About Our Health Care

Thunder god vine

Thunder god vine (Tripterygium wilfordii) is the English translation of the Chinese name for the perennial plant lei gong teng. The plant grows in the mountains of China, as well as Taiwan and Myanmar (formerly Burma).

It is a deciduous climbing vine that sheds its leaves, and produces white flowers and red fruit with three “wings.” The plant’s leaves, flowers, and outer skin of the root are poisonous.

In fact, honey taken from the plant’s pollen is also poisonous. The root pulp is the non-poisonous part, which is used medicinally. There is a risk of poisoning if the herb is not extracted properly.


The potentially dangerous aspects of this plant are reflected in two of its Chinese folk names, “Walk Seven Steps and Die” and “Intestine-Breaking Plant.” In Asia, the plant is also called “three-wing-nut.”

In ancient China, practitioners carefully extracted the portion of the thunder god vine used for treatment. They gathered roots in the summer or early fall. The poisonous bark was removed and the inner portion of the root was utilized.

In past centuries, this procedure may have involved grinding the root into a powder. The remedy usually was applied topically to the skin, since there was a risk of poisoning if thunder god vine was taken orally.

General use

Use of thunder god vine in traditional Chinese medicine dates back thousand of years. Ancient Chinese practitioners used the root of thunder god vine to treat a range of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, swelling, skin infections and leprosy, fever, boils, and chills.

However, practitioners were aware that the plant could be deadly. In fact, it was likely used as a murder weapon. Farmers in Asia also used thunder god vine as an insecticide.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, interest again turned to the healing potential of thunder god vine. Research of the remedy included a double-blind trial performed in China during the 1980s. Among the researchers was the physician Xue-Lian Tao, a former post-doctoral fellow at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Branch (UTSMB).

In the study, the scientists and the research subjects (over 2,000 patients) did not know whether participants received the extract or a placebo. Patients reported that the remedy reduced the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Thunder god vine print

Tao returned to the United States and continued research with Dr. Peter Lipsky, then-director of the Harold C. Simmons Arthritis Center at the University of Texas. Research in the United States focused on finding a safe dosage of thunder god vine and locating the part of the plant that appeared to ease arthritis pain.

Lipsky reported that in 1994 the team evaluated the toxicity of the vine, and found “very little” toxicity, thus reducing the possibility of poisoning. They also saw the potential in the herbal remedy.

During the 1990s, researchers at UTSMB studied the plant’s effectiveness in treating the symptoms of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). If thunder god vine is proven safe and effective for medical treatment of RA, researchers hope it may also be approved to treat other autoimmune conditions.

These include lupus (a rheumatic condition that affects the skin and tissue, producing symptoms of rash, joint pain, and inflammation) and psoriasis—this inflammatory condition causes portions of the skin to raise, turn red, and scale. By 1998, the research team had developed a root extract from the plant that could be studied for its effectiveness in providing relief of arthritis symptoms.

They named the extract “Texas Ethyl Acetate” (TEA), and applied to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to test the extract on arthritis patients.

The FDA issued permission for the thunder god vine research using root extract. Studies were done through UTSMB and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 1999, Lipsky was named scientific director of NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Muscoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

In 2002, NIAMS announced the results of a 20-week study involving 21 rheumatoid arthritis patients. Patients received a high-dose extract, low-dose extract, or a placebo.

After four weeks, rapid improvement in symptoms was reported by 80% of those in the highdose group, and in 40% of low-dose participants. No change was reported by people who took placebos. Lipsky rated the results as promising, saying that the extract slowed down an overactive immune system.

Response to the NIAMS study was generally positive. However, some scientists noted that the test group was small and the trial lasted only 20 weeks. Lipsky announced in 2002 that additional research was planned, using thunder god vine to treat RA and conditions such as lupus.

Prior to the NIAMS study, researchers imported thunder god vine root extract from China, where its medicinal use stretches back thousands of years. In 2002, after news of the NIAMS study was released, it was announced that Phytomedics Inc., a New Jersey biopharmaceutical company, was growing thunder god vine.

Phytomedics Inc. renamed the extract “PMI-001,” and announced plans to develop a botanical drug for the treatment of arthritis. The New Jersey-based company partnered with Pfizer, another pharmaceutical company, to manufacture the drug. As of 2004, the PMI-001 product had not been brought to the FDA.

Preparations

Dried root of thunder god vine

The remedy portion of thunder god vine is the vascular part of the root, the interior section consisting of cells that carry water and food to the plant. The plant interior is dried and cut into pieces for processing.

Thunder god vine is available in the United States, where it has been advertised as a Chinese herb that may offer temporary relief for conditions such as aches, joint pain, colds, fatigue, insomnia, stress, and anxiety.

The herbal remedy has been sold on the Internet, where a California business offers thunder god vine in pill form. The business recommended a daily dosage of two pills taken with warm water.

