Studies and Progress Notes (February 2007)

* *  SPIRITUAL AWARENESS AND WHOLISTIC HEALING * * 

Therapeutic Touch for phantom limb pain.

The research took the form of a single blind randomized controlled clinical trial.  Nine clients were involved, and each client was randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups:
    a) Control group – receiving no T.T.
    b) Placebo group – receiving mimic T.T.
    c) Treatment group – receiving actual T.T.”

 “Chi-Square analysis was performed on the change in observations and the change in pain scores, from immediately before to immediate after treatment, and from immediately before to one hour after treatment, at p = 0.05”

“…one unusual result did emerge, namely the increase in systolic B.P. from immediately before to immediately after ‘treatment’ in the mimic group, at p = 0.0019.  This is a curious result, as one would expect from other signs to increase for this group (a negative response to pain).  This did not occur and the clinical significance of this result is questionable.

“The most interesting result, however, came from analysis of the pain scores.  The improvement in values from immediately before to immediately after treatment in the TT group compared very favorably with the other two groups.  The TT group a 29% improvement and the control group a 21% improvement, the analysis was highly significant a p = 0.00011. 

“Comparative results in the three groups from immediate before to one hour after treatment showed the TT group at 61% improvement, the Mimic TT group at 29% and the control group at 41%.  These results are not as dramatic as the immediately after treatment, but are still encouraging, although not reaching significance at p = 0.09.”  

Source: Philcox, Paul RN, Rawlins, Lainie EN, Rodgers, Lynne EN, Therapeutic touch and its effect on phantom limb and stump pain, Cooperative Connection, 24(3), 2003, p. 10-11
 

IJHC – WHR Observations

Phantom limb pain is a troublesome problem to conventional medicine, as there is no known treatment for it. Several studies, including the one above, have shown that spiritual healing is effective in alleviating this unusual pain syndrome.

 

* *  FUTURE RESEARCH IN WHOLISTIC HEALING * * 

The IJHC/WHR E-Zine features monthly suggestions for future research in healing.
READERS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT SUGGESTIONS FOR TOPICS TO STUDY
If your topic is chosen, you ill receive free access to the IJHC for a month, including the current issue and all back issues.

To IJHC – WHR eZine Editor:

I have a friend and colleague, who is French.  When her four-year-old nephew had a serious burn, his mother's family took him to a coupeur de feu.  This a apparently a traditional method of healing in France.  It is handed down from mother to daughter, or daughter-in-law, in rural France.  These women are skilled at singing into burns, which consequently heal remarkably quickly.  They only work with burns, no other accidents or injuries, and each patient needs a unique sound to effect the healing. Her nephew's burn healed within a very short time, and did not need the anticipated skin graft.

My friend was unable to tell me any more about this tradition.  I wonder if your readers have any experience of this, and could tell me more?

Judith O'Hagan
Glastonbury, England 

 

IJHC – WHR Observations

I had not heard about this form of healing before. It sounds similar to the descriptions I’ve heard of charming away illnesses in Ireland.

I, too, would be interested to know if any readers of this eZine know more about these methods, either through personal anecdotes or any published writings.

Blessings

Daniel J. Benor, MD, ABHM
Editor, IJHC and IJHC-WHR eZine

 

 * *  WHOLISTIC APPROACHES * * 

Quick intuitive perceptions can be more reliable than thought-out cognitions

“A UCL (University College London) study has found that you are more likely to perform well if you do not think too hard and instead trust your instincts. The research, published online today in the journal Current Biology, shows that, in some cases, instinctive snap decisions are more reliable than decisions taken using higher-level cognitive processes.

“Participants, who were asked to pick the odd one out on a screen covered in over 650 identical symbols, including one rotated version of the same symbol, actually performed better when they were given no time at all to linger on the symbols and so were forced to rely entirely on their subconscious.”

Source: Physorg.com Published: 12:56, January 08, 2007
www.physorg.com/news87483387.html

 

IJHC – WHR Observations

Workshops are offered in developing this ability, as in Subliminal Dynamics/ Brain Management www.subdyn.com. People can learn to read intuitively, absorbing information by glancing with unfocused eyes at the pages as they turn them as fast as they can.

  

 * *  COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES * *

Bing cherries reduce inflammation proteins in bloodstream

Healthy men and women who consumed 10 of Bing cherries daily for a month had decreased concentrations of c-reactive protein (CRP) and other factors in the blood that signal inflammation.

This supports the common use of cherries to treat arthritis and gout.

Source: Kelley, Darshan S. et al. Consumption of Bing Sweet Cherries Lowers Circulating Concentrations of Inflammation Markers in Healthy Men and Women, (American Society for Nutrition) J. Nutrition 2006, 136:981-986.

 

IJHC – WHR Observations

It is helpful to have research confirmation of empirical observations of the benefits of foods for healing.  

More CAM reviews at
www.naturalhealthvillage.com
www.mdlinx.com/FamilyMDLinx  
 www.ucalgary.ca/~camig/litsearch.html
AMSA website
www.amsa.org/humed/camresources/camnews.cfm

 

* * TECHNOLOGY * *

New space telescope to supplement Hubble pictures

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will soon expand the range of the Hubble telescope into the infrared (IR) range. This will enable research on distant galaxies that are moving away from us at a great speed. IR photography is limited on earth because IR light is largely blocked by the atmosphere. IR photography is also aided by low temperatures – making the JWST a perfect solution to these problems.

Source: www.jwst.nasa.gov/about.html

 

IJHC – WHR Observations

We look forward to the photographs the JWST will provide for our greater understanding of the universe, as well as for the expansion of beautiful, wondrous, and awesome photos we feature in this eZine.

 

* *  ENVIRONMENT (HEALING OUR PLANET) * *

Climate changes modeled on globally networked computers 

Climateprediction.net brought together thousands of ordinary Pcs to run multiple simulations on the same computer model of climate change, in conjunction with the BBC. About 100,000 people participated.

“The results suggest the UK could be about 3C warmer than now in 75 years' time, agreeing with other models.”

Source:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6268595.stm

  

IJHC-WHR Observations

I have spoken with ecologically aware people in England, Switzerland, the US, and Canada, and many of us are dismayed at the general level of ignorance and apathy concerning global warming. Large numbers of our acquaintances are pleased to be having milder winters, and have little awareness or concern about global warming.

Global warming is the greatest danger to survival of life on our planet as we know it today. We must do everything possible to slow this down, and hopefully to reverse this trend.

What are YOU doing to help?

 

 * *  HUMAN ECOLOGY* * 

One Laptop Per Child global program

The OLPC program plans to distribute 5,000,000 laptops to developing countries later this year, at a cost of $150 apiece, hoping to reduce the price soon to $100. These include built-in wireless networking and video conferencing capabilities, to facilitate group teaching/ learning. Countries signing up to buy these include Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand and Uruguay.

These may also be made available to the public in industrialized countries.
http://www.laptop.org/

 

IJHC – WHR Observations

This quantum boost in hardware and software stands to advance educational capacity dramatically. At the same time, it stands to hasten cultural leveling and diminishing of cultural diversity, as well as to open larger portals for advertising and propaganda in participating countries.