Holistic Medicine

Sometimes, natural is the best way to go! It holds the power to solve so many problems from the root without carrying the side-effects which medications often leave behind. Earth is rich in so many minerals and nutrients which can heal our body holistically and help you lead a better lifestyle.

Mud therapy is one such wonderful cure which you can use to solve so many ailments. Slowly gaining popularity globally, mud therapy can help you in a lot of ways- from improving your skin, getting rid of rashes as well keep you disease-free.

According to Ayurvedic beliefs, our body is made up of five essential elements-earth, water, air, fire, and ether. Mud, clay (or earth), has the ability to heal the body from the inside and correct any imbalance. It contains a lot of vital minerals which fight the bad toxins in the body. Since it has so many health benefits, it can also treat a lot many chronic health problems and cure away ailments as well.

According to Ayurveda, all things in the visible universe – including the human body – are made up of five elements (called the pañcabhūta). While there are many different types of therapy in Ayurveda, one class of therapy is naturopathic therapy involving the five elements. Mud therapy (mṛttikā cikitsā) is one of these five-element therapies corresponding to the element Earth (bhūmi or pṛthvī).

In the ancient Ayurvedic text the Harita Samhita (said to be composed around the 6th or 7th century CE), five different types of mud / clay are described, each with their different therapeutic qualities and distinguishable by their color: black, red, white, yellow & blue (kṛṣṇa, rakta, sīta, pīta, nīla). The very popular multanni mitti or clay of Multan (also known as Fuller’s Earth) used in cosmetics is one type of white clay. The various clays used in Ayurvedic mud therapy are usually sourced from pristine locations like clean rivers and lakes.

Traditionally, mud is generally applied locally as a moist mask, pack or poultice combined with special Ayurvedic herbs, though it can also be used in a full-body mud bath or as a body scrub (or even used internally in very specific therapies). The mud poultice or mask remains active as long as it remains moist, and after about 20-30 mins it dries and is washed off.

THERAPEUTIC AND COSMETIC BENEFITS:

Cosmetically, use of mud exfoliates dead skin cells and unclogs the pores, drawing out and removing toxins, excess oils, and other impurities. The skin and pores are tightened as the mud dries and afterwards the skin is refreshed and rejuvenated. It can be helpful in dealing with blackheads and other mild forms of acne and other superficial blemishes of the skin, eczema and psoriasis and improves the appearance of wrinkles. The many minerals contained in clay nourish the skin and the special herbs in the mud formula also contribute with their astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Therapeutically, the Ayurvedic mud formula improves the local circulation in the soft tissues under the skin, reducing swelling, inflammation and pain in the muscles and joints (due to arthritis or injury) and inducing relaxation. It is generally balancing to the three doshas in the body, though depending on the types of clay and herbs used in the formula it may be targeted to act stronger one or other of the three doshas.

Mud therapy may also be used on the head area and eyelids to reduce stress and tension and reduce tension headaches and eye aches.

At Health Quest Wellness Center, we are committed to helping you achieve the healthy, happy life that you aspire to by helping you reach your mental, emotional, and relational wellness goals. Herbal therapy is healing yourself with plants.

WHAT IS PHYTOTHERAPY?

Phytotherapy is a form of herbal therapy and literally means ‘plant therapy.’ Our phytotherapists rely on modern research but are informed by and respect the experiences of herbalists’ dating back thousands of years. We use this approach to increase the wellness of various systems of the body with the goal of increasing overall wellness.

 OUR HEALING PHILOSOPHY ABOUT HERBAL THERAPY

Our basic healing philosophy is to offer you the support needed to restore your ability to experience balance and harmony in your personal and relational health. Our health assessment focuses on identifying patterns of strength and weakness.

Using this information and depending on your wishes, our clinical herbalist will make recommendations that may include nutrition, herbs, supplements, natural remedies, yoga, counseling, skill-building exercises, and lifestyle changes. Recommendations may also include suggestions for creating physical, emotional, mental and/or spiritual balance if these are related to your wellness goals.

IS HERBAL THERAPY RIGHT FOR ME?

We encourage you to consider our herbal therapy options if you are interested in:

• Increasing medication compliance for yourself or a loved one.
• Getting off your current medications completely (while being authorized and supervised by your doctor).
• Reducing your use of medications (while being authorized and supervised by your doctor).
• Supplementing your current medications with the goal of getting a better response than you are currently getting from medication alone (while being authorized and supervised by your doctor).
• Finding an option that reduces the side effects of your medication naturally (while being authorized and supervised by your doctor).
• Finding an effective wellness option that is all natural, kind to your body and mind, and approved by your doctor.