After UTSMB received approval from the FDA, researchers extracted the active ingredient from the plant. The process involved extracting ethanol and acetate from the root. The extract powder was then packaged into capsules.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, some research participants took a daily dosage of 30 milligrams of thunder god vine extract.

Precautions

As of 2004, no standard safe dosage of thunder god vine had been established. The herb’s use as a diet supplement has not been evaluated for safety or content of the product.

Herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA; therefore, ordering this product carries risks. The consumer has no assurance about the strength of the dosage or the portion of the plant used to make the supplement.

In the United States, thunder god vine cannot be marketed as a drug until it receives FDA approval, a process that includes evaluation of a product for safety and effectiveness. This preliminary review is not required for herbs marketed as diet supplements. However, the FDA can stop the sale of supplements determined to be unsafe.

The leaves and flowers of thunder god vine are very toxic and may cause death. Extreme caution in purchasing is advised to ascertain that the supplement is a proper extraction made only from the interior of the plant root.

Side effects

Thunder god vine is toxic and could be lethal if not properly extracted.

In the Chinese 1980s double-blind trial, some people experienced diarrhea and related gastrointestinal disturbances. Tao reported that those side effects disappeared as people continued treatment. Moreover, side effects in the NIAMS study were described as “minor.”

According to the Arthritis Foundation, possible side effects of thunder god vine include upset stomach and skin reactions. Men may experience temporary infertility, while women may stop having menstrual periods (amenorrhea).

Interactions

People taking immunosuppressive drugs such as prednisone should not use thunder god vine.

Amalaki (Embelica officinalis)

Triphala, an ancient herbal blend, is one of the most commonly used herbal remedies in the Ayurvedic system of healing. Ayurvedic medicine originated in ancient India, has developed over thousands of years, and is one of the oldest systems of healing.

Thus triphala is one of the longest-used herbal remedies in the world. Triphala, meaning “three fruits,” is made from the fruits of three trees that grow throughout India and the Middle East, including amalaki fruit (Embelica officinalis), bibhitaki fruit (Terminalia belerica), and haritaki fruit (Terminalia chebula).

In preparing triphala, these fruits are dried, ground into powder, and then blended together according to the precise directions of Ayrurvedic tradition. Amalaki fruit, also called amla or Indian gooseberry, is renowned as one of the best rejuvenating herbs in Ayurvedic medicine.


It contains more vitamin C than almost any other fruit, consisting of nearly 3,000 mg of vitamin C per piece. It has been nicknamed the “nurse herb” in India, because of its widespread effectiveness against sickness and its cooling effects on the body.

Haritaki is also considered one of the most useful of Ayurvedic herbs, particularly for its rejuvenating, warming, and balancing effects. Combined with bibhitaki fruit, another tonifying and warming herb, these three compounds are believed to have healing and balancing effects on all three of the principal body types or constitutions (termed doshas) in Ayurvedic medicine. As a balanced formula, triphala can be effectively used by most people and is prescribed for a variety of health conditions.

General Use

amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki

Triphala is taken as a general health tonic, useful for all body types and a variety of conditions. It is commonly prescribed to tone and strengthen the digestive system, particularly in cases of weak digestion and constipation. Triphala is a gentle laxative that can be used daily and is not habit-forming, and has no adverse effects on the intestinal flora (the microorganisms that aid digestion).

It is said to improve the function of the stomach and intestines, and is also prescribed for cases of excess stomach acid. Triphala regulates and detoxifies the bowels, improves overall health by increasing the efficiency and absorption of digestion, and reduces gas.

It has a balancing effect on the body’s metabolism, and is prescribed to restore appetite. The herbal compound also helps the body to eliminate excess fat, by improving metabolism. Because of its gentle properties, triphala is recommended as a digestive aid for the elderly and for those with sensitive stomachs.

In addition to restoring the balance of the digestive tract, triphala is used as a blood builder and purifier, and may increase red blood cell count and hemoglobin levels.

Some healers prescribe it for diabetes, for its balancing effect on blood sugar levels. It also has anti-cholesterol and anti-mucus properties in the body. Triphala is believed to strengthen the kidneys and liver, and is prescribed for hepatitis sufferers.

Triphala is a source of vitamin C and is believed to improve the function of the immune system. The herbs in triphala have anti-inflammatory properties. The remedy is prescribed for gout, a form of arthritis caused by excess uric acid in the body, and other inflammatory conditions. Triphala is said to have a calming and tonic effect on the nervous system, and is recommended for Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative disorders of the nervous system.

Another use for triphala is to strengthen the eyes, particularly in cases of cataracts, glaucoma, and conjunctivitis. It can be used as an eyewash and may reduce soreness and redness in the eyes. Triphala can also be applied topically to the skin to speed the healing of bruises and sunburn.

