ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS
Do you have the power to do it? Of course!
Take charge! Research. Talk to others
experiencing menopause. Change things in
your lifestyle or routine.
ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS actually cover different types of treatment that , although not scientifically proven, are able to provide relief to many. Treatment can be from herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, chinese medicine, and others. Many doctors consider themselves to be an allopath, meaning they combine conventional medicine with alternative modalities.
HERBAL MEDICINE is tradition from which most pharmacology was founded. Herbs are available in many forms in addition to pills or capsules:
Tincture is an alcohol extract of a herb. A blossom, leaf, stem is
poured with distilled alcohol and left to set for a period of time.
When strained, the strain becomes the tincture and are the most
potent type of herbal medicine.
Tea is made by pouring hot water over the leaves, fruits, or roots of a plant.
A few herbs are made by boiling the dried herb.
Infusion is made by steeping herbs in cold or hot liquids. When you make
sun tea, you are infusing.
Educate yourself about herbal remedies. More is not usually better, which is different from the type of medicines we are used to taking. There are possible side effects to these, as with anything, entering your body that is changing the structure.
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE was a popular form of medicine in the United States when it was founded in the 1700's by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. Though it has fallen by the wayside here in this country, it continues to be prominent in Europe as well as other countries. Homeopathy originally was the treatment by medical doctors but is rarely studied in medical schools today, though it is definitely taking a turn back to looking at the natural substances and less at the pharmaceuticals. The interesting law of homeopathy is, "Let likes be treated with likes."
What are they and how are they used? Most of these are available as little
lactose pellets with the substance infused into it. The highest potency of any
substance witout a prescription is 30x, meaning is had been diluted 30 times......
a 3x arsenicum is a stronger dilution of aresenic than 30x arsenicum. These little
pellets are dissolved under the tongue.
YOU WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO TRY SEVERAL OPTIONS before you find what works best for you. And be aware too, that what works now may not be what your body reacts to the same 6 months from now! Your hormones will continue to change through many years and some of us will recognize the symptoms more than others.
SIMPLE STRATEGIES in addition to alternative treatments, such as dressing in layers or wearing wick clothing to sleep in is simple. Anyone can do that. Exercise, which can easily be just a walking routine can be done by nearly everyone…it just takes will power. Changing your diet may be more difficult, especially if you cringe at the word 'tofu', but even simple steps such as putting soymilk on your cereal (it actually 'sweetens' the cereal w/o added sugar), or taking a simple teaspoon of flax oil a day can make a big difference.
SOME TREATMENTS ADVERTISED MAY MAKE EXAGGERATED CLAIMS that are unproven. A woman considering these options is best becoming aware of the ingredients of the product, how it was processed, and carefully consider their claim if it sounds too good to be true! We know that some methods that work for you may not work for your sister, and may not work next year. As our hormones continue to rise and fall, so will our bodies ability to respond the same for whatever method or treatment we are using. Life is full of changes and surprises.....and it doesn't stop here!
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