Pain relief for individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome is an important part of the treatment protocol. Individuals will often experience numbness, tingling, and pain in the first, second and half of the third fingers. This condition can render a person helpless from even lifting a pen. It affects approximately 3% of the adult population in the United States. Carpal tunnel syndrome can result from repetitive stress injuries, traumatic injuries, fluid retention or several diseases which deposit abnormal substances in the joints.

People who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome may be unable to perform some simple tasks from lifting their baby to lifting a fork. They may find it impossible to complete their jobs, enjoying recreational activities or even do basic household chores. This condition has become more prominent in a computer age society where people spend hours typing on a keyboard and holding a mouse. The pain from carpal tunnel syndrome will originate from the wrist but results in discomfort at the fingers, hand, wrist, arm and even shoulder, back and neck.  Read more...

Finding the Right Doctor to Diagnosis Your Mental Health Issues

If you think you have a mental illness, its hard to know where to start looking for help. With all the new diagnoses, medicines, treatments, and online resources, youre probably over-informed and feeling totally overwhelmed. Thats why its important to find a qualified professional to help you sort through the mess and find the correct diagnosis and treatment. If you find the right doctor for you, you can get yourself back on track and feeling better in no time.

The easiest place to start looking for a mental health specialist is your regular doctor. They can not only refer you to doctors they think are good and can help you, they can also refer you to the correct type of doctor who is trained specifically to deal with your problem. Its important to find someone you feel comfortable with, and youre more likely to feel comfortable if theyre referred to you by someone you trust rather than someone you found online or in the yellow pages.  Read more...

Most people who are interested in using essential oils for their home or on their body will simply purchase the oils already in a container. They wont worry too much about how essential oils are made, as long as they smell great and work well. However, the way that essential oils are made is quite interested and if you ever feel like making your own, you will probably wonder what to do. Here is a quick look at the way that essential oils are extracted.

Steam Distillation: Steam distillation is the most popular and quickest way that essential oils are made. When you see essential oils made from steam distillation, you will see that it is highly effective and economical. When steam distillation is used, the plant material is placed in a cooker that resembles a pressure cookerthis is called the sill. The plant is then steamed as pressurized heat and water passes through the material. The heat will then cause the oil in the plant to rupture and evaporate. The vapor from the oil is passed through a pipe and cooled until it condensed back to the oil form. It sounds quite complicated, but with the right tools, it is not. You will find most of the oil you buy made this way.  Read more...

Colorectal disease can encompass many different types of conditions. Some of these disorders may be just a nuisance while others can be very debilitating.

Diverticulitis is a colorectal disease that can cause severe abdominal pain and occasional bleeding. Small pouches or sacs in the lining of your bowel can get infected and cause these symptoms.

Colitis is a group of conditions that can cause inflammation of the large bowel. When a person has colitis they will experience rectal bleeding, abdominal cramping and urgency. There are some forms of colitis in which the cause is unknown.

The main type of colorectal disease that everyone should be concerned with is colorectal cancer. This is the second leading cancer killer in the United States. The first leading cancer killer is lung cancer.

It is important that everyone be aware of the risk factors for colorectal disease, especially colorectal cancer. By knowing your risk factors you can get the appropriate screenings and detect colon cancer early enough for a cure.  Read more...

* 2 cups yellow flowers from the herb mullein
* 2 cups almond oil

Mix in a clean glass jar. Let sit for two weeks.

Strain and apply the resulting oil to the skin. This makes skin smooth and supple. It is also good for dry, flaky skin.

Essential oils are great to use around your home, but before you run out to your local health food store to buy a bunch of these bottles, you need to know a little more about how to use them. When you purchase any essential oil, you will first notice that you are buying a very little bottle. You might wonder how you could possibly make good use of such a small amount of oil. That is where carrier oils come into play.

Carrier oils are very important to people who use any type of essential oils. Almost all essential oils are too concentrated and powerful to be used alone. If you do put straight and undiluted essential oil on your skin, you will probably notice an immediate reaction. It could be a very mild tingling of the skin, or it could burn. Carrier oils are used to extend the use of your essential oils and to make them suitable to use on your skin. Here is a closer look at some of the more popular types of carrier oils that you can purchase.  Read more...

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a truly remarkable herb with many uses. In this issue, we will talk about growing yarrow and using it to make simple cosmetics.

Yarrow for Oily Skin and Hair

Yarrow is a wonderful choice when making cosmetics and cleansers for oily skin. Here are some of my favorite recipes.

Facial Steam

Place a tablespoon of yarrow in a bowl and fill the bowl half full with boiling water. Lean over the bowl, and cover your head with a towel so that no steam escapes. You should be 12-18 inches from the water. After steaming, splash your face with cool water and pat dry.

For added benefit, add one or more of the following herbs:

Stimulating Herbs

* Rosemary
* Sage
* Mint

Healing Herbs

* Comfrey
* Thyme

Soothing Herbs

* Lavender
* Chamomile

Yarrow and Chamomile Compress

You will need:

* 1 teaspoon of dried yarrow flowers
* 1 teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers
* 1 cup of boiling water  Read more...