Preparations

Triphala as powder

Triphala is available as a powder, and in tablets and capsules as well. For those who do not like very strong and bitter tastes, tablets or capsules are recommended. Triphala can be taken daily. As a digestive tonic and laxative, it is best taken in the evening, about two hours after eating, and at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

No food should be eaten for one and a half hours after ingestion. Tablets and capsules can be swallowed, while the powder can be mixed thoroughly in a small amount of cold or warm water. The powder can also be simmered in water and drunk as a medicinal tea.

Individuals should start with small amounts of triphala, a quarter-teaspoon of the powder or one tablet, gradually increasing the dosage until finding the optimal dosage. No more than one teaspoon of the powder or four to six tablets or capsules should be taken per day. The dosage should be reduced in cases of stomach upset or diarrhea.

As triphala is not addictive, it can be taken over long periods of time. It is recommended that every ten weeks, users should stop taking the herbal compound for two to three weeks, to give the body a rest and to maintain the effectiveness of the remedy.

When used as an eyewash, one teaspoon of triphala powder can be added to one cup of boiled and cooled water. The solids should be removed by straining through a dense cloth. The eyewash can be applied to the eyes three times per day. For topical application to the skin, the powder can be mixed with a small amount of water to make an easily applied paste.

Precautions

Triphala is not recommended during pregnancy or nursing, and should not be used with cases of diarrhea and dysentery.

Side Effects

The use of triphala may increase intestinal gas at first, as a possible by-product of the cleansing and detoxification effects in the digestive tract. Loose stools or diarrhea may indicate too high a dosage, and the amount ingested should be reduced.

Interactions

There are no known interactions between triphala and standard Western prescription drugs as of 2004.

Trigger point therapy

Trigger point therapy is a bodywork technique that involves the application of pressure to tender muscle tissue in order to relieve pain and dysfunction in other parts of the body. It may also be called myofascial (myo meaning muscle, fascial meaning connective tissue) trigger point therapy.

Trigger point therapy is sometimes regarded as one of a group of treatment aproaches called neuromuscular therapy or NMT. Myotherapy, developed by Bonnie Prudden, is a related type of trigger point therapy.

Origins

Trigger point therapy was developed by pain experienced in one part of the body is actually caused by an injury or dysfunction in another part of the body.


Ultimately, she mapped what she termed the body’s trigger points and the manner in which pain radiates to the rest of the body. Travell’s work came to national attention when she treated President John F. Kennedy for his back pain.

Trigger points are thought to result from a variety of causes, including birth trauma, hypoglycemia, vitamin B₆ deficiency, food allergies, traumatic injuries, poor posture, skeletal asymmetry, overexertion, or such diseases of the digestive tract as ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. During times of physical or emotional stress, the points cause muscles to spasm.

Travell’s therapy called for the injection of saline (a salt solution) and procaine (also known as Novocaine, an anesthetic) into the trigger point. Although beneficial in the relief of pain, the injections are a painful procedure for some people.

In the 1970s, Bonnie Prudden, a physical fitness and exercise therapist, found that applying sustained pressure to a trigger point also relieved pain. Prudden developed her techniques over a number of years and called the treatments myotherapy. Myotherapy is beneficial to patients who find that trigger point injections are too painful.

Benefits

Trigger point therapy is said to interrupt the neural signals that cause both the trigger point and the pain. The object is to eliminate pain and to reeducate the muscles into pain-free habits.

In this manner, the swelling and stiffness of neuromuscular pain is reduced, range of motion is increased, and flexibility and coordination are improved. The therapy can also relieve tension and improve circulation.

The list of conditions that benefit from trigger point therapy include arthritis; carpal tunnel syndrome; chronic pain in the back, knees, and shoulders; headaches; menstrual cramps; multiple sclerosis; muscle spasms, tension, and weakness; postoperative pain; sciatica; temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ); tendinitis; and whiplash injuries.

Description

Typically, a health care professional refers a patient to a trigger point therapist. The therapist will take a history of injuries suffered, occupations held, and sports played. He or she will ask the individual to describe the pain and its location in detail.

The therapist will then probe the area of the coordinating trigger point. An injection of lidocaine, saline, or other medicines, or probing with a dry needle, may be done. In myotherapy, once the point is found, the therapist will apply sustained pressure using the fingers, knuckles, or elbows for several seconds.

Pain relief is often experienced immediately. Following the injection or pressure treatment, the therapist will then gently stretch the muscles of the trigger point. Finally, a series of exercises is taught to the individual to reeducate the muscles and to prevent the pain from returning.

Workbooks are now available to help patients maximize the benefits of trigger point therapy through self-treatment at home.

trigger point referral pain pattern for the mid back

Preparation

Persons should consult a health care professional before beginning trigger point therapy to insure that the pain is not caused by fracture or disease. In fact, a certified trigger point therapist will not provide services to someone who is not referred by a health care professional.

The therapy is usually conducted on a padded table or treatment chair. The individual should wear comfortable loose-fitting clothing. An ongoing, honest interaction with the therapist will facilitate the sessions.

Treatment sessions can last 30 minutes to an hour. The range of cost is approximately $45–60 per session. Acute pain can be relieved in as little as one session. Chronic pain may require numerous treatments.

