Insomnia

LATEST RESEARCH: Valerian and Acupressure for Insomnia

 Herbalists since classical times have valued valerian’s sedative and hypnotic effects to treat anxiety, stress and insomnia. There have been numerous modern scientific studies investigating the herb’s effectiveness for insomnia, and Spanish researchers recently pooled their results to get a clearer overall picture.

Of 42 randomised, controlled trials involving valerian that were found, 18 were selected that studied valerian in isolation against a placebo control. The number of participants in these studies ranged from five to 434, and aqueous and alcoholic extracts of different dosages and cultivars were used.

When the outcomes were measured in terms of a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from study participants, valerian was found to improve sleep quality.

However, the difference between control and valerian-dosed people in the time taken to get to sleep was only 0.7 minutes. Also, valerian’s effectiveness according to objective measures was not clear.

Secondary effects, such as gastrointestinal and nervous-system side-effects, were not different between groups, except those taking valerian were 18% more likely to experience diarrhoea.

“The safety factor this substance offers makes it highly appreciated in front of other pharmacological alternatives for insomnia,” said the researchers, who added that, “its use can be considered for some patients given its safety.”

Acupressure on the Shenmen acupoint (or Heart 7) on the wrists has been studied for the first time over an extended period in long-term insomniac residents of aged-care facilities.

The Shenmen point is also called the “spirit gate,” a meridian related to vitality that controls mood, consciousness and thought. Although many studies indicate that acupuncture or acupressure can improve sleep quality, only a couple had tried the Heart 7 point, and none for longer than two consecutive weeks.

Taiwanese researchers therefore enrolled 50 nursing-home residents with insomnia in a randomised controlled trial that avoided acupuncture needles that might distress participants.

Over five weeks, the experimental group received standard acupressure on the HT7 points of both wrists, while the control group received only light touch on the same places. Participants’ self-reported insomnia scores were measured at baseline, during the five weeks, and post-intervention.

The acupressure group had significantly better insomnia scores compared to the control group both during the intervention period and into the second week after it. Two weeks after acupressure ceased, insomnia severity gradually increased to original levels.

There were no adverse effects in either group so the researchers concluded acupressure was a safe, efficient and non-pharmacological treatment: “Offering acupressure on a regular basis has the potential to decrease insomnia severity among long-term care facility residents and could be integrated into routine care.”

REFERENCES

References
1. Fernandez-San-Martin MI, et al. Effectiveness of valerian on insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Sleep Medicine 2010; doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2009.12.009.
2. Sun J-L, et al. Effectiveness of acupressure for residents of long-term care facilities with insomnia: A randomized controlled trial. Int J Nurs Studies 2010; doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.12.003.

Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a common condition caused by eating contaminated foods or foods containing natural toxins.The symptoms can vary from mild discomfort to life threatening illness.

Symptoms

The symptoms of food poisoning are all too familiar! Nausea and/or vomiting , Abdominal pain, Diarrhoea which may contain food particles or blood

Causes

As the name suggests, food poisoning is caused by eating contaminated food. Bacterial food poisoning occurs when an unwanted bacterium is contained in the food you have eaten. Salmonella is one common example – this harmful bacteria grows in cooked and raw meat and fish, dairy products, and prepared foods left at room temperature for too long. Badly canned or bottled products may also contain bacteria that don’t need oxygen to multiply and are not destroyed by cooking. People who are ill or infected can transmit disease through food they prepare. This is particularly common when food is prepared under unhygienic conditions, and in foreign countries where our bodies are exposed to organisms for which we have no tolerance. The severity and duration of the symptoms are related to the nature of the infective organism, your underlying immune system, and the sensitivity of your digestive system.

Natural Therapies

If your symptoms are mild, you probably don’t need a doctor. However, if your symptoms are severe or last longer than two days, medical advice is recommended. Vomiting and diarrhoea are the body’s way of flushing poison out of your system, this is a natural process. Because repeated vomiting or diarrhoea can remove large amounts of fluid from your system, drink plenty of filtered water to replenish your system, and use an electrolyte replacement drink to prevent dehydration.

Ginger has traditionally been used to quell nausea and vomiting
Slippery Elm and Peppermint may help to relieve the irritation and inflammation of the digestive tract caused by diarrhoea and vomiting. Use after condition has settled. Slippery Elm is also quite nutritious containing many inerals especially calcium. This is a very good herb for any gastric upset where irritation occurs. Once the condition has settled, restore the natural gut flora by taking a probiotic supplement containing acidophilus and bifidus.

Lifestyle Factors

After symptoms subside, restore strength slowly by eating foods which are easily digested, such as white rice, bland vegetables, and bananas. Home-made soups and fresh diluted fruit juices are a valuable way to receive high amounts of nutrients during periods when your digestive system is not functioning well.

Hormonal Imbalance

Greetings folks. Just a quick note to let you know about a new NES client case study I have published on my website. This case study focuses on a young woman who was suffering from hormonal imbalance from having had Implanon implanted and then removed. She felt she was imbalanced and had a lot of testing etc done with little or no result. She was certainly suffering from plenty of symptoms such as moodiness, insomnia, sore breasts, poor skin etc so we undertook a NES programme and she had a very good recovery. Seeing as this is something that is quite common amongst many women I thought I would make a case study of it.

You can read it here http://craighitchenstherapies.com/Hormonal_imbalance.pdf

Feel free to download and keep a copy if you like.

Have a great day.

Craig Hitchens. – NES Quantum Bioenergetic Therapy.

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