Scottish Showers Promote Wellness

So I've recently posted on dry brushing--a health and beauty secret that I've used for two decades to help keep my skin soft and pliable. It also keeps my sensory system stimulated, and the blood and lymph flow circulating freely through their respective vessels, which in turn promotes a beautiful complexion.

But there's a second practice to go along with dry brushing, and that's the Scottish shower (Ss). The Ss is a practice of alternating hot and cold water while taking a shower. At a bare minimum, it's finishing a shower with a blast of cold water. I've also been practicing this technique for many years, and the benefits are enormous.

The principle behind Scottish showers is that heat causes the blood vessels to move toward the surface in a process called vasodilation. The body does this to increase circulation, release heat, and promote healing. Cold, on the other hand, causes vasoconstriction--a narrowing of the blood vessels due to contraction of smooth muscle. The vessels also contract inward, deeper toward the organs of the body, preserving heat, reducing blood flow and decreasing blood pressure. Taken in alternating rounds, the hot then cold water blasts will induce a sort-of pumping action by the circulatory system, leading to a number of physiological benefits.

Scottish showers promote optimal temperature regulation by modifying the sensory functions of hypothalamic thermoregulatory centres to increase heat release during hot weather, and lowering heat loss during cold.

They also stimulate the neuroendocrine and immune systems. Studies have shown that the regular practice of taking cold showers increased white blood cells and the production of the body's natural blood thinning enzymes, improving micro circulation. It also stimulated the production testosterone in men, and boosted women's production of estrogen.

Taking cold showers has also been shown to increase the body's anti-oxidant capabilities, with a rise in glutathione and a reduction of uric acid. Low glutathione is involved in many illnesses including cardiovascular conditions, pulmonary diseases, diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, aging, and toxic pesticide exposure.

Cold water immersion reduces recovery time in athletes, enhances repeat performance, and reduces exercise induced muscle damage. It also raises thresholds of pain tolerance, reduces muscle spasm, and improves subjective well-being. It has even been shown to improve mood in depressed people.

Next, how do you take a Scottish shower? You begin by making the water as hot as you can handle. Let the water run over every part of your body including the scalp (good for promoting healthy hair and scalp). Then turn the water temperature down to the coldest you can take (you'll be able to take more as you get used to the practice). Let the water run over your entire body (this is the tough part, but you can let out a yelp; I do) for about half a minute or so, then back to hot again, and repeat in cycles, always finishing with cold.

You can do this for anywhere from one to seven cycles. I do three cycles every shower.

I'm telling you that this will quite possibly be the most invigorating practice you'll ever take part in. Along with the benefits I've listed above, you will feel the sensory stimulatory effects for up to several hours afterward, see improvements to your skin tone and complexion, and men will discover an increase in sexual endurance, all from the regular practice of taking cold showers.

Scottish showers is a simple yet powerful practice, and worth the discipline. From neurological to immune to aesthetics, nearly every system is benefited from alternating hot and cold showers. Practiced along with dry brushing and your body will respond with renewed youth and vigor. Take it from me, these two timeless health and beauty practices work.

Good Doctoring is Certainty

Every month I teach a chiropractic re-licensing seminar on sports injuries, and every class I say,

Listen, it's so important, doctors, that you believe in what you are doing--to the degree that the patient believes you--because if either of you are uncertain, it'll be much harder for healing to take place.  Both the doctor AND the patient must believe in the treatment, and if only one believes, then it must be the doctor!

Reminds me of an experience my mother-in-law had regarding a wound that was having difficulty healing.  She was seeing a doctor in her home town who recommended a skin graft, but get this, he said, "It is probably not going to work, but it might."

When I had heard what he said, I asked my wife why her mother was following through with it.  She said her mother wanted to give it a try; she wanted to believe.  Did it work?  No.  Three grafts, three failures.  At the time, I was peeved that the doctor would approach things in that way.  Why would he even go through the procedure if he thought it wouldn't work?