Precautions

Persons with infectious diseases, open sores, or recent injuries should wait until they have recovered before beginning trigger point therapy.

Persons taking anticoagulant prescription drugs may experience bruising after trigger point therapy.

Research and general acceptance

Research into the effects of trigger point therapy is sketchy, although the growing acceptance of acupuncture within the mainstream medical community has led to a few recent published studies of trigger point therapy.

Interest in trigger point therapy is growing in Europe and Asia as well as in the United States; one recent study by a group of Japanese researchers reported that trigger point therapy was superior to standard allopathic drugs in relieving the pain of renal colic.

The American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM) reports that studies of trigger point therapy on back pain and headaches have been conducted on groups of fewer than 10 people. The AAPM does, however, recognize trigger point therapy as a valid approach to the management and relief of pain.

In the traditional medical community, trigger point therapy is viewed as a complement to treatment. Patients are referred by a variety of health professionals including psychiatrists, orthopedic surgeons, and anesthesiologists.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis refers to an infection of the genital and urinary tract. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease, affecting about 120 million women worldwide each year.

Trichomoniasis is caused by a protozoan (the smallest, single-celled members of the animal kingdom). Trichomonas vaginalis is almost always passed through urinary tracts. A woman is most susceptible to infection just after having completed her menstrual period.

Men may carry the organism unknowingly, since infection in men may cause mild or no symptoms. Men may also experience urethral discharge or persistent urethritis. Trichomoniasis is associated with HIV transmission and may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.


Causes and symptoms

Because trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease, it occurs more often in individuals who have multiple sexual partners. The protozoan is passed to an individual by contact within the body fluids of an infected sexual partner. It often occurs simultaneously with other sexually transmitted diseases, especially gonorrhea.

In women, the symptoms of trichomoniasis include an unpleasant vaginal odor, and a heavy, frothy, yellow discharge from the vagina. The genital area (vulva) is often very itchy, and there is frequently pain with urination or with sexual intercourse.

protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis

The labia (lips) of the vagina, the vagina itself, and the cervix (the narrowed, lowest segment of the uterus that extends into the upper part of the vagina) will be bright red and irritated. Women may also experience lower abdominal discomfort.

In men, there may be no symptoms at all. Some men notice a small amount of yellowish discharge from the penis, usually first thing in the morning. There may be some mild discomfort while urinating, testicular pain or tenderness, or lower abdominal pain. Some men infected with trichomoniasis experience persistent urethritis.

The use of antibiotics is a contributing factor to recurrent trichomoniasis in some women because antibiotics affect the balance of bacteria in the vagina, allowing such organisms as T. vaginalis to multiply more rapidly.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is easily made by taking a sample of the discharge from the woman’s vagina or from the opening of the man’s penis. The sample is put on a slide and viewed under a microscope. The protozoa, which are able to move about, are easily viewed.

Trichomoniasis tends to be underdiagnosed in men because of the relative mildness of symptoms in men and insufficiently sensitive diagnostic tests. The recent introduction of DNA amplification, however, indicates that the incidence of trichomoniasis in men is much higher than was previously thought.

Treatment

Cure of trichomoniasis may be difficult to achieve with alternative treatments. Some practitioners suggest eliminating sweets and carbohydrates from the diet and supplement with antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, and zinc. Naturopaths may recommend treatment with two douches (a wash used inside the vagina), alternating one in the morning and one at bedtime.

One douche contains the herbs calendula (Calendula officinalis), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), and echinacea (Echinacea spp.); the other douche contains plain yogurt with live acidophilus cultures. The herbal douche helps to kill the protozoa while the yogurt reestablishes healthy flora in the vagina. Tea tree oil is another alternative remedy for trichomoniasis.

Acidifying the vagina by douching with boric acid or vinegar may also be useful. Although not a cure, The Gynecological Sourcebook suggests inserting a garlic (Allium sativum) suppository (a peeled whole clove wrapped in gauze) every 12 hours for symptomatic relief.

Other remedies include vaginal suppositories that include the ingredient acidophilus once a day for three days. An alternative medicine practitioner can recommend the correct mixture. A vaginal douche consisting of grapefruit seed extract may also help relieve symptoms.

Allopathic treatment

It is spread through sex

The usual treatment is a single large dose of metronidazole (Flagyl) or split doses over the course of a week. Some sources suggest clotrimazole (Gyne-lotrimin, Mycelex) as an alternative treatment showing a lower cure rate.

Application of Betadine, a concentrated antiseptic solution, is another recommendation, although Betadine is messy, stains, and should not be used by pregnant women. However, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that there are no effective alternatives to therapy with metronidazole available. Topical treatment with metronidazole is not advised.

Individual evaluations are recommended for those who are allergic to metronidazole or who experience treatment-resistant trichomoniasis. Sexual partners of an infected individual must all be treated, to prevent the infection from being passed back and forth. Sexual intercourse should be avoided until all partners are cured.


