Treatment 1 - Hot Magnesium Bath Magnesium is nature's muscle relaxant. It plays an important role in the production and transfer of energy, in muscle contraction and relaxation and in nerve conduction. However, if you take magnesium orally, it can irritate your colon and act as a laxative. This is not a good idea if you are prone to loose bowel movements or diarrhoea. So the solution is to use transdermal magnesium (absorbed through the skin). Fill your bathtub with hot water and then add 30ml of magnesium oil (which is supersaturated magnesium chloride condensed from seawater) along with 1 cup of Epsom salts. If you are on a budget just using Epson Salts is fine. Most of my patients use this method and always respond with a positive outcome. Now since the magnesium is going in through your skin, it is not passing through your digestive system therefore you are not triggering a bowel movement. If you also want to make your bath smell nice (which can also help you relax), add any essential oil that you like directly to your bath, or to your Epsom salts and stir well. Add about 5 to 10 drops to each cup of Epsom salts, or add the oil directly your bath. To relax, add essential oils of either lavender or jasmine. Of course there are many other oils you could use but I have just included the most popular and also my favourites. If you would like to use this bath to invigorate add essential oils of rosemary, eucalyptus or peppermint. I like peppermint. Treatment 2 - Hot Castor Oil Pack Chinese medicine, ayurvedic medicine and naturopathy recommend castor oil packs because of their ability to promote healing and to reduce inflammation. They also improve elimination and circulation, especially of the lymphatic system. I have, in the past used a hot castor oil pack repeatedly on myself for many reasons (usually pain, cramping or spasming) and it has never failed to provide significant and usually total relief. So why does it work? It works because a hot castor oil pack is very effective at relaxing cramping or spasming muscles anywhere in the body. The oil is also absorbed into the lymphatic circulation to provide a soothing, cleansing and nourishing treatment, which stimulates immune function and tones internal organs. Materials Needed: • Castor Oil • White cotton flannel twice the size of your abdomen (this is so you can fold it in half and cover the entire area) • Hot water bottle, heating pad or wheat pack (I like a hot water bottle) • Thin towel (a baby’s cloth or an old nappy cloth work well) • Sheet of plastic (a garbage bag will work) • Old bath towel • Old t-shirt and track suit pants (to stop the castor oil from destroying your other clothes) Procedure: Step 1. Cut a piece of plastic 5cm bigger then the flannel you are using. Step 2. Pour 1/4 cup of castor oil over the flannel and then fold the towel in half to saturate the entire towel. Step 3. Lay the old towel on the surface you will be lying on (this is to protect your bed, couch from stains) Step 4. Lie on your back and place the saturated flannel on your abdomen and then cover with the plastic and the old towel. Step 5. Place a hot water bottle over the old towel and plastic, and then wrap the bath towel around you to hold it all snug. Step 6. Relax for 30 to 60 minutes. Meditate or listen to relaxation music. [My wife always suggests a Face Mask at this time...... Go for it if you want} Step 7. Once your relaxation time has finished remove the oil with warm water and soap. I store the materials required for the hot pack in a large zip-lock bag. You can reuse it many times, adding more oil as needed to keep the pack saturated. Replace the pack after it begins to change colour (usually after several months). Do not wash the flannel - just throw it out. FINAL NOTE: As with everything else, you must be careful about your source of castor oil. Much of the oil currently sold in stores is derived from castor seeds that have been heavily sprayed with pesticides, solvent-extracted (hexane is commonly used), deodorized, or otherwise chemically processed, which damages beneficial phytonutrients and may even contaminate the oil with toxic agents. Remember if you have any more questions then please free to email me at mycrohnsdoctor@gmail.com or visit my Facebook Page at My Crohn's Doctor. Yours in Health and Wellness Dr Michael My Crohn's Doctor
www.mycrohnsdoctor.com LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This article (including links to any/all website pages, blog posts, blog comments, forum, videos, audio recordings, etc.) is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have an urgent medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. Any application of the recommendations in this email is at the reader's discretion. My Crohn's Doctor and Dr Michael are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from the use of this email. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this article.
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I thought that I would share with you my thoughts on using Yoga to assist with Digestion. I love how my body feels after a good body massage. Well, your digestive system can feel pretty much the same after a sequence of yoga postures. Your mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine make up your digestive system, with your teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gall bladder and pancreas acting as accessory organs. Throughout the day your digestive system is ingesting food, secreting fluids, breaking down and digesting fibre, absorbing nutrients and defecating waste. This is when it is all working correctly. You can imagine that because we have Crohn's Disease our digestive process does not work as well as it should. Sometimes you might experience indigestion, acid reflux, bloating, pain, constipation or diarrhoea. Or all of the above at the same time. A regular practice of yoga can help prevent these kind of problems or aid in healing many types of chronic digestive complaints. There are certain simple, basic postures that you can easily incorporate into a regular practice. Putting them together in short sequences can be very effective and work within the time you have available throughout the day to complete them. I know it may seem crazy to some of you but if you give Yoga a try you will certainly feel the benefits. Let me know how you go or if you have any more questions then please free to email me at mycrohnsdoctor@gmail.com or visit my Facebook Page at My Crohn's Doctor. Yours in Health and Wellness Dr Michael My Crohn's Doctor www.mycrohnsdoctor.com LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This article (including links to any/all website pages, blog posts, blog comments, forum, videos, audio recordings, etc.) is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have an urgent medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. Any application of the recommendations in this email is at the reader's discretion. My Crohn's Doctor and Dr Michael are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from the use of this email. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this article.