After the third try failed, to his credit, he did recommend that she check out the NYU Wound Healing Center.  I decided to do some research on the Center, and what did I find right on their website homepage:

Under our innovative, comprehensive, and compassionate care system, healing is not just an outcome, it’s the expectation. This philosophy that every wound can heal is the focus of care at every level – from our wound clinic to the operating room to our research laboratories.

Duh!  I mean what the heck?  If the doctor doesn't believe the treatment will work, why would the patient?  Here, we're going to staple your eyelids shut and we'll check your hemorrhoids in a week...but it's probably not going to work.  Cha-ching!

The beliefs of both parties in the health care team are an important part of the healing process.  That is exactly why all healing-arts help some people some of the time, yet none helps all people, no matter how effective it is.  There is no such thing as 100% success rate in health care.

But the caveat is that doctors don't know which people they are going to help and which they are not.  So....it is imperative that doctors approach ALL patients as the ones they are going to help.  If you truly think you are not going to help any one person--and doctors, we have all had patients enter our practices that we knew we couldn't help--tell them so and refer them out!  How a doctor handles that patient, the one they know they can't help, is what really counts in the end.  Good doctoring is certainty.

My mother-in-law went to NYU and guess what?  Her wound healed.  Go figure.

Vitamins Do the Trick?

When it comes to preventing cancer, are nutritional supplements effective?  Some say yes, some say no.  There is, however, a superior way to prevent cancer nutritionally--by eating healthy foods.  You don't say?  Yes, nothing beats whole natural foods when it comes to dietary health.

Recent studies have shown that neither vitamins C nor E did the trick in preventing cancer or heart disease when taken as supplements.  However, we know how important these vitamins are for proper function.  So what's the deal?  Well, as I point out in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, there is no substitute for real food.  C'mon folks, we haven't found the magic pill yet that can replace food in providing either energy or nutrients (necessary as co-factors in metabolic processes).

Saying that, though, I am not yet convinced that nutritional supplements are useless.  In the big Women's Health Study and the Physicians' Health Study II, which provided the most damning case against supplements, one must admit the doses for vitamin C, at least, were very low (500 mg).  I personally take 2000 mg per day.  I will contend that 500 mg, while not useless, is probably too low to show such dramatic effects as preventing cancer or heart disease.

Remove vitamin C from the diet, though, and watch your health deteriorate.  Hmm, so what then?  Vitamin C is necessary but only valuable when coming from real food?  I don't think so.  We must remember that supplements are just that--supplementing the diet.  Like exercise alone not guaranteeing good health, when combined with diet, rest, chiropractic care, sufficient water intake, and so on, you better believe it will increase your chances of experiencing optimal health.

So preventing cancer, I am certain, requires more than just supplementing.  True, studying each individual vitamin and minerals' individual effects on the body is valuable.  But I think before we throw the baby out with the bath water, we might need to design more rigorous studies to learn the whole truth.

I am a firm believer in the healing and preventative power whole natural foods.  But I know that we need vital nutrients.  It can't be possible that supplementing with compounds containing the same molecules as natural foods is folly.  Unless there are synergistic reactions that occur with other, as of yet, undiscovered agents...well, it just doesn't make sense.  We know certain things about antioxidants in general, and the vitamins that fill that role specifically, so I'm thinking better studies are needed.

But forget not the principle--without healthy, whole natural foods as a staple in your diet, you won't be preventing cancer or general malnutrition by simply swallowing a pill.

The Pain Is the Healing

Here is an affirmation I have given to a new client who is being treated with chemotherapy for cancer:  The pain IS the healing.

I was thinking very deeply about this client, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma late last year, when I came up with the affirmation.  He is being successfully treated with the chemo, but the it has put him in excruciating pain.  He says it feels as if his bone marrow is boiling.

What we don't always realize is that life is often painful; but the pain we endure is often our greatest blessing; it's what usually brings our greatest growth.  That is the gist of this post.  And the gist of the affirmation.