As of late 2003, the number of cases of metronidazole-resistant trichomoniasis appears to be increasing rapidly. Some success has been reported with the broadspectrum anti-parasitic drug nitazoxanide, but further research needs to be done.

A group of researchers in Thailand is currently investigating the effectiveness of a group of drugs known as bisquaternary quinolinium salt compounds in treating trichomoniasis.

Women who are taking antibiotics for other illnesses should speak to their health care provider about the possibile effects of the medication(s) on the balance of organisms in their vagina.

Expected results

sexually transmitted diseases

Prognosis is excellent (90–95%) with appropriate treatment of the patient and all sexual partners. Without treatment, the infection can remain for a long time, and can be passed to all sexual partners.

Prevention

All sexually transmitted diseases can be prevented by using adequate protection during sexual intercourse. Effective forms of protection include male and female condoms. Other preventive measures are similar to those for other forms of vaginitis, including wearing loose cotton clothing and not using douches, vaginal deodorants, or sprays.

Trepanation

Trepanation is a surgical procedure in which a circular piece of bone is removed from the skull by a special saw-like instrument called a trephine or trepan. The operation is also known as trephination or trephining. The English word “trepan” comes from the Greek word trypanon, which means “auger” or “drill.”

In standard medical practice, trepanation is occasionally performed by a neurosurgeon in order to relieve pressure on the brain caused by trauma, or to remove a blood clot from brain tissue.

In recent years, however, trepanation has been touted by a small group of alternative practitioners as a way to expand one’s consciousness through the increase of blood flow to the brain and opening the “third eye,” also known as the inner eye or eye of the mind.


Practitioners of kundalini yoga refer to the opening of the third eye, located in the middle of the forehead, as entry into a new and completely different dimension of reality.

Trepanation is the oldest surgical procedure known to humans; skulls of Cro-Magnon people estimated to be 40,000 years old have been discovered with circular holes as large as 2 in in diameter. The Incas of Peru are known to have performed trepanation as early as 2000 B.C.

It is thought that these operations were performed to treat people suffering from psychotic disorders, epilepsy, or chronic migraine headaches by allowing demons to escape through the hole in the skull.

The oldest written reference to trepanation comes from Hippocrates (c. 400 B.C.), whose descriptions of head injuries refer to it as a necessary treatment for skull fractures with bone fragments pushed inward and compressing the brain.

Celsus and Galen refer to Roman surgeons of the first century A.D. as performing trepanations with implements resembling carpenters’ drills. Trephines were refined in various ways through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

It should be emphasized that trepanations were done by ancient, medieval, and early modern physicians to relieve pressure on brain tissue—not to perform surgery on the brain itself.

Care was taken not to penetrate the dura mater, which is the outermost of the three meninges or membranes that lie beneath the skull and form a protective cover for the brain and spinal cord. Historians of medicine estimate, however, that as many as 40 percent of patients died from infections following the procedure rather than from the surgery itself.

Contemporary interest in trepanation as a path to expanded consciousness goes back only to the 1960s.

Bart Huges, a Dutchman who was expelled from medical school in the early 1960s for failing his examinations and using marijuana, is generally considered the founder of alternative trepanation. Huges developed a theory that he called brainbloodvolume while he was smoking marijuana at a party on the island of Ibiza.

He noticed another guest standing on his head to increase the intoxicating effects of the drug. Huges concluded that the expansion of consciousness associated with hallucinogens results from an increased volume of blood in the brain.

Japanese Anatomical Illustrations of trepanation

He reasoned that the removal of a piece of the skull would allow an even larger amount of blood to enter the brain, speeding up the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the brain cells as well as the removal of toxins.

Huges had also learned in medical school that infants are born with soft spots in the skull known as fontanelles, which are membrane-covered areas where the bone has not yet completely formed. He concluded that trepanation would help to return an adult’s consciousness to the intense imagination and vivid dreams of a child.

Huges—who never obtained a medical degree—managed to convert several individuals to his brainbloodvolume theory—among them Peter Halvorson, who underwent trepanation and credits it with curing his depression, increasing his energy level, and giving him a permanent drug-free high. As of 2004, Halvorson is the head of the International Trepanation Advocacy Group (ITAG), headquartered in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.

The ITAG web site includes accounts of a pilot study of six volunteers who were trepanned in June 2002 as well as personal testimonials from others who have undergone the procedure.

Benefits

According to the testimonials collected by Halvorson, trepanation confers the following benefits:

• relief from anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders
• feelings of freedom and serenity
• a richer emotional life
• greater ability to recall dreams on awaking
• decrease in frequency and severity of chronic headaches
• higher energy levels

Other people who have undergone trepanation, however, maintain that these benefits are only temporary and may be due to the placebo effect.

