

Four-leaved clover is for luck, black clover is for our health.

When we think of clover, we always first think of four-leaved clover, which should predict luck and happiness.

This time, I will write down some very positive effects by using black clover, which is body purification and body detox.

There are number of treatments, which offer you various diets, fasting, enema and all sorts of detoxing things.

Python- therapy (therapy with herbs) is among all the most natural and has no side effects. In Siberia, Python- therapy treatment – as a treatment with the help of medicinal plants, is resumed from medical folk tradition and is also used in official medicine.

Dr. Markov Novosibirska is the world’s most recognized Python- therapist, and people from all part of world are visiting him. He is healing solely with herbal preparations.

The first phase of his treatment is detoxification of the body.

Fo this event he recommend an old Siberian tea, which is a mixture of fifteen plants: birch, linden, ash, elder, nettle, lampblack, buckthorn, cherry, coltsfoot, milfoil, marigold, mint, needles Siberian cedar, black clover.

Since detoxification of organism can be very well achieved with the herbs that grow with us, it is recommended that use herbs that you have gathered yourself, daily drink a cup of sage tea and one cup of black clover tea.

BLACK clover or Trifolium or trefoil

It is one of the oldest medicinal herbs. It has red-purple flowers in a shape od snowball and the three-tier split.

Trojan leaves are a symbol of the Christian Trinity (the holy father-son-spirit) and the Irish national emblem, which is dedicated to Saint Patrick.

Active ingredients: tannins, phenols, flavonoids, selenium, caffeine acid, calcium, chromium, magnesium, tin, or thiamine vitamin B1, niacin or vitamin B3, vitamin C, phosphorus, copper.

Black clover activity

Adaprogen – enhances the overall health, prevent the formation of new blood vessels in tumors, pure blood, detox and enhances liver functioning and gall bladder, preventing the uncontrolled growth of tumors, prevent constipation, facilitates expectoration, stimulates secretion of bile and urine, quite strong effect of estrogen (increases fertility).

Black clover is known in different cultures as a very useful against cancer.

American scientist Jonathan Hartwell in The Journal of Natural Products announced the fact that 33 different cultures around the world, used a black clover to fight against cancer.

National Cancer Institute’s research confirmed the effectiveness of a black clover against cancer, because of the presence of daidzeine and genistene.

Moreover, a black clover contains antioxidant tocopherol and a mixture of E vitamins.

It helps organism to dominate the state, known as “the dominance of estrogen, which is associated with many forms of cancer (ovaries, breast, uterus, … …).

And some additional healing characteristics

• Stimulates secretion and digestion, reduces spasms and tension in the muscles, and facilitates expectoration.
• Prevent the uncontrolled growth of tumors, prevent constipation, facilitates expectoration, stimulates secretion of bile and urine, can have even the effect of estrogen, it increases fertility.
• Assists with skin diseases, eczema, and psoriasis.
• It helps enthusiastic larynx, throat and soothes the mouth ulcers.
• Alleviates the problem in menopause.

Although, the black clover is originally from Europe, the North American Indians were the first, who starts using it in alternative medicine.

It also is treat psoriasis, eczema and other skin diseases.

Liposuction with laic wording means removing  fat from the body with suction, mainly from the fallowing body parts: chin, abdomen, hips, thighs, knees, shank, etc.

This is not a method, which replaces the weight loss and diets, as with liposuction it could be removed more than 2000 ml of fat from those parts of the body where the weight loss and physical activity can not reduce or the fat.

This way or body is shaped. So this is the body creation and not reduction of body weight, nor a mending of appearance of skin surface.

On the contrary, sometimes after the operation skin can be more flexible.
This depends also from amount of disposed fat in certain area; it also depends on skin elasticity and from patient age.

Sometimes it is quite explicit in the inner and outer side of thighs, if a patient insists that doctor absorbs all fat, despite to doctor reminders.

Therefore we could also find on internet some unsatisfied patients, who are complaining or even worse, suing doctors for their job, even tough, they have demand it.

With liposuction doctors needs to leave for about one to two cm of subcutaneous fat, depending on body regions and anatomical circumstances of the body.

In the event that the patient also wants to thin this layer, patients must be aware, that there’s a possibility of uneven skin surface.

For Abdominal liposuction surgery, the patient is aware of the possible option of redundant skin, which will remain after liposuction.

There is always a possibility (if there’s a lot of fat to be removed), that doctors will suggest you, to simultaneously cut also surplus skin.