Affirmations are statements that we say over and over to ourselves, to help establish in our minds the truth behind the statement.  What we say to ourselves repeatedly, we believe.  What we believe, we create.  In other words, we create our reality, whether you want to believe it or not (hidden wisdom, hidden wisdom, reread, ponder).

However, affirmations are powerless if we don't really believe what we are saying in the first place.  For my client, it is not too hard to get him to believe.  First off, he's super-sharp: He already sees the blessing in his illness, and he sees how his life (and mind-set) has led up to where he is now, for all of which he is grateful.  Second, he's a fighter; he feels like ess ayech aye tee (i.e. not well), yet he comes for his visits anyway.  He is doing everything he can to get well, including chiropractic, acupuncture, nutritional therapy, and very soon...rehab.  Third, he knows he is getting better; this man knows the principles of the universe, and he gets that he's getting a second chance; he understands the process.

So "the pain IS the healing" rings true for him.  But I have given him the affirmation to get him through the rough times.  When his bone marrow starts feeling like it's boiling from the chemo, the affirmation makes it firm in his mind that it is an integral part of the healing process; and he'll help his body along through his certainty.

And you can use this affirmation too.  Whether you are going through a tough breakup, financial or legal troubles, or any other painful experience, just remember...the pain IS the healing.

Music Therapy

Listen up melody makers--you are healers! Yes, healers. New research shows that music not only calms the savage beast, it helps people heal. It can also diminish symptoms in dying people, and this new study shows that some are requesting just that--their favorite music as they prepare to pass on. Beautiful...and sensible. I love it.

Music as an art form uses sound as its medium. Although an integral part of every culture, there is no universal concept defining music other than "sound through time." In our modern culture, though, music is being used in a therapeutic sense. Music therapy, a discipline being taught at major universities and professional schools, is helping sick people palliatively--that is, to reduce the severity of symptoms, so that patients can enjoy some improvements to their quality of life.

Music therapy helps people with Alzheimer's remember; it helps autistic children calm down; it helps premature babies, children with disabilities, and seniors with dementia. It helps people improve their medical conditions as well as improve their lives. Whether life is just beginning, or whether it's winding down, music therapy holds something for everyone, as we are all moved by the music we love.

In the study, approximately 200 people aged 24 to 87 with chronic or advanced illnesses, such as cancer, pain disorders, AIDS or sickle cell disease received music therapy, where they were allowed to choose the music they heard (Lady Gaga, anyone?). Physical and psychological tests were performed before and after the therapy sessions. The researchers found that music therapy decreased patient anxiety, pain and shortness of breath. Nice. And more than 80% of the patients said the music improved their mood, as well as that of their family members.

Certified music therapists not only play music (they must be well versed in several genres to accommodate a wide range of musical tastes) they must also study psychology, physiology and other health disciplines. Music therapists do indeed provide sounds, yet they also help with a vast array of physical, emotional, and social issues.

I find this practice of music therapy to be in perfect tempo, as more and more people are passing on without religiosity. My perspective is that for most people (those not going suddenly), moving on must be somewhat frightening. Without spiritual hope to lessen the fear, music might be able to help ease the transition. What better way to leave this plane than by being accompanied by one's favorite music. Ice Cube, take me away.

Seriously, I believe that music is the divine sound of the universe. It does heal. Anybody who has listened to music to create or amplify a mood knows exactly what I'm talking about. Music accompanies me everywhere, and unless I'm blessed enough to go in a snap...it'll follow me to the light, too.

Technicians vs. Healers

What makes a better doctor, one who knows about your illness with unequaled expertise, and who can ramble off all signs and symptoms as well as treatment options like he wrote the book on them, or one who listens to you intently, sympathizes with your condition, and brings hope and encouragement? Hard to say, really. It would be nice to have both, but as you probably know, that's not always the case.

But we really are finding out how important sensitivity and warmth are to the healing process. It's not just about physiology, symptoms and disease, but about the mental, emotional, and spiritual too. Are all doctors aware of this? Not yet.

