| Scleroderma and Alternative Therapies |
| This page was written by Shelley Ensz, and has not yet been medically edited. See Disclaimer. |
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| Scleroderma: Natural Improvements |
| There are many healthy, natural things you can do for systemic scleroderma. |
| 1. The single most natural and healthy thing you can do is to avoid attacks of Raynaud's as much as possible. |
| Action Item Learn many ways to prevent Raynaud's and to restore circulation. Then respond to every attack of Raynaud's as if it were a medical emergency, because even one prolonged attack can lead to gangrene, and possibly even amputation. |
| 2. The second most natural and healthy thing you can do, which will give you the greatest odds of living longer with systemic scleroderma, is to monitor your blood pressure at home every day or two . |
| One of the most life-threatening yet treatable complications of systemic scleroderma (including CREST) is sudden kidney failure If your blood pressure is elevated over a certain point (to be determined by your doctor)you should call your doctor immediately. You should also ask your doctor to take your blood pressure on every office visit. |
| Action Item Print this page, and make a doctor's appointment to discuss blood pressure monitoring. Then follow through by making blood pressure monitoring a part of your daily routine. Odds are, your kidneys may never fail—but if they do, this simple measure may save your life and get you on the road to recovery quickly. |
| 3. Learn the difference between good science and bad advice on our Internet Health Fraud page. Don't be a guinea pig for an unproven remedy that may jeopardize your health and finances. If you want to "experiment", ask your doctor about enrolling in scleroderma clinical trials. |
| It's Not All in the Genes. Your genes are not your destiny. Lifestyle and diet can play an important role on your genes. You can change the outcome even if it is "written" otherwise in your genes. RedOrbit. 06/30/08. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma ) |
| More Than a Pill: Complementary Medicine Can Help with Chronic Pain. University of Missouri's study says various methods can complement, not compete with conventional medicine. University of Missouri-Columbia. 10/08/07. (Also see: Pain ) |
| A Placebo a Day, Keeps the Doctor Away. "It is quite possible that people who adhere to healthy lifestyles also tend to take care of themselves by greater adherence to prescribed treatments". RxPG News. British Medical Journal; Volume 333 pp 15-18. 08/19/06. |
| Reduce Stress |
| Stress can play havoc with your immune system, as well as trigger and worsen attacks of Raynaud's. Alternative therapies that help you deal more effectively with stress, such as biofeedback and yoga, may improve your symptoms. |
| Strive for moderation in everything—just enough but not too much exercise, good sleep every night with sufficient rest breaks during the day, and well-balanced, regular meals. |
| Drinking Black Tea May Soothe Stress. Researchers in tea-loving London found people who drank black tea were able to de-stress more quickly than those who drank a fake tea substitute. WebMD. 10/06/06. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma: Stress ) |
| Stress: Unhealthy response to the pressures of life. Letting stress get the best of you may be doing more harm than you think. Stress can worsen the symptoms of autoimmune disease. Mayo Clinic. 09/14/06. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma: Stress ) |
| Massage: A Hands-On Approach to Improved Health. What therapy can help decrease pain, anxiety, stress and depression? It can help patients with arthritis, lymphedema, fibromyalgia, scleroderma, pregnancy and psychological disorders. It’s massage—one of the oldest forms of therapy. Today, there’s growing interest in the benefits of massage used in conjunction with other conventional medical treatments. Newswise. Mayo Clinic. 01/06/05. |
| Scleroderma and the Diet |
| Systemic scleroderma patients should always consult their doctor(s), especially their rheumatologist, before using any vitamin or herbal remedies or making any significant changes in their diet. |
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| Scleroderma and Herbs, Vitamins, and Over-the-Counter Remedies |
| Many herbs and over-the-counter medications can interact with prescription medications, and many of them make scleroderma symptoms worse. Even simple over-the-counter cold remedies often have ingredients that can trigger Raynaud's or heartburn in systemic scleroderma patients. |
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| Know Your Symptoms |
| Look up each of your symptoms on the main Scleroderma Symptoms page to find many other ideas for natural and conventional treatments. |
| Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) |
| Acupuncture relieves symptoms of fibromyalgia, Mayo Clinic study finds. Evidence suggests acupuncture reduces the symptoms of fibromyalgia, according to a Mayo Clinic study. EurekaAlert! 06/14/06. (Also see: Fibromyalgia) |
| Chinese Treatments for Scleroderma Treatments include preparations of dried earthworms, beetles, scorpions and centipedes. TCM Hospital for Chronic and Difficult Diseases - Hunan Province, China. |
| Also see: ISN: Simplified Chinese Version by Jie Jackson |
| Links: Alternative Medicine |
| Mindfulness meditation alleviates depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia: Results of a randomized clinical trial. Depressive symptoms improved significantly in treatment versus control participants over the 3 assessments. This meditation-based intervention alleviated depressive symptoms among patients with fibromyalgia.Wlley InterScience: Arthritis Care & Research Volume 57, Issue 1, Pages 77 - 85. (Also see: Fibromyalgia ) |
| A Positive Approach to Scleroderma by Dr. Andrew Weil. This is a respected source for information on alternative therapies. Dr. Weil. |
| Acupunture Acupuncture is not without risks. There have been some reports of lung and bladder punctures, some broken needles, and some allergic reactions to needles containing substances other than surgical steel. Acupuncture may be harmful to the fetus in early pregnancy since it may stimulate the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and oxytocin, which affect labor. There is always the possibility of infection from unsterilized needles. And some patients will suffer simply because they avoided a known effective treatment of modern medicine. The Skeptics Dictionary. |
| Musculoskeletal conditions and complementary/alternative medicine. Complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) is immensely popular for musculoskeletal conditions. It is, therefore, essential to define CAM's value for such indications. Collectively the evidence demonstrates that some CAM modalities show significant promise, e.g. acupuncture, diets, herbal medicine, homoeopathy, massage, supplements. None of the treatments in question is totally devoid of risks. PubMed. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2004 Aug;18(4):539-56. (Also see: Fibromyalgia) |
| Beware of Internet Health Fraud The Internet is chock-full of misleading, misguided and mistaken information on the one hand, and trustworthy, cutting-edge science on the other. How can we decide who and what to believe? These sites offer some practical guidance. ISN. |
| Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Scleroderma Excellent information on herbs, vitamins, acupuncture, massage therapy, and biofeedback. Aetna InteliHealth. |
| Hypnosis in Contemporary Medicine. To determine whether hypnosis has a role in contemporary medicine, relevant trials and a few case reports are reviewed. Patients treated with hypnosis experienced substantial benefits for many different medical conditions. An expanded role for hypnosis and a larger study of techniques appear to be indicated. Mayo Clin Proc. 2005;80(4):511-524. |
| Scleroderma Symptoms and Treatments Look up each of your scleroderma symptoms here to find other ideas for conventional and natural ways to deal with them. ISN. |
| Transcendental Meditation reduces the brain's reaction to pain. Transcendental Meditation could reduce the brain's response to pain because neuroimaging and autonomic studies indicate that it produces a physiological state capable of modifying various kinds of pain. EurekAlert! 08/09/06. (Also see: Emotional Adjustment ) |
| Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers How can food quacks and other vitamin pushers be recognized? Here are 25 signs that should arouse suspicion. QuackWatch. |
