Extend the Benefits of Massage: Part 2

By Mindy Green for American College of Healthcare Sciences

 

Extend the benefits of your massage by facilitating detoxification with herbs and essential oils.

Bath

Herb teas and essential oils can be used in the bath for their healing and detoxifying properties. Start with five to eight drops in a full tub and do not exceed 15 drops of even the safest oils, such as lavender or geranium. If using peppermint, lemon or other citrus scented oil such as lemongrass, do not exceed three drops, as they can irritate skin.

Combining essential oils with vegetable oil before adding to the bath will reduce any irritation on sensitive skin. Epsom salts contain magnesium chloride, which helps to relax the muscles. Soak for 20 minutes. Using the same oils provided during your massage can trigger the same relaxation effect.

If you absolutely must be active after your massage, utilizing stimulating essential oils can help restore your vigor.

Post Massage Herbal Detox Tea

Combine one ounce of each-

• dandelion
• cleavers
• parsley
• linden
• peppermint
• ginger

 Use one teaspoon per cup of boiling water, cover and steep for 5-15 minutes. Strain and drink.

Post Massage Muscle Relaxing Bath

Combine three ounces each -

• yarrow
• burdock
• calendula
• cramp bark
• black haw

For an herbal bath, use one cup of dried herbs per three quarts of water. Bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, add the herbs, cover and steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain the tea into the full tub of water.

Post Massage Essential Oil Bath Blends

Relaxation

4 drops lavender

2 drops chamomile

2 drops orange

Muscle Relief

5 drops marjoram

2 drops eucalyptus

1 drops lemongrass

Stimulating

5 drops rosemary

2 drops fir

1 drops peppermint

Add each 8-drop blend to one full tub of water. Stir, and soak for at least 20 minutes.

Herbal Suggestions for the Tub or Teacup

Lymphatic herbs

Cleavers: best lymphatic tonic, with alterative and diuretic properties; assists the detox process of swollen glands.

Calendula: anti-inflammatory herb helpful for a variety of skin complaints, including bruises and sprains; also supports detoxifying the lymph system.

Nervine herbs (calming effect)

Wild oat: The best nourishing nervine, it is specific for debility and exhaustion.

Chamomile: best known for calming insomnia, anxiety and as an anti-inflammatory.

Vervain- strengthens nervous system while relaxing stress and tension, antispasmodic.

Linden: soothing herb that has the unique ability to reduce cholesterol deposits and prevent build-up.

Passionflower: Sedative and pain relieving; the best choice for insomnia and neuralgia; antispasmodic

Detoxifying herbs

Burdock: Mild bitter stimulation encourages the liver and eliminative processes including digestive and kidney function.

Dandelion: effective diuretic with excess potassium providing an overall gain of this important nutrient.

Parsley: This overlooked culinary garnish is an effective diuretic and digestive aid; rich source of vitamin C.

Yarrow: Urinary antiseptic and diuretic that stimulates digestion and tones the vascular system.

Celery seed: Anti-rheumatic, diuretic and digestive herb reduces uric acid levels in the body and is helpful for arthritic conditions.

Muscle relieving herbs

Crampbark: Relaxes muscle tension and spasms; sedative and astringent.

Black haw: Antispasmodic and sedative useful in reducing blood pressure through relaxation of the peripheral blood vessels.

Ginger: Anti-inflammatory, warming and stimulating for peripheral circulation, sprains and fibrous muscle conditions; promotes elimination through perspiration.

Cayenne: Hot spice that blocks pain receptors; used to relieve everything from overworked muscles to arthritic complaints.

About the Author:

Mindy Green is a nationally recognized authority on botanicals and co-author of Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, 2009. Friend her on Facebook or see more at www.greenscentsations.com

>>To learn more about the benefits of using herbs and holistic nutrition as part of your health and wellness routine, click here for a schedule of accredited online holistic health classes and wellness programs from ACHS.

*Note: This information has not been reviewed by the FDA. This information has been provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. Before making any significant changes to your health routine, always consult with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor.

Extend the Benefits of Massage: Part 1

By Mindy Green for American College of Healthcare Sciences

There I was, lying on the massage table, basking in the afterglow of an hour of totally relaxing massage bliss. Do I really have to get up now? The reality of daily life was slowly creeping in.

How can I make the most of this experience and carry the tranquility of this moment throughout my day? My week? Anyone who has ever had a great massage has likely had these thoughts. There are a number of things you can do to maximize the physical and emotional benefits, post-massage.

Consider scheduling your massage at the end of the day to avoid making a mad dash back to the office or picking the kids up and running them to their myriad of activities. Try not to fall into a routine of drinking coffee to keep you revved up for the next thing on your list for the day.