According to a recent study, when patients commented to their doctors about their struggles with cancer--the diagnosis or treatment--or the health care system in general, doctors responded with empathy only 10% of the time. 389 doctors visits were recorded (both doctor and patient were aware of the taping) where these concerns or emotions were expressed, and doctors responded with empathy in just 39 of these instances.

You know, there are healers and then there are technicians. Technicians know all the book stuff--how to differentiate between diagnoses and what drug or treatment goes with what. But healers bring calm, warmth and empathy to their practices. They have a way of stirring-up the unseen energetic forces of healing in others. Healers come in all disciplines--medical doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturist, physical therapists--as do technicians. You know the difference. If you are looking for a healer but find yourself in the office of a technician, then say thank you and move on. You'll find what your looking for if you don't give up.

Man Beats Machine

Chalk one up for humans. In the battle between man and machine, it appears that man has an advantage. When it comes to healing, there's power in the human touch.

A study out of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago showed that when training stroke survivors to walk again, they did much better when trained by a physical therapist than they did being trained by a robot. That's right--walking speed doubled in patients who were assisted by humans compared to those who were assisted by a robotic device. Additionally, the time that patients were able to stand on one leg--a measure of progress--improved significantly only in the group treated by the physical therapist.

This is no surprise to me as I see the miraculous improvements every day in patients I treat with chiropractic care--the ultimate hands-on therapy. I see it in patients who've been on short and long-term drug therapy, as well as many who have already gone through surgeries. Don't get me wrong, sometimes those treatments are valuable and necessary, but overall, there really is no substitute for the human touch.

And it's not just seen with hands-on therapy, either; simply interacting with patients has healing benefits, as well. It's one reason that chiropractic patients report better overall satisfaction rates than with the standard five-minute doctor-patient interactions found in most busy doctors offices (check this one out too)--something that medical clinics should be paying attention to.

This phenomenon may be due to psychological factors or there may actually be energetic exchanges that occur between living organic beings. I touch upon these ideas in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health. If you haven't gotten a copy yet, I highly recommend it. We are uncovering a lot with regard to human health and healing, and we are finding that many of our old and outmoded ways are just not cutting the mustard any more.

So chalk one up for the humans. At least for now it seems that, when it comes to healing, you just can't beat the human touch.

Self Healing Body

Check this tripper: Scientist say that the central nervous system (CNS) can rewire itself to bypass damaged nerves that cause paralysis. Tiny nerves in the brain and spinal cord can actually crisscross creating new nerve pathways between brain cells and nerve cells that control movement. Injuries once thought to be irreversible now seem to show hope of recovery.

The study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles looked at mice whose long axon nerve fibers were blocked causing paralysis of their hind legs. However, researchers left the core of the mice's spinal cords, which contained short nerve fibers, intact. Within eight weeks the mice regained movement in their hind legs, astonishing researchers. The scientists then blocked the short nerve fibers, once again, causing hind leg paralysis. This showed that the short nerve fibers, which had reconnected, were responsible for the regain in hind leg movement.

Wow! Imagine that. Nerve cells repairing themselves and creating new connections in a self-healing, self-regulating repair process. I find this new discovery absolutely fascinating, although I'm not exactly surprised by it. I would expect this type of self-repair to be inherent in living organisms, especially one as complex as Homo sapien. And I'm certain we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. I still contend that the greatest gains in human health and healing will be realized in the realm of mind-body dynamics in the future--and perhaps not as far in the future as one might think.

The implications go way beyond reversing paralysis, in my mind. I think that all healing probably follows this type of mechanism in one way or another. There is so much about the human body and it's physiology that we do not know, especially on the molecular (and smaller) level. I'm excited to see where science will lead us tomorrow. The human mind and body are truly magnificent, and we have yet to realize their full potential. Truth is, we probably haven't even seen the half of it.