If patient decided not to do it, then is better to wait another six month from the operation, just to see how the skin is reduced and fixed on the bottom of abdominal wall.

In these cases it is possible to subsequently cut the skin if the patient is not satisfied with the outcome.

The scars are usually shorter than one cm and usually mature in one year time, meaning, that the visible colors from operation become less visible, or even spotless.

Time healing for scar tissue depends on the patient’s type of healing, but it happens rarely, that the scars are visible for a longer period of time; especially in the legs, knees, ankles and calves.

The look of the final scar will depend on the patient’s reactions to the body wound healing.

Working capacity of a patient after surgery depends on the job and the quantity of surface and liposuction that was done, usually to a few days to one week and patient could go back to work.

From all other possible complications, which may rise with liposuction, most commonly is bleeding during surgery (surgeon have no effect on that).

If this happened, surgeon needs to stop the operation immediately, even though we haven’t achieve final result with it; the result that we want it.

All patients are informed about this possibility. What will be the stage/level of bleeding is quite hard and impossible to say in advance, despite all the clinical and laboratory information which are done before operation.

Therefore, is impossible to predict 100 % in advance anything. In standard liposuction contains also from 10 to 20 percentage of blood. This consequently means, that with one liposuction we could remove max 2500 ml of fat, also depending on the patient Hb content and body weight.

Operative wound infection are also possible theoretically, although they are not observed so often.

After having liposuction surgery, a result can be permanent, if patient precisely follows these conditions:

• patient doesn’t gain more than 5 kg,
• doesn’t take any hormonal preparations, drugs (as contraceptive pills),
• if there is no hormonal changes( (such as thyroid disease, gynecological problems which could lead to change of hormonal status),
• pregnancy, childbirth, breast feeding (these conditions change hormonal status).

After liposuction surgery the swelling is still present.

The swelling after liposuction surgery is the worst one week after and finally disappear not earlier than in the fallowing three months.

The biggest swelling may be in the legs (knees, shank), therefore the result of liposuction surgery is visible after this period. In rare cases the swelling in the abdomen could be sometimes expressive, so the volume of the abdomen could be bigger than before the liposuction surgery.

Due to swelling patients are advised to wear special compression garments for a week (through all day).

Afterwards patients are advised to wear it also for next 4-5 weeks, but only during the day.

For the same reason they sometime recommend also lymphatic drainage after liposuction surgery.

This could be done immediately after surged areas don’t hurt anymore and pressures massage wouldn’t hurt either.

Fourteen days before the liposuction surgery you are not allowed to take medicine, which would affect blood clotting nor you are allowed to take hormonal contraceptives (before the surgery).

Surgery is not performed during menses.

But do not forget, that every patient is responsible for the true information that he/she gave about her/his medical condition, which doctor cannot verified with laboratory testing and clinical examination.

Superficial liposuction near the surface of the skin

For this procedure they use a very small probe (2 mm thick), which they treated just under the skin with muscle fat, the one that are responsible for cellulite.

This is the latest method of surgical treatment (liposuction surgery) of cellulite.

If a patient wishes, surgeon could make the correction of cellulite after liposuction surgery.

Many small scars are reduced later and they tighten up skin, which is known as a lifting. This is especially explicit on the buttocks, on abdomen and breasts.

The result is one again depending on patient organism, therefore no-one could give you guarantee for the outcome.

Hydro liposuction

Hydro liposuction means, that in area where surgeon will suck out the fat, there will also be injected special liquid which will help to dissolve fat cells.

At the same time, there is also done anaesthetize, which mean that a small dose of narcosis will be allowed.

This enables the patient to go to home after few hours after the operation.

Painkillers are effective also 10 hours after the patient is already at home, resting in bed.

Pain occurs on the fallowing day and only in the movement. So when patient is resting there is no pain so a lot of patient doesn’t need painkillers (analgesics) after liposuction surgery.

It is not advisable to take Aspirin, as it causes bleeding. But it is allowed to take some other medicine such as: Lekadol, Ketonal, Movalis, Brufen, Nalgesin etc.

In year 2004 after quite a long time, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, has approved for the first time, a new botox treatment for excessive sweating under armpit; also called axillary hyperhidroses.

More accurate, at July 16th FDA approved Botox (Botulinum toxin type A) for severe treatment of sweaty armpits, for those patients, who wasn’t get help with antiperspirant.

Botox is produced in company named Allergan, in city Irvine, California, USA and it is the most studied botulinum toxin brand, known all over the world.

