Health for Heroes

In April 2005 I submitted a research paper on Gulf Related Illnesses, to identify the most indicated homeopathic remedies to support service men and women. I set out to discover whether homeopathic treatment would be a viable option in providing those suffering with post traumatic stress disorder and other gulf related illnesses with a better quality of life after active service.

Homeopathy is a medical system that treats the individual, however looking at gulf related illness as an “epidemic”, in this instance, where a group of individuals exhibit the same or similar symptoms as a result of a shared experience or influence, enables homeopathic practitioners to be able to identify a group of fitting remedies to bring relief.

A trauma may cause an onset of symptoms which the individual alone cannot break free of. Recurrent panic attacks and palpitations, for instance, may signify being stuck in a pattern, a response which may have served as a “fight or flight” response in a military environment but is no longer required. Homeopathic treatment can address symptoms to provide the system with the kick-start needed for the body to release whatever is causing the panic attacks.

To get the most from homeopathic treatment it is best to arrange a consultation with a qualified homeopath. An initial consultation lasts between and hour and an hour and a half; a remedy will be prescribed and a follow-up consultation (lasting approximately half a hour) one month later will allow the homeopath to assess response to the remedy, where treatment can be taken from there as required.

Homeopathic remedies can be taken safely alongside conventional medicine. The rule of thumb with homeopathic remedies is to stop if there is improvement or a shift of any kind.

Remedies for Anxiety, panic attacks and palpitations:

Panic attacks accompanied by heat and pulsating forehead and heart palpitations may be alleviated by indicated homeopathic remedies. For nightmares and night terrors after a traumatic experience or for difficulty getting to sleep, accompanied by anxious thoughts and restlessness with general weakness another homeopathic remedy may help and mean that pharmaceutical medication can be avoided for veterans wishing to get support for symptoms without having to turn to extended use of medication. One homeopathic remedy in tablet form can be taken every 15 minutes in an acute attack. Stop with improvement.

There are several homeopathic remedies that may provide relief for numerous symptoms associated with PTSD. For chronic complaints (those that have been experienced for 3 months or more) treatment with a professional qualified homeopath is recommended.

Contact the Homeopathic Helpline for further guidance.

Mother and Baby

Homeopathy offers great support for mother and baby, from breast-feeding difficulties, colic, constipation, teething complaints, post-natal depression and ailments caused from child-birth. Homeopathic kits are available specifically designed to provide remedies for the listed complaints. There are also numerous books and guides available to give mothers prescribing power, especially useful for middle of the night fevers. For help with selecting the right remedy the Homeopathic Helpline is a valuable resource and support service for homeopathic acute prescribing.

Breast-feeding

Homeopathic remedies that may treat mastitis including symptoms accompanied by throbbing pain, redness and streaks of pain radiating from the nipple are available as well as a remedy indicated when pain goes from the nipple to all over the body while the baby nurses. In mastitis when the mammae are very hard and sensitive there may be a homeopathic remedy to alleviate this particular discomfort.

La Leche League (http://www.laleche.org.uk/) is highly recommended for mother-to-mother breastfeeding support from pregnancy through to weaning.

Contact The Homeopathic Helpline (calls are charged at £1.53 per minute) for guidance on which remedy may be indicated for your symptoms.

Teething and Colic

Homeopathic remedies recommended for both Colic and Teething especially accompanied by angry crying and the desire to be carried may be useful for supporting a baby through distressing teething symptoms. Give one tablet (which can be crushed in a spoon) as required. There may be a more suitable homeopathic remedy for a teething child who produces lots of green or yellow snot and is very clingy and weepy. For babies suffering with colic where they draw they knees towards their chest another remedy may help. Babies arching their backs with colic may respond better to one homeopathic remedy more than another.

Homeopathy in Pregnancy

Homeopathy for Childbirth

Men’s Health

Prostate care after the age of 50 is very important for men’s health, as 50% of men experience some form of prostate enlargement after this age and 70% of men experience this after the age of 70. There are homeopathic remedies that may be of huge value in prostate enlargement as well as preparations in herbal form. Saw Palmetto is often combined in herbal and mineral supplements to support men’s health. There are homeopathic remedies that may be useful for the constant desire to pass water at night and the loss of sexual power. Taken in a 30c potency half an hour before bed, homeopathic remedies may help to relieve the discomfort of these symptoms.