Humble Pie

I'd like to share a story to ring in the new year. This story will have several lessons in it, and will also illustrate a few key principles. We'll call it a modern-day health parable.

Last Saturday, just as I was bragging about my recent blood work and stellar chem panel, I started to notice a wee bit of tooth ache. Yes, wee bit; that would be the last time I'd remember life as I once knew it.

By Sunday, my tooth really started to ache, and by New Year's Eve--forget about it--I was dying. This little conundrum I found myself in illustrates a few very important principles. First, the minute you get too elated about anything, expect something to come along and balance it out. Bragging about my health was sure to lead to a pedestal collapse. As it turns out, I cracked my tooth. Ouch! And it got infected. Double ouch!

The second principle, and one which I discuss in depth in my upcoming book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, is that there is no such thing as perfect health. We actually cycle between health and illness all the time. That's normal and, in fact, it is healthy. This does not make it futile to focus on health--no indeed--but to become attached to the concept of constant health is both futile and foolish. I'll let you read about it further in my book (it's coming, I swear!)

So, as I said, by New Year's Eve the pain was pretty excruciating. No dentist to be found, so I had to rely on over-the-counter Motrin. All I can say is thank God for modern medicine.

But wait Campos, you're always dissing medicine.

No, I'm not. In fact my message is, and always has been, that medicine is very valuable in times of crisis; and I was in the most pulsating, hammer and chisel to the head crisis I've ever been in. So I say once again--THANK GOD FOR MODERN MEDICINE!

Saw a dentist on Wednesday night and found out then about the cracked tooth and infection. I also found out that I'd need a root canal, and maybe even an extraction. Wah! Whatever, Doc. Pull it; do something, anything...please! He set me up for the root canal on Friday and gave me some better drugs. Have I said this yet: Thank God for modern pharmaceuticals, too. Man, they were the only things that got me through this mess. You guys know, some of you saw me, because I went to work anyway. I was a pathetic sight, that's for sure.

Anyway, I had the root canal and the pain didn't just go away. No problem, I expected that, because I know that the healing process takes time, so I certainly didn't expect an overnight miracle. The bottom line is this: Pain medication is sometimes necessary; it can help you get over a very difficult hump. But when one looks to medicine as the answer, they are playing with fire. Use the meds while you work on fixing the problem, then wean off of them.

I'm weaning now. I've cut the dosage in half, and by mid-week, I anticipate I'll be drug free. Cool. And the moral of the story is this: When you want to puff-up your plumage and show-off to the world, make sure you don't bite down too hard on anything you eat, otherwise, you might just spend the next two weeks feasting on humble pie.

Kids Cough Less With Honey

A new study shows that a spoonful of honey goes a long way in quieting nighttime cough in children. When compared to cough syrup or no treatment at all, honey showed better results. Chalk one up for natural home remedies.

The authors of the study, which appears in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, believe that the honey may work by coating and soothing an irritated throat. The importance of these findings come on the heels of federal health advisories, which have recently warned that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines shouldn't be used in children younger than 6 (129 reported deaths from these products since 1969). As a result, manufacturers are taking some products for babies off the market.

I am personally pleased by these findings, not because I'm a "natural products" guy--I think medications are necessary in many instances--but because I really believe that people run far too often to what I think are useless OTC medications. No medication can carry out the healing process--only the body does that; they are simply easing symptoms that accompany, and are necessary for, healing to occur. So give the kids a dollop of honey and let it ride, baby--just let it ride.

Chiropractic Can Pevent Drug Addiction

You heard right - that miraculous healing art called chiropractic can actually prevent drug addiction. Here's how: According to a large study conducted at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, nearly four percent of chronic pain patients abuse opioid drugs, such as OxyContin or Percocet. The findings are relevant because these numbers suggest that chronic pain sufferers are four times more likely to abuse opioid drugs then people in the general population (3.8% to 0.9% respectively). Since many chronic pain sufferers report great results through regular chiropractic care, it stands to reason that utilizing this exceptional form of bodywork can lower the risks of opioid drug addiction.

