There are some FAQ's that I use this blog space to answer.  Many are along the lines of things that can easily be addressed by the individual without the use of prescription drugs.  As a practitioner, my favorite solutions are the ones that are inexpensive, and can be done  at any time.  Often, a small adjustment is all the body needs to then take care of an existing problem.

Right femoral vein - The Anatomy of the Veins Visual Guide, page 30 (of 52) (Photo credit: robswatski)

For example, many folks ask me what they can do about varicose veins when they are swelling, or painful.  Basically, what is happening is there is back pressure on the femoral vein from the colon which is congested with impacted fecal matter.  When this happens, the colon actually presses on the vein, thereby reducing the flow rate in the vein.  Solution:  a stool softener which will soften the impacted fecal matter so that it can be eliminated with subsequent bowel movements.  Psyllium husks, which are found in most over the counter stool softeners, are gentle and don't cause habituation as do laxatives.

Here's another one:  "What can I do to relieve sinus pressure when my head feels stuffed with cotton?".  A neti pot is a device which enables the individual to soften and safely remove built up mucous from the nasal passages and sinuses.  By using warm salt water, several things are accomplished at once.  First, the salt water softens, loosens and draws out the mucous.  Second, salt alkilinizes the nasal passages.  Bacteria and viruses thrive in acidic environments, so salty water, instead of plain water will help the body ward off an infection.  This kind of minor adjustment usually gives the body what it needs to do the work it is designed to do-fight infections.

Over the years I've seen time and again that folks with bulging discs who stay in good physical condition fare much better than those who do not.  It shouldn't be a surprise that I am very enthusiastic about yoga or tai chi, especially for people with chronic muscle pain.  Getting the blood flowing, fresh oxygen into the bloodstream, stretching:  these are all first class preventative measures that are the results of  yoga and tai chi.

In the past few years, I've become increasingly pleased with movement and positional orientation for retraining problems related to muscular imbalance.  Often, we go through our days unaware of the tonal differences between the left and right side of the body.  It's seemingly not a problem until the big pain setback.  When appropriate, a few positional exercises, stretches, or supported movements can achieve in minutes, what used to take me multiple treatments to accomplish.

Ear infections are one of those things that accentuate treatment philosophy differences amongst health care practitioners.  My guiding thought is that the body is, under normal circumstances, designed to fight off colds, viruses, etc.  Often, a supportive approach, rather than interventive one is all that is necessary.  It's a different philosophy because I don't see all symptoms as negative.  That doesn't mean those symptoms are unpleasant, but not bad.  I think that people have been brought up in our culture to suppress  those symptoms at all costs.  Unfortunately, some symptoms are a sign that the body is doing what it's designed to do:  fight off infection.  For example, a fever is the bodies way to destroy unwanted bacteria or viruses(most of which don't survive above 100 degrees).  In this case,  a temperature of 102 wouldn't be bad.