Keeping Myself Well Using Naturopathic Medicines and Natural Therapies

Judy Lyon's 2002 Conference talk 

‘Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional’ is a quote from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

 In my 30s I learnt that my mother, Mavis had Huntington’s Disease (HD). This has empowered us as a family to make the very most of our lives, from learning to ski at 40 and travelling widely. In order that my family would have more support than we had with Mavis I have supported the Wellington Huntington’s Disease Association since its inception. While I was Chairperson we appointed our first Social Worker. This has improved the quality of life for many families with HD.

 Many Huntington’s families have complained that their medical doctor is unable to cope with HD symptoms and their effect on the family and friends. I believe that naturopathic medicine and natural therapies are appropriate and easily available if you know something about them.

 The tradition of naturopathic medicine and natural therapies arises from the needs of our ancestors to cope with problems and illnesses. They are all holistic philosophies. They consider the whole person and what each needs to do to be responsible for themselves to live healthy and satisfying lives. They aim to remove those things which hinder healing. They do not use drugs. Practitioners are trained in many ancient and modern healing skills, from traditional herbalism, to genetic research, nutritional science, diet and exercise, manipulation, homeopathy, counselling, and pharmacology.

 As a consumer in NZ there is a huge range of practitioners to select from. Homeopathy, Osteopathy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine are the GPs of Naturopathic medicine. The others are the specialists. They all have their training schools. All good therapists are affiliated to the relevant NZ Association.

 Being at risk for HD I decided to be proactive in keeping well. I looked towards naturopathic medicine and natural therapies in order to keep well. This has been a rewarding journey and I would like to share a little of my knowledge and understanding with you.

 I have been lucky that I have been able to use the Internet to get to the vast quantity of useful, helpful information fromThe Huntington’s Disease Lighthouse at http://www.hdlighthouse.org in the USA. This is serving the HD community under the astute direction and discretion of Lighthouse Keeper, Jerry Lampson. While caring for his wife with HD he established the website and set out to find almost every article printed about HD. He is able to assess it for its quality and passes it to a specialist in that area for their comment.

 Jerry’s ‘HDL Triad’, spirituality, exercise and diet, is positive enthusiasm for doing what can be done to fight back against HD. He hopes that the site will assist you in the proactive treatment of HD.
This was where my son Nick found the results of a trial using EPA, (cold water fish oil), to reverse HD symptoms in a small trial by Laxdale in England. I have been taking EPA since November 2000.

  ‘Horizon’ the newsletter published by the Huntington Society of Canada was where I found 2 articles by Antoinette Berridge  telling  how she used alternative medicines and therapies to enhance her life with HD. This gave me some basic information and the confidence to use them. Her friends and family had suggested 3 drops of chamomile on her pillow to sleep, a cup of St John’s Wort tea to relieve a panic attack, a massage to remove the knots so she can function. Humour is a very serious business and you must laugh once a day. Do not forget the dog. It has been scientifically proven that dogs are good for our health. Simply stroking a dog will reduce your blood pressure, not to mention the happiness when you look into those loving eyes. She takes Gingko Biloba tablets, a Chinese herb thought to oxygenate the brain. After 3 months she felt brighter and more alert and easier to find words. Her Chinese medicine balls are 2 beautifully lacquered weighted balls that just fit into one hand. Holding both in one hand, the idea is to move one around the other. It is difficult but so soothing and after a few minutes her hands feel less clumsy, stronger and fingers even nimble. A friend suggested she go to Qi Gong classes. Qi Gong is a Chinese philosophy, movement and breathing system out of which Tai Chi and other schools of martial arts grew. She found these classes very relaxing.

 These are items from Traditional Chinese Medicine which have kept the Chinese people well for over 5000 years. Shen Nung, the father of Traditional Chinese Medicine theorised that the body had an energy force running throughout it known as Qi (roughly pronounced Chee). The Qi consists of essential life activities that include the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical aspects of life. A person’s health is influenced by the flow of Qi in the body, in combination with the universal forces of Yin and Yang.

 Traditional Chinese Medicine includes Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, diet, Tuina, which is massage, and Qi Qong, which is treatment using energy techniques.

 In 1994 Nick and I compiled The Huntington’s Scene in NZ’, the Huntington Disease website in NZ, now at its brilliant new address http://www.huntingtons.org.nz/.  It is maintained and updated by Graham Taylor. It includes information pertinent for NZ and is linked to the Canadian site for information about HD.

