Naturopathy - the Basics (1)

Today we make a start on the basics of Naturopathy, Natural Medicine or Nature Cure as it used to be called. I firmly believe that every practitioner of complementary medicine should be aware of the basics tenets of naturopathy.

Definition : - It is a system of medicine that seeks to facilitate and promote the body's inherent physiological self-healing mechanisms by means of exercise, massage, hydrotherapy, nutrition, diet, or manipulative therapy. Naturopathy is one of the world's oldest system of medicine and is based on four main principles.

• Recognition of the individuality of the patient (or client). Allopathic (orthodox) medicine has a tendency to 'clump' patients with similar symptoms as being the same and they are often given exactly the same treatment. Each person is an individual with different  physical, chemical, emotional and spiritual make-ups. We each live in different environments and have varied external stimuli. Each one of these should be taken into account before treatment commences.
• That one should attempt to establish and treat the cause of the condition and not just treat or palliate the symptoms. Allopathic medicine, in part, may also state this but naturopathy goes much deeper into the possible causes which are not always apparent, because of the different basic philosophy from allopathic medicine. An example of this would be the treatment of 'frozen' shoulder. Allopathic medicine would use analgesics, physiotherapy, exercise - all naturally assuming that the cause is a mechanical one. Natural medicine would give scores of other possible causes - including dietary imbalance (too many refined foods) that cause constipation, emotional upsets such as anxiety and lack of free expression.
• That one should recognise the whole person and not just the locally affected area. This means that we should look at the patient in an holistic way - mind, body and spirit - and appreciate that a symptom is simply an expression of imbalance within the whole. It is the person's way of attempting to express their energy imbalance.
• That everyone has the ability to heal themselves. Hippocrates called this 'vis medicatrix naturae'. It simply means that we should never suppress symptoms but allow the patient to heal themselves by their own built in energy system

More next time - JRC

LIGHT TOUCH REFLEXTHERAPY

As I took out a particular package with AuthorHouse, they choose the price - not me. They have made it RRP £20.99. I think this is far to high but it will cost me lots of money to try and change it. I shall though be selling it for £14.45. P and P is £2.50 so the total price is £16.95. I'm doing a special price if both Book and the LTR poster are purchased - instead of £27.90 there will be a saving of £2.00 to make it £25.90. It is all I can do as they are sent under separate cover - one package and one postal tube. The new postal charges start late April so margins are quite tight. The book should be out by the middle of May.

I am honouring a favour to Michel Hamilton (who created the chakrapuncture.org website) and writing an article on two less known chakras - the Soma and Hridaya for him to put on his web site. It will come in useful for a future book on the minor chakras that I am thinking about. I shall soon start a series of blogs on naturopathy and the real meaning of various conditions.  Be good - John 

Update

Yes I'm still here!! I've been a bit busy lately but promise to do more blogging in the future (honest).

Good news - My latest book 'Light Touch Reflextherapy' is being published by AuthorHouse of Indiana.They used to have a UK branch in Milton Keynes, but no longer. It should be published the middle of May and you will be able to buy it through my website as well as Amazon etc. Price unknown at the moment but it should be £9-£12 bracket. I am really pleased with it - lots of illustrations to add to the 20,000 words. the A1 size poster will be available to go with it. I aim to self publicise it as I have a bit more time these days since retiring from clinical work. Why pay over £2000 to have a publicist when you can download to Kindle all you need to know for £1.85. Watch my web site for details and I shall be running advertising through POSITIVE HEALTH web site as well as specialised reflexology journals. I'm also starting a new Facebook page soon called John Cross Publications - its all go (in a nice relaxed way)

At long last Google have upgraded what you can do on a blog - so I'll be able to import illustrations etc. when describing acupuncture points. I was sooo limited before. Let me know what sort of stuff you want - clinical, political or general?? Be good - John

Update

I thought that I'd better give you an update about life in general

• The Light Touch Reflextherapy manuscript is now completed. All I need do now is to proof read, check and clean up the illustrations and find a publisher (is that all?) If I go down the self publishing route it should be out by end of May. Watch the web site for details. I shall make a start on the 'Homeopathy and Acupressure' book when this has been completed.
• My own health is not exactly wonderful. It's 3 months since having a decompression and spinal fusion on the neck and the pain levels are still bad. I guess that recovery will take months not weeks. As my wife keeps reminding me, I am no longer Superman! Sadly I have had to pull out of going to Bath for the ACPEM conference next month, also to Tuscany where I was going to give a 3 day workshop - these things can't be helped but I feel very guilty about letting folks down.
• The Brits always talk about the weather - so why not me. The contrast in the UK weather has been ridiculous. In the south east and east midlands, they are virtually on hose pipe bans through lack of rain - here in the north west of Scotland we have had more rain in the last year that in the last 10 that we've been living here. From 1 March 2011 to 29 Feb 2012, we had 53 dry days out of the 366 - the postman gave me that stat. He's been living here all his life and he's never known anything like it. If someone, though, mentions global warming I'll shoot them!!! And don't get me going on 'carbon footprint' - JRC

Powerful Points PC 8

One of the very best self help treatment points must surely be PC 8. It is situated in the centre of the palm where the middle finger nail of a clenched fist touches the palm. Please note it is not 'dead' centre of the palm. The great asset of this point is in calming the mind and clearing 'heat' from the head, throat and chest regions. It is colloquially called the 'stigmata' point, for obvious reasons.