Botox is available for more than decades, and has been used to treat more than one million patients with various medical conditions.

Including also various deformations and movement disorders.

With FDA approval, the United States are joining more than 20 other countries, that have already approved botox treatment to treat excessive sweating.

Usage of local botulinum toxin injections is a promising approach to reduce and relieve hyperdoses symptoms.

Researches has shown that armpits, hands, feet and face treatment with botulinum toxin is safely and effective.

In a clinical study, which have include 322 patients with severe armpits sweating, more than 81% which received injections reached more than 50% less sweating.

Also interesting is, that more than 50% of all patients have reduce sweating for least 201 days, which is nearly 7 months.

Effective use of botulinum toxin type A injections

Usage of Botox treatment for sweating is most effective if it’s done by a special doctor, who went through special training and have experience with the procedure.

Botulinum toxin injections can be administered in the medical’s office.

It requires relatively little time and don’t require any restrictions on work or leisure activities (except intensive exercise, or use of sauna on the day of treatment).

During the process, doctor uses a very fine needle, with which inject small quantities of botulinum toxin, just under the skin near the sweat gland.

These are responsible for excessive sweating problems. Doctor, who give you this botox treatment, could decide, that you could use more injections regarding your necessary treatment.

But moreover, be careful, and think twice, before you start the procedure. It’s quite known, that a lot of people don’t need “beauty improvement”.

But getting rid of unpleasant sweating is not one of them. I would recommend it, as I; myself know how embarrassing and unpleasant this could be some time.

Furthermore, if we look from the other side, sweating is known as a physical reaction, therefore, it would also help, and that we calm down ourselves (if this is our main problem).

For this we would need a bit of meditation practice and some breathing exercise. These are quite easy to achieve.
I would give it a shoot, it could be easy to learn, and quite effective.

Anyway, I should write a bit more about effective use of Botox treatment; I didn’t mentioned jet, that injections in the palms and sole may sometimes be quite painful.
In order to ease the discomfort, doctors use some of many techniques of anesthesia, such as; creams pain, nerve blockage, ice or vibration.
There is always possibility, that some sweat gland could be missed in the process. As a result, you could still continue experienced sweating in untreated areas.

If this happens, it is important to discuss it with your doctor for a re-evaluation of these areas; the possibility to “fill” the gaps with additional injections.

Botulinum toxin injections do not cure hyperhidroses and your symptoms will gradually return. Subsequent injections are necessary to maintain dryness.

These additional injections may be necessary in do them in intervals, ranging from seven to sixteen months.

Therefore, know that this is not a treatment, which would end sweating. But it would definitely reduce it, and moreover, make you feel better and more confident.

But on the end, the decision for these botox treatment is on your side. But the most important is that you get the best information about it, before you decide to do it.

A poison that can’t compare to anything, when used in higher dose than normal

Many people say often: “Looks good, but this is due to Botox“. Someone else would add, that precisely because of Botox, someone look quite terrifying. Therefore it is not surprising, that Botox have gained such reputation.

As I already mentioned in my previous post, Botox (botulinum toxin) is a natural purified protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Substance stops stimulation on the path from nerves and the small facial muscles, which creates facial expression.

It is injected in very small quantities and it’s causing relaxation of mimic muscles and prevents their consciously and subconsciously contraction.

The skin over the muscles therefore becomes more soft and smooth. It only works on selected muscle (injected with Botox), other muscles, however, operate normally.

Botox is effective at smoothing medium or strong expressed wrinkles, and it’s not appropriate for to remove or smooth scars. For removing scars, patient is opted for surgery.

Botox is most commonly used for removing wrinkles on the forehead, between eyebrows and wrinkles around eyes. Moreover is also used to remove wrinkles from neck, chin or décolletage.

One therapy usually takes around 15 to 20 minutes and is done without narcosis or local anesthesia, as this is done with a very thin needle and the pain is bearable.  In a lot of magazines and on the internet we can find many photos of famous people, which have been treated with Botox.

There are always pics from before and after the intervention. Some are happy, the other are not, and there are also ones, who are reminding us to danger that injection of Botox could cause us. I have find out talking to a plastic expert, how true are the rumors. I find out the following;

Botox is not recommended if:

• you have any muscle disorders,
• you are pregnant or breastfeeding,
• you have problems with the injection of medical products into muscles, inflammation or deterioration of the muscles,
• are already consuming aminoglycoside antibiotics or drugs for muscle relaxation,
• you have active inflammation in the part of your body you want to be treated,
• you had surgery in this part of the muscle,
• you have inflammation in the muscle where you want injection
• you have problems with swallowing or breathing
• you have any problems with the muscles
• if you are planning operation in injected area

Botox could be very dangerous when used by laics, people with no experience or knowledge.
Botox was first used in 2002 and with it each year are performed millions of interventions, using Botox.