Benefits:

• Affordable Treatment – Herbal remedies are more cost-efficient than pharmaceuticals. One reason why trying herbal treatments with an herbalist has become so popular is because people simply cannot afford to pay for their medication. Seeing an herbalist does not necessarily mean that you will be able to stop your monthly medication. We will work closely with you to reduce your medication when it is safe to do so.
• Easier to Obtain than Prescription Medication – Herbs are only classified as ‘dietary supplements’, so they are over the counter items like food, herbal hot compress, herbal steaming, herbal wraps, herbal extracts, essential oils, spices, and herbal teas. These items can be purchased at most health food or grocery stores. Make sure to read the labels carefully before using any herbal supplements.
• Have Healing Properties – Herbs can be used for both chronic and acute conditions. Some of these conditions include cardiovascular disease, prostate problems, depression, inflammation, and a weakened immune system.

Auriculotherapy

Auriculotherapy is often described as reflexology for the ear. Simply put, it is an ear massage. It is typically considered a form of non-invasive acupuncture . Instead, there are hundreds of points on the ear that are believed to represent a micro-system of the body, with points for areas both physical and emotional. The stimulation of these points is known as Auriculotherapy.

Auriculotherapy has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Just as this ancient healing art defines acupuncture points on the body for treatment of various conditions, similar points are defined on the ear. In the 1950’s, Dr. Paul Nogier of Lyon, France expanded the original Chinese charts into a more comprehensive system. Dr. Nogier’s work demonstrated the ear is actually a micro-map of the entire body (an inverted fetus), with all body parts represented. Thus, all parts of the body can be treated by means of the external ear. Proponents believe that auriculotherapy works because many of the nerve endings in the ear connect to hormonal parts of the brain and organs within the body.

Each spot on the ear is stimulated to treat specific problems. Not only does your acupuncturist know what to address when they do an auricular analysis, but they can directly target areas to treat various health conditions. Your practitioner will begin your treatment by inspecting points that may be related to your health condition. After these points have been located, they will be treated with various treatment methods such as acupuncture needles, ear seeds, laser stimulation, or mild electrical stimulation. Electrical stimulation has the advantage of also providing electrical detection of active points for precise treatment.

During treatment, you may feel a heaviness or mild electrical sensation, but patients generally do not feel anything at all. Treatments may be ongoing, or a single treatment may be sufficient depending on your health condition. Auriculotherapy can also be used in addition to regular acupuncture treatments to prolong the effects of treatment. Because there are generally no side effects, auriculotherapy is a non-invasive treatment, appropriate for all ages.

Auriculotherapy is used widely for pain control and addictions of all kinds. It has also been clinically proven to help with stress and anxiety, depression, allergies, PMS, vision problems, and so much more. Many health conditions can be treated with Auricular Medicine as a main form or supplementary form of treatment.

Auriculotherapy should be considered by those with conditions that negatively affect physical, mental,  and emotional health as another option to help heal the body.

Ear seeds can be used alone or in conjunction with auriculotherapy and has been shown to have significant positive effects on psychological distress, drug and alcohol use, and cravings.

Ear seeding, a form of auriculotherapy, draws inspiration from the ancient Chinese tradition of acupuncture and acupressure, according to the US National Library of Medicine. Its goal is to stimulate the reflex centers of the brain to relax the nervous system.

Other common uses of ear seeds are to help patients with alleviating stress, losing weight, quitting smoking, and much more. Once applied, the ear seeds stimulate specific points through light pressure over time. And because the seeds are worn home, patients can also stimulate the points themselves by massaging the ear seeds when they feel like they need an extra boost. Ear seeds can treat specific conditions while also balancing the energy, invigorating blood, and promoting an overall sense of wellbeing.

Ear seeds stimulate those points naturally and non-invasively. The seeds, a magnet or vaccaria flower seed, are non-invasive and placed on top of the skin at pressure points. Due to the safety and efficacy of treating illnesses with ear seeds and the lack of side effects, it can be an excellent choice for patients of all ages.

As a combination therapy of auriculotherapy with ear seeds, it  can treat with great success the following:

• Headache & Migraine
• Mental and physical stress
• Digestive issues
• Depression and anxiety
• Overweight
• Addictions
• Backpain & Sciatica
• PTSD
• Post-Partum
• Infertility
• Insomnia
• Memory/Focus