Minerals and Chemicals found in the Dead Sea

A study involving a European occupational therapist suffering from psoriasis who had obtained compensation from her health insurance in order to undergo therapy at the Dead Sea has lead to great interest in health funds in Denmark, Germany and other European Countries. This has resulted in their subsidizing treatment from the Dead Sea for people suffering from both Psoriasis and other skin conditions. If Health Insurance companies can be considering coverage of treatment at the Dead Sea for relief and treatment of skin disorders, then it seems reasonable to advocate usage of products manufactured from the Mud and minerals of the Dead Sea.

Healthy skin and

Assisting to replace or remove electrolytes enables the body to maintain a good fluid balance thereby improving a feeling of relaxation, health and well being. Below is a list of the therapeutic physical and mental well being is dependent on the correct sodium and potassium or fluid balance in the body. This is regulated by the Adrenal gland, which in turn affect healthy function of the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for controlling 28 chemicals in the body. An imbalance of these chemicals or electrolytes can result in certain skin or other symptoms and over an extended period of time results in various illnesses. benefits of the Dead Sea products together with the conditions or symptoms they alleviate.

The Dead Sea Salts differ from regular sea salt in 2 important ways.

1) They contain 10 times more minerals than sea salt.
2) The Dead

Sea salts absorb essential oils with ease, which enables them to be released into the bath water as they dissolve.

This is beneficial for those wishing to benefit from the Dead Sea in the privacy of their own home. Some of the minerals found in the Dead Sea are listed below together with their functions or benefits to health. This provides some insight as to why these minerals assist in cleansing, de-toxing and restoring a healthy status quo of the body, especially the skin and muscles.

Minerals and Chemicals found in the Dead Sea

• Sulfur-is found in the amino acids cysteine, and methionine; as well as in cells, hemoglobin (of the blood), collagen (of the muscles), keratin (required for skin), insulin, heparin, biotin, co-enzyme A, (required for healthy hair, skin, nails, among many other biological structures). Sulfur is necessary for synthesizing collagen. It is required for the adequate digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and a number of vitamins e.g. thiamin, biotin and pantothenic acid; It is also essential to enable cells to breathe Sulfur is necessary for the secretion of bile from the liver and for converting toxins into non-toxins.
• Chlorine is necessary to maintain the correct balance of alkaline and acid in the body, together with being vital for cell metabolism
• Iodine is necessary for the production of the hormone thyroxin, and is also vital for both energy and cell metabolism is necessary to maintain the water balance in order for cell metabolism to take place, assisting the cells to absorb nourishment and expel waste products. An imbalance in potassium often leads to water retention.
• Potassium also plays a vital role in regulating muscle contractions and the nervous system.
• Sodium like potassium plays s a vital role in assisting the cells to absorb nourishment and expel waste.
• Calcium is necessary in strengthening cell membranes and cleansing the pores. In addition it is vital for production and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones, together with regulating the heart muscles and nerves.
• Magnesium is necessary in assisting the body to utilize other essential nutiens and in cell metabolism.
• Bromine helps with the natural repair of the body together with cell metabolism and can be sued as a natural antibiotic. Saunas often use Dead Sea salts to evaporate the bromides thus creating and environment similar to the Dead Sea. Having a hot bath with Dead Sea salts and allowing the steam to collect in the bathroom will have a similar effect. Other than the benefits listed below for bath salts, steaming and using these salts in the bath can be beneficial for respiratory conditions e.g. asthma.

PELOTHERAPY 

The main healing property of mud is humic acid, which comes from concentration of organic matter. After the Ice Age the earth experienced a compression of plant and animal life resulting in transformation of various rocks and hence, muds. The parts of the earth, which suffered the most erosion, have higher deposits of humic acid. One of these areas is the Dead Sea, which has the largest concentration of humic acid, chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium, bromine and various other minerals. Since the Dead Sea Mud (also known as Pelloid) has a high concentration of minerals together with an ability to hold heat, the mud can be used for certain healing benefits. Smearing the Pelloid onto the body in a process known as Pelotherapy provides cleansing and detoxing of the skin which has proved beneficial for skin, muscle pain and arthritic or rheumatic conditions.

