What are you reading now?

[Linda and "Toby"]

It will be fun to share books we love! 

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

Hi Folks- Just joined this group. I am currently reading War against the Animals by Paul Russell and The Brothers Karamazov. The Brothers Karamazov is kind of dense so I read a few sections of it and then read a lighter book and then a few sections of BK. Love talking books!

 

[Linda and "Toby"]

I just finished reading "Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives" by Michael Newton, PhD and "The Energy Cure: Unraveling the Mystery of Hand-On Healing" by William Bengston, PhD. Both were phenomenal. Interestingly enough, "The Energy Cure" was recommended to me by a friend of my husband who is a medical doctor. (Pediatrician) He said that if HE were to come down with a serious life threatening disease such as cancer, he would not do Chemotherapy - he would seek out a skilled hands-on healer instead. (Quite a startling statement from a member of the medical community.) He's in his mid 40's. When he turns 60, he's going to switch his entire practice to holistic healing. In the meantime, he's studying everything he can about it.

[Lynda Kamrath]

I'm impressed.  Where does this doctor practice?  I hope I am still around 20 years from now when he goes holistic, and I hope other members of the medical practice go the same way.  We have talked a lot about this over the weekend.  My 96-year-old FIL was visiting and my 94-yr-old mother was here also.  They don't believe in drugs but will use herbal medicine.  My DH's niece has a doctorate of Eastern medicine and she keeps them supplied.  It is an interesting thing to consider.  I'll look for "The Energy Cure"

[Linda and "Toby"]

That's fascinating about your elderly FIL and your mother using herbal medicines only. (96 and 94?! Wow! Bless their hearts!) My husband's friend practices in New York. :) BTW, the Energy Cure by William Bengston, PhD is available for your iPad. I love how iBooks will list all the pages that you've bookmarked (or used a virtual highlighter pen on) at the front of the book so you find them quickly/easily. And being able to put sticky notes on pages is really convenient, too!

[Lynda Kamrath]

I had it written down to look for at the book store, but there are actually several books on "The Energy Cure" and I wanted to check them out.  By the way, have you ever read books on Foot Reflexology?  My FIL is really into that (and cayanne pepper) and he loves to massage feet for whatever is bothering you.  The center of my big toe (on the bottom of the foot) was bothering me.  Can you guess what that is linked to in your body?

[Linda and "Toby"]

I'm afraid to ask! hahahaha! (My mom is really into Reflexology, too. FYI: She's Japanese.)

[Lynda Kamrath]

Well, it is the hypothalumus and pituitary glands (about as hidden as you can get).  Reflexology is fascinating and it gets you some great foot massages.

[Linda and "Toby"]

Holistic healing is fascinating. :)

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I am a chemist, a pragmatist, and practical to a fault.  My sister-in law, Nancy is a trained occupational therapist,  physical therapist, and massge therapist, but her real love is integrated manual therapy, which is a type of hands Hands on healing.  I was so skeptical.  But I saw with my own eyes as she put her hands ( and several other relatives hands) on my husband after knee replacement surgery.  He had recovered well and the knee was working well, but at 4th months out he had recurring swelling, real swelling, to the point where one to two pints of fluid were being drawn from the knee weakly. We and the rest of his large family were visiting Nancy and his knee was again huge with swelling.  After twenty minutes of about eight or ten hands carefully placed on him, no pinching just firm comfortable pressure, he went to bed.  The knee was only very slightly swollen in the morning and by the next morning completely normal.  It never swelled again.  The explanation as well as I can remember is that there was a twisted muscle caught around a ???? causing fluid build up.  The pressure caused the muscle to untwist and therefore the fluid could flow properly. Coincidence?  She also undid much of the damage caused to my daughter's neck by whiplash in a severe auto accident in three sessions.  Then my son's lifelong problem with his shoulder/ neck apparently due to a problem in his foot.  Whatever works. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

This is a dangerous point of view in IMHO. Although I am not against alternative medicine I am also aware that dogmatic statements like this doctor made, who may be wiser at 60+--I know I am-- are hokum. Steve Jobs waited almost a year to treat his cancer by conventional means. It was not the usual adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and was potentially therefore much more curable. But he opted for alternative therapies and by the time he sought surgery etc. it was too late, although he did live for years. Do I know he would have been cured if he had been treated by surgery earlier? Of course no but he may have been. I just received a book yesterday "Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga for Mental Health Care". It really is not intended for laymen. I heard a fascinating talk by the author and it is based in science with oodles of studies to back up what is said. I think alternative medicine can complement conventional medicine but It is foolhardy to eschew  one for the other. I don't want to get into a prolonged debate but I had to chime in.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

When I was doing personal training, I had several clients with musculoskeletal injuries that had been misdiagnosed by chiropractors and other "alternative" therapists.  These people were using "hands on" techniques, "adjustments" they were called, and also some herbal supplements I believe. There was also a lot of talk about "energy". The one that stands out most in my mind was a young man in his early 20s, an athlete, who had recurrent pain in neck. The chiropractor told him it was related to an old car accident during which, according to the practitioner, his spine had become misaligned. The young man went to this "therapist" several times a week and after a session, he would feel better, but then the pain would come back, worse than ever. I finally convinced him to see an orthopedic specialist, and it turned out that he had a tumor the size of a golfball that was pressing against the nerves in his neck and causing the pain. It was removed, and fortunately was benign, but the nerve damage was permanent. Had it been removed sooner.....

It has also been documented that chiropractic treatments usually cost much more than consulting an orthopedic doctor, in the long run.

I also had many people who were told by alternative therapists that various bones were "out of alignment". One young lady was told she had ribs "out of place" that were causing her back pain. (I was able to diagnose that one myself, lol, she had pulled one of the deep muscles that stabilize the spine.)

If anyone tells you your bones are "out of place", and you know for a fact that none of them is broken, do not walk away, run away.  

[Amanda & Riley]

Your post caught my attention Karen. I have had severe neck pain for probably atleast 5 years. For the past three years I have seen a neurologist for daily headaches. I believe that these headaches are cause from the neck pains. I have seen a chiropractor but stopped after a month because I did not believe it to be helping. I have also had accupuncture treatment done.. no help.

I have worked with personal trainers in the past, but have stopped because so many of the exercises they have me do cause pains in my neck. I am just at loss at what to do!