The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables Read Free Page B

decreased the risk of asthma.
A University of Cambridge study found that asthma symptoms in adults are associated with a low dietary intake of fruit, vitamin C, and manganese.
     
    Butterbur
    Butterbur is a perennial shrub that grows in Europe, Asia and North America. The active constituents are petasin and isopetasin, which are believed to reduce smooth muscle spasm and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
    Researchers at the University of Dundee, Scotland, evaluated the effects of the herb butterbur in people with allergic asthma who were also using inhalers. They found that butterbur added to the anti-inflammatory effect of the inhalers.
    Another study examined the use of butterbur root extract in 80 people with asthma for four months. The number, duration, and severity of asthma attacks decreased and symptoms improved after using butterbur. More than 40 percent of people using asthma medication at the start of the study reduced their intake of medication by the end of the study.
    The butterbur plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause liver damage. Only extracts in which the pyrrolizidine alkaloids have been removed should be used.
    Bromelain
    Bromelain is an extract from pineapples that is believed to be a natural anti-inflammatory. Researchers at the University of Connecticut found that bromelain reduced airway inflammation in animals with allergic airway disease. Side effects may include allergic reactions in some people.
    Boswellia
    The herb boswellia, known in Indian Ayurvedic medicine as Salai guggal, has been found to inhibit the formation of compounds called leukotrienes. Leukotrienes released in the lungs cause narrowing of airways.
    A double blind, placebo-controlled study of forty patients, 40 people with asthma were treated with a boswellia extract three times a day for six weeks. At the end of this time, 70 percent of people had improved.
    Symptoms
Difficulty breathing, number of attacks, and laboratory measures had improved.
              Weight Loss
     
Numerous studies have found that obesity is a risk factor for asthma.
              Biofeedback
     
Biofeedback has long been recommended as a natural therapy for asthma
     
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Back Pain
    Almost everyone has back pain at some point in his or her lives. According to the National Institutes of Health, back pain is the second most common neurological disorder in the United States—only headache is more common.
    If you have back pain, the first step is to be properly assessed by your primary care provider. Back pain has many causes, from muscle strain to more serious conditions such as a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylosisthesis, osteoporosis, or a tumor, so it is important to find out what is causing the back pain.
    Acupuncture
      Research:
    A study conducted at Sheffield University in the United Kingdom looked at the long-term symptom reduction and economic benefits of acupuncture for persistent low back pain. Averages of eight acupuncture treatments were given to 159 people, while 80 people received usual care instead.  After one year, people receiving acupuncture had reduced pain and reported a significant reduction in worry about their pain compared to the usual care group. After two years, the acupuncture group was significantly more likely to report that the past year had been pain-free. They were less likely to use medication for pain relief.
    How does acupuncture work?
    According to traditional Chinese medicine, pain results from blocked energy along energy pathways of the body, which are unblocked when acupuncture needles are inserted along these invisible pathways.
    A scientific explanation is that acupuncture releases natural pain-relieving opioids, sends signals that calm the sympathetic nervous system, and releases neurochemicals and hormones.
    An acupuncture treatment generally costs between $60 and $120. Acupuncture is tax-deductible (it is considered a medical expense) and some insurance plans pay