BALNEOTHERAPY

Is an ancient healing form using water, usually with added salts, thereby distinguishing it from hydrotherapy, to condition, relax and revitalize the skin, body and muscles. Its benefits are seen in improving circulation, strengthening the immune system, reducing pain, stress and insomnia.

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Following these steps will give you confidence and put you in charge of your breast health

There are so many jokes about mammograms! Have you heard the one about the fridge door …or the bookends …or the garage floor? Thanks to all the jokes, “Mammogram” has become a household word, and it’s not that I don’t have a sense of humor, but as a mammography technologist, I’ve heard the jokes many times. I think the jokes are embarrassing for women and demeaning with regard to their physical bodies. Many women say, “If men had to do this, there would be a better solution” - this may or may not be true. Most people agree that mammograms are not perfect, but until there is a better solution, I think it’s time to look at mammograms in a different light.

In May of 1985 and 1986 I asked my doctor to order a mammogram for me and he refused both times saying I was too young. There were no screening mammography centers to which I could refer myself, so that was that. In December of 1986 at the age of 42 I felt a lump in my breast and had a mammogram the same day. It turned out to be Stage II breast cancer with 4 positive lymph nodes. I had a lumpectomy, a mastectomy and chemotherapy but chose not to have radiation. I obviously wasn’t too young to have cancer.

In May 1985 a mammogram cost less than $60.00 and would have resulted in my having minor surgery to deal with a small lump. Delaying the diagnosis until December 1986 raised the cost of the medical care I received both in dollars and the amount of human suffering we faced. I say “we” because a diagnosis of cancer affects the family, friends and community of the person with the disease. A timely mammogram would have saved us all a lot of grief.

The common perception is that having a mammogram is a negative experience; I think this is a bad rap. Mammograms are quick and easy breast X-Rays; which usually means two views of each breast – one from the top and one from the side. They are performed by friendly, knowledgeable technologists who do their best to help women feel at ease. The technologists’ goal is to get the best films possible and also to make the experience as quick and painless as possible.

When people go for a mammogram the most important thing to know is that relaxation of the upper body is the key to a positive experience. I know it’s hard to relax when you’re apprehensive, but this is why I believe we need to lessen the public apprehension of this test. It is easy to relax by taking some deep breaths before you have the test. By relaxing your muscles you will be much more comfortable through the test than if you are tense. An added bonus is that the films will be of higher quality, as it is easier to image the back of the breast close to the chest wall if the pectoralis muscles are relaxed. When it’s done, you may hear yourself saying, “That wasn’t bad at all!”

Some women are embarrassed to have a mammogram because they don’t want anyone other than their partner to see and touch their breasts. The mammogram jokes add to their fear of pain and embarrassment making it harder for them to manage, and I know of some women who avoid having a mammogram for this reason. The test is done in privacy; no one but a female technologist will be present. Technologists, for the most part, are sensitive people who will do the test as quickly and professionally as they can. Many women who have resisted the test for a long time are amazed at how simple and painless it can be.

Mammograms include compression of the breast with a plastic plate to produce a high quality image with the least amount of radiation. Breast compression is meant to be tight, but it should not be painful and it only lasts for a few seconds. If you think about looking at a bunch of grapes – it’s hard to see them all from one spot. If you spread the grapes out, you can see more grapes. Similarly with the use of compression, more breast tissue is visible when the breast is spread out. With a flatter, thinner layer of tissue the amount of radiation required is less than if the breast is not compressed. The amount of radiation you get is as low as can be achieved if adequate compression is used, and also if good quality control is maintained at the mammogram facility.

In the U.S.A. the cost of a mammogram runs between $50 and $150.00. There is financial help available from insurance companies, state and local programs, and from some employers. Please do not let the cost deter you from having a mammogram as the cost of not having a mammogram can be much higher both financially and emotionally. Check for information on the internet.

In most places in Canada, women can book their own appointment for a free screening mammogram; a doctor’s referral is not required. In places without a screening program, mammography is available with a doctor’s referral and is covered by health insurance. Approximately 7% of women will be asked to have further testing. Most of the time, follow up testing involves an additional mammogram with a different view to separate the breast tissue in a particular area to get a better image. In my analogy of the bunch of grapes, it’s like having a few grapes on top of each other and separating them out in a different way in order to see them better.

