Acupuncture Can Help In Fatigue Treatment Caused by Chemotherapy

Researchers discovered during new study that acupuncture can help in treating fatigue that’s related to chemotherapy. Researchers investigated about 50 patients who suffer from moderate to severe fatigue and divided them into three groups. First group was acupuncture group, second was acupressure and the third was sham acupressure group.

Patients in acupuncture group were given 20 minutes sessions during three weeks and needles were inserted into their skin at three points that were thought to be the ones who can help in enhancing energy levels and ease fatigue. Patients from acupressure group massaged the same three points as the one in acupuncture group for one minute during two weeks while the sham acupressure group patients massaged different points on their body that were not related to energy and fatigue points.

Results of the study showed that patients from the acupuncture group had 35% improvement in fatigue levels , acupressure group improved fatigue levels by 20% and sham acupressure group patients had less than 1% improvement in fatigue levels. It’s clear that people felt much better after acupuncture. They had more energy and improved their quality of life significantly.

Some of the previous studies discovered that acupuncture has great influence on increasing fertility after IVF , to treat nausea after anesthesia, to ease pain after dental surgery and to help patients feel better during cancer chemotherapy.

Arthritis - alternative treatment

Arthritis is a disease which causes the joints and adjoining tissue to be inflamed. Thus, the patient can not walk comfortably and feels pain. Causes of arthritis may range from genetics, environment, lack of vitamin A and overweight which is considered to be one of the main cause.

Teenagers do not usually suffer from this disease as they are very active. Most patients are elderly and overweight people.

5 Ways of Treatment

1. Fast for 3 days

Fasting for 1-3 days will help to detoxify and clean your body. During the fast, try to drink vegetable and fruit juice very often whenever you feel hungry.

The following juice is recommended: carrot juice mixed with celery alternate with potassium soup. Here is the recipe for potassium soup: 1 cabbage, 3 carrots, 5 onions. Chop all the ingredients and put them in a pot with water just a little bit above them. Boil it first and lower the heat. Keep boiling until the water gets dry. At this time, the water from vegetables will come out and you will get approximately 3 cups of potassium soup.

After the fast, start eating food as following

- red unpolished rice
- vegetarianism for 3 months ( egg is permitted)

2. Eat fresh vegetables 2 dishes a day and fresh fruits (the amount is about 2 apples)

It is necessary that the food for arthritis is vegetarian because they are alkaline. All kinds of meat turn to acid when they are consumed into the body. Thus, they make the symptom worse. In short, all meats including fish and milk are prohibited.

The following food is recommended for arthritis patients: red unpolished rice, fresh vegetables and fresh fruits especially green vegetables, carrot, banana, seaweed, soybean, tofu, soy milk, papaya, garlic, red onion, onion and cereal.

Food to be avoided: all kinds of junk food such as food with synthetic color,instant food, snack, carbonated water and unnatural food with chemical substance such as sausage, kun-shiang, meatball, instant noodle etc. These chemical substances make the blood filthy when they are taken into the body. Usually, the amount of blood for joints is not very much. If the blood is also dirty, it will cause the inflammation to recover slower than usual.

Another prohibited foods are white sugar and all kinds of sweet.

Foods which are sensitive to the inflammation of joints are all kinds of orange, milk and dairy products, fried food, all kinds of meat, alcohol and some vegetables such as tomato, potato, and pepper.

3. Massage the inflamed joints with hot and cold water 1-2 times a day everyday

Pour warm water in a big bowl and ice in another bowl. Use 2 towels, one For warm water and one for ice. Soak the towel with warm water first and massage the joint for 3 minutes and then use ice for 2 minutes. Repeat the process for 3 times.

This treatment will stimulate the blood circulation which will Help the inflammation to recover and it also helps to relieve the feeling of pain.

4. Coffee enema on the day of stop fasting and everyday

Use 1 tablespoon of coffee and dissolve it in warm water (about 1 liter). Pour it in the detox bag which can be found in any drug stores. Hang the bag above the body no more than 1 meter. Let the water flow and wait for 15 minutes. Excrete as usual.

By this way, the coffee which contains caffeine will help to stimulate the liver to function more effectively. As a result, toxins from inflammation and those that cause inflammation are excreted from the body faster. Coffee enema is not for letting out the excrement as most people understand. Actually, you should do it after excrete. To let the coffee stay in the body for a certain amount of time is very important as the caffeine will be able to absorb into the liver before it is excreted.

5. Joints exercise

Exercising joints will help to stimulate blood circulation and prevent joints joining. The most important part is shoulder joints. Posture for the exercise should be consulted with physiotherapist which is mostly about moving all the joints and strengthen the muscles around.

All of these treatments should be done together in order to cure the disease. In additions, anyone who is overweight should lose their weight to reduce the pressure that is put on the joints.

However, this is going to take quite a while since it is naturopathy.

One thing that you should bare in mind is always eaten red unpolished rice instead of white rice.

"Butea Superba" Thai Herb for sexual enhancement

Butea Superba (Red Kwaokrua) for sexual enhancementbutea information. Butea Superba is a plant found in Thailand. Butea is used by middle aged and older Thai men as a tonic and sexual enhancer. There are many natural sexual enhancing herbs, including Avena-Sativa and the ayurvedic herb Ashwagandha. Anothe one that is often added to Chinese herbal sexual enhancers is cistanche. Another one from the Amazon is clavo huasca and the Chinese herb cnidium.

Mechanism of Action of Butea
Very little Western research is available on butea. One study indicates that butea superba has some anticholinesterase activity.

Antimicrobial properties of Butea
Compounds within butea have antimicrobial activity against several organisms.

Butea Aphrodisiac Properties
Butea superba is used as a sex enhancer in Asia. One human trial shows butea can improve erectile function in males (see below). Another study showed that when butea (the frondosa koen species) was given to male rats, they mounted female rats more often and they also ejaculated more frequently. For more natural treatment options for impotence.

Side Effects of Butea
Studies in rodents do not indicate butea superba to have any significant side effects, but long term studies are not yet available.

Butea Research Update
- Aphrodisiac activity of Butea frondosa Koen. ex Roxb. extract in male rats.
Ramachandran S. C. L. Baid Metha College of Pharmacy, Thorapakkam, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai, India. Phytomedicine. 2004 Feb;11(2-3):165-8.
In the present study, the aphrodisiac activity of Butea frondonsa Koen. ex Roxb (Papillionaceae) bark extract was investigated. The extract (400 mg/kg body wt./day) was administered orally by gavage for 28 days. Mount latency (ML), intromission latency (IL), ejaculation latency (EL), mounting frequency (MF), intromission frequency (IF), ejaculation frequency (EF) and post-ejaculatory interval (PEI) were the parameters observed before and during the sexual behavior study at day 0, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28. The extract reduced significantly ML, IL, EL and PEI (p <>- Clinical trial of Butea superba, an alternative herbal treatment for erectile dysfunction. Cherdshewasart W. hulalongkorn University, Phyathai Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Asian J Androl. 2003 Sep;5(3):243-6.
To study the effect of Butea superba on erectile dysfunction (ED) in Thai males. METHODS: A 3-month randomized double-blind clinical trial was carried out in volunteers with ED, aged 30 years approximately 70 years, to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the crude preparation of Butea superba tubers on ED. RESULTS: There was a significant upgrading in 4 of the 5 descriptive evaluations of the IIEF-5 questionnaire. Estimation of the sexual record indicated that 82.4% of the patients exhibited noticeable improvement. Haematology and blood chemistry analysis revealed no apparent change. CONCLUSION: The plant preparation appears to improve the erectile function in ED patients without apparent toxicity.

Thai Massage Versus Sports Massage - Which Is Better For Athletes?

Thai massage may be the ultimate sports massage. By understanding the world's oldest medicine systems, we become better equipped to treat athletic conditions.

Thai massage, also called Thai-Yoga, is rooted in the 7,000-year-old medicine system of Ayurveda. Although Ayurveda is ancient, the U.S. is just discovering its therapeutic riches.

What is Thai massage?
Thai massage is also called Thai-Yoga because it is rooted in yoga. Thai massage is like having yoga done to you.

Like massage, Thai massage is performed by a practitioner onto a recipient. The client passively receives a series of stretches and compressions. Unlike most massage styles, a highly-skilled therapist will also receive therapeutic effects by offering the treatment.

Like yoga, a session involves a series of dynamic stretches. Like stretches or postures in yoga (asanas), many muscles are stretched simultaneously.

And the stretches tend to be multi-planar. This means each stretch moves the muscles in more than just one direction. Multi-planar stretches prepare the muscle better for everyday activities than do stretches that are isolating or uni-directional.