Savor the moment. Make the most of extending your massage. Enjoy a cup of tea in a quiet setting or take a nice long bath with candles and soothing music. We may be aware of relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing to sustain that inner peace, but there are also things we can do to help our physical bodies garner the maximum benefits of massage.

Diet

Eat lightly and drink plenty of water. These are two of the simplest ways to continue the cleansing process initiated by massage. The Swedish style or lymphatic drainage massage is best supported by a light diet of steamed vegetables or fresh fruit. Fresh squeezed juices such as carrot, beet, and parsley are often recommended in a cleansing regime.

Deep tissue massage needs protein to help rebuild connective tissue that has been heavily worked. Following any style of massage you should avoid stimulants, sweets and fatty foods. It is also important to drink plenty of fluids after a massage. A minimum of one quart of water or herb tea is required, but two quarts is best. Electrolyte replacement beverages, such as coconut water, are beneficial.

Herbs

Physical manipulation can stir up a lot of toxins and drinking lymphatic cleansing herbal teas such as cleavers and calendula are very helpful in continuing the detoxification process. Also useful is supporting the organs of detoxification such as the kidneys and liver with burdock, dandelion, parsley, yarrow, and celery seed.

Nervine tonic teas such as wild oat, vervain, chamomile, linden, or passion flower can help sustain a calm interior and maintain a sane life in a world filled with stress and high tension. Sore muscles can benefit from circulatory stimulant herbs such as ginger and peppermint, or a liniment infused with cayenne and rosemary oil. The antispasmodic activity of crampbark, black haw and kava is also useful for muscle cramps.

Let’s not forget the benefits of fragrant plants in the form of essential oils. The scent alone is enough to trigger a memory association in the brain, bringing you back to the massage table and that same state of relaxation, if only in your mind. Studies have shown that is all it takes to relive the benefits.

If your massage therapist used lavender scented oil for your treatment, using it in the bath can help recall the experience. Lavender oil itself has many benefits. Its healing attributes for the body include benefits for sore muscles, insomnia, stress and depression. It is healing for burns, bites or abrasions of the skin, and it helps to slow the aging process with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; best of all, most people find the fragrance appealingly pleasant.

About the Author:
Mindy Green is a nationally recognized authority on botanicals and co-author of Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, 2009. Friend her on Facebook or see more at www.greenscentsations.com

>>To learn more about the benefits of using herbs and holistic nutrition as part of your health and wellness routine, click here for a schedule of accredited online holistic health classes and wellness programs from ACHS.

*Note: This information has not been reviewed by the FDA. This information has been provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. Before making any significant changes to your health routine, always consult with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor.

Hang Out with ACHS at Spaw Day, A Fundraiser for the Oregon Humane Society

Don't have plans for tomorrow evening? Come hang out with us! American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) is participating in Spaw Day, a fundraiser for the Oregon Humane Society, hosted at Sniff Dog Hotel (1828 NW Raleigh St. Portland, OR 97209), Thursday, August 25th, from 6-8pm.

Spaw Day, an Oregon Humane Society event hosted by Sniff, is a fun opportunity for you and your dog to relax and enjoy spa activities together, including massages, aromatherapy, manicures, and other spa-like features.

Stop by and visit with us! It's going to be really fun! For directions, click here http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Sniff%20Dog%20Hotel

A Sweetheart of a Deal. New Apothecary Shoppe Pricing and Free Valentine's Goodies.

Thank you for your continued support of the ACHS Apothecary Shoppe College Store! Our mission is to provide leadership in holistic health education, which we accomplish in part through our commitment to high-quality natural products and sustainable practices and principles.

We work hard to source the best holistic health products and supplies available, and to offer them to you at the best prices we can. It has been a year or so since our last price adjustments. There have been some fluctuations in the pricing of carrier oils, so we have (happily!) reduced the pricing of all Apothecary Shoppe carrier oils.

Our new pricing reflects current market value only. The high quality you rely on is the same. We will never sacrifice quality and thoroughly investigate the harvesting, manufacturing, and product practices of our suppliers to ensure adherence to our mission.

Click here to shop our carrier oils at new pricing.

We know Valentine's Day is around the corner, and what could be more loving and romantic than a custom massage oil blend with therapeutic-grade essential oils and carrier oils. (Nothing we can think of!) All essential oil orders placed by February 14, 2010, will receive 1 oz of sweet almond oil free. Spend $50 or more, and we'll send you a complimentary link to AromaMassage, a 60-minute DVD with easy-to-follow instruction for using essential oils with an at-home massage.

Did you know...
Rose essential oil, discovered between 1582 and 1612, is used to excite low libido and lends an aphrodisiac-riddled aroma to perfume, bodycare, and massage oils. Rose also creates a romantic atmosphere when diffused into the air. To learn more about aromatherapy for Valentine's Day, including do-it-yourself recipes, create your Apothecary Shoppe account and download our article "Aromatherapy for Valentine's Day."

