March 2010 : Volume 12 : Number 2

Welcome to the March Newsletter

The weather has been glorious in Tasmania with long hot summer days and cool evenings. We've even had some good rainfall and morning dew. Tomatoes are flourishing, scarlet runner beans look like over-running us and our first crop of heritage apples are nearly ready to pick. Blackberries will be next and we're watching the walnuts and sweet chestnuts gradually ripening.

With winter just around the corner it is a good time to think about a variety of issues, in particular the question of how to achieve the best level of health and why sometimes we don't get there!

Whole Health & how to achieve it

We all aim to provide the best of health for our families through pregnancy, a natural non-invasive birth (where possible) and a healthy home environment.

We provide good nutrition often with organic foods, thoughtfully chosen, quality supplements and related natural products.

Many of us avoid vaccinating in order to improve long term health outcomes and we may choose to exclude wheat, dairy and other food products which we consider may cause intolerances.

However, we are often surprised that despite our best efforts our children are still not as healthy as we would expect with such care.

What I remind parents who find themselves in the above position is that while we do our absolute best to protect and support our children's health, they are not born with a clean slate!

As a homeopath I spend my days looking at an individual's health patterns including the family medical history for as many generations back as is available. The health problems and diseases we see in this history are what set up our susceptibility to certain patterns of disease and particular illnesses. If we only treat the child and not the family level we always have a layer that not only predisposes them to health problems, but means that supplements and acute remedies don't work as well as they could, conditions such as ear infections and tonsillitis become recurrent, anti-biotic treatment becomes a cycle with the acute illness, and life becomes a drama.

Effectively, if you don't treat both the individual constitution and the family level, you could be wasting your money on supplements and other treatments, as the body is often unable to uptake what you put in efficiently.

While acupuncture certainly treats the whole person, not many other therapies are able to address the inherited tendencies we are born with. Homeopaths have held this as an important level to treat and studied it for over 200 years. Homeopathy has remedies which treat the individual and their inheritance at the same time, or more specifically remedies which just address the inherited level.

After the above two levels, we then have to question what damage or layer has been set up by things like traumatic birth, stress within the family or at school, and of course vaccination. But this is a whole other story which should be explored by your homeopath as part of an individual case along with all of the above!

If your child is struggling with recurrent illness which doesn't respond to a variety of treatments, good nutrition, supplements and so on, consider a visit to an experienced homeopath to address the deeper levels. You could be very pleased you did!

Remedies for Eyes

There are many acute eye conditions that can be treated successfully with homeopathic remedies. If the condition is due to an accident or injury do ensure you seek medical advice along with your home prescribing.

Conjunctivitis is one of those nasty things that children so often pick up at childcare and then spread through the family. Simple cases can be treated effectively at home and it's worth giving remedies for a couple of days before resorting to conventional treatment. More chronic cases or acute cases that fail to resolve with home prescribing require professional treatment.

Apis - Puffy, pink, watery swelling that feels better from cold applications is a strong indication for this remedy. Stinging, burning pain may be experienced, and the eyelids may stick together.
Argentum nitricum - Swelling with yellowish or pus-like discharge, and redness and inflammation of the whites and inner corners of the eyes. The person's eyes may be tired and achy, worse from light and warmth, and better from cool water, cold compresses, and fresh air.
Hepar sulph - When the eyes feel sore or bruised, with inflammation and burning pain, or a feeling as if the eyes are being pulled back into the head, this remedy may be indicated. The eyes may be glued shut in the morning with yellow discharge. Warm compresses and warmth in general often ease discomfort. There may be extreme sensitivity to cold, as well as to light and noise. The patient may be very irritable.
Mercurius solubilis: People needing this remedy often feel ill and tired, with erratic body temperature and sensitivity both to heat and cold. Discharge is greenish-yellow and can irritate the lids and margins of the eyes. A person who needs this remedy often has swollen glands, offensive breath, and excessive salivation.
Natrum muriaticum: Indications for this remedy are swollen lids with burning tears and a feeling that the eyes are bruised. Mucus or pus forms and can make the eyelids stick together. Symptoms may result from allergy.
Pulsatilla: Conjunctivitis with thick, yellow, itchy discharge (often with a cold or the measles) suggests this remedy. The person is emotional and sensitive, feeling worse from warmth and in stuffy rooms, and relieved by cool fresh air.
Sulphur: This remedy may be helpful if the eyes are very red and irritated, with burning, smarting, sticking pains and a nagging itch. The whites of the eyes look red and bloodshot, and the tears feel hot. Symptoms are worse from heat, and light will hurt the eyes. The eyelids may look contracted, especially in the morning.

Eyestrain perhaps from not wearing your glasses, looking at the computer for too long or similar!
Arnica - muscles are tired from looking into the distance for a long time; Natrum Muriaticum - eyes ache when looking up, down or sideways; Ruta Grav -eyes burn and feel strained after close work such as sewing or reading.

I like this one - Phosphorus - tired eyes associated with great nervousness and apprehension or with sexual overindulgence. It must be true then!!!

Floaters are taken naturopathically to be a sign of a sluggish liver and a build up of toxins in the liver. They are also associated with certain conditions which should be checked out by your GP if in doubt as to the cause.

Arnica - if symptoms come on after an accident; Hamamelis - where a specialist has diagnosed bleeding from the back of the eye; Phosphorus - floaters associated with misty vision.

Injury to the eye
Arnica - is the first remedy to use after any injury; Symphytum - injury caused by a blunt object, pain felt deep in the eyeball; Hypericum - if pain persists after treatment from a GP; Aconite - if Hypericum does not ease the pain.

Sticky Eye and Blocked Tear Ducts are two conditions new babies can be prone to. Sticky eye can be treated similarly to conjunctivitis, while blocked tear ducts often respond well to Silica.