PC 8 is said to be the Hand chakra point. This is a minor chakra acupoint that is linked to both the Foot chakra at Kid 1 (minor) and the Crown Chakra at Gov 20 (major) to give a triad of points that are used in stress release and calming the mind. It is one of the most useful sel help acupoints on the body and helps with relaxation, easing tension headaches, dizziness and hypertension. It is a much easier point to use that Kid 1 and is use extensively in qigong and other Eastern body work and martial arts as a point of focus and to generally strengthen chi.

Ten weeks down the road since surgery on my neck, I am still very sore. I am just hoping that things will start to improve by themselves - there is no way I am going through surgery again. I am, though managing to crack on with the LTR book and am now on the penultimate chapter. I shall be checking out some self publishing firms soon as I think that is the best way to go.

We have endured a very wet winter (quite different to the remainder of the UK) - with just 53 days out of 366 days without rain 1 March 2011 to 29 Feb 2012. No problems with low reservoirs here. Snow and gales forecast for the next few days - joy!!

Powerful Points - STOMACH (ST) 36

Sorry about lack of input over last few days - a combination of being too busy writing the book and generally catching up with life and leting my neck settle. I'm carrying on with important acupoints (let me know if you want any different stuff that hasn't been covered over the past 2 years).

Today I describe one of the most influential acupoints on the body that may be used with needle, moxa and pressure giving different reactions with this polychrest of a point. ST 36 is situated within the fibres of the tibilais anterior muscle, approximately one finger width lateral to the tibial crest (shin bone) with the quadriceps insertion on the tibial tuberosity. When using needle you have to be aware that there is a distinct de qi sensation and often the patient will gladly inform you that you have 'hit a nerve' They will feel the sensation travelling right down to the ankle. This point answers very well to moxa either as a cone or a stick and is also a brilliant self help point in acupressure.

Indications : Afflictions of the mouth, bitter taste, frequent vomiting, gastralgia and gastro-enteritis, chronic constipation, colic and diaphragmatic spasms. The general indications are anxiety, hypertension, dyspnoea, urethritis, incontinence and difficulty in urination, ezcema, headaches, vertigo, pain, leg weakness and oedema.

The special properties with this point is that it is probably our greatest point in the treatment of tiredness, lethargy and general lack of fibre. To remedy these symtoms you can either use stimulating needles, better still moxa or vigorous acupressure. I well remember using this point to great effect when doing pre-event acupressure/acupuncture on top class athletes. To treat the more acute gastric problems e.g. gastritis and upset tummy, you just need to hold the point with a fairly deep contact. It is a great self help point in spinal muscle and diaphragm muscle spasm. The point is directly associated with the mid thoracic region that gives its sympathetic nerve flow to the diaphragm and stomach - that's why it works. More anon - JRC

Powerful Points - Triple Energizer (TE) 17

Sorry to be so long with this blog - put it down to general decrepitude and sloth! I'm now almost 7 weeks post surgery and, although, the pain is still quite intensive at times, it is starting to settle a little. Fingers crossed! I continue to take life very easily and give the neck every opportunity to heal - there's no other way.

I thought I'd continue with the Powerful Points theme started last year - to introduce you to seemingly ineffectual points that have more 'oomph' to them than you may think at first glance. Today is TE 17. To those of you old enough to know differently, the TE meridian used to be called Triple Heater, Three Heater, Triple Warmer, Triple Burner or by its traditional name of Sanjiao.

TE 17 is located directly behind the ear lobe at the centre of the depression formed between the mastoid process and the lower jaw. It is a surprisingly deep point to effect with an acupuncture needle - anything up to one cun (just over 2 cms). It is, though, its use with acupressure and touch therapy where it can work miracles, simply because of its energetic links with other parts of the body. Firstly it is a very influential acupoint in many conditions of the ear itself. Symptoms and conditions include tinnitus, diminished hearing, earache, acute or chronic otitis, and general ear inflammation. It is also excellent in the treatment of Meniere's syndrome, dizziness, vertigo, TMJ stiffness, headache, nausea and some facial nerve disorders.

Through my work with the chakra energy system, this acupoint has taken on new significance as it is often called the Ear chakra - one of the 21 minor chakras. Significantly it is associated with the Intercostal (minor) at SP 21 and the Heart chakra (major) at Con 17. It is therefore very influential, either treatment on your clients or as self help, for stress release (especially long term), clearing the mind and treating old emotional 'blockages' such as grief, worry and anxiety. The best way to treat this point is to lie down on a bed and place the middle finger pads in to the bilateral points. Visualisation of what you want to achieve will help as you continue with the session. It is a brilliant point in gently lowering hypertension if caused by stress and anxiety, due to its links with the heart. Try and treat the bilateral points for about 5 minutes, then place one hand over the centre of the sternum (Heart chakra) and the other over the anterior Brow chakra for a couple of minutes to complete the treatment. Very relaxing!! More next time - JRC