Antioxidants May Prevent Bone Loss - Texas Sees New Treatments For Osteoporosis

New research suggests that taking antioxidants may prevent bone loss in menopausal women, one of the primary health concerns associated with this condition.

Every year, 500,000 American women suffer at least one fracture of the vertebrae, and 300,000 sustain hip fractures. Fractures related to osteoporosis, or the thinning and weakening of bones, amounts to $10 billion every year in national healthcare costs, and approximately $977 million in Texas alone. In fact, 1.9 million Texans suffer from osteoporosis or bone loss at any given moment -- and they're not all menopausal women. That means in every city and small town -- from Dallas, to Houston, to Austin, to the Eastern plains -- someone is significantly affected by weakening bones. The repercussions this has for not only the personal health of these individuals and their families, but also on the health insurance and healthcare industries, are huge.

The past ten years of study have indicated that prevention early on in life is the best medicine. Menopausal women are, indeed, the most affected, and ladies in their premenopausal years do themselves a favor when they watch their calcium and vitamin D intake, as well as their levels of physical exercise and sunlight exposure -- all factors believed to affect the formation of bone. Menopausal osteoporosis, then, is the result of bone levels achieved before menopause, and the rate at which bone tissue deteriorates afterwards. The stronger and denser the skeleton becomes in youth, the more material the body has to work with later on in life.

While levels of calcium, vitamin D, exercise, and sunlight exposure are key factors affecting skeletal health, pregnancy, nursing, immobility, and low estrogen levels may also weaken bones. Contrary to appearance, bones are not inanimate structures, but are living tissues, constantly undergoing a cycle of breakdown and regeneration. This process must be balanced; if breakdown of cells occurs at a faster rate than the body can rebuild and replace them, then thinning of the tissues occurs. Therefore, processes to ensure healthy regeneration are essential.

All that hard work shoring up on bone tissue shows its greatest benefit during menopause, when estrogen levels plummet. Estrogen, or oestrogen, appears to inhibit the activity of osteoclasts, cells that reabsorb bone tissue during the process of osteoclasis. Normally, this reabsorption is an essential part of the body's inner workings. Bones cannot continually generate unchecked, after all, or we would soon literally be swallowed by our own skeletons. But once estrogen levels decrease, and osteoclast activity increases, osteoblasts – cells that develop bone – simply cannot keep pace.

One advantage of estrogen therapies has been to keep the activity of the osteoclasts at bay. Such therapies are controversial, though. While maintaining levels of estrogen may reduce some of the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause and decrease chances of heart disease and osteoporosis, they have also been linked with certain cancers. So what if bone loss could be minimized, or better yet halted, by a different method?

The Sir Joseph Hotung Centre for Musculoskeletal Disorders, at St. George's University of London, believes it may have a way. In other tissues, estrogen "opposes the activity of reactive oxygen species," or ROS, which, in turn stimulate NfKB -- a major intracellular signal that activates osteoclasts. In experimental mice with ovariectomies, antioxidant defenses in bone marrow decreased, while administering estrogen to them increased these defenses. "What," you say. "Come again?"

The theory states that estrogen may inhibit the activity of the osteoclasts by "opposing" the activity of ROS, which stimulate NfKB, which then activates osteoclasts. By increasing antioxidant defenses in bone marrow (done through estrogen or the administration of certain antioxidants), the degeneration process of bone may be halted or slowed. In other words, antioxidants may, in the end, have the same effect as estrogen therapy. Giving ascorbate or N-acetylcysteine (types of antioxidants) to ovariectomised mice, actually prevented bone loss, a significant finding considering that most treatments can only slow bone loss, at best.

The implication is that bone loss may be treated with antioxidants, versus other synthetic therapies. While further experimentation is needed, it's a phenomenal breakthrough in Western medicine. Indeed, boneset -- a plant believed to be high in antioxidants -- has been used by Native American peoples to treat and speed the healing of broken bones. The growing friendship between natural medicine and Western science just may produce treatment options in the coming years we never would have thought possible.

