Absolute Beginner's Guide to Alternative Medicine

Menopause

■ Aromatherapy: geranium, rose, fennel in bath or in body creams

■ Herbs: black cohosh (4 tablets daily), vitex, agnue castii, rehmannia, ginseng,

wild yam as tea; Chinese tonic of He Shou Wu, dong quai

■ Meditation

■ Supplements: vitamin E (200–800 IU daily), soy protein (50 g daily)

Menstrual Discomfort

■ Aromatherapy: basil; clary sage massage or warm compress; massage

abdomen and lower back with jasmine, marjoram

■ Herbs: tea of agnus castus with rosemary for premenstrual water retention;

black haw for cramps—4 tsp. in glass of warm water, repeat after 4 hours if

necessary; Chinese tonic of dong quai

■ Homeopathy: viburnum, magnesium phosphate, sepia—1 tablet every 2–4

hours—maximum 12 doses

■ Hydrotherapy: warm compresses

■ Reflexology: massage uterine reflexes below inside ankle bones and ovarian

reflexes beneath outside ankle bones

■ Supplements: calcium and manganese, fish oil, parsley, celery, and dandelion

leaves are all mild diuretics

■ Yoga stretches and more relaxation and breathing exercises

Migraine Headaches

■ Aromatherapy: green apple (inhalant), lavender, mellissa, or peppermint put

on a facecloth with cool water and used as a compress on the forehead or

back of the neck

■ Biofeedback

■ Herbs: feverfew (prophylaxis)

■ Homeopathy: iris, sanguinaria, glonoine—1 tablet every 30 minutes until

improved—maximum 6 doses

■ Hypnosis

■ Pressure-point therapies

■ Pulsating electromagnetic fields

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