Saturday, March 6, 2010

Is There a Connection Between Alzheimer's Disease And Complementary Health

By Christian Goodman

As everybody knows that Alzheimer's as of now do not have any cure. So many researchers took different approaches to reduce the pain and discomfort caused by Alzheimer's. As there is an increase in natural health remedies, many types of trials were conducted on Alzheimer's disease too.

Can Alzheimer's cured from complementary health approaches?

All research answers this question with a resounding yes! Complementary health approaches are those which are used in conjunction with other medical and health interventions. They are not intended to be used on their own or as replacements to more prescribed or traditional interventions.

Health treatments may include herbal remedies, acupuncture, massage, and exercise. As with any health treatment, one must be informed before proceeding. This is especially true with Alzheimer's patients who depend on their caregivers to make healthy choices for them. Remember that some of these treatments are not monitored in the same way as prescription medications. This does not mean that they are not effective; it simply means that you should be informed. These health approaches are also supposed to work with another course of treatment or therapy.

The outcome of these researches are that the regular treatments are very effective when it is combined with these natural health remedies. Apart from that it should also be mentioned that there was much research done regarding to health remedies and many more researches are following.

The available complementary health approaches are as follows

Supplements from herbal

There are a number of herbal supplements that have been studied in regards to Alzheimer's disease but none so much as gingko biloba because it has been claimed that this herbal supplement can aid with memory function and cognition.

It is proved by researchers that gingko biloba can cure people with some kind of dementia. This is because this herb will increase the memory functions. This will also sharpen the brain areas that controls memory power. But it is also important to remember that gingko biloba may also have some side effects.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is used for thousands of year by chinese as their traditional treatment. It is now mostly accepted by westerners too as a potential cure. It treats many problems like migraines and long term pain.

A recent study at both the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women in Wellesley, Mass. and the University of Hong Kong, did report positive and promising results in small studies on the effect of acupuncture on Alzheimer's patients.

Ten people with Alzheimer's disease and one with vascular dementia were treated with acupuncture twice a week for three months during the Wellesley study. Measuring cognitive functioning and mood, the study demonstrated that the acupuncture positively affected the patients and improved both mood and cognitive function. The study at the University of Hong Kong treated eight patients Alzheimer's for 30 days each and demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive function, verbal communication, gross and fine motor coordination as well as a decrease in the overall severity of Alzheimer's symptoms.

Massage

Massage is another approach that can be very therapeutic for many health conditions, and there has been a great deal of research documenting its benefits in general health. However, there has not been the same kind of research into its use as a complementary therapy with Alzheimer's disease patients. The studies that have been done, though, have shown that massage therapy may decrease behavioral symptoms such as aggressiveness, agitation and anxiety as well as wandering.

Exercise

The benefits of exercise as a complement to any health approach has been repeated demonstrated to be beneficial. The same is true for Alzheimer's patients as long as a trained professional is advised and supervising the program and exercises. Light exercises, as well as those specifically designed for Alzheimer's patients, can be extremely beneficial in improving mood, coordination, and even behavior.

The following are the places where complimentary health interventions can be found

You can always start with your physician or medical doctor. They should be able to point you in the right direction. Most medical practitioners dealing with Alzheimer's patients understand the value of utilizing a variety of approaches to treat the disease. Many may, in fact, suggest such complementary treatments themselves.

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