Optimizing bone health in your younger years can have a tremendous affect on you later in life. How you take care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, as well. If you’re a young individual who tries to keep informed and maintain a healthy condition and lifestyle, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. Visit our website, [http://www.precedent.com], for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled "real time" application and acceptance process.

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Treatments Focusing on Sugars May Help Cure Cancer - New Hope for Texas

It turns out that the key to defeating cancer just may found in sugar...well, at least in the polysaccarides, or "sugar molecules," surrounding tumors. That's good news for developed countries like the U.S., in which cancer is a leading cause of death. Texas alone endures approximately 10,000 lung-cancer related deaths every year, many of which are in high-pollutant areas like Dallas, Houston, and Austin. The implications this has for potential lifesaving treatments, and, subsequently, for the health care and health insurance industries, are profound.

According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, altering some of the sugars found on the surface of cancer cells can control tumor growth. Theorizing that changes in the polysaccarides surrounding tumors indicated the stages or aggressiveness of cancers, Ram Sasisekharan and colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted studies in which cancer-infected mice were given doses of two enzymes and their products predicted to cut the sugar heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans in different places. Heparinase I (hep I) promoted the growth of melanoma tumors, while heparinase III (hep III) inhibited their growth, and prevented subsequent spreading.

Tumors "bind to (hence, disrupt) activity of certain signaling molecules involved in tumor activity." The implication is that cancerous tumors can be restricted or encouraged by enzymes released by the body, or, as experiments would suggest, introduced to the body through polysaccharide-based anti-cancer drugs. Though further testing is necessary, such treatments may also come with the added bonus of having relatively few side-effects.

Further research has been done on enzymes' link to cancer growth. Results of a study conducted on lung cancer, released by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and published in the journal, Cancer Research, suggested that blocking the enzyme telomerase -- which prevents the death of cancer cells -- may also slow or halt the spread of most malignancies. Such treatments may be most effective after chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or other treatments are administered to rid the body of most of the disease. Enzymatic treatment, then, can follow, eliminating remaining cancer cells. Such therapies may also be used during the course of treatment to slow malignant growth.

This all makes a little more sense in light of some basic cell biology. In normal cells, the tail end of the chromosomes are called telomores. As cells divide and age, they become shorter and shorter, and, at a certain length, they simply stop dividing and die. Cancer cells, on the other hand, have a certain enzyme, telomerase, that activates and keeps the chromosomes the same length, thereby preventing their death. Malignant cells are so hard to kill partly because they live so long and multiply so rapidly. Enzymatic therapy that would halt this growth would be a major breakthrough in the treatment of nearly all cancers.

Between 1995 and 2000, there were 81,132 lung cancer cases recorded in Texas alone. Ninety percent of those who were diagnosed didn't make it past five years. The rates were higher in counties with higher emissions, especially emissions containing zinc, chromium, and copper. Ominously, a report entitled An Ecological Study of the Association of Metal Air Pollutants with Lung Cancer Incidence in Texas, released by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, concluded that "a positive relationship" between air pollution and lung cancer existed. Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter, produced from the combustion of fossil fuels (such as in power plants, incinerators and motor vehicles) also conferred lung cancer risks.

Undoubtedly, most lung cancer is associated with cigarette smoking, but around 15% of those with this horrid disease are nonsmokers. Such a significant percentage implies that other factors are to blame, such as air pollution (obviously higher in cities like Dallas and Houston), secondhand smoke, asbestos, and Radon exposure. Lung cancer rates are so significant because few people diagnosed are actually cured. If scientists can somehow find a way to treat even the toughest of cancers, there is hope for even the most desperate of patients.

What is so exciting about the possibility of enzymatic therapy for cancer patients is that it's relatively simple. Scientists are discovering the basic processes allowing cancers to exist and grow, and are attempting to cut them off before the malignancies overtake the body. Perhaps, just perhaps, we may even soon stop this often-fatal disease well before it can take hold. Now that would be something.

