Progesterone for Pain
Why is Progesterone Important? It is imperative for women who want to keep their ligaments, tendons, and the rest of their soft tissues strong, to keep progesterone levels at a maximum level.
Many women do not ovulate and this is vital to forming progesterone, since progesterone is secreted by the corpus luteum that forms after the egg is released.
There are now over-the-counter kits that can tell a woman if she is ovulating. Any woman not ovulating needs to see a nutritionally-minded doctor to figure out why this is not occurring. No ovulating means no progesterone.
Progesterone stimulates the injury healing process in connective tissue by encouraging osteoblast and fibroblast proliferation, thus encouraging bone and soft tissue growth. Progesterone has been shown to increase collagen synthesis and decrease hydroxyproline concentrations in postmenopausal women.
Progesterone, therefore, has a direct effect on preventing collagen breakdown. Progesterone has been shown in numerous studies to be able to stimulate bone growth and thus combat osteoporosis.
For postmenopausal women with chronic pain and evidence of connective tissue deficiency, natural progesterone is very much needed. Besides helping correct the connective tissue problems, hot flashes, depression, and low energy, a myriad of other symptoms tend to dissipate after starting Progesterone.
Not all progesterones are created equal. Synthetic progestogens can inhibit ovulation, thus suppressing the body's output of its own natural hormone, progesterone. Today, progesterone is derived from extracts of yams or soybeans and is chemically identical to the hormone produced naturally by the body. This is what a woman needs-progesterone, not a chemical derivative.
For the fitness minded woman with chronic pain and sports injuries that do not seem to be healing, but whose hormone levels appear adequate, foods with hormonal activity are recommended. The six highest estrogen receptor-binding herbs in one study, were soy, licorice, red clover, thyme, turmeric, hops, and verbena. The six highest progesterone receptor-binding herbs were oregano, verbena, turmeric, thyme, red clover, and damiana. Consuming these herbs and foods can allow you to get the beneficial effects of the hormones without any of the harmful effects.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids affect many people. It is estimated that 50 to 80% of the U.S. population has hemorrhoids. Although the condition is rarely fatal, it accounts for a great deal of human pain and suffering. It is the number one cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Other symptoms of hemorrhoidal disease are itching, pain, prolapse, thrombosis, and fullness.
Most people do not realize that hemorrhoids are nothing more than enlarged veins. When they occur in the lower legs, we call them varicose veins. When they occur in the rectum, they are called hemorrhoids. The main precipitating factor involved in development of hemorrhoids, besides genetics, is chronic constipation. In order to be cured of this condition, you need to determine the reason for the constipation. The best approach is to undergo a comprehensive natural medicine evaluation to determine presence of factors that may lead to constipation, such as food allergies, intestinal dysbiosis, various hormonal deficiencies (most commonly low thyroid), as well as vitamin/mineral deficiencies.
The Natural Medicine Approach to Treating Hemorrhoids
Traditional treatment options include the following: institution of a high fiber diet and stool softeners, sitz baths, local anti-inflammatory medications, sclerotherapy, band ligation, laser photocoagulation, and hemorrhoidectomy (removal). All of these treatment options have been used with varying degrees of success. At Caring Medical besides helping the patient obtain peaceful twice-daily bowel movements, (which may involve dietary changes, hormone supplementation, or nutriceutical support), we rid the body of the hemorrhoids using infrared coagulation.
We suggest infrared coagulation for the person who needs immediate treatment of hemorrhoids. This technique involves the application of infrared light to the base of the hemorrhoid, which clots the hemorrhoid. There are usually three different areas inside the rectum where hemorrhoids occur, referred to as complexes. One area, or complex, is treated at each office visit. Although the patient may occasionally feel a little warmth in the treated area, generally minimal pain or discomfort is experienced using infrared coagulation to treat hemorrhoids. The patient may return to work the same day or the next day. A little bleeding may occasionally occur between the fourth day and the tenth day after treatment. The patient returns in approximately one month for follow-up treatment. This is a very safe, quick, and painless method of treating a very annoying condition. Changes in diet and other natural remedies should also be added in order to prevent recurrence.
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