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More on Music and Medicine

More and more researchers are looking at the relationship between music and the human body. Here are a few recent developments! At the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute in New Jersey, patients who undergo surgery are accompanied by music during recovery. The heart tends to fall into rhythm with music — the beat helps the heart maintain a smooth, steady pace. Music is also used in the recovery room immediately after surgery to help quiet anxiety and promote feelings of peace. A study from the University of Maryland Medical Center found that hearing your favorite song can be a big benefit for … Continue reading →

Juniper

Juniper is an evergreen popular in landscaping… but you may know the plant more for giving flavoring to gin. The juniper shrub’s branches, leaves, and berries have long been used in cooking and medicine, too. Juniper has a very strong smell, which led early medical practitioners to believe it could drive away evil spirits and disease. Native Americans believed that juniper was useful for cleansing and healing. It was used to prevent infection, relieve arthritis, and cure illnesses. Bundles of juniper branches with leaves were heated and tied to a sore limb to relieve pain. These days, juniper still has … Continue reading →

Castor Bean

Ah, the infamous castor oil. Were you ever subjected to a spoonful of castor oil when you were feeling sick? Castor oil comes from the castor bean — a plant used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Ancient Indians called it eranda, a name from the Sanskrit that is still used today. Castor bean seeds have been found in four thousand year old Egyptian tombs. Ancient Greeks left information on how to extract the oil from the bean. It was only during the eighteenth century that castor bean oil was used internally. Ancient Greeks used the oil only externally. … Continue reading →

Comfrey

Comfrey has long been used as a healing herb — the Greeks used the herb to stop bleeding, knit bones, and treat breathing problems as far back as 400 BC. In more recent years, there has been some concern about the safety of comfrey. Greek and Roman physicians believed that comfrey roots had the ability to stick things together, whether food in a cooking pot or bones in the body. Poultices made with comfrey were applied to external wounds; comfrey tea was used for stomach problems, digestive issues, bleeding, and more. The herb was also used in soups, stews, and … Continue reading →

The Natural Healing Debate

Herbal healing can be a somewhat controversial subject. To some people, natural remedies are outdated and useless. To others, natural remedies are far superior to manmade medicines and invasive treatments. I like to take a middle ground, and use natural remedies to supplement other treatments. You may have seen my occasional struggles with sinus infections here in the Health Blog. Because I’ve had chronic sinusitis and ended up having surgery to cut away infected tissue in my sinuses, I try to be very aware of what’s going on in my sinuses. At the first sign of pressure, I break out … Continue reading →

Dog Breed: Mastiff

The Mastiff — also known as the Old English Mastiff — is an old breed. In England alone, the breed has been around for more than two thousand years as a watchdog. But the history of the Mastiff goes back farther than that! The breed is thought to come from Asia. Mastiffs are depicted on Egyptian monuments from around 3000 BC — which means that these dogs have a history that may be more than five thousand years long! In literature, the breed first appears in 1121 BC. When Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC, he wrote of courageous dogs … Continue reading →