You have your diet and exercise down pat. However, some days too many stresses come from every direction. Then you need to hit the panic button and find a way out of the hole you seem to be digging. By trial and error, I have found many things that do just that. I want to share Ayurveda with you all today. I did intense cleansing and revitalisation in India called Panchakarma. I am not suggesting to go to India when you have a tough day. For me, it was my last resort and being told I was dying and medical intervention could not help. From that experience, I regularly do a short Ayurvedic treatment to quieten everything down in my body and mind. The key ingredient for me is the warm sesame oil massage. Also, I have a compress dabbed over me and also a body scrub. Then finally a fine jet of oil is gravity fed over my forehead. I find it balances my chakras and doshas, plus opens my third eye. However, some of you may find that is too much. So to put it plainly, I simply go home, sleep like a baby and wake so positive and fresh. I have talked about the importance of sleep for years, and this tops my list for ways to have the ultimate sleep and to heal your mind and body. Here is the Spa Menu I used recently in Hanoi Vietnam. I know Ayurveda is available in most cities in the world. However, you can do this at home yourself pretty easily on a daily basis for a cumulative wellness and health effect. Which if you can do more for yourself on your good and not so good days, you build a greater self-belief in yourself and your ability to manage your Crohn’s. So daily self-massage is a perfect quick way to benefit yourself on many levels. "The Benefits of Ayurveda Self-Massage “Abhyanga” courtesy of The Chopra Center. Steps to Follow for Self-Massage: Warm the oil (pour approximately ¼ cup into a mug and warm using a coffee-cup warmer.) Test the temperature by putting a drop on your inner wrist; oil should be comfortably warm and not hot Sit or stand comfortably in a warm room Apply oil first to the crown of your head (adhipati marma) and work slowly out from there in circular strokes—spend a couple of minutes massaging your entire scalp (home to many other essential marma points—points of concentrated vital energy) Face: Massage in circular motion on your forehead, temples, cheeks, and jaws (always moving in an upward movement). Be sure to massage your ears, especially your ear-lobes—home to essential marma points and nerve endings Use long strokes on the limbs (arms and legs) and circular strokes on the joints (elbows and knees). Always massage toward the direction of your heart Massage the abdomen and chest in broad, clockwise, circular motions. On the abdomen, follow the path of the large intestine; moving up on the right side of the abdomen, then across, then down on the left side Finish the massage by spending at least a couple of minutes massaging your feet. Feet are a critical part of the body with the nerve endings of essential organs and vital marma points found there. Sit with the oil for 5-15 minutes if possible so that the oil can absorb and penetrate into the deeper layers of the body. Enjoy a warm bath or shower. You can use a mild soap on the “strategic” areas, avoid vigorously soaping and rubbing the rest of the body. When you get out of the bath, towel dry gently. Blot the towel on your body instead of rubbing vigorously. Enjoy the feeling of having nourished your body, mind, and spirit and carry that with you throughout your day. If you have any more questions then please free to email me at mycrohnsdoctor@gmail.com or visit my Facebook Page at My Crohn's Doctor. Yours in Health and Wellness Dr Michael My Crohn's Doctor
www.mycrohnsdoctor.com LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This article (including links to any/all website pages, blog posts, blog comments, forum, videos, audio recordings, etc.) is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have an urgent medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. Any application of the recommendations in this blog post is at the reader's discretion. My Crohn's Doctor and Dr Michael are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this blog. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this article. This is why you should drink warm water and lemon juice in the morning if you have Crohn's Disease.8/4/2018 According to Ayurvedic philosophy, [something that I love myself] actions that you decide to undertake first thing in the morning can either build up resistance to disease or tear it down. Ayurveda would like you to get a jump-start to your day by following specific actions. Your mind may say you have to check emails, take the dog out, get the kids out the door, that you can't be late for work or that you don't have enough time to cultivate your morning rituals. However, this is not true. That extra time you think you don't have actually exists we are just choosing to spend it doing something that may not be so good for our health. One morning ritual that I think is very important is to start your day out with a cup of warm water and the juice of half a lemon. It's so simple, and the benefits are amazing. I make sure my whole family does this as it is beneficial for everyone, not just people with Crohn's Disease. It is also great to do something for your health that the entire family can do as well. It helps you feel less isolated from your family as you are all doing something that is good for you. The 5 Benefits are: 1. Balances pH Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies, they're alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolised). Having, an alkaline body is really the key to good health. 2. Aids digestion The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving. Lemons are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen toxins in the digestive tract. 3. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster pace which helps keep your urinary tract healthy. 4. Clears skin The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well. 6. Hydrates the lymph system It helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue. When your body is dehydrated, or profoundly dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can't perform all its proper functions, which leads to toxic build-up, stress, constipation, and the list goes on. So, by introducing this simple routine of drinking a cup of warm water with lemon in the morning for a month, you can improve your overall health. Remember if you have any more questions about Warm Lemon Water, then please free to email me at mycrohnsdoctor@gmail.com or visit my Facebook Page at My Crohn's Doctor. Yours in Health and Wellness Dr Michael My Crohn's Doctor
www.mycrohnsdoctor.com LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This article (including links to any/all website pages, blog posts, blog comments, forum, videos, audio recordings, etc.) is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have an urgent medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. Any application of the recommendations in this blog post is at the reader's discretion. My Crohn's Doctor and Dr Michael are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this blog. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this article. |
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