A man who performed trepanation on himself in 2000 reported to an interviewer from an online body modification journal that he had “come to the frustrating conclusion [four weeks after the procedure] that the trepanation has had no lasting effect ... Trepanation has no more physiological effect than any other syok ... it does not do what many hope it will.”

Description

Surgical trepanation

A standard trepanation—most commonly done to relieve pressure on the brain when a portion of the skull has been pushed inward—is performed with the patient under general anesthesia under sterile conditions.

The neurosurgeon cuts the scalp over the injured area, pulls back a flap of skin, and bores a hole in the underlying skull with a trephine. After the depressed bone has been removed together with any blood clots that have formed, the surgeon carefully cleanses the area and closes the incision.

Alternative trepanation

Some alternative trepanations have been performed by people on themselves, with friends to assist with the procedure. In the early 1980s, several people in England performed the entire operation on themselves, with others present to help only if an emergency arose.

The reason for this stipulation was to protect the others in the room from criminal prosecution for performing surgery without credentials. The trepanner typically shaved his or her head and injected a local anesthetic. He or she then made an incision in the scalp over the area to be trepanned.

Next, a hole between 1/4 and 1/2 in in diameter was cut in the skull with a foot-powered dental drill. The trepanner then removed the piece of skull, cleaned the incision, and bandaged it. The scalp gradually grew back over the hole, leaving only a small permanent indentation.

More recently, however, trepanners have allowed others to assist with the operation; the man who was interviewed for the online journal had three friends who covered the walls of his room with plastic sheeting, did part of the drilling, and rinsed out the incision from time to time with sterile saline solution. He reported that the entire procedure took about 3-1/2 hours.

The participants in the ITAG pilot study, however, went to a clinic in Monterrey, Mexico, for their trepanations. The ITAG web site states plainly that “Self-trepanation today is a very selfish act. It opens the door for no one and you’d always have to keep it a secret. The public mind can’t handle this. You’d be labeled ‘insane.’”

According to the ITAG web site, the surgeon who presently performs the procedures for Halvorson’s groups was trained in Texas and is board-certified in four countries (France, Spain, Mexico, and the United States). The trepanations take about 35 minutes to complete. The cost of the operation is $2400–$3600, not including travel and hotel fees.

Preparations

People who have performed trepanations on themselves have prepared by assembling the needed equipment and setting aside a room in their house to serve as the operating room.

ITAG requires persons interested in trepanation (who must be 18 or older) to go through a period of mental preparation known as engramming, which Halvorson defines idiosyncratically as “becom[ing] thoroughly acquainted with the terminology of conscious expansion.”

In addition, the volunteers must sign an informed consent form and a protocol that indicates that they understand the procedure is considered experimental. They are given MRIs before and after the trepanation.

Precautions

Mainstream medical professionals uniformly warn against alternative trepanation because it is an extremely risky procedure—particularly if done by amateurs—with no certain or permanent benefits.

Because scalp incisions bleed profusely, people who attempt to trepan themselves are likely to find that the flow of blood obscures their field of vision, thus increasing the risk of self-injury.

Side effects

The potential side effects of alternative trepanation are severe, even life-threatening; they include permanent injury or death from infections, stroke, direct damage to brain tissue, generalized encephalitis, epilepsy, or brain abscesses.

Research and general acceptance

Trepanation is not accepted as an alternative therapy by any mainstream physicians or surgeons in the United States or Canada. In addition to the dangers of the procedure itself, neurosurgeons who have studied the claims made for trepanation say that Huges’ brainbloodvolume theory is anatomically impossible.

For yous ever worked past times using Computer, Offence inwards the role MOUSE everyday,
Will number to KARPAL SINDROM! USE MOUSE NICELY AND TRUE!
Patient 's Surgery With CARPAL SYNDROME








How to avoid KARPAL SINDROM?









Hand exercise's

Apple cider vinegar (BBM) has been used for thousands of years for diverse purposes of treatment. In samom delegations, is a reference to the Bible every bit a powerful healing agent. BBM has the perfect residuum of nineteen vital minerals such every bit calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, potassium chloride, sodium, iron, fluorine too silicon to mention a few.

Along amongst minerals, merely every bit good contains 93 dissimilar salubrious ingredients that tin assistance your trunk regulate blood pressure level too operate on your immune system. It every bit good acts every bit a natural germ fighters, every bit good every bit a rigid cleaning agent.

BBM every bit good has unopen to advantages of large external every bit well. Not exclusively that hold salubrious skin, merely every bit good soothes too prevents sunburn dandruff. Researchers debate that they tin foreclose pilus loss if they are used every bit local solutions, such as, inwards contrast to swallow. One of the most sought-after qualities of the Armenian Apostolic Church is right away inwards its properties, too weight loss.

Studies induce got shown that nutrients, enzymes too organic acids contained inwards the Armenian Apostolic Church to deed every bit a weight loss component, which suppresses appetite too reliably growth the charge per unit of measurement of metabolism.

There are several companies, loss of weight, to decide all natural weight loss supplement that contains a mixture of caution BBM, which tin accept i time a day.