Herbal combination supplements are available that may inhibit conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, believed to be responsible for enlargement of the prostate. There are other supplements, vitamins and minerals may also support the prostate gland.

A Homeopathic Narayani combination remedy that may be helpful for men with prostate enlargement can be ordered by my patients via email candice@greendaisies.co.uk. Telephone or face-to-face consultations can be arranged via my consultations page.

Support for Sexual Function

I am sometimes asked whether there is a homeopathic alternative to Viagra – Although homeopathic remedies act by treating the individual there are some suggested remedies considered to have aphrodisiac properties in their raw form, which are safe to use. For sexual dysfunction that is caused by underlying psychological issues it is recommended that constitutional treatment with a fully qualified homeopath is undertaken.

Damiana was originally used by Mexican Indians has a time-honoured reputation as an aphrodisiac. Natural herbal and Homeopathic remedies may be useful for sexual disorders that may be the result of stress, overwork and nervous debility. In homeopathic potency combination remedies may help to address the distress caused by impotence.

There are other herbal supplements and homeopathic remedies that may help to address stress relief; for sexual dysfunction; to maintain energy levels, mental performance; and to increase strength and mobility. Alternative remedies may be supportive for men experiencing depression or low energy due to a stressful job leading to poor sexual function.

Always check with your GP that specific herbal supplements are safe to take along side prescribed medication.

Fertility

Health for Heroes

Movember

Fertility

It is estimated that a quarter of couples experience a period of infertility at some point in their reproductive lives, leading to 1 in 6 couples going on to see an infertility specialist. Unexplained infertility can be devastating and because fertility treatment itself, like IVF does not guarantee conception, in some cases the issues surrounding the desire but inability to conceive can further exacerbate the situation.

Homeopathic individualised treatment can address underlying issues that may be preventing a couple from conceiving. Along with other complementary approaches including psychotherapy, homeopathic treatment is a gentle and non-invasive approach.

Candice operates a referral system with psychotherapist and infertility counsellor Annie Reed Henderson, who has enjoyed many years of success helping couples through infertility. Her article Unexplained Infertility published in Therapy Today (February 2008) provides case studies and treatment plans that have helped many couples to conceive with and without IVF treatment.  Annie practises in London +44 (0)7958 203 256.

Dance Project 2010

Elina Männi

www.elinamanni.com

AMPUTEE DANCE ARTISTS ARE SOUGHT FOR A LABPROJECT THAT EXPLORES PHANTOM LIMB PAIN AT THE YOUNG VIC THEATRE.

‘Gandhi neurons’ is a new dance/theatre piece exploring the complex, elusive and intensely unnerving aspects of Phantom limb pain, empathy and Synaesthesia.

Our capacity for empathy arises from a specific group of neurons, labelled mirror neurons. Leading neuroscientist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran calls them Gandhi neurons as they can dissolve the barrier between self and others.

‘Gandhi neurons’ explores:

• How we deal with other people’s pain.
• How we attempt to heal a pain when we lose something that was part of us.
• Synaesthesia for pain – a phenomenon that happens when a person not only empathises with another’s pain but experiences the observed or imagined pain as if it was their own.

Synaesthesia for pain occurs most commonly in individuals who have lost a limb.

The project will be developed in collaboration with a neuroscientist who studies Phantom limb pain and Synaesthesia.

Elina Männi, a theatre director is looking to work with amputee dance artists who are willing to develop material for this challenging subject.

Initial research will be conducted in the ‘laboratory environment’ at the Young Vic theatre, on Tuesday evenings over 8 week period (7, 14, 21, 28 Sept and 5, 12, 19, 26 October at 6.30 – 9.30pm).

For the first six weeks of the project the evening sessions will explore the Viewpoints technique (a series of choreography-based exercises that encourage a theatrical responsiveness to stimuli) as a foundation for collaboration.

If you are interested, please send your CV and a brief outline about you (your practice and your creative interests) to elinamanni@yahoo.com.