Become a Fan of the Apothecary Shoppe on Facebook. It's easy! Log into your Facebook account and search for Apothecary-Shoppe-Store or click here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland/Apothecary-Shoppe-Store/156183592205. Get exclusive online content, recipes, special promotions, and real-time updates today!

Use Your VA Education Benefits for an In-Demand, Satisfying Career

Over the next decade, the healthcare industry is expected to grow more than any other industry. There are more opportunities than ever to help people by providing person-to-person support that promotes sustainable health and wellness. In specific, the healthcare industry is experiencing a growing demand for specialists in aromatherapy, herbal medicine, massage, chiropractic, nutrition, wellness coaching, and acupuncture to work with physical therapists, doctors, and dieticians, among others.

The opportunity to help people find wellness and balance, is relatively unlimited. For many military servicemembers and spouses, it is this pride in helping others that attracted them to the military. A career in holistic health is an opportunity to find new ways to help other.

To read the full-length version of this article, which originally appeared in the 2010 Veterans Education Guide, download it as a PDF here: http://www.schoolguides.com/veterans_education_online.html (This ACHS article starts on page 76 of the Guide.)

United Aromatherapy Effort Needs Your Help

A few months ago, Sylla Sheppard-Hanger, Founder and Director of the United Aromatherapy Effort, Inc., started a new campaign to provide military personnel and their families with emotional and physical support, including the use of aromatherapy and massage.

Sylla partnered the UAE with the United Service Organizations (USO) to provide troops with comforts away from home and has since sent a test box to Camp Phoenix. The soldiers at Camp Phoenix will forward the natural bug sprays sent to Forward Operating Bases for testing.

Now the United Aromatherapy Effort needs your help! According to a September press release, the UAE is "now soliciting small sprays for the next box to go to our "Soldier on the Ground" in Kabul, Afghanistan, Camp Phoenix." They are looking for individual sprays (2-4 oz), and suggested blends include:

• Respiratory (conifers/pines), because the air quality there is very bad (dusty, dry, and smelly), and quite polluted as well.
  
• Relaxing and sleepy time blends because the stress level is quite extreme.
  
• Wake up sprays for alert time, night duty, and morning call.

The UAE says to send anything anytime! If you want to ship directly, contact Sylla; otherwise, send to Florida or Louisiana, whichever is the closest location to you, and the UAE will ship to AFG from these two locations:

SHIP TO: UAE/ c/o Sylla Sheppard Hanger, 16018 Saddlestring Dr, Tampa, FL 33618

or UAE c/o Geraldine Zelinsky, 6051 Roma Dr. #103 Shreveport, LA 71105

To read more about the UAE and military disaster relief, visit http://achsnews.blogspot.com/2009/08/united-aromatherapy-effort-to-expand.html

Adverse Event Reporting for Registered Aromatherapists

BY Arianna Staruch, ND, ACHS Academic Dean

According to the FDA, a dietary supplement is a product intended to supplement the diet, which must be labeled as such and intended for ingestion. Ingredients in dietary supplements can include vitamins, minerals, herbs or botanicals, amino acids, dietary substances used to increase the entire dietary intake, concentrates, metabolites, constituents, extracts, or combination of these ingredients. If ingested, then, essential oils can be considered a dietary supplement and should be treated with the same precaution as more traditional supplements.

For that purpose, Registered Aromatherapists (RAs) should familiarize themselves with the new guidance information released by the FDA regarding Adverse Event Reporting and Recordkeeping for Dietary Supplements as Required by the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act. Though this Act does not require reports of adverse effects for foods other than dietary supplements, voluntary submission of reports of "serious adverse events associated with all FDA-regulated foods " are encouraged.

The FDA website defines an adverse event is considered "any health-related event associated with the use of a dietary supplement that is adverse." For RAs who use essential oils internally with their clients, reporting of any adverse events will not only increase general safety but will actively develop a database of current research to help the professional community better understand the potential effects and applications of botanical-based products.

To submit a report of a serious adverse event to the FDA, a MedWatch Form 3500A should be used. This form is also called a FDA Form 3500A. When submitting a form, the submitter is asked to include: an identifiable patient, an identifiable initial reporter, the identity and contact information for the responsible person, a suspect dietary supplement, and a serious adverse event or fatal outcome. (The FDA defines a 'serious adverse event' as one that results in a: death, life-threatening experience, inpatient hospitalization, persistent/significant disability or incapacity, congenital anomaly or birth defect, or an outcome previously listed that requires medical or surgical intervention to prevent.)

References:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/HowToReport/ucm085568.htm

>> This article first appeared in the Aromatherapy Registration Council September 2009 newsletter. CLICK HERE to download the complete newsletter.