When it comes to pain, it is important to remember one thing, the function of pain is to tell you something is wrong. Whether that something is a biomechanical dysfunction or the onset of an organic disease (cancer, heart disease, etc.), the pain response acts as a warning signal to let you know that a problem is present. It seems that chronic pain is becoming more and more looked upon as an entity unto itself, and being treated as such with powerful opioid drugs. No doubt that occasionally the system goes haywire and pain develops for no apparent physical reason; however, this is more the exception than the rule (and likely due to other chemical, hormonal, neurological or organic imbalances), and it would, therefore, be prudent to find and correct the cause than simply treat the symptom with dangerous pharmaceuticals.

Drugs are important. They help us get over humps that can act as obstacles to our healing. Case in point: I had an emergency appendectomy last summer and I don't know what I would have done without a couple - OK, seven - shots of morphine. The pain associated with appendicitis is excruciating - I was literally bowled over - and the opioid medication allowed me to handle the 22 hour wait for surgery. So I'm all for the drugs, man. But when they are prescribed simply for chronic pain - most commonly low back pain - something is seriously wrong.

I can't say that all chronic pain sufferers can be helped by chiropractic care, but I know through my own observations, that far too many neglect to give it a serious try. If they are not fixed within one or two visits, they quit. And off to the pain specialist for a dose of OxyContin - the easy route, since pain will be alleviated quickly, although only temporarily. And since opioids also feel good - that is, they get you high - it's no surprise that many people would rather take these addictive drugs, than suffer through chiropractic care and ice therapy, which takes longer and requires more work and has a financial commitment.

Fortunately, more people are looking to complimentary and alternative (CAM) health practices like chiropractic care, massage and acupuncture, to help alleviate their physical problems. According to the study, 54% of subjects had used or were currently using chiropractic care to treat chronic pain. Some other notable characteristics of CAM users are:

• adults between 35-49 years of age
• college educated
• incomes above $35,000
• have a holistic orientation to health.

And I would add wiser, more attractive, funnier, and all around better people. But, hey, that's just my humble opinion.

TEMPUR-PEDIC PILLOW GIVEAWAY

Congratulations to Laurie H. of Los Angeles for winning the Tempur-Pedic Comfort Pillow in our Independence Day Raffle. Laurie says she's especially excited since her neck has been bothering her. Nothing a little chiropractic care and a nice soft pillow can't resolve. Thanks everyone for playing.
D.C.

Insomnia Helped by Visualization

Suffering from insomnia? Trouble falling asleep or getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night? Visualization might be just the thing for you.

About one in every eight persons suffers from some form of insomnia. Not being able to sleep stinks. I've been there and it's miserable. If you don't know beyond a rough idea how important sleep is to your body's functioning, please read my eye opening article on the subject.

Insomnia can be caused by many things including stress, anxiety, drugs/medications, caffeine and other stimulants, jet lag and overeating. There's even something called behavioral insomnia which is when a person worries too much about not being able to fall asleep (me when I have to be up especially early the next morning) and tries too hard to do so. For a great piece on insomnia with excellent tips, check out this great article.

A recent study has shown that by doing a practice called guided imagery - the use of mental visualization to promote physical healing or attitudinal or behavioral changes - insomniacs have been able to improve both the quantity and quality of their sleep. According to Dr. Yara Molen, of Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, subjects "listened to an audio CD right before bed that teaches breathing, relaxation and guided imagery that helps them get rid of their worries and imagine drifting off to sleep."

I'm not all that surprised of these results, since I'm a huge advocate of visualization in general, and am certain that these techniques can move mountains, let alone get you sleeping restfully. The mind is a powerful thing, and when you think about it, it's all in our heads anyway. In my upcoming book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, I discuss in detail the nature and function of sleep, insomnia and some of its many causes (particularly the behavioral aspect), and the power and practice of visualization. Check it out this August on the book's release.