There is controversy about the age bracket for women to have a mammogram. On a mammogram film, normal breast tissue in young women usually appears to be dense; normal breast tissue in older women usually turns to fat and appears less dense. Reading mammograms on young women is like looking through a tree which is full of leaves in summer. Reading mammograms on older women can be compared to looking through a tree in winter. You can see why reading mammograms on young women is more complex than reading films on older women and this is the main reason why screening mammography is more effective as women mature.

The fear of being diagnosed with breast cancer will often prevent a woman from having a mammogram. My personal experience is that it is much better to be diagnosed earlier rather than when the cancer has had chance to spread. The amount of fear, pain, embarrassment, and emotional anguish from having a mammogram does not even come close to that of being diagnosed with an advanced cancer. A mammogram takes about 10 minutes; an early cancer can be dealt with in a reasonable amount of time, while an advanced cancer is much more of a time commitment. The amount of fear that comes with a cancer diagnosis is astronomical compared to that of a screening mammogram.

It is often recommended that women have a screening mammogram every two years, but many people believe it is better to have mammograms on an annual basis. It is probably best if women can consult their doctors and make the decision on an individual basis. A number of factors affect the decision such as age, family history, general health, and previous breast problems. Between appointments, whether you choose to have a mammogram every year or every two years, it is important to be aware of any breast problems. If you notice anything unusual it is wise to contact your doctor. This applies even if your mammogram was negative because there are a certain percentage of cancers that do not show on a mammogram.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation promotes a three-prong approach to breast health:

• annual clinical breast exam by a doctor or trained health professional
• screening mammogram
• monthly breast self exam

Breast self-exam can be a controversial issue. Many people do not recommend monthly self-exams, yet many women have found their own breast cancers this way. The important thing to remember is if you choose to do self exam, to do it right:

• learn the proper method from a doctor or trained health professional
• be disciplined and practice it regularly
• pick the same time of your menstrual cycle or the same date each month
• get to know your normal breast “architecture”
• make notes of your findings, draw pictures and record dates
• make detailed notes of unusual findings including dates
• check with your doctor if you find anything worrisome

Following these steps will give you confidence and put you in charge of your breast health. Some health professionals are concerned that women will be unnecessarily alarmed if they find a problem with their breasts. I believe that an educated approach to breast care will reduce the fear that many women live with, and they can consult their doctors in a more rational manner. Most breast lumps are benign, but early detection of breast cancer is worth the extra cost of investigating lumps and other unusual findings.

Mammography is a peculiar test in some ways. However, it is the gold standard at present and until there is a better method of screening which is also cost effective it makes good sense to have regular mammograms. Finding cancer in the early stages before it has a chance to spread makes the treatment much easier and the cure rate much higher. Having a mammogram is not meant to be funny, or even fun; but a few minutes of discomfort rewards us with knowing we are taking action to help protect our breast health.

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Tai Chi is being recommended by some forward thinking medical institutions already

Tai Chi movement’s gentle balance enhancing motions can obviously help the Parkinson’s patient by helping to reduce the gradual loss of balance that Parkinson’s sufferers often experience. However, there may be much more it offers. For example, Tai Chi movements rotate the human body in about 95% of the ways the body can move, when a long form is practiced. This is far beyond what other exercise offers, and in fact the closest would be several swimming strokes, which together would only rotate the body in about 65% of the ways it can move. For Parkinson’s sufferers, or anyone for that matter, this would indicate that by “using” 95% of the body’s possible motion several times a week, the possibility of “losing” the ability to do so diminishes accordingly. This isn’t rocket science, but simple common sense.

Yet, perhaps Parkinson’s patients have even more to gain from Tai Chi. A few years ago I taught several classes at local medical centers. I was continually frustrated because although I’d seen emerging reports that Tai Chi was beneficial to people with Parkinson’s Disease, or arthritis, or chronic hypertension, etc., even though the departments that specialized in those conditions were often just down the hall from my Tai Chi class . . . they might as well have been a million miles away. Because the physicians who ran those departments were either ignorant of or unwilling to refer their patients to the possibilities that Tai Chi offered their lives.