>> Read "Natural perfume making with essential oils" on the ACHS website

United Aromatherapy Effort to Expand Focus of Disaster Relief to Military

Founder and Director of the United Aromatherapy Effort, Inc. Sylla Sheppard-Hanger is spearheading a new campaign to refocus the energies of the UAE to include our military personnel who are currently at war, serving overseas and here in America.

The United Aromatherapy Effort would like to see all military personnel and their families receive emotional and physical support through aromatherapy, massage, and other modalities. Sheppard-Hanger is looking to "go big" and partner the UAE with the United Service Organizations (USO). The goal is to provide our troops with comforts of home away from home.

This UAE and USO partnership could involve teams or individuals that offer seated massage, aromatherapy, and other services in Veterans Hospitals, Military Centers, or Family Support Centers. The USO makes uso2go kits and the UAE is looking at putting something together with a couple of blends for stress, fatigue, focus, etc.

The UAE needs your ideas and input to establish what items might be most viable for such a kit. To contact the UAE, email Sylla Sheppard-Hanger at sylla@tampabay.rr.com or unitedaromatherapy@gmail.com.

United Aromatherapy Effort to Expand Focus of Disaster Relief to Military

Founder and Director of the United Aromatherapy Effort, Inc. Sylla Sheppard-Hanger is spearheading a new campaign to refocus the energies of the UAE to include our military personnel who are currently at war, serving overseas and here in America.

The United Aromatherapy Effort would like to see all military personnel and their families receive emotional and physical support through aromatherapy, massage, and other modalities. Sheppard-Hanger is looking to "go big" and partner the UAE with the United Service Organizations (USO). The goal is to provide our troops with comforts of home away from home.

This UAE and USO partnership could involve teams or individuals that offer seated massage, aromatherapy, and other services in Veterans Hospitals, Military Centers, or Family Support Centers. The USO makes uso2go kits and the UAE is looking at putting something together with a couple of blends for stress, fatigue, focus, etc.

The UAE needs your ideas and input to establish what items might be most viable for such a kit. To contact the UAE, email Sylla Sheppard-Hanger at sylla@tampabay.rr.com or unitedaromatherapy@gmail.com.

American spend billions on alternative medicine

According to a July 30 article on WebMD, Americans "spend almost a third as much money out-of pocket on herbal supplements and other alternative medicines as they do on prescription drugs."

In a new government report, out-of-pocket spending on alternative medicines like herbal supplements, chiropractic visits, and meditation was estimated at about $34 billion in one year.

“The bottom line is that Americans spend a lot of money on CAM products, classes, materials and practitioner visits,” National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) Director Josephine P. Briggs, MD, said. “We estimate that this (represents) approximately 11% of the total out-of-pocket spending on health care.”

Highlights from the report released by NCHS and NCAAM include:

• In 2007, 38 million adults spent $12 billion on about 354 million visits to CAM practitioners.
  
• Two-thirds of the out-of-pocket spending did not involve a practitioner, but alternatives like over-the-counter herbal therapies, classes, and materials.
  
• The largest single expenditure was for "non-vitamin, non-mineral herbal supplements and other products (almost $15 billion) followed by practitioner visits ($12 billion), stretching and meditation-related classes such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong ($4 billion), homeopathic medicines ($2.9 billion) and relaxation techniques ($0.2 billion)."

Briggs further commented that chronic pain, back pain in specific, is the most common reason people use alternative medicine. “Americans," Briggs said, "turn to treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic care, and massage therapy to deal with these painful conditions,” adding that groups like the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society are on record as endorsing these therapies as useful options for the treatment of chronic back pain.

>> Click here for more information about CAM training

>> Click here to read the complete WebMD article on CAM

How-to aromatic massage guide and recipes

Our sense of smell not only helps to protect us, it is also one of the ways we communicate. Therefore, blending smell with touch massage can create a very romantic and intimate experience.

To create a sensual atmosphere:
1. Create a private space.
2. Fill your space with your favorite colors and fabrics, including pillows and/or blankets.
3. Minimize outside noise.
4. Details: relaxing music, aromatherapy candles, and fresh flowers.

To enhance aromatic massage:
1. Diffuse the essential oil of your choice into the room (essential oils can also be added directly into massage oils and bath water; see the recipes below).
2. Focus on comfort and intent.
3. Communicate through all of your senses; don’t focus on conversation only.
4. Play. Laugh. Enjoy yourself.

Aromatic Massage Recipes

For massage, essential oils are best added into a base oil like jojoba, almond, or avocado.

1. Basic Massage Oil
Sweet almond oil: 4-oz
Rose Rosa damascena oil: 1-2-drops
Jasmine Jasmine grandiflorum: 1-2-drops

2. Rose Water Ointment
Sweet almond oil: 1-oz
Beeswax: ½-oz
Rose water: 7-oz
Rose Rosa damascena: 8-drops

Melt the beeswax and almond oil over a water bath. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. Beat in the rose water until the ointment emulsifies, and then add the 8-drops of rose essential oil.