More almost Alternative Medicine:

The True Meaning of Alternative Medicine
What Is Herbal Medicine Is It Safe
Naturopathic Medicine
Chinese Medicine
Complementary Medicine
Top x Ways Chinese Medicine Can Help Yo
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Holistic Medicine
Top x Ways Chinese Medicine Can Help Yo
Acupuncture too Oriental Medicine
Council on Family Health Offers Medicine
Herbal Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine too Inferti
Why Choose Naturopathic Medicine
Can Western Medicine Accept Chinese Medi
High Blood Pressure Medicines
Traditional Chinese Medicine too Inferti
Herbs every bit medicines
Saving upwardly on Discounted Medicines
The Power of Ganoderma inwards Oriental Medic
Vibrational Medicine
How to Help the Medicine Go Down
Herbal Medicine has been used for thousa
Integrative Medicine And It39s Future
High Blood Pressure Medicine
"The Two Sides of Medicine
Benefits of Alternative Medicine
Herbal Medicine An Ounce Of Prevention
Why PR Can endure Effective Medicine
Isn't It Time For WHOLISTIC Medicine
Canine Arthritis Medicine
Pros too Cons of Buying Pet Medicine Onl
Revolutionary Medicine Shockwave Thera
Is a mothers beloved medicine
The Aromatherapy Home Medicine Chest P
Why Modern Medicine is the Greatest Thre
How Do I Choose The Best Arthritis Medic
Medicine From Recommended Pharmacies
The Essential Oil Home Medicine Chest
Cialis The Latest inwards ED Medicine
The Maharishi Ayurveda Natural Medicine
ELECTRO-MOLECULAR MEDICINE Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 NEW FRONTI
Healing teas are rigid medicine
MEDICINE FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES
Preventive Medicine Ayurveda
The Beginnings of Medicine via the Back
diabetes medicine
Herbal medicine for type 2 diabetes
herbal medicine for diabetes
Alternative medicine inwards nutrient Shallots
Ayurvedic medicine for diabetes
Ayurvedic Medicine For Type 2 Diabetes
Ayurvedic Medicine For Type ii diabetes
Ayurvedic Indian Medicine Triphala
medicine for diabetes
TraditionaL ayurvedic medicine for type
Traditional Chinese Medicine too Inferti
Herbal medicine for diabetes salacia ob
HERBAL MEDICINE FOR TYPE TWO DIABETES
Revenge is the Best Medicine
Know About the All Purpose Holistic Medi
Medical Malpractice Suits Death By Medi
Vitamins inwards Natural Medicines
Wild medicine too Tansy cakes
Contacting a Celebrex Law Firm The Bes
University of South Carolina School of M
"Big Pharma is using Western Medicine
Light Medicine of the Future
Wellness Medicine

What is addictive illness in addition to why is smoking considered an addictive disease?

The term addictive illness or addiction describes a persistent habit that is harmful to the person. Thus, addiction is a chronic (long duration) illness amongst reliance on the amount causing the addiction. The addictive amount too causes the accompanying deterioration of a person's physical in addition to psychological health.

Psychologically, an individual's conduct designing establishes how the addictive amount is used. One type of conduct is compulsive behavior, which is an overwhelming in addition to irresistible involvement inward role of the substance. For example, the compulsive addict makes certain that the amount is e'er available. Another type of conduct is habitual behavior, which is using the amount regularly or occasionally for the desirable effects. Physically, continuous role of the amount leads to dependence on the drug past times the body. This dependence agency that when the drug is discontinued, symptoms of withdrawal or distress occur.

Nicotine is the element of cigarettes that addicts. Almost at nowadays upon inhalation, the torso responds to the nicotine. An private feels relaxed, calmer, in addition to happier than earlier the inhalation. These pleasant feelings reverberate the physical side of addiction; merely then, doing without cigarettes causes craving for to a greater extent than cigarettes, irritability, impatience, anxiety, in addition to other unpleasant symptoms. Indeed, these symptoms are the symptoms of withdrawal from cigarettes. What's more, over time, to a greater extent than in addition to to a greater extent than nicotine is desired to create the favorable effects in addition to to avoid the symptoms of withdrawal.

What are the signs of cigarette addiction?

The signs of addiction to cigarettes include:

Smoking to a greater extent than than vii cigarettes per day
Inhaling deeply in addition to frequently
Smoking cigarettes containing nicotine levels to a greater extent than than 0.9mg
Smoking inside thirty minutes of awakening inward the morning
Finding it hard to eliminate the get-go cigarette inward the morning
Smoking oft during the morning
Finding it hard to avoid smoking inward smoking-restricted areas
Needing to smoke fifty-fifty if ill in addition to inward bed

Please banker's complaint in addition to circulate...

Do non plow on A/C straightaway equally shortly equally you lot come across the car!