I remember though, that at one medical center a visionary neurologist began to refer patients with balance disorders to my Tai Chi classes and the result was very beneficial for his patients. Another physician actually wrote prescriptions for my Tai Chi classes to treat the chronic hypertension of his patients, who’d seen a significant drop in their blood pressure since beginning the classes weeks before. A clinical psychologist brought me in to teach Qigong (Chi Kung) meditation and Tai Chi to her patient group to enhance their sense of well being and provide effective stress management training. So, even back then some physicians were seeing the potential Tai Chi offered their clients, and even more are now, but the number of physicians who are still not informing their patients of Tai Chi’s direct therapeutic or at the least adjunct therapy benefits to their patient’s efforts to deal with their conditions and life, is increasingly indefensible in this day and age. Given the research that has exposed the many physical, mental, and emotional benefits Tai Chi offers, for physicians to not educate themselves on this and share their knowledge with each and every patient is tantamount to mal-practice. Health educators should likewise be making such therapies part of their medical student education programs as well.

Tai Chi for Parkinson’s is being recommended increasingly by support groups and some progressive medical centers, but until everyone that has Parkinson’s knows about it, then our work at World Tai Chi & Qigong Day is not done, nor is the medical community’s. There are many obvious reasons everyone with Parkinson’s should be doing Tai Chi, but it’s the ones that are not yet obvious that may be the most intriguing. One obvious reason is that Tai Chi is the most powerful balance and coordination enhancing exercise known. In many studies at major universities Tai Chi was found to be TWICE as effective in reducing falls as the other balance enhancing exercises being studied. For people with Parkinson’s, who often see their balance deteriorate as their condition progresses, it is unforgivable for them to not be informed of Tai Chi’s potential benefits at the earliest stage possible while their balance is still good.

If Tai Chi only addressed this chronic condition affecting 1/3 of Americans, while boosting the immune system of all practitioners profoundly, and cutting in half the sixth leading cause of death for seniors, without any negative side effects, that would seem to be, for the rational person a reason for pouring massive resources into researching it further. However, Tai Chi’s benefits only begin with the above preliminary findings. We also know that it may very well relieve depression, anxiety, and mood disturbance, as well as reduce ADHD symptoms in teenagers diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. There are indications that Tai Chi may greatly reduce or even eliminate chronic pain conditions, and lessen allergic and asthmatic reactions, and improve overall respiratory function.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT TAI CHI AND PARKINSONS?

Tai Chi is being recommended by some forward thinking medical institutions already. The Cleveland Clinic of Neuroscience Center encourages Parkinson's Disease patients to seek out a hobby or activity they can enjoy and stick with such as “Tai Chi” and other activities. The Alexian Neurosciences Institute in Illinois offers a course in their The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center. Also, the American Parkinson’s Disease Association at Stanford University Medical Center, in it’s “Beyond Pills.... Alternative Approaches to Coping with Parkinson's Disease” program, offered “Tai Chi, The Art for Living with Parkinson's” by Mwezo & Jane of Kujiweza Healing Arts. (Learn more at: http://parkinsons.stanford.edu/symposium.html). The Parkinson’s Society of Canada recommends Tai Chi for Parkinson’s patients, suggesting “Tai Chi may prevent or at least slow down the onset of degenerative diseases; in the long run, it can reduce need for rehabilitative care.” (http://www.parkinsons.ca/managing.html#taichi)

In the United Kingdom a Parkinson’s Tai Chi study was conducted at Camborne Redruth Community Hospital, Cornwall. Their conclusion of the study was such, “Tai Chi training was well tolerated by PD patients in this study, but had no measurable effect on motor performance using UPDRS score or GAG time. There was a non-significant improvement in quality of life scores (PDQ 39). Larger studies would be needed fully to evaluate the value and efficacy of Tai Chi. However our results are encouraging, and provide evidence for its safety and tolerability and would support the feasibility of further study.” (http://www.pdcornwall.org.uk/showarticle.pl?n=30&id=81)

WCHS TV during a news report focusing on Tai Chi’s ability to boost immune system function, also reported that “Tai Chi has also been shown to help illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and arthritis.” (http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/healthyforlife/2177.shtml)