Once relaxed head to toe, follow your sensuous massage with another sensory indulgence:

Chocolate, best shared by two.

1. Liquid Chocolate (makes four servings)*
3-T unsweetened cocoa powder
Stevia: 10-drops
Pinch of salt
3-cups 1% milk
½-t vanilla extract
Ice cubes

Instructions: Slowly warm the milk on low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scalding. In a medium bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, Stevia, and salt. Slowly pour in 1-cup of the milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in remaining 2-cups of the milk and vanilla. Fill four 8-oz mugs with Liquid Chocolate and serve warm.

For a taste of the exotic (and increased libido), add cinnamon to flavor, or add a few drops of rose essential oil.

CLICK HERE to download a free aromatherapy ambiance blend recipe.

*Recipe provided by ACHS graduate Maureen Jeanson, author of Squeaky Gourmet.

Debate over the future of NCAAM takes to the blogs

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NCCAM), which was established about 17 years ago and provides some of the best studies about homeopathy, acupuncture, therapeutic touch, and herbal medicine, is under fire from the scientific community.

Why now? Economics. Scientists are using the nation's economic hardships as a ballast for a negative campaign against alternative and complementary medicine modalities. Their argument: With funding scare, why should the National Institutes of Health fund a "pseud0-science."

We'd love to hear your thoughts about the article below. "Pseudo-science" or viable alternative to rising health care costs and effective, educative tool about prevention?? Hmmmm.......... we wonder.

According to "Critics Object to 'Pseudoscience' Center," a March 17 article in the Washington Post:

The impending national discussion about broadening access to health care, improving medical practice and saving money is giving a group of scientists an opening to make a once-unthinkable proposal: Shut down the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health.

The notion that the world's best-known medical research agency sponsors studies of homeopathy, acupuncture, therapeutic touch and herbal medicine has always rankled many scientists. That the idea for its creation 17 years ago came from a U.S. senator newly converted to alternative medicine's promise didn't help.

Although NCCAM has a comparatively minuscule budget and although it is a "center" rather than an "institute," making it officially second-class in the NIH pantheon, the principle is what mattered. But as NIH's budget has flattened in recent years, better use for NCCAM's money has also become an issue.

"With a new administration and President Obama's stated goal of moving science to the forefront, now is the time for scientists to start speaking up about issues that concern us," Steven Salzberg, a genome researcher and computational biologist at the University of Maryland, said last week. "One of our concerns is that NIH is funding pseudoscience."

Salzberg suggested that NCCAM be defunded on an electronic bulletin board that the Obama transition team set up to solicit ideas after November's election. The proposal generated 218 comments, most of them in favor, before the bulletin board closed on Jan. 19.

NCCAM has grown steadily since its founding in 1992, largely at the insistence of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), as the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) with a budget of $2 million. In 1998, NIH director and Nobel laureate Harold Varmus pushed to have all alternative medicine research done through NIH's roughly two dozen institutes, with OAM coordinating, and in some cases paying for, the studies. Harkin parried with legislation that turned OAM into a higher-status "center" (although not a full-fledged "institute"), and boosted its budget from $20 million to $50 million. NCCAM's budget this year is about $122 million.

Research in alternative medicine is done elsewhere at NIH, notably in the National Cancer Institute, whose Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine also has a budget of $122 million.

The entire NIH alternative medicine portfolio is about $300 million a year, out of a total budget of about $29 billion. (NIH will get an additional $10.4 billion in economic stimulus money over the next two years, of which $31 million is expected to go to NCCAM.)

Critics of alternative medicine say the vast majority of studies of homeopathy, acupuncture, therapeutic touch and other treatments based on unconventional understandings of physiology and disease have shown little or no effect. Further, they argue that the field's more-plausible interventions -- such as diet, relaxation, yoga and botanical remedies -- can be studied just as well in other parts of NIH, where they would need to compete head-to-head with conventional research projects.

The critics say that alternative medicine (also known as "complementary" and "integrative" medicine, and disparagingly labeled "woo" by opponents) doesn't need or deserve its own home at NIH.

"What has happened is that the very fact NIH is supporting a study is used to market alternative medicine," said Steven Novella, a neurologist at Yale School of Medicine and editor of the Web site Science-Based Medicine (http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org), where much of the anti-NCCAM discussion is taking place. "It is used to lend an appearance of legitimacy to treatments that are not legitimate."
Beyond the Blogosphere

So far, most of the debate has occurred in the blogosphere. But as health-care reform moves toward center stage, so may this fight.

