How to Use Herbs, Nutrients, & Yoga in Mental Health
Richard P. Brown
Language: English
Pages: 464
ISBN: 039370744X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
All you need to know about herbs, nutrients, and yoga for enhancing mental health.
Many physicians and therapists agree that herbs and mind-body practices enhance health, but many more are reluctant to integrate them into their clinical work because of a lack of training or, given how long it takes to master the use of hundreds of different herbs, a lack of time. But the trend is clear: clients and consumers alike want control over their health care choices, making the time ripe for a practical resource that guides both the clinician and the consumer on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
This book answers that call. Three noted experts in integrative medicine, Drs. Brown, Gerbarg, and Muskin, demystify the complexities of alternative mental health care, giving readers a comprehensive yet accessible guidebook to the best treatment options out there.
From mood, memory, and anxiety disorders to ADD, sexual enhancement issues, psychotic disorders, and substance abuse, every chapter covers a major diagnostic category. The authors then present a range of complementary and alternative treatments-including the use of herbs, nutrients, vitamins, nootropics, hormones, and mind-body practices- that they have found to be beneficial for various conditions within each category. For example, B complex vitamins and folate have been shown to help with depression; omega-3 fatty acids can offer relief for bipolar sufferers; coherent and resonant breathing techniques-used by Buddhist monks-induce healthy alpha rhythms in the brain to relieve anxiety; the elderly can boost their memory by taking the ancient medicinal herb Rhodiola rosea; and those with chronic fatigue syndrome can find comfort in acupuncture and yoga. Focusing on evidence-based approaches, the research, the authors' clinical experience, and the potential risks and benefits of each treatment are carefully examined.
Brown, Gerbarg, and Muskin have distilled an otherwise daunting field of treatment down to its basics: their overriding approach is to present the CAM methods that are most practical in a clinical setting, easy to administer, and low in side effects. With helpful summary tables at the end of each chapter, clinical pearls, and case vignettes interspersed throughout, this is a must-have resource for all clinicians and consumers who want the best that alternative medicine has to offer.
Yoga for Wellness: Healing with the Timeless Teachings of Viniyoga
Yoga: Awakening the Inner Body
The Essence of Yoga: Essays on the Development of Yogic Philosophy from the Vedas to Modern Times
traditionally in the Republic of Georgia and Siberia to enhance fertility. In an open study of 40 women with amenorrhea given R. rosea extract 100 mg b.i.d., normal menstrual cycles were restored in 25 subjects and 11 of these became pregnant. In 25 women, uterine length increased to normal size (Gerasimova, 1970). More recently, Patricia Eagon at the University of Pittsburgh found strong estrogen receptor binding in vitro. However, R. rosea (extract used in Rosavin by Amerden) did not elevate
the results of their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing to see if this cancer marker is stable. Frank was a busy 57-year-old CEO of a large investment firm. After years of chemotherapy had failed to eradicate his prostate cancer, his PSA numbers were elevated to more than three times normal levels. To counteract the high level of stress he was experiencing, Frank was advised to take a yoga breathing course. Two weeks after he completed the six-day Sudarshan Yoga Breath Course and engaged in
(asanas) assisted by props (ropes, chairs, cushions) to support the positions for novices and to progressively train them in the correct techniques (Iyengar, 1966, 1988). Classes emphasize awareness of muscular activity and joints. Coordination with breath practices, attention, and concentration are key elements. Iyengar recommended certain postures for relief of depression, including chest opening (backward bending), inversions (head down), and rigorous leg stand positions. A randomized
disturbance) and cognitive deficits (decreased concentration, forgetfulness, decreased memory, susceptibility to stress, and irritability). No adverse events occurred. Tolerability was rated as “good” or “very good” by 99% of the patients and their physicians (Fintelmann & Gruenwald, 2007). Although this was an uncontrolled trial, differences in efficacy between two dosing schedules were suggested. Group 1 took two capsules of Vigodana in the morning and group 2 took one capsule in the morning
possible sleep apnea or restless legs. Correcting the underlying sleep disorder should enable the patient to achieve more REM sleep. The increase in REM sleep may reduce nighttime hot flashes. CLINICAL PEARL Patients who complain of poor sleep due to hot flashes should be evaluated for sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. By correcting the underlying sleep disorder and restoring REM sleep, it is possible to reduce hot flashes at night. Exercise, dietary changes, and mind–body techniques can