 Tight muscles have always caused me to tumble and fall after which I have to visit my Chiropractor, Dr Richard Cheyne. He finds and adjusts the area of the body that is not working properly. He uses spinal manipulation. He always asks ‘Why has this happened? He does his diagnosis and suggests a dietary supplement or whatever is necessary. He has always been interested in my HD and is delighted with my body’s response to the EPA I take. He is constantly upgrading his knowledge and is delighted to use it.

 When constant headaches made me look for a way to manage them a work colleague suggested I visit a Naturopath. She diagnosed food allergies, which turned out to be dairy products. When I include dairy products in my diet I feel unwell with fluish symptoms.

 Naturopathic medicine, which is taught in NZ, includes Naturopathy, Homoeopathy, Iridology, Bowen Technique, Herbal Medicine, Holistic Pulsing, Massage and Reflexology.
The Homoeopathic medicines used are prepared so that they cause no side affects or addiction, making them suitable for treating children and pregnant women.

  For many years I have used arnica products, since a fellow ski club member shared his advice, that it was great for bruises and sprains and strains. It has full instructions on the tube. Arnica products are in most chemists.

 When I noticed that my sister-in-law’s family avoided colds and flu, she told me about AGE, a homoeopathic remedy that you could buy in some Health Shops. If you feel you are getting a cold, 2 tablets every few hours staves it off. I buy mine from the Healthy Living shop at the entrance to North City Mall.

 Herbal Medicine is an ancient, world-wide system of medicine using plants to prevent and cure disease. To the medical herbalist, a herb is a plant of medicinal value.

 In NZ today there are 2 companies, Healtheries who make their own herbal medicines and Blackmores who distribute the Blackmore range of products. Both have full websites to which people go to educate themselves before they buy. They also have information for those who have to avoid wheat, gluten, preservative, artificial colourings, dairy or MSG.

 In 1994 I had my predictive test to find I have 45 cag repeats. At 55 I retired from teaching, but continued as a self employed teacher of Tikanga Maori in a few local schools. I loved this.

 In 1995 I discovered my osteopath, Grant Morgan, in the Sports Medicine Clinic at my gym. When I started with him I had a muscle in my arm that had gone into spasm, then it moved to my neck, shoulder and relentlessly through my body. I had to have weekly appointments. I was the only patient he could not cure.

 Osteopathy is a complete system of health care based on the relationship between the structures and systems of the body and the effect they have on the overall function of the person. You consult an osteopath for lower back pain, neck pain, sciatica, headache, cranial problems, sinus, OOS and tendonitis.

 During that time we discussed my insomnia caused by my sleeping hormones not turning on until 6 am. For years, Dr Vic Allcock from the Mana Medical Centre has prescribed sleeping capsules and after they were no longer available I had to go onto Imovane tablets containing a hypnotic drug. This was the only time I could not find a naturopathic medicine to work.  It did not solve the problem but I did get some sleep, sometimes.

 At the end of 1999 I was muscle bound and unable to participate fully   in either the yoga or stretch classes. After struggling through the Stretch class I asked the instructor, Jim Oakley, if he could help me. He was only too pleased to help. I gave him a copy of Dr Ed Chiu’s Chapter 5 ‘For Physiotherapists’ from which he has compiled my work with him since then to counter the physical and mental conditions inherent in HD. He is my Physical Trainer and we have met weekly till June this year and now fortnightly.

 Unable to participate in the Yoga class I found the book ‘Yoga for Common Complaints’ in the Porirua Library. This contains a really effective Warm Up routine that I have used since then.

 The philosophy and practice of yoga evolved in India. It aims to unite body, mind and spirit for health and fulfilment. Practising the postures tones the muscles and stimulates the circulation to improve overall health. Techniques for relaxation and breath control help to calm the mind, increase concentration and develop the ability to cope with tension. It can be a complete system for personal development, promoting total physical and spiritual well being.

 By April 2000 most of my body was in spasm, the muscles flooding and my HD symptoms became intrusive. Grant Morgan eventually gave me an Acuhealth unit, which is an electronic, self-treatment acupuncture stimulator used on Voll’s Points for nerve degeneration. The response was immediate. I used it for 18 months. It also had points for allergies. After stimulating them I no longer get carsick and can stand loud music!