At a Senate committee hearing on integrative medicine held Feb. 26, Harkin said: "I want to lay down a . . . marker: If we fail to seize this unique opportunity to adopt a pragmatic, integrative approach to health care, then that, too, would constitute a serious failure."

At the hearing, Harkin introduced Berkley W. Bedell, a six-term Democratic congressman from Iowa who retired in 1987 after contracting Lyme disease. Bedell credits alternative therapies for his recovery from that infection and later from prostate cancer. He helped convince the Iowa senator of alternative medicine's promise.

Nevertheless, Harkin said he was somewhat disappointed in NCCAM's work.

"One of the purposes when we drafted that legislation in 1992 . . . was to investigate and validate alternative approaches. Quite frankly, I must say it's fallen short," he told the committee.

"I think quite frankly that in this center, and previously in the office before it, most of its focus has been on disproving things, rather than seeking out and proving things."

Critics say this shows Harkin's lack of understanding of scientific inquiry, which tests hypotheses (with negative results as informative as positive ones) but doesn't intentionally attempt to "validate approaches." NCCAM's current director, Josephine P. Briggs, agrees that hypothesis-testing is the proper function of the center.

"We are not advocates for these modalities," she said last week. "We are trying to bring rigor to their study and make sure the science is objective."

Even so, Harkin was on to something: Most of NCCAM's results have been negative or inconclusive, not positive and encouraging.

For example, a randomized controlled trial of the botanical echinacea published in 2003 found it was ineffective in treating upper respiratory infections (although it did cause more rashes). In a study from last year, neither the Japanese "palm healing" therapy known as reiki, nor sham reiki, reduced the symptoms of fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome. A study in December comparing real and sham acupuncture in 162 cancer patients who'd undergone surgery found no difference in their levels of pain.

At the same time, it's difficult to determine the clinical implications of some of the positive studies.

For example, reiki -- but not sham treatment -- blunted the rise in heart rate, but not the rise in blood pressure, in rats put under stress by loud noise. Therapeutic touch, a different modality, increased the growth of normal bone cells in culture dishes, but decreased the growth of bone cancer cells.

Many NCCAM-funded studies examine not the effectiveness of alternative medicine but its use, and how it affects the interaction of practitioners and patients. The idea that the center is spending lots of money running large clinical trials of such practices as homeopathy and ayurvedic medicine "is a misperception," the director said. She noted that most such proposals lack methodological rigor and aren't approved.

A physician and kidney specialist who never used alternative medicine in her practice, Briggs said "mind-body management for pain control and stress reduction" is a large topic of the research at the moment, with mindfulness, meditation, yoga and tai chi all under study.

"Some of the way these approaches work is through 'positive expectancy,' which is part of a placebo effect," she said.

Indeed, many of NCCAM's critics view complementary medicine as nothing more than the placebo effect dressed up in a dozen different costumes.

Carlo Calabrese, a researcher at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Ore., one of the country's five naturopathic medical schools, isn't one of them. But even if one were to concede that view, he thinks the field is still worth studying.

Although the overall effect of therapies such as homeopathy and acupuncture may be small, individual response can be large. The route to the placebo effect -- if that's what it mostly is -- also varies in method and efficiency.

"What can be done to generate a better placebo? Why isn't that an interesting and valid area of investigation?" said Calabrese, who was on NCCAM's advisory council from 2004 to 2007. "Here we have a totally harmless intervention that seems to get a better result in some people than others. Why wouldn't you want to study that?

© The Washington Post March 17, 2009: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031602139.html

Health Freedom Updates for March

Many states have started their legislative sessions and are going strong. Make sure you check your state update to see if there is anything new.

I have also set up a health freedom website so you can see what is new. This website address is: www.fyhf.synthasite.com.

I also have the yahoo group set up so that you will receive important alerts as they are released. Just send a blank email to: FYHF-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

We all have friends, relatives, customers, etc. in other states. This is a good way to pass along information to people you know in other states.

Please remember that each state has different laws and regulations regarding what you can and cannot do when it comes to complementary and alternative health care.

There are currently six states that have health freedom laws. These are: Minnesota, California, Rhode Island, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Idaho. If you live in one of these states, you need to know the laws regarding health freedom, what you can and cannot do, and what disclosures you may need to provide to your clients.

There are 15 states and the District of Columbia that license or regulate naturopathic physicians. If your state is one that regulates naturopathic physicians, you need to know what that law says in regards to what you can and cannot do. These states are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. Minnesota just passed a registration bill for naturopathic physicians that should take effect July 1, 2009.

For questions about health freedom in your state, contact Kim Sharples at kimberlysharples@msn.com or call (719) 390-1979. Kim Sharples, HHP, was the 2008 ACHS Famous Alumni of the Year.

For state-by-state information, CLICK HERE.

ALASKA
Alaska has introduced a Naturopathic Physician bill, SB70: http://www.aksenate.org/index.php?bill=SB70

For more information, contact Boyd Landry at boydlandry@naturalhealth.org.