Recently, especially in Great Britain, you could find a lot of articles about side effects, which are caused by using Botox.

The authors indicate possibility that individuals have problem, because treatment was done by an incompetent person. These days you could easily purchase Botox from the Internet.

I have come across with many articles, where in USA on a “Botox parties” a lot of things are happening, and a lot of Botox users use it freely on each other. Very important is that injections are done in only certain parts of the body /face, specific muscles on which you want to do mortification.

Therefore is highly recommended and essential that is done only by experts, and not laics.
Before any intervention or injections experts will always talk through all possibilities with patient, and also find out about wishes and expectations.

It’s very important to know, that there are two sorts of wrinkles; hyper-kinetic wrinkles, which are result of the muscles activity, and wrinkles which are due to »tired« skin. And Botox works only on hyper-kinetic wrinkles.

Also is very usefully to have discussion before the injection, because of the potential contraindications. Moreover, Botox is equally effective on elderly and young people, but it depends on muscle strength, which is declining with elderly people.

The effect lasts three to four months, and is renewed with continues treatments.

It also works against sweat

Botox is not used only to reduce wrinkles but also to treat/prevent excessive sweating. Botulinum toxin paralyses sweat gland in the treated area and after therapy sweating completely cease.
The medicine is effective only at the spot, where injection have been done and is not absorbed into the body and does not act systemically in the body.

The treatment is not harmful for the body. The spots for treatment are armpits, hands or feet, but the effect lasts for eight to ten months and is not renewed with each new therapy.

Almost everyone is satisfied

So, what is going on with unsatisfied patients? Botox can be used in one week time, after that is not recommended to use it for another three months, it’s strictly forbidden. After three months the effect is reduced and skin regain state as it was before treatment.

Unsatisfied patients are minimal, maybe from two to three percent, but most of them are happy and will always return. These are information which I received from expert. In small talk – “it’s like an addition”. Botox is also called “elixir for youth”, as after the treatment appearance on the skin is more “shiny” and relaxed.

Expert I talk to does from 80 to 100 interventions every year. And the number is increasing.  Customers are manly women (eighty percent), but interest for rejuvenating therapy is among celebrities as also among ordinary people.

It is the same effect as with woman and man treatment, but with man is usually used slightly more substance, because they have stronger muscles.
Few interesting things – after the intervention with Botox, in the fallowing three days, you should not be taking drugs that affect blood clotting (aspirin, anadol …).

Four hours after treatment shouldn’t massage your muscles, but it is advanced to move it a bit. It’s also very advisable and recommended to use cold compress to prevent bruises and pain.

Poison that can’t compare to anything

It’s very interesting that Botox is most poisonous natural substance in nature. But has a very high »security window«. This means that a doctor should inject 500-times higher dose than normal, that would be fatal (lethal dose is 500).

A lot of other drugs are more dangerous than Botox.

For example; certain heart drugs have lethal dose 5, means, that if you take 5 tablets instead of one, you are dead.

Therefore, experts say, if you know how to use Botox in right quantities and on the right muscles – then this could be as medicine. But in the quasi-hands could be very dangerous.

Que (waiting time) and prices – ques varies from expert to expert. But on average, you will probably wait two to four weeks, sometimes more than a month and a half, and the rest only a few days.

Also prices are very different; in some clinics starting at 200 Euros or less, the rest in more than 300 Euros, but the price depends on the amount injected Botox.

Complications

During the procedure may appear slight bleeding, which stops almost immediately after the injection. Immediately or with a delay may occur the following reactions: allergy to the substance of preparation, sore, bruise (visible up to one week), redness or pain, sometimes associated with the itch, which can take several days.

With vertical smoothing between the eyebrows, 0.5 percent of patients experience serious problems with the temporary lifting of the upper eyelids, which disappears within three weeks.

Therefore, I would recommend, use Botox with caution. Try to find out as much as you could before intervention and do think through, if you really needed.

Instead of Botox, I would recommend you, to smile as much as you can, and look positively on life ahead.

That’s the best treatment you can give to yourself.