No one wants to be afflicted with cancer. How you take care of yourself can surely help reduce your risk, and will certainly affect you as you age -- eventually your wallet, as well. If you’re a young individual who tries to keep informed and maintain a healthy condition and lifestyle, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. Visit our website, [http://www.precedent.com], for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled "real time" application and acceptance process.

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Pain, Pain Go Away - Texas Seeks A Choice Of Treatments For Chronic Pain Sufferers Part 3

Chronic pain will disable more people in the U.S. than cancer and heart disease combined this year. Between 75 and 90 million Americans deal with chronic pain, and approximately 25 million from acute pain that requires treatment. What is worse, perhaps, is that many pain sufferers never receive adequate relief: 40% of cancer patients don't, and neither do 50% of post-surgery patients. Texas is no exception. Prospering pain management clinics in every major city in the state, from Houston, to Austin, to Dallas reflect this reality.

Pain is classified as chronic when it has occurred either continually, or intermittently, over a period longer than six months. Conditions of chronic pain can lead to anxiety, fear, depression, lack of activity, and unemployment, not only causing suffering, but also costing the nation billions in lost working hours, medical charges, and workers' compensation. The management of this condition, then, is arguably one of the more pressing health issues today throughout Texas and the rest of the United States. Particularly with the proper health insurance coverage, these conditions can be effectively treated, however, and, if not cured, at least managed.

While health institutions do their best to estimate statistics on pain, it's been difficult to gather accurate data, partially due to hospital policies related to its management. Until this year, when the Joint Commission began enforcing new regulations, hospitals in Texas and the rest of the country were not required to monitor a patient's pain levels in the same manner as every other vital sign, which also made it difficult for health insurance policies to cover treatment. As a result, consistent pain data on any one condition, or after any particular procedure, was difficult to attain. Now, hospitals are required to do so, monitoring a patient's pain levels frequently from check-in to check-out. This change in policy will supply new, enlightening information on the experience and management of painful conditions.

According to Zena Quezado, chief of the Department of Anesthesia and Surgical Services at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, pain levels are associated with several variables, including patient experience, perception of pain, age, gender, and type of pain. The reasons behind inadequate pain relief, she says, are still unknown, but may be partially attributed to "mind responses." Indeed, many health professionals agree that the psychological process is an important aspect of perceiving and managing pain. For some, it is a negative cycle of anxiety; worrying about the pain produces tension, which, in turn, tightens muscles and releases stress hormones, thereby increasing pain. For others, it is the perception of the pain that makes it unbearable.

This article will therefore explore some of the psychological aspects of, and treatments for, managing pain. In many instances, health insurance policies will cover treatments, particularly if referred by a qualified physician. Much of the information has been adapted from Prescriptions for Natural Healing by James F. Balch, M.D., and Phyllis A Balch, C.N.C. As always, consult a qualified health practitioner before undergoing any treatment.

(1) Biofeedback

Biofeedback operates on the principle that one can learn to control functions previously thought only involuntary, through the application of relaxation techniques and instant feedback regarding their efficacy. By monitoring responses such as heart rate and blood pressure, the idea is that the patient can modify his or her techniques in order to make them more effective. Biofeedback has proven effective in managing chronic pain situations in numerous experiments.

The method is relatively simple: Electrodes are (painlessly) attached to the skin, and the patient is instructed to practice a relaxation technique he or she is familiar with, such as meditation. The monitors then let the patient know if heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, pulse, muscle tension, and/or brain activity has decreased (or increased). Those biological responses can then be associated with pain level. It is believed that, over time, one can train himself/herself to make relaxation techniques more effective, use relaxation methods that best suit his or her needs, and train the body to be in that effective state more often on cue.

(2) Counseling

Counseling is an absolutely invaluable resource. Different pain levels experienced by members of different cultures during the same event provide interesting data on the effects of psychology. For instance, women in the United States are usually taught to fear childbirth for its levels of pain, while women in most European cultures are not. Not surprisingly, American women report higher levels of pain during childbirth and receive more anesthetic medications. The lesson: what we tell ourselves over time makes a big difference.

