Natural Healing Resources

With Prescription Drugs killing more people than all the illegal drugs combined more and more of us are looking into alternative means to heal. I am a HUGE believer in the mind/body connection and "healing from within" because I have done it myself. The mind/body connection alone encompasses MANY techniques and when you look into integrative, complimentary and alternative medicines there are a mind boggling amount of ways to be well and heal without prescriptions. Since I began blogging almost a year ago I have seen a HUGE increase in wellness sites. I wanted to provide a resource list to my readers of some of my favorites and some new ones that my blog is fed into. I also wanted to differentiate between integrative, complimentary and alternative medicines. I believe the KEY to healing naturally is finding a method and/or doctors that resonate with you and the more methods you learn about the more likely that is to happen.

Integrative, Complimentary and Alternative Medicines

The following definitions and examples are from NCCAM -- "NCCAM is the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on CAM. (Complementary & Alternative Medicine). NCCAM's mission is to explore complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and disseminate authoritative information to the public and professionals.

Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy. A therapy in which the scent of essential oils from flowers, herbs, and trees is inhaled to promote health and well-being to help lessen a patient's discomfort following surgery.

Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example of an alternative therapy is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional doctor.

Integrative Medicine combines treatments from conventional medicine and CAM for which there is some high-quality evidence of safety and effectiveness. It is also called integrated medicine. An approach to medicine that combines treatments from conventional medicine and CAM for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness."

NCCAM breaks down the categories even further. NCCAM groups CAM practices into four domains, recognizing there can be some overlap (Mind-body medicine, Biologically based practices, Manipulative and body-based practices and Energy therapies. In addition, NCCAM studies CAM whole medical systems, which cut across all domains such as homeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.

I have seen NCCAM's information grow in the last year and highly recommend it as a place to go and find out about different approved techniques to heal pain and illness.

ARTICLES on CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

The National Library of Medicine is a wonderful resource for reading the latest articles on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

HERBS/Natural Healing

The most comprehensive site I have found on the benefits/dangers of herbs is The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr. Mercola is all about Natural Health. I subscribe to his newsletters which have countless articles of importance. I also wrote about him and showed his video early on in "Prescription Drugs Numb Pain but do Not Heal Pain".

Dr. Nicole Sundene is a naturopath with a WONDERFUL Blog, "Kitchen Table Medicine" where she dispels myths and tells you what herbs, foods and SKILLS will REALLY help you to heal or stay healthy.

To Find Doctors/Centers in Your Area of Interest for Treatment

American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA)

American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM)

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

American Chiropractic Association

American Holistic Medical Association

American Institute of Homeopathy (AIH)

International Society for the Studies of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine

National Center for Homeopathy (NCH)

National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine

Personal Development Sites:

Wow -- I cannot even begin to list the sites that have influenced me... that might have to be a whole OTHER post.... I have referenced some here and some of my other favorites are Tim Brownson of "A Daring Adventure", Akemi of "Yes to Me", Jennifer Abbott of "Principles for Peace" and Evelyn Lim of "Attraction Mind Map".

There are also sites that have a whole collection of people that offer advice and helpful information:

I have written about Personal Development Partners many times with good reason. Aaron Potts of "Today is That Day" started PDP for people interested in personal development to have a place to meet with other like minded people. I met the members of my Mastermind Group through here as well as many other remarkable people. You can feel free to go here and post questions and get many kind and smart responses. I cannot thank Aaron enough for creating this incredible place.

Self Growth is another site I have mentioned quite a bit. I met Camille Strait, Andrea Leake, Dr. Judith Orloff, Karin Hiebert and many other inspirational people on self growth. You can go here to find articles on just about anything having to do with natural health, well being, success or personal development. It is also a n informative place to go to browse whatever means of healing you are interested in and find people that you want to learn more from. Each person has samples of their writing, videos and you can find experts on everything from EFT ,meditation, Goal Setting, Happiness, Hypnosis and MUCH more.

Sites to Check out

I am now affiliated with a few sites that are just incredible and I am humbled to be a part of them. My blog posts are featured on all of the below:

Wellsphere's summary on WHO they are is as follows; "Wellsphere builds online healthy living communities that help people ‘Get active, Eat better and Unwind’. Wellsphere’s groundbreaking platform works by connecting each member with local health and wellness resources, classes and activities that match their unique interests and goals, and with the personalized advice and social support they need to sustain healthy habits.".

Wellsphere is so much more. Wellsphere also has you set goals and rewards for yourself and gives you a place to track goals. Wellsphere also offers a free service you can use with any cell phone called Wellphone that can send you reminders via ANY cellphone. Below is a video of the Wellphone being featured on NBC News:



I have my weight loss goal up at Wellsphere and I am rewarding myself with a "girl's night out" when I lose that "last 10 pounds". They offer the ability to have team members remind you as well as your cell phone and the incentives to keep you on track!

My blog is also now featured on ABS NEWS ON CALL for Pain Management. They have a comprehensive site where you can ask questions about pain and receive live answers from nurses standing by. You can also look at many videos and get an unlimited amount of information on living with or treating pain.

Last but not least you can check out where to find a doctor or check symptoms there is Health Care.com. Here you can find out which doctors will accept your insurance, are recommended as well as browse countless health blogs. You can also find out what kind of doctor you are looking for based on symptoms. This site is not totally holistic but has some wonderful holistic doctors listed as well as chiropractors and acupuncturists and other specialists in natural healing.


Real Stories for Inspiration

There is nothing more motivating than hearing from someone that you can relate to that they did exactly what you are hoping to do. I am honored and privileged to be a part of the first book out, "Living the Law of Attraction" that has over 50 stories of real people who applied the Law of Attraction to their lives and changed forever. The forward is done by Bob Doyle of "The Secret" who also has the free "Boundless Living Challenge" going on right now. It also has Marie Diamond of "The Secret" behind it. The people that put it together; Rich German and Robin Hoch are spectacular. I was on the launch call and this book has some truly amazing stories in it that will keep you inspired no matter if your goal is physical healing, weight loss, financial, spiritual, emotional or relational. I am sure to do a whole post on this book soon but couldn't write a post of resources without mentioning this incredible collection. I am also for a limited time giving out a free copy of "Living the Law of Attraction: Real Stories of People Manifesting Health, Wealth and Happiness" for people that sign up for my coaching program with me as their Mind Body Connection Mentor. You can email me at jennymannion@yahoo.com for more information and read about my Paging Me System here.

Okay I think that's enough to get you all started! Remember that we are constantly learning more about how the mind affects the body. Most people have some healing (whether it be emotional or physical) to do in their own lives and it is my hope these resources can help you on your path.

New FDA Warnings & Recalls for MANY Drugs

I am trying to make this blog about ALL ways to heal pain and to write about varying topics on the subject. The Pharmaceutical companies are making that challenging since every week now I feel I need to post warnings on the newest batch of drugs that have been deemed unsafe or recalled. PLEASE use caution if using ANY drugs to control pain and make sure you and your loved ones are tuned into the weekly warnings coming out. This week the Fentanyl patches and over 10 anti-epileptