Touch of Healing Blog

I was reading an article posted on Twitter connected to Fibroids. These are  benign uterine tumors composed of the same tissue as the uterine wall (myometrium) except that they tend to be denser. These growths occur in the uterus at 5 possible sites and are named according to their position in the uterus. The medical profession strictly speaking does not know why fibroids occur, only that 1 in 4 women will develop them and that they appear to be more prevalent in women of African origin and that there may be a genetic component. The article I read makes reference to a drug called Ella (Ulipristal), better known as the ‘morning after pill’ and research on it is funded by a company called Preglem who are trying to prove the efficacy of using this drug to shrink fibroids in the womb. This drug treatment is hoped to replace the need for hysterectomy’s which are a method of preventing the adverse effects that can come with the presence of fibroids, i.e abnormal uterine bleeds and heavy painful menstruation.

As with all drugs Ella is no different:  it has side effects, one of which is that it may cause cancerous changes in the womb and so it can only be used for a short time and once its use is stopped the fibroids seem to return. Seems a bit pointless taking it really!

I find this quite interesting, and being a remedial bodyworker makes me wonder if there is infact any form of manual therapy which might treat the condition, and prove to be effective at resolving the issue long term, without having any side effects. Researching more I came across an article entitled “Visceral Manipulation and the treatment of uterine fibroids: A case Report” by Cook K and Rasmussen which was published in the ACA Journal of Chiropractic, Dec 1992; 29 (12) 39-41.

This article makes reference to case studies of two women who were treated with a combination of Visceral Manipulation and a specific chiropractic technique called Sacro occipital technique. Having no idea what the latter was I investigated further and discovered that infact it works with the craniosacral rhythm in much the same way as cranio sacral therapy. The two case studies indicated an improvement or dissapearance of symptoms of fibroids in the condition of the women. I was quite encouraged by this and wonder if once again we shouldn’t be redirecting funds towards proving the efficacy of more natural ways of treating the bodies dysfunction, towards an idea of health without side effects. However, with many women suffering the side effects of fibroids its in the financial interest of drug companies to get their drug into use so they can make the most out of us, so though in an ideal world the alternatives ought to be a natural consideration, somehow I do not think it will happen any time soon.

I once recall treating a woman, who came to me with what we describe as a standard lumbar region back pain. After two treatments, addressing just the musculature, though she experienced a small amount of relief, the pain persisted and upon investigation the medics discovered she had fibroids. Jean Pierre Barral, the French Osteopath who developed the visceral manipulation technique always says that the muscles are a dumping ground for problems in the Viscera. In this case the viscera would be the uterus. A coincidence or actuality, we can never be sure. The beauty of visceral and cranial or myofascial work isn’t so much about diagnosis, as about communicating with the body and taking direction from it in terms of therapeutic help.

I for one am convinced, from work I do, that specific and directed hands on therapy can be an effective tool in treating fibroids and their symptoms.

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Following on from the previous blog I wrote on Diabetes I have been looking alittle more into work on the Manipura chakra. Apparently there are several ways in which it is possible to access this energy centre to bring it into a state of balance in relation to the condition of diabetes. I can’t ofcourse say that it cures diabetes, as I believe, genetically if you are predisposed to the condition, nothing can prevent you becoming diabetic unless knowing of your genetic predisposition, you take action very early on, but even then if you agree with Louise Haye and people like her, if at any point in your life you experience the low self esteem the lack of control and the lack of being loved then the potential always exist for diabetes to develop.

The best you can hope for with any intervention, is for it to either promote insulin function or lower blood sugar level..miracles are another matter and beyond the scope of this blog…anyway in attempting to look for alternatives to medication for diabetes, its a start. As I mentioned there are several ways of addressing imbalances with Manipura to help the condition of daibetes.

Yoga pranayama and yoga asanas and Yoga Nidra are three such methods:

In Hatha Yoga, there are 8 forms of pranayama.
Alternate nostril breathing, useful in diabetes due to the calming effect it has on nervous system. The result of this is to reduce stress levels, helping in diabetes treatment. During stress elevated cortisol levels promote blood sugar levels to meet the requirement of the ‘fight or flight’ state, even when there is no imminent danger. Other types of pranayama are Bhramari and Bhasrika Pranayama are helpful in diabetes. Bharamari calms the mind, the brain and nervous system. Bhasrika Pranayama increases oxygen levels whilst reducing carbon dioxide in the blood. During this pranayama abdominal muscles and diaphragm apply pressure on internal organs. A mixture of deep breathing, fast breathing, and Bandhas (Jalandhar bandha or chin lock, moola bandha and Uddiyan bandha or abdominal lock) techniques are utilitized.

Asanas or postures, when held for long periods in a state of relaxation are very beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. Yogic postures apply pressure to internal organs, and with each change of posture and hold of posture the pressure alter. The effect is to encourage blood flow and therefore oxygen reaching the organs of the body improving visceral function. Stretching of glandular structures promotes an efficient and fully functioning endocrine system.
The following postures have been found to aid in treating diabetes:

Dhanurasana (Bow pose in prone position),
Ardhamatsyendrasana (Half spinal twist),
Vajrasana Yoga Mudra,
Pavan Muktasana,
Sarvangasana,
Halasana,
Matsyasana.
These asanas when held for a good duration, with the muscles in a state of relaxation effect the pancreas in a positive manner promoting insulin functioning.

The Sun salutation is a series of yoga asanas strung together in sequence, when repeated at 4 cycles per minute the aerobic benefit of exercise can be experienced, when carried out slowly and mindfully then the sun salutation offers the diabetes sufferer the same benefits as static yogic asanas. Ashtanga yoga and vinyasa flow yoga can be of equal benefit, but its import to be aware that the whole process of yogic asanas is to promote the flow of blood. Any posture which effects that, such as crossed legged positions should be performed with caution.

Yoga Nidra is a deep relaxation, a state of conscious deep sleep, and like meditation its purpose is to promote a balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic aspects of the autonomic nervous system. In terms of the limbs of yoga they are viewed very differently. In meditation it is possible to perform omkar chanting to focus the mind on the breath and it is also possible to visualize and observe a fully functioning pancreas in order to make this the reality. The advocates the idea that you as an individual create the outcome in your existence which you desire. Unlike the feeling of helplessness, what this offers is the hope that you do have control, and at the very least can take back control over your body.

Because of the depth of relaxation in Yoga Nidra, the spiritual aspects of our being can be accessed and we open up to the universe, from which point we are able to effect a much more profound level of healing. The breathwork awareness needed for this requires massive time and effort to develop. Any of us of have even attempted deep relaxation or focus on breath know it is a skill which we are not born with, we truely have to be dedicated and work at it doggedly and remain motivated in its practice.

These methods are not as I mentioned earlier a guaranteed cure to diabetes, but they offer a degree of control and they offer us an alternative treatment, if we choose not to use the conventional methods.

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Asthma is an illness, significant for the difficulty in breathing. Conventional treatment for asthma includes steroid inhalers. I know a number of people who have the condition, but the symptoms are not the same, and they aren’t always apparent. One person I know has regular asthma attacks, where as someone else I know, has never once displayed symptoms since she was diagnosed.

At its most severe, asthma can prevent a person from leading a full life. They experience chest tightness and restictions in the capacity to breath. Even the slightest exertion can set them off. Sometimes eating certain foods, such as dairy products, can increase inflammation. Often stress is the only trigger needed. I often see asthma accompanied by allergy problems, like dust and pollen. In its mildest form a sufferer may experience coughing and slight wheezing during chest infections, but they lead a perfectly normal life otherwise.

In my clinic I sometimes work with asthma sufferers, who tire of taking steroid medication, especially when they become aware of the side effects of their regular use. I use techniques like manual lymphatic drainage massage, to help reduce the obstructive element of the condition. It is also helpful in building the immune response so that allergic reactions to pollen or dust is avoided. Craniosacral therapy helps to ease sympathetic nerve response to stress factors, internal, or external which might aggravate the condition.

There is ofcourse no miracle cure to asthma and so complementary therapy can help to keep it at bay, by addressing all or as many of the triggers to a potential attack. Easing the condition by controlling the symptoms is sometimes enough to re-establish a quality of life. Treatment for asthma is important so that the condition is not allowed to worsen. If a sufferer of asthma is mindful of their condition and takes adequate care then they can usually avoid aggravating it further.

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How to be happy should by the sound of it be quite easy to accomplish, but as any one will tell you in terms of the physical mind it is one of the hardest things to do. It is something we hope for and always fall shy of achieving, yet the words and concepts surrounding the idea of how to be happy are never really far from our plan in life.

We may believe that provided we make lots of money, or achieve status at work, or get the house, the spouse, the garden and the 2.4 children this is how to be happy. We tell ourselves that as long as we have health and the support of loved ones, thats how to be happy. Yet despite the presence of these things, often we feel jittery, unfulfilled, we drop everything in search of ourselves. In “Eat, Pray, Love the character does exactly that and goes off to Italy, India and the far east and finds a love interest, where it takes her a while to work out she wants to be with him. Is that how to be happy?

The Dalai Lama says that the purpose of life is to seek happiness. It is the aim of our soul or spirit and having accomplished it, according to buddhist philosophy we let go of attachment and stop suffering. So whats the formula? Where can we find the recipe and who can show us how to be happy. The answer is that there is no formula, no recipe. There is no one who can magically wave a wand and create happiness. If it were the case then the likes of Freud and his successors would have found it and we would be living happiness in our everyday lives. The truth is that for the majority of us the concept of how to be happy eludes us, but we are told that the way to find it requires constant, daily hard work. We are told that if we affirm happy thoughts, think happy thoughts, live in the now as though we were happy we would eventually create happiness, and this is essentially ‘The secret’.

Well nothing truly worth having is attained with ease. If it does come with ease we often don’t respect or value it. We go from all the modern day life coaching theories and realise that actually they take us back to the ancient concepts of visualisation, meditation, self creation and the idea of consciousness and the higher concepts of the universe. I have colleagues who live and breath this philosophy and I include myself in this and it becomes apparent that just like the climbing to the summit of a very high peak, how to be happy requires ongoing, unrelenting and steadfast determination to never stop. when we feel we have achieved one summit, its a matter of starting another climb. How to be happy is hard work, and is actually down to the individual. Happiness and how to be happy is within the realms of our creation for ourselves. No one can magic it into being for us. If we rely on others to show us how to be happy, we will inevitably be dissapointed by the expection long before we realise that they actually no more than us about how to be happy. The answer is in one place and one place alone. Look deep and work hard and continuously, even on days we think it is ours, only then will we truly know how to be happy. Check out this article about how to be a happy on www.touchofhealing.co.uk which suggests a few ways you can accomplish this goal for yourself.

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I recently worked with an elderly gentleman who came to me thinking he had a frozen shoulder. He had very little in way of lateral lift of his left arm. Using myofascial release, a much better range of movement was accomplished for the arm. Two treatments were sufficient to remove the pain and he didn’t come back for about two years.

When I saw him again, he came with what he thought was a once more a frozen shoulder, but this time the problem was in his right side. Myofascial Release over two treatments again made a difference and he cancelled his next appointment, but about a month later, he rang to say the problem had returned. When I treated the condition in each shoulder/arm, I worked on the assumption that the rotator cuff might have been strained, but included treatment of anterior, medial and posterior deltoids. When he returned, I did a number of assessments which included checking his craniosacral rhythm, and skeletal alignment. Looking at his upper body, what was very obvious was the medial rotation Of both sides. This indicated the possibility of a visceral lesion. So I did a general assessment, which, took me to something in his upper thorax. A number of questions revealed that 3 years earlier he had contracted pleurisy. At the time I did the assessments we had again treated just the top of the arm and shoulder, and I asked him back within another month.

I suspected that the problem would again return and he seemed to confirm to me that the problem was coming from some other area of his body. I treated the thorax using visceral therapy which involved releasing small muscles and ligaments around the collar bone and the top of the shoulder blade and chest. I also treated the breast bone and the intercostal spaces. By doing this he felt like he had a greatly improved range of movement in both arms. I would have liked to work with him alittle more to investigate the source of the shakes he was left with after the bout of pleurisy he had suffered, however, what was important was that he no longer felt pain, he was satisfied and so was not to concerned about investigating what did not at this stage bother him.

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