The right therapist will teach skills designed to help a chronic pain patient cope, hopefully assisting the sufferer in physically feeling less pain. Various methods have been employed with success, including cognitive behavioral therapy, stress management skills, deep breathing techniques, and other psychological exercises that, when practiced regularly, can change one's thought patterns -- which, consequently, can change the perception and experience of pain. It is essential for each individual to find the right counselor, and the right method.

(3) Relaxation Techniques

This is a broad term, utilized in Western culture to describe everything from yoga, to deep breathing exercises, to meditation, to guided imagery, though any single one could justify a category in itself. Briefly described below are three proven techniques.

Guided Imagery:

Guided imagery is a technique employing mental pictures to replace negative thoughts and emotions with positive ones. Indeed, negative emotions have been linked with decreased immune response, and positive emotions with increased immune response. This technique has been used effectively, in conjunction with other treatments, for rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and other painful illnesses. It has also been shown to slow heart rate, reduce stress, and stimulate the immune system -- any one of which can reduce pain.

Hypnotherapy:

Professional hypnotherapy is designed to "generate a state of deep relaxation in which there is a heightened receptivity to suggestion through the calm repetition of words and statements." Simple verbal suggestions applied during this time can help the patient block the sensation of pain, anxiety, fear, or other psychological issues that may be increasing, or causing, pain.

During a state of hypnosis, the patient's mind is fully aware, but the body is curiously relaxed. A deep state of relaxation is induced, pulse rate and breathing slows, and blood pressure drops. Self-hypnosis is also possible with the right training, enabling a chronic pain sufferer to induce the state whenever necessary.

Meditation:

Familiar to most of us, at least in name, meditation is a technique thousands of years old, with innumerable subtypes. The main forms of meditation are grouped under either "mindfulness" or "concentrative" meditation.

Mindfulness meditation makes one aware of various outside stimuli, but trains the mind not to react. In concentrative meditation, the practitioner focuses on a single sound, object, or activity, such as one's breath. Both bring about a calm, tranquil state when practiced over time, and focus awareness in the present moment -- not anxieties or pain associated with the future or past.

When applied with proper technique, meditation has been shown to be an effective management strategy for reducing pain, decreasing anxiety and stress, and controlling conditions such as blood pressure. Classes are recommended to gain the full benefit.

Causes of chronic pain are challenging to diagnose, and the management of it even more difficult. But studies have proven that much power over this condition is in the patients' hands -- and that the mind has the final say in the level of pain experienced. After all, pain is not actually registered at the site of the injury, but in the brain itself. Through the disciplined application of techniques, and the diligence to find the ones that work best, chronic pain can be managed, and a higher level of functioning attained.

How you take care of your body, and what conditions you effectively treat, will certainly affect your health as you age, and eventually your wallet as well. If you’re a young individual who tries to keep informed and maintain a healthy condition and lifestyle, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. Visit our website, [http://www.precedent.com], for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled "real time" application and acceptance process.

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New Research Methods May Lead to Integrative Treatments In Texas

Steve Mister, President and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, called upon scientific colleagues during this May's symposium to consider alternative methods for studying nutrition and the effects of dietary supplements.

This year's symposium, The Workshop, drew scientists and medical practitioners from across the country to discuss new research in the field of nutrition. While the current model for testing the health effects of particular nutrients and nutritional supplements utilizes randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and evidence-based medicine (EBM), the same methods employed to test the efficacy of pharmaceutical drugs, Mr. Mister urged scientists to consider approaches that may be more reflective of the complex nature of nutrients.

"(I) recognize (the) scientific rigor or RCTs...but we can't ignore all other research -- case-control and cohort studies, and other epidemiological data...(that) may be just as rigorous for proving hypotheses as well as developing them."

