Herbal Health » Pain Relief-Muscle Relaxers

TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE’S ACUTE ATTACK WITH DRUGS: ERGOTAMINE

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:24:44 +0000

Some of the most effective remedies are drugs containing ergotamine although, like many other well-known drugs, the way in which this compound worked was unknown for many years.The drug comes from a mould that grows on rye; the name is derived from the French word ‘ergot’ meaning a ‘spur’ because part of the plant resembles a riding spur in shape. Eating bread made from mouldy rye can be poisonous, producing painful blue hands and feet (‘St. Anthony’s Fire’). As a result of such poisoning, whole villages in Eastern Europe were reported to have been visited by the devil and cure was obtained by visiting St. Anthony’s shrine (which was in Egypt and outside the infected area). The use of ergotamine in the treatment of headache was first reported in Germany in 1883. In 1889, Dr. W. Thompson of the United States advised taking fluid extract of ergot by mouth but also suggested that rectal administration could be useful: ‘As nausea is such a general accompaniment of this affection it is prescribed that if either of the doses be vomited it should be taken in an enema of two ounces of water. This medication rarely fails to arrest the attacks.’ After this report, the use of ergot seems to have been forgotten, possibly because of the inconsistent effect of the extracts, until 1906, when an extract from ergot, ergotoxine, was isolated. This was later found to be a mixture of compounds. In 1918 a single compound was isolated – ergotamine – which was initially used to speed up uterine contractions during labour (ergot derivatives are still used in obstetrics). In 1925 ergotamine in its pure form was first used in the treatment of migraine and began to be prescribed widely. But it was not until 1937 that the main cause of the migraine headache was found to be due to blood vessels in the head becoming wider (extracranial vasodilation); and it was then shown that ergotamine worked because it narrowed these blood vessels (vasoconstrictor action). Because the migrainous aura was due to vasoconstriction, it was theoretically worrying to give a powerful vasoconstrictor drug at a time when vasospasm was present in the intracranial circulation. However, although ergotamine may prolong the migraine aura, there is no lessening of cerebral blood flow, possibly because the vessels at this time are less sensitive to the vasoconstrictive action of the drug.
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PHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF POSTURE: FUNCTIONS OF SPINAL MUSCLES – ROLE OF REFLEXES IN POSTURE

admin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:28:12 +0000

The muscle fibres responsible for keeping the spine and the body erect extend upwards creating an anti-gravitational force. This force is powerful enough to support the weight of the body as well as to stretch the spine upwards. In a horizontal position such stretching is also possible and we took this into account when our yoga exercises were derived for treatment of back problems. In the horizontal or resting position the muscle extension is less powerful as it does not have the additional task of supporting the weight of the body. It seems obvious, logically speaking, that the ‘weight-bearing’ muscle fibres switch into action only when they face the gravitational force (known as ‘body weight’). This force acting downwards towards the centre of the earth puts stress on the weight-bearing muscle fibres and triggers off a reflex action that makes them extend upwards counteracting the body weight by anti-gravitational force, in particular taking pressure off the discs.*82\330\8*

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS THAT CAN HELP TO TREAT SCIATICA: HERBALISM

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:13:02 +0000

Probably the oldest form of medicine, herbalism – also known as ‘herbal medicine’ – has a history going back at least 3,000 years. First developed in ancient China, herbalism is based on the therapeutic uses of various plant parts – root, bark, stem, flowers, leaf, and even seeds – in different preparations, either for internal or external use as teas, potions, juice extracts, bath additives, salve, lotions, and ointments.

Throughout the ages there has always been a strong association between herbal remedies and back problems of all kinds. Modern herbalists believe that medicines are not just only a means of treating illness, but are also a way of restoring the body’s balance to its normal state, disease or pain being viewed by them as ‘abnormal states’. Of course, this approach means that a given disorder may not always be treated by the same herbal preparation, as deciding what the right treatment is in a given case will also take into account several other factors, including the patient’s general health, disposition, and even personality. However, in making their choices, practitioners are guided by pharmacopoeias – these being comprehensive listings of remedies that have proven themselves useful in specific conditions – and some of these have origins going back more than 6,000 years, having been first formulated when the Chinese started classifying and cataloguing herbal cures.

Although herbalism has helped many people suffering from chronic conditions such as sciatica or back pain, a note of caution is in order: herbal preparations can be just as powerful – and therefore potentially also as toxic – as modern day drugs. This means that these remedies have to be prescribed and used with the greatest of care as they can lead to serious side-effects. It is essential therefore that herbal remedies should be prescribed by and used under the supervision of a suitably qualified medical herbalist.

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