The Neurology Channel reported, “The slow flowing movements of Tai Chi help maintain flexibility, balance, and relaxation. The Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Minneapolis, which teaches a modified form of Tai Chi, consistently reports benefits achieved by patients in all stages of Parkinson’s.” (http://www.neurologychannel.com/parkinsonsdisease/surgery.shtml)

Physicians at the Mayo Clinic recommend Tai Chi for Parkinson’s therapy, under their Parkinson’s “self-care” section for avoiding falls, where they suggest you “Ask your doctor or physical therapist about exercises that improve balance, especially tai chi. Originally developed in China more than 1,000 years ago, tai chi uses slow, graceful movements to relax and strengthen muscles and joints. “

At a popular health website called “RemedyFind.com” viewers can vote on therapies they’ve found benefited their condition, or didn’t benefit it. The rating there for Tai Chi as a Parkinson’s therapy received a rating of 9.8 out of a possible 10. (http://remedyfind.com/rem.asp?ID=13945)

A Study at the University of Florida in Jacksonville found that patients who attended Tai Chi classes for one hour each week for 12-weeks were less likely than a group of control patients to experience an increase in the severity of their condition and a decrease in motor function. . . .[of alternative therapies] the most popular therapies being Tai Chi, yoga, and acupuncture. (http://www.worldhealth.net/p/275,1526.html), (SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 13th November 2002)

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported, “Parkinson’s Meets It’s Match in Tai Chi.” In this article they write that Dr. Mark Guttman, director of the Centre for Movement Disorders in Markham, Ontario, recommends people with Parkinson's do exercises that involve a lot of stretching, similar to the movements of tai chi.

"Tai chi is wonderful; it can help people with disabilities as well as people with Parkinson's," he says. He added that studies on animals show exercise induces a change in the brain that prevents the symptom’s of Parkinson’s from emerging.

The Tai Chi teacher for this program, Ms. Embree, spoke of how people with fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and Parkinson’s often attend her classes . . . “Doctors are now sending people here," adds Ms Embree. (for the entire article, go to: PARKINSON’S MEETING IT’S MATCH IN TAI CHI, April, 13, 2005, http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/0304/lvtaichi7.html)

At the National Parkinson’s Foundation site, Melanie M. Brandabur, MD NPF Center of Excellence, University of Illinois at Chicago and Jill Marjama-Lyons, MD NPF Center of Excellence, Shands Jacksonville, wrote, “Most patients derive a great deal of benefit from today's medications and surgical therapies for Parkinson's Disease . . . However, benefits of these therapies can be limited. As time goes by, the medications may not seem as effective as they once were. Side effects or unpredictable response may develop. Surgical therapies are not curative and often treat only selected aspects of Parkinson's Disease. For these reasons, patients may decide to explore other modalities, such as massage therapy, Tai Chi, yoga, or herbal preparations to augment their Parkinson's medication . . . Many patients with Parkinson's Disease have become interested in complementary therapies to supplement medications and other traditional PD treatments. These physicians also suggest that as Tai Chi and other modalities benefits are exposed by clinical research, physicians will advocate their use more widely. (http://www.parkinson.org/site/pp.asp?c=9dJFJLPwB&b=238635)

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day joins a growing number of health professionals specializing in fields like Parkinson’s who believe that much more research needs to be done to illuminate the full spectrum of benefits Tai Chi offers all people as well as those specifically with chronic conditions. This will enable more physicians to make Tai Chi a regular prescription written as therapy or adjunct therapy for a host of maladies many are already enjoying the benefits of for their condition, but paying out of pocket for. Ultimately more and more health insurance plans should and will make Tai Chi classes a deductible medical expense for their clients. The end result of this shift may portend the savings of hundreds of billions of dollars annually in saved health care costs as patients are better trained in self care techniques, training the great visionary Thomas Edison referred to as “the care and maintenance of the human frame,” which Edison envisioned would more and more reduce the need for expensive surgeries and life long dependence on medications as human beings maximized their own self healing abilities. Traditional Chinese Medicine has spent centuries developing and evolving self healing technologies like Tai Chi. Now the west can learn about their results, and physicians can prescribe them to their patients and our entire society will be healthier and more abundant for it.

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