The repercussions of these seemingly simple statements may be huge for the natural health, healthcare, and health insurance industries. The entire country, from Texas, to California, to New York would be dramatically impacted by national organizations', such as the American Medical Association's, acceptance of data from studies other than the standard RCTs and EBM. Evidence integrated from observational studies focusing on nutritional supplements may eventually allow for the prescription of nutrients and supplements to, at least in part, officially treat certain conditions.

Texas, with its high levels of chronic diseases such as diabetes, and its fight against the growing epidemic of obesity, may particularly stand to benefit. Imagine a diabetic patient walking into a medical clinic in Dallas, Houston, Austin, or any other part of the state, and receiving supplements, along with other drugs, to treat the condition.

Some of the main differences between pharmaceutical drugs and nutritional supplements lies in the complex nature of nutrients, which interact with multiple tissues and body systems on multiple levels, and are often interdependent. For instance, research suggests that calcium supplements may have a greater effect when taken with vitamin D. RCTs isolate one or two compounds, at a single dose, for a few years at a time at best, and collect the data independently from other substances (such as nutrients) the subject may be ingesting.

Chronic diseases take years to develop, and perhaps years in order for nutrients or other natural supplements to have an effect. It is not possible to isolate single compounds within nutrients, test and analyze them over only a few months or years, and exclusively use data that has a clear, direct connection with those compounds. To isolate and test every active compound in even the most simple of natural remedies, such as garlic, would literally take decades, and would still probably miss very important pieces of evidence.

To discount observational studies simply because they are not confirmed by a clinical trial may also be dangerous. Too many variables affect the outcome of nutritional studies, many of which cannot be controlled, and perhaps should not be controlled, to collect the most accurate data. Such evidence may take longer to sift through in order to find cause and effect, particularly considering nutrients' symbiotic relationship with other compounds and hormones, but finding accurate answers would be worth it.

Many others at The Workshop agreed that a single research approach, like RCTs, may not be suitable for such a complex task. In contrast to pharmaceutical drugs, "nutrients have beneficial effects on multiple body tissues, and interact in a dynamic fashion with other nutrients," said Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

Robert C. Hearney, M.D., of Creighton University's Osteoporosis Research Center: "(Scientists) ...have eagerly embraced an evidence-based medicine approach without checking to see if it fits nutrition context." He went on to say that RCTs impose constraints ill-suited to testing nutrients and vitamins.

According to these scientists, observational studies may, in fact, be a better method for collecting data on dietary and nutritional supplements, supported by RCTs and EBM. Observational studies can better represent typical populations, typical behaviors, and how food and supplements are, in reality, used. Observational studies also bypass an important ethical dilemma: it's simply not conscience to deprive a subject of a vital nutrient, just to see which tissues are affected and how.

Many nationally-recognized organizations already use observational and experimental studies for data collection. The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Dietary Reference Intakes, or DRIs, are based on data collected from observational and experimental studies. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), uses primarily clinical trials and observational studies, including cross-sectional, case-controlled, and cohort studies.

This new attitude is welcomed by the natural health community, which has been arguing the same point for years. Specific nutrients, foods, and herbs do, in fact, have a marked effect on many diseases and conditions, but precisely how most of them work is still a mystery. It's the observational, and other methods of study, that confirm this.

For instance, herbal formulas created by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine are often extremely complex, and, in order to work to their best advantage, are tailored to each individual. Few specific compounds can, as of yet, be isolated and linked with one particular effect with any accuracy, but practitioners have recorded volumes upon volumes of "anecdotal" data over thousands of years stating that they work. Viral counts have been known to go down, the efficacy of immune systems have increased, and discomfort and disease all but eliminated in certain cases.

Similarly, acupuncture -- a process Chinese medical practitioners articulate as a method for clearing energy paths, called meridians, and a treatment articulated by Western medical practitioners as a method used to release certain natural compounds and reduce inflammation -- is an approved therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. We don't know precisely how it works, but somehow it just does. To discount such evidence simply because the data cannot be properly collected and analyzed through RCTs would not only be foolish, but would also deprive patients of receiving a possibly effective treatment.