Please opened upwards the windows later on you lot come across your machine in addition to produce non plow ON the air conditioning immediately. According to a query done, the machine dashboard, sofa, air freshener emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen- convey banker's complaint of the heated plastic odour inward your car).

In add-on to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, in addition to reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure volition displace Leukemia, increasing the conduct a opportunity of cancer may likewise displace miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene flat indoors is l mg per sq. ft. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 machine parked indoors amongst the windows unopen volition incorporate 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors nether the Sun at a temperature inward a higher house lx degrees F, the Benzene flat goes upwards to 2000-4000 mg, twoscore times the acceptable level... & the people within the machine volition inevitably inhale an excess sum of the toxins.

It is recommended that you lot opened upwards the windows in addition to door to compass fourth dimension for the interior to air out earlier you lot enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney in addition to liver, in addition to is really hard for your trunk to expel this toxic stuff.

Food every bit Medicine

HEADACHE? EAT FISH!
Eat enough of fish -- fish fossil oil helps foreclose headaches.
So does ginger, which reduces inflammation as well as pain..

HAY FEVER? EAT YOGURT!
Eat lots of yogurt earlier pollen season.
Also-eat dearest from your surface area (local region) daily.

TO PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA!
Prevent buildup of obese deposits on artery walls amongst regular doses of tea. (actually, tea suppresses my appetite as well as keeps the pounds from invading....Green tea is neat for our immune system)!

INSOMNIA (CAN ' T SLEEP?) HONEY!
Use dearest every bit a tranquilizer as well as sedative.

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!!
Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes. (when I was young, my woman nurture would brand onion packs to house on our chest, helped the respiratory ailments as well as genuinely made us breathe better).

ARTHRITIS? EAT FISH, TOO!!
Salmon, tuna, mackerel an d sardines genuinely foreclose arthritis. (fish has omega oils! , adept for our immune system)

UPSET STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!!!!!
Bananas volition settle an upset stomach.
Ginger volition cure morning time sickness as well as nausea.

BLADDER INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!!!!
High-acid cranberry juice controls harmful bacteria.

BONE PROBLEMS? EAT PINEAPPLE!!!
Bone fractures as well as osteoporosis tin hold upward prevented past times the manganese inward pi! neapple.

PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME? EAT CORNFLAKES!!!!
Women tin ward off the effects of PMS amongst cornflakes, which assist cut down depression, anxiety as well as fatigue..

MEMORY PROBLEMS? EAT OYSTERS!
Oysters assist improve your mental performance past times supplying much-needed zinc.

COLDS? EAT GARLIC!
Clear upward that stuffy caput amongst garlic. (remember, garlic lowers cholesterol, too.)

COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!!
A amount like to that institute inward the coughing syrups is institute inward hot reddish pepper. Use reddish (cayenne) pepper amongst caution-it tin irritate your tummy.

BREAST CANCER? EAT Wheat, bran as well as cabbage
Helps to maintain estrogen at salubrious levels.

LUNG CANCER? EAT DARK GREEN AND ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!!
A adept antidote is beta carotene, a flat of Vitamin Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 institute inward night light-green as well as orangish vegetables.

ULCERS? EAT CABBAGE ALSO!!!
Cabbage contains chemicals that assist heal both gastric as well as duodenal ulcers.

DIARRHEA? EAT APPLES!
Grate an apple tree amongst its skin, allow it plow chocolate-brown as well as consume it to cure this condition. (Bananas are adept for this ailment)

CLOGGED ARTERIES? EAT AVOCADO!
Mono unsaturated obese inward avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? EAT CELERY ! AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive fossil oil has been shown to lower blood pressure.
Celery contains a chemic that lowers pressure level too.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE? EAT BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!!
The chromium inward broccoli as well as peanuts helps regulate insulin as well as blood sugar.

Kiwi: Tiny simply mighty. This is a adept rootage of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin eastward &fiber. It ' sec Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple: An apple tree a twenty-four hours keeps the Dr. away? Although an apple tree has a depression Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the action of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, center assault & stroke.

Strawberry: Protective fruit. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 strawberry convey the highest full antioxidant ability amid major fruits & protects the torso from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging gratuitous radicals... (Actually, whatsoever berry is adept for you...they're high inward anti-oxidants as well as they genuinely proceed us young.........blueberries are the best as well as rattling versatile inward the wellness field........they larn rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies)

Orange: Sweetest medicine. Taking ii - 4 oranges a twenty-four hours may assist proceed colds away, lower cholesterol, foreclose & dissolve kidney stones every bit good every bit lessen the risk of colon ca ncer.!

Watermelon: Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed amongst a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a primal rootage of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients
found inward watermelon are Vitamin C &Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that proceed our peel healthy, protecting our peel from those darn suv rays)

Guava &Papaya: Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich inward fiber which helps foreclose constipation.

Papaya is rich inward carotene, this is go! od for your eyes. (also adept for gas as well as indigestion)

Tomatoes are rattling adept every bit a preventative stair out for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.