The most notable effects of the treatment sequence include: * Stretching tight muscles* Loosening stiff joints, and* Improving energy circulation.

The treatment improves energy circulation by loosening muscles that commonly tighten and restrict the flow of blood, nerves, oxygen, and other vital energy. In many Eastern health practices, this focus is called clearing chakras. By clearing all of the body's major chakras, vital energy flow is restored throughout the body.

How is Thai massage different from Sports massage?
Sports massage is a common style of massage used to train athletes and treat sports injuries. Most massage therapists receive special training or a distinct sports massage certification in order to practice it with athletes.

Sports massage is a combination of assisted stretching and massage techniques. The application depends on the phase of the athlete's training.
The benefits of assisted stretching are limited, however, because muscles are stretched in isolation, uni-directionally.

Thai massage is also typically applied in a gentle manner that enables the recipient to relax. When the body is relaxed, and stretches are received passively, the muscles can be stretched more deeply.

Using multi-planar, dynamic stretches, with a relaxing approach, is more beneficial than typical assisted stretching focused on muscles in isolation.

Clearing chakras is also more restorative than working on muscles individually or treating problematic areas separately from the rest of the body.

While most Americans consider massage to be holistic medicine, Thai massage is truly more holistic by nature than most other styles of massage, including sports massage.

Nina Schnipper offers pain relief and injury recovery for athletes and non-athletes in the Aspen valley. She practices Thai & Sports massage therapies, and fitness training, in Basalt at Higher Spa & Studio.

(Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nina_Schnipper)

Thai herbs used in Thai cooking

Did you use to have some Thai foods ? Many herbs and spices used in Thai cuisine have beneficial medicinal properties. Here are some examples.

Chili: "Phrik" in Thai Chili is an erect, branched, shrub-like herb with fruits used as garnishing and flavouring in Thai dishes. There are many different species. All contain capsaicin, a biologically active ingredient beneficial to the respiratory system, blood pressure and heart. Other therapeutic uses include being a , carminative and anti flatulence agent, and digestant.

Garlic: "Kra-thiam" in Thai Garlic is an annual herbaceous plant with underground bulbs comprising several cloves. Dried mature bulbs are used as a flavouring and condiment in Thai cuisine. The bulbs contain a 0.1-0.36% garlic oil and organic sulfur compounds. Therapeutic uses are as an antimicrobial, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, anti flatulence and cholesterol lowering agents.

Lemon Grass: "Ta-khrai" in Thai This erect annual plant resembles a coarse gray-green grass. Fresh leaves and grass are used as flavouring. Lemon grass contains a 0.2-0.4 volatile oil. Therapeutic properties are as a diuretic, emmanagogue, antiflatulence, anti flu and antimicrobial agent.

Sacred Basil: "Ka-phrao" in Thai Sacred Basil is an annual herbaceous plant that resembles Sweet Basil but has narrower and often times reddish-purple leaves. The fresh leaves, which are used as a flavouring, contain approximately 0.5% volatile oil, which exhibits antimicrobial activity, specifically as a carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant and stomachic.

Turmeric: "Kha-min" in Thai Turmeric is a member of the ginger family, and provides yellow colouring for Thai food. The rhizomes contain a 3-4% volatile oil with unique aromatic characteristics. Turmeric's therapeutic properties manifest as a carminative, antiflatulence and stomachic.

MU Researchers Develop Andrographis Paniculata Gel for Treating Periodontitis

Periodontitis, an inflammatory reaction of the tissues surrounding a tooth, is one of the major causes of dental loss for a majority of people in the world. It also contributes to other physical and mental problems. Studies have shown that in Thailand about 60 per cent of adult males over age 40 have Porphy romonas gingivalis, the bacteria causing periodontitis, and this percentage increases to 80 over age 60. At present, the incidence of periodontitis is increasing in children as well as adults. Thus, protection from and treatment of the causes of periodontitis is the optimum choice for patients in avoiding teeth loss and preventing related illnesses.

A group of Mahidol University researchers recently developed a tool for treatment of this common dental problem, as outlined in the article 'Andrographis Paniculata Gel as an Adjunct in the Treatment of Periodontitis' by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pleumchit Rojanapanthu, research team leader, and Assoc. Prof. Wandee Gritsanapan of MU's Faculty of Pharmacy, and Assoc. Prof. Mulika Sirirat and Assoc. Prof. Cholticha Amornchat of MU's Faculty of Dentistry.


Essentially, the team developed a biodegradable gel, called Andrographis Paniculata Gel (AP Gel), for subgingival administration which possesses in vitro anti-bacterial activity against >Porphy romonas gingivalis. The development process involved extracting substances from the leaves of the >Andrographis paniculata plant, which was then tested for various properties, including physical and chemical qualities, bacteria-killing ability, toxicity and its ability to substitute as an antiseptic. The team intended for patients to leave the Andrographis paniculata substances in the gum space for a prolonged period in order to release the substances over time, which necessitated the production of a gel.


The AP Gel was created from biocompatible and biodegradable carrier substances. The product was tested for stability, antibacterial activity, toxicity and also in clinical trials in comparison with imported drugs. It was found that when mixed with gum lymph, a natural liquid in the gum space, the gel changed its structure to that of liquid crystal, with subsequent slow disintegration properties and hence more effective gradual release of the bacteria-fighting substances.


Clinical studies of the AP Gel subsequently determined that it could be effectively used as an adjunct in the treatment of adult periodontitis. A comparison of the clinical and microbiological effects of subgingival administration of AP Gel and metronidazole gel, a common antibacterial gel, as adjuncts in the treatment of 60 periodontal pockets of 10 adult periodontitis patients over a 49-day period showed that AP Gel seemed to produce the same adjunctive effects as those obtained from metronidazole gel. The percentage of black-pigmented anaerobes was significantly reduced in the AP Gel group at the 5th and 7th week, but this was not found in the metronidazole group. Furthermore, a comparison study of AP Gel and minocycline gel -- another antibacterial gel -- as an adjunct to scaling and root planing dental procedures in the treatment of Early Onset Periodontitis over a 4-month period showed that AP Gel, when combined with root planing, was more advantageous in terms of microbiological results than minocycline gel.


The development of Andrographis Paniculata Gel has deservedly won many accolades for the research team, including an Outstanding Invention Award 2002 in the field of Chemical Science and Pharmacy from Thailand's National Research Council, a Silver Medal at the Brussels Eureka 2001 50th World Exhibition of Innovation, Research and New Technology, and a Certificate from the Bulgarian American Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Traditional Thai Medicine Today & in the Future

In recent years, holistic treatments for mind, body, and energy have slowly begun to gain acceptance by the Western world. While Western medicine still emphasizes body treatments such as prescription drugs, surgery, and so on, alternative or complementary therapies have lately gained much respect in the eyes of the public, and even are begrudgingly accepted in some medical circles. Techniques such as acupuncture and massage have become part of the modern hospital setting in many places, often even being covered under insurance plans.

Countries such as China, Japan, and a few European nations currently lead the way in the integration of modern and traditional practices. In modern Thailand, likewise, the state-of-the-art hospitals and the ancient traditions exist side by side in harmony. Most modern urban and rural Thais utilize the arts of massage, herbal healing, and spiritual healing in addition to modern medical technology from the West. The government of Thailand, in fact, is one of the biggest supporters of this blend of traditional and modern healing. In rural areas that remain far from Western hospitals, government-operated herbal clinics dispense tried and true traditional remedies alongside allopathic drugs with the support and blessing of the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

As East and West each become more familiar with the wisdom of the other, it is natural that the best of the ancient and the modern will come together in a new synthesis. It is the challenge of the modern era to create a new model of medicine, and this model will begin with a deeper understanding of the human as not merely a physical entity, but a complex interwoven system of body, mind and energy.

Herbal medicines are often thought to lack the effectiveness of over-the-counter and prescription allopathic medications, and are sometimes considered to be mere placebos. In fact, natural substances form the basis of many of today's synthetic drugs, including as aspirin, painkillers, and antibiotics. Many herbal medicines contain the same active ingredients as their allopathic counterparts, and can be just as effective.

Herbal remedies may not have the immediate effect of Western drugs in treating acute disease or discomfort, but this is because they tend to work on the body as a whole than on any specific group of symptoms. Because the impact of any particular herb on the body is ameliorated by that herb's natural bland of complementary alkaloids, herbal medicines have a subtler effect on the system. One who is desensitized to these subtle effects due to years of use of pharmaceuticals, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine may not initially notice the impact of herbs. However, through persistent use of herbal remedies, generally improving the diet, exercising, meditating, and living in harmony with the body and with nature, one will soon find that the benefits of herbs are not only noticeable, but indispensable!