So, if such research approaches are already accepted by national institutes, why are they not used more often? Part of it, simply and unfortunately, is money. Makers of dietary supplements are not allowed to claim their products treat or cure any disease. This provides less incentive for those with greater financial resources to fund such projects. Even if they were to find strong evidence that certain supplements do, in fact, treat and/or cure disease, they would not be allowed to advertise it.

The American public is growing more accepting of data collected through methods other than the traditional RCTs and EBM, however, as evidenced by the growing herbal, organic foods, and natural health care industries. Several universities across the country, in fact, now offer accredited, post-graduate, four-year degrees in Chinese and naturopathic medicine, much like graduate degrees in allopathic medicine (which produce M.D.s). With policies of open communication and integration, these two schools of thought, with their different research methods, may accomplish more medically in this era than ever before.

What supplements you take, and how nutritiously you eat, affects your health. How you take care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, as well. If you’re a young individual who tries to keep informed and maintain a healthy condition and lifestyle, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. Visit our website, [http://www.precedent.com], for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled "real time" application and acceptance process.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at [http://www.precedent.com]

Pain, Pain Go Away - Texas Seeks A Choice Of Treatments For Chronic Pain Sufferers Part 2

Texas is one of many states with thousands, possibly millions, of its residents suffering from chronic pain. Overall, chronic pain will affect between 15% and 33% of the U.S. population every year, and cost the nation $70 billion in medical charges, lost working days, and workers' compensation -- more than cancer and heart disease combined.

Chronic pain can be induced by a variety of situations, including work-related injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, neurological disorders, joint disease, migraines, and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Most chronic pain is located in the back, hip, and/or shoulders. Particularly with the proper health insurance coverage, however, these conditions can be effectively treated and, if not cured, at least managed. Texas is filled with clinics and doctors specializing in pain management -- from Austin, to Dallas, to Houston.

While acute pain can be beneficial -- warning, or forcing, us to stop an activity before we injurey ourselves further -- it is quite different from chronic pain. Acute pain occurs on a temporary basis, such as when spraining an ankle, or even when breaking a bone. Pain is considered chronic when it has occurred either continually, or intermittently, over a period longer than six months.

One of the major frustrations with chronic pain is that so many in Texas, and across the United States, do not respond to treatment. Because many of the cases are work-related injuries, valuable workers in cities like Houston, Dallas, and Austin are being lost. Even the strongest medications don't always work, and physicians are still not sure why. According to Dr. Zena Quezado, chief of the Department of Anesthesia and Surgical Services at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, it could be due to genetic makeup. Different enzymes metabolize these medications, and not everyone has the same enzymes, nor do they work in the same way. Varying levels of pain are also reported after the exact same procedure or injury.

Such conditions of chronic, seemingly untreatable pain can lead to anxiety, fear, depression, lack of activity, and unemployment. Its management, then, is arguably one of the most pressing health issues today throughout Texas and the rest of the United States.

While treating the various aspects of pain, including the psychological aspects, are critical, the following will focus on the major holistic forms of physical (versus psychological) treatment for chronic pain. Many health insurance policies will even cover certain treatments with the right referrals. Much of the information has been adapted from Prescriptions for Natural Healing by James F. Balch, M.D., and Phyllis A Balch, C.N.C. As always, consult a qualified health practitioner before undergoing any treatment.

(1) Acupuncture

Most acupuncture treatments performed in the United States are on victims of chronic pain, many of them back pain sufferers. An ancient Chinese practice, acupuncture is based on the belief that energy (or chi) flows through the body along certain pathways called meridians. When the flow of that energy is disturbed, unbalanced, or otherwise obstructed, pain can result. The focus of acupuncture treatments for pain, then, is to return the normal flow of energy, thereby reducing, or eliminating pain. This treatment has no known side effects, is found to be quite relaxing for most patients, and is often accompanied by herbs based on formulas thousands of years old.