Styes are an infection which develop at the root of an eyelash, rather like a boil.
Pulsatilla is the first remedy to think of for a stye, particularly with yellow discharge; Staphysagria - if Pulsatilla produces no improvement.

As always, if your home prescribing does not prove effective and you have checked the condition with a GP or eye specialist, constitutional treatment by a practitioner is more likely to bring improvement.

Potency and dosage: A 6c or 30c would be adequate for eye problems. If the condition is very acute and/or painful, take 5 doses 10 minutes apart, then reduce to hourly, then 2 hourly as symptoms improve. If the condition is not very acute, take 3 times a day for 3 days.

Acknowledgement to Andrew Lockie; The Family Guide to Homeopathy and www.truestarhealth.com.

Homeopathy under attack!

Homeopathy has been under attack around the globe recently and while most people that use homeopathy regularly tend to ignore or are sceptical of these media reports, I have had a great article from Brauer Dispensary which I thought I would share. As a homeopathic pharmacy Brauer is probably one of the best groups to comment on adverse media reports and to cite studies and other statistics that the medical fraternity feel so necessary. Click here for the article and do save it and send to anyone else in any doubt!

What's new on the Website

Enviro Sprays
Finally the enviro sprays are ready to go - and I have to say I'm very pleased with the Electro-Emissions spray in particular, having trialled it on myself and my 13 year old son over the school holidays after excessive computer usage!!

Incorporating a synergistic combination of dynamic essences from plants, crystals and minerals in organic lemon myrtle floral water, we've packaged them in a good size 120ml bottles so you can freely spray them around yourself and your home. So far we have the sprays below ready to go, retailing at $19.95:

Electro-Emissions: We are constantly bombarded with radiation and EMF waves from digital/mobile phones and towers, micro-waves, computers, high tech medical equipment and power lines. Tiredness, irritability and stress can often be attributed to this unseen toxic shock to the body.
Regular use will strengthen and rebalance the energetic system and clear the aura.

Enviro-Toxins: There are a wide range of airborne pollutants in our modern environment, such as exhaust fumes, off-gassing from new furniture and carpets, paints, glues, wood treatments, insecticide, water treatment, plastics, moulds, etc. Enviro-Toxins stimulates the body to cope with these challenges, rebalances the immune system and strengthens and clears the aura.

Practitioner Support: As practitioners we experience a variety of energies which can drain, exhaust and confuse us, often despite our best efforts at protecting ourselves.

Use Practitioner Support before and after each client to clear negative energies, revitalise the aura, strengthen personal boundaries and create a sacred space for healing to take place.

Beautiful Birthing: Create an aura of love, peace, calm and strength in which to birth your baby, whether at home or hospital. Bring down the light of the Angelic Realms, the Goddess and the Christ Vibration. Purify and energise the moment in preparation for incarnation, allowing baby's soul to integrate gently and comfortably into the physical body. 50ml $14.95

Creams

Many of you have used our creams over the years and found the tinctures and homeopathics really effective. Recently I have followed the lead of one of my colleagues and started making up individual creams for patients I am treating with skin conditions. They then have their remedy both orally and topically for greater improvement.

While I have been reasonably happy with the base we've been using, we have decided to have a base cream produced to our own recipe, making it more suitable for accepting tinctures and homeopathics, more natural (but not quite organic yet) and easier to dispense.

After much consultation with Nadia at Pear Tree Products and some testing, new creams will be available through the clinics or via the website in the next month or so.

Soft Kits

We've just taken delivery of more gorgeous little soft wallets with our beautiful embroidered logo, which hold 6 remedies. Perfect for a gift or to pop in a handbag. An empty kit will retail for $19.95 and with 6 remedies of your choice $44.95. They will also appear on the website as a choice when purchasing a gift pack or other mini kit.

Coming Soon - Yoga Essences

Look out for details in the next newsletter!

Young Living Essential Oils

While the Young Living Essential Oils are a fabulous product, some people have commented on the individual cost. I would agree that they appear to be high but would justify that by saying that the high quality of production is a component of this, as is the fact that some ingredients are in short supply. There are a couple of ways to get the best value for your money and the best price!

Everyday Oils Collection - This pack of 9 essential oils is a great way to start out and you'll use all the oils everyday!! It contains Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Panaway, Peace & Calming, Purification, Thieves and Valor. The retail price is $243.42. If you sign up as a preferred customer the price is $214.21 and if you sign up as a wholesale customer $185.00.

Essential 7 contains Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Joy, Panaway, Peace & Calming and Purification. Retail price is $148.36, preferred customer $130.55 and wholesale $112.75.

As a preferred customer with a small spend each month you are eligible for discounts on products and postage and earn points in the rewards system. As a wholesale customer, you get a bigger discount and other great benefits.

To find out what you would be eligible for and how to go about getting your best deal, drop Dean an email or ring him on 03 6266 4406.

Remember, Young Living Essential Oils are Therapeutic Grade and can be taken internally or used in cooking - don't try this with other brands unless certified food quality as they can be toxic.

Clinic Hours

I currently consult in Hobart all day Tuesday, Friday afternoon and some Saturday mornings. Consults (including phone consults) are available at Mountain River all day Wednesday, Friday morning and some Mondays if I have time.

Vaccination Issues

I am continually updating the Vaccination page of the website with links to sites that have good information, so do look there as a starting point if you have any questions or concerns.

Vaccination Information Database If you would like to receive information related to vaccination please email me and I will add your name to the vaccination database. All names and email addresses will remain confidential.

Homeoprophylaxis (Homeopathic Immunisation)

Please remember to keep me updated if you change your email address as any changes to programs come out via email.

Until next time,
Warmest wishes

Melanie Creedy