CALIFORNIA
Prop 65 is proposed regulation that wants to classify all beneficial nutrients with above-RDA potencies as cancer-causing agents under unless proven otherwise.
For more information, please go to this website: http://www.thenhf.com/press_releases/pr_12_may_2008.html

There is also California Health Freedom Coalition: www.californiahealthfreedom.com and
California Citizens for Health Freedom: www.citizenshealth.org or email: frank@citizenshealth.org.

HAWAII
House bill 1196 has been introduced. This bill has amendments to the Naturopathic Physician Act. For more information, contact Boyd Landry at boydlandry@naturalhealth.org.

IDAHO
Idaho has a bill, S1014 that will repeal the Naturopathic Physician Licensing Act. This has passed the Senate and is now in the House. For more information about Idaho, contact Boyd at: boydlandry@naturalhealth.org or info@naturalhealthidaho.org. You can also visit the website for Idaho CNH at: www.naturalhealthidaho.org.

ILLINOIS
HR0095 creates a task force on the licensure of Naturopathic Physicians: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=0095&GAID=10&GA=96&DocTypeID=HR&LegID=44565&SessionID=76

For more information, contact Boyd Landry at boydlandry@naturalhealth.org

IOWA
From Iowa Health Freedom Coalition: Our work for 2009 has already begun. Our website improvements include a PayPal button that will make donating or renewing membership a breeze. Check it out at: http://www.iowahealthfreedom.org/join.html.

We now have a Speakers Bureau where groups can request a speaker on many topics relating to health freedom, access to holistic wellness, and current laws or legislation relating to holistic, integrative wellness. Please visit the site and line up a speaker for your event.

IHFC will have a booth at the Iowa Holistic Expo, March 14th and 15th at the Polk County Convention Center. This was a wonderful event last year and this year promises to be as well. Please plan to attend! More information can be found at: http://www.edgelife.net/expos/iowa/index.htm

As we shape our activities for the year, we want to hear from you: your concerns, your experiences, and your questions. The more we know about what is going on throughout Iowa, the better we can serve you. Please be our eyes and ears! And we will be a more effective representative for you at the Capitol. We are also expanding our organization and are looking for people to fill leadership roles or just help out; let us know if you’d like to join us and what you are interested or willing to do. Our email: info@iowahealthfreedom.org.

We have introduced the Iowa Access to Wellness bill once again in the Iowa Legislature. It has not been assigned a bill number yet, but look for an update soon! Or check the website in the next week or so: http://www.iowahealthfreedom.org.

MARYLAND
Alternative Health care bill HB 1380 has been introduced. Here is the link to view the bill : http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/hb/hb1380f.pdf.

You may find contact info and email of the HGO committee and Senate EHEA committee members. It will be very useful to send an e-mail to these members in support of the bill. Ask your friends to do the same.

Senators by name: http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/html/senal.html
You may want to track the bill for next few weeks for hearing dates.

HGO committee members
http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/com/05heal.html
Delegates by name: http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/hseal.html
Members of the Senate EHEA committee
http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/05sen/html/com/02eco.html

MISSOURI
The Coalition for Natural Health was able to stop attempts made to attach amendments to bills moving through legislature last year. House Bill 750 has been introduced and relates to the practice of naturopathic medicine: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills091/biltxt/intro/HB0750I.htm.

For more information, contact Boyd Landry at boydlandry@naturalhealth.org.

NEVADA
SB 69 creates the Board of Complementary Integrative Medical Examiners: http://www.leg.state.nv.us/75th2009/Bills/SB/SB69.pdf.

For more information contact Boyd Landry: boydlandry@naturalhealth.org.

NEW MEXICO

A Health Freedom bill, HB 664, has been introduced in New Mexico: http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/_session.aspx?chamber=H&legtype=B&legno=%20664&year=09

And also the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine bill, HB 492: http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/_session.aspx?chamber=H&legtype=B&legno=%20492&year=09

For more information contact Boyd Landry: boydlandry@naturalhealth.org or the NMCAAMP website at www.nmcaamp.org.

NORTH CAROLINA
From North Carolina Citizens for Healthcare Freedom: Citizens For Healthcare Freedom (CHF) has been working to protect your rights to natural and complementary healthcare in North Carolina since 1995. This year, CHF will be working with North Carolina legislators to pass the Consumer Health Freedom Act.

What is the Consumer Health Freedom Act? An amendment to the NC medical licensing law to protect the right to choose nutritional supplements and access alternative, holistic, complementary, or natural health providers or practitioners. The legislation would protect the right of health care providers to offer their services legally and safely, without fear of being prosecuted for "practicing medicine without a license" in NC.

For more information on this proposed legislation and CHF, visit: www.ncchf.org.

Support us! It's imperative we raise funds immediately to cover the costs and expenses needed to pass The Consumer Health Freedom Act in the 2009-2010 Legislative Session. CHF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization supported solely by membership dues and donations. All donations are 100% tax deductible. Please support our vision of a health freedom state and a sustainable community by becoming a CHF member or by making a donation. To join or contribute with a credit card, visit our website: www.ncchf.org.

OHIO
There are 2 health freedom organizations in OHIO: The Ohio Health Freedom Coalition (www.ohiohealthfreedom.org) and the Ohio Sunshine Health Freedom Coalition.

1. The Ohio Health Freedom Coalition was originally formed in 2004; OHFC is a nonprofit organization that advocates for changing Ohio law to allow for greater access to complementary and alternative health care services. OHFC’s members believe that complementary and alternative health care options should be available to members of the public, that citizens should have the freedom to select the practitioner who delivers them and that the state should not prohibit access to natural health services.

Just in time for the New Year the Ohio Institute of Energetic Studies & Bodywork is hosting a FREE Holistic Health Expo in Cleveland, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio. Come out and meet our Executive Director, Sara Donlon. For more information or questions regarding the Ohio Health Freedom Coalition please call: (614) 888-7351.

2. Ohio Sunshine Health Freedom Coalition (www.ohiosunshinehealthfreedom.info). To learn more, please contact Linda Murray (hertouch@juno.com).

OKLAHOMA
Health Freedom Action Network: contact information: information@oklahomahealthfreedom.org or their website: http://www.oklahomahealthfreedom.org.

OREGON
Oregon Health Freedom Website: www.oregonhealthfreedom.org or
email: john@oregonhealthfreedom.org.

VIRGINIA
Virginia Chapter of Certified Natural Health Professionals: HB1744 Natural Health Care Providers bill (Health Freedom Bill) has been tabled by the Health, Welfare and Institutions committee. What exactly does this mean for us? Over the last few weeks, I have been talking with Delegate Pogge and others to decide what action we can take with a tabled bill. We have decided that for the present time we should not do anything with it, not because we don't want it passed, but the likelihood of passing it this year is slim. We just don't have enough support.

So, here is what we need to do in preparation for next year:
-Form local constituent groups for each of the delegates and senators to educate them about the need for a Health Freedom Bill.
-Arrange for your group to meet face to face with your delegate and senator to let them know your concerns to pass a Health Freedom Bill in the 2010 legislative session and build a relationship with them over this next year. It's an election year for delegates so helping them with their campaign could put you in a position of favor. If they know you personally they are more willing to help you out.
-Arrange a meeting with local supervisors/city council, mayor etc to educate them of the need for a Health Freedom Bill and ask them to contact the delegates and senator that serve their district.
Your local officials know these delegates and senators and have influence.
-Talk with other groups or individuals that may have an interest in our cause; Home school groups, holistic minded groups, your clients.

I am willing to help educate and train the leaders of the constituent groups so they in turn can educate and motivate their groups. I am also willing to go with you when you speak with your representatives. Our message to our officials must unify, so teamwork is a must. If
we are going to be successful we will need many leaders to reach each of the 100 delegates and 40 senators. If you are interested in being a team leader please contact me, let's move forward together.

Sharon E. Hrichak for
Virginians for Health Freedom, a project of the Virginia Chapter of Certified Natural Health Professionals
P.O. Box 316, Chesterfield, VA 23832-0005

WASHINGTON STATE
There are several bills in Washington:

HB 1638 refers to Colon Hydrotherapy: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1638&year=2009

HB 2007 pertains to Naturopathic Doctors:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2004&year=2009

For information on these bills, contact Boyd Landry boydlandry@naturalhealth.org.

Health Freedom: The bill was heard on the Senate floor on Friday, January 30. It has been assigned a number: Senate Bill 5755 2009-10. The best way to easily stay updated is to use the following website address: www.leg.wa.gov/legislature and use the "Bill Search" tab near the top of the page (enter 5755).

According to the website: The "short title" of our bill is "Concerning alternative health care practitioners" In reading SB5755 as it is posted on the website, Section 1 says: "This act may be known and cited as the health care choice act."; The direct-access URL is: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5755&year=2009.

After the bill was heard, it was referred to the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee. The next step for our bill is that it will have to be scheduled for a hearing before the H&LTC Committee. Senator Karen Kaiser is the chair of this committee. Our discussions with her have not been promising; she does not intend to hear the bill. That would kill it for this session. We need to convince her to hear the bill. What people can do-call/write their senators and members of the Senate Health Committee. Contact Kaiser requesting that she hear the bill.

For more information, go to the Washington Health Freedom website: http://healthfreedomwa.org/ or email: healthfreedom.wa@gmail.com or call (360) 357-6263.