Most Westerners are not accustomed to believing in a medicine that bases its principles on the flow of unseen energy, but, whatever one's personal beliefs, acupuncture seems to work. Even the National Institutes of Health reported acupuncture as "beneficial" for chronic and acute pain. Further studies have indicated its effectiveness for carpal tunnel syndrome, and that it may increase immune response, as well as stimulate the production of endorphins, a natural pain killer produced by the body. In China, certain surgeries are performed with acupuncture as their primary form of anesthesia.

(2) Chiropractic Care

Spinal manipulation is considered a "proven treatment" for lower back pain by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Though chiropractic care is effective for many conditions, treating disorders of the back and spine are, by far, the most common reason for seeking out such a practitioner.

Chiropractors focus on the spinal cord itself, believing that, if the spinal cord is able to relay unadulterated signals to the brain and other organs, then healthy function can be maintained throughout the body. Through careful adjustment of misplaced vertebrae, the spinal cord can regain its usual impulse signaling. This enables the body to restore normal nerve function -- thereby reducing or eliminating pain, and heal itself of other ailments.

(3) Massage therapy

Massage is a specific type of body work, and focuses on the manipulation of muscles and soft body tissues. It works through the promotion of muscle relaxation, by increasing circulation in the lymphatic system (thus reducing inflammation), breaking up scar tissue and adhesions, promoting blood flow and, in the case of sinus problems or certain migraines, by promoting drainage of the sinuses. For back pain sufferers, massage therapy may be instrumental in managing pain without, or with fewer, medications. Strong anecdotal evidence, obtained from thousands of practitioners' experiences, suggests that massage therapy may also help to realign tissues, tendons, and vertebrae.

Deep tissue massage is designed to release chronic muscular tension, and is generally applied with a fair amount of pressure on the affected area. There are numerous forms of massage, however, and, with so many choices, it may be best to do some research first. Look up a reputable natural health site online, or visit your local library.

(4) Herbs

Herbs are often classified in a separate category from Western medicines, and for good reason. Herbs are plant-based remedies, with no artificial or laboratory ingredients. But herbs and Western medications operate on the same principle: that, through the ingestion or application of certain substances, a desired effect may be achieved. Some herbs are very strong, or should not be taken with certain conditions, such as high blood pressure or allergies. Certain herbs, though with promising research results, are also controversial, such as marijuana. Though believed by many in the medical community to be highly effective in managing pain, it is still illegal in most states. Therefore, treat herbs as medications and never use them without consulting a knowledgeable health practitioner first.

For muscle spasms and cramps, angelica, black haw, cramp bark, kava kava, rosemary and valerian root are excellent choices. Hops, kava kava, passion flower, valerian root, wild lettuce, and wood betony also have muscle relaxing properties.

Relieve tension and nerve pain with blue violet, catnip, chamomile, gotu kola, licorice, rosemary, white willow, or wood betony teas. Use chamomile and licorice on a short-term basis only.

Capsaicin, a primary ingredient in capsicum (or cayenne pepper) can relieve pain through limiting the production of the vaguely named neural pain transmitter "substance P." Capsaicin can be taken orally, or used topically when mixed with a carrier oil or cream. Studies with capsaicin have been used to treat pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and cluster headaches.

Essential oils of jasmine, juniper, lavender, peppermint, rose, rosemary, and thyme can be used to relieve pain. Never ingest essential oils, and always apply topically with a carrier oil, such as jojoba or almond.

Chronic pain, though at times beyond frustrating, can be a manageable condition. With proper treatment, sound research, and good decision making, even most of the worst cases can at least be improved. If you suffer from chronic pain, be persistent about pursuing different types of treatment until you find one that helps. After all, you are the one experiencing the pain, and must therefore make the best decision regarding it.

How you take care of your body, and what conditions you effectively treat, will certainly affect your health as you age, and eventually your wallet as well. If you’re a young individual who tries to keep informed and maintain a healthy condition and lifestyle, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. Visit our website, [http://www.precedent.com], for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled "real time" application and acceptance process.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com. [http://www.precedent.com]