 My body was normal. There were no tight muscles. I had balance and co-ordination I had never had before. I could resume a normal life so much so that by April 2001, with my Physical Trainer and my planning I was fit enough to ski for 4 magnificent weeks in Europe.

 On my return Dorothy Tortell, the Social Worker for the Wellington HDA, asked me to find some information on ‘herbalists and things like that’, because some of her clients were asking for that information. We agreed that she could use it herself, publish it in the Newsletter and place it on our web site. 12 months later I finished it. ‘ Naturopathic Medicines and Natural Therapies’ is now on the web site and Dorothy asked me to speak on it at this Huntington’s conference, September 2002.

 In August 2001 my brain was clear, but by September and my 60^th birthday things started deteriorating again. Bridget, my daughter, suggested I find a homoeopath, because when I had had my predictive test results, she found her homoeopath very useful in being able to talk things over with.

 My osteopath suggested Gwyneth Evans, the principal of the Homoeopathic School in Tawa. I arrived at her clinic, my muscles were in spasm and were deteriorating fast, with all the old HD symptoms, and insomnia. Her remedy was 2 drops of Plumbum daily, a homoeopathic medicine.

 In February 2002, taking the advice from the HDLighthoue, I started taking Creatine tablets.
‘Since 1993 creatine has been a popular supplement for endurance athletes.

Creatine was shown to protect against chemical induced HD in mice in January 1998. Now it is shown that creatine also protects mice carrying the mutant HD gene. Mice that have creatine as 2% of their diet live about 17%longer. More creatine decreases the gain.

 It is a good bet that creatine will help HD in humans’ wrote Jerry Lampson, HDLighthouse.

 But the sodium in my tablets accumulated in me and helped caused the stress symptoms I have been experiencing. I was making slow progress with my HD symptoms and my sleeping hormones were slowly developing. By March 2002 however things were deteriorating. I was unable to participate socially, my HD symptoms were back, my muscles hurt, and my brain was slowing down. To help me sleep I took 2 Imovane but woke 3ish. My mouth and throat were continually irritating. I was ravenous all the time.

 Gwyneth suggested I might find the ProZone way of eating helpful. She told me that it had been devised by Dr Barry Sears, an American. I found the local and only trainers in NZ, Carol and Kevin Batemen, conveniently set up in Normandale. For $150 they run 2 day Seminars and provide their Handbook that has been adapted for NZ and as much on-going support as I need. Everyone has their individual plan.

 They promised -

That your body would switch from storing fat to using it.
            That you would have increased energy levels, not feel hungry, think clearly and sleep better.
            Your health would improve and help prevent many diseases.

 Much of what they promised has come true.

Everyone has an individual plan and is limited to 6 meals/snacks a day, but because of my HD I get hungry in the late afternoon and evening and eat as much as I need.

 I have increased energy and do not feel hungry. I think clearly. Look and feel better. My health is robust. The tendonitis in my hands is reducing and the hard balls in the sole of my feet are softening.

It is preventing my HD from developing.
I am now physically the best I have been all my life. I am working towards going tramping in the summer.

 I found Dr Barry Sear’s website http://www.drsears.com/.   Not wanting to die as young as the other men in his family were doing, for his PhD, he researched how the hormones are involved in nutrition and their role in people’s lives. He found that by eating small balanced meals of fat, carbohydrate and protein the insulin is deprived. For 20 years his mission has been to understand the biochemical basis of disease and develop functional foods to reduce disease risk. During that time he has written 8 books all of which are readily available.

 Mid May I visited Dr Richard Cheyne my chiropractor who agreed that my condition was indeed another miracle. Even the bumps on the back of my head have gone.

 In June I had an appointment with Kevin to discuss my insomnia. He said that improvements with ProZone are fairly immediate. He suggested hypnotherapy could help. Gwyneth suggested Caz Sheldon to solve 30 years of poor sleep. So far she has the sleeping hormones programmed to come at the right time. At this stage it is proving to be a stressful step and challenging to cope with. Now I understand when someone says they are stressed.  I am confident of sleeping soundly before long.

 I hope I have given those of you who know little about alternative medicines, the confidence to enquire and learn about. They indeed offer the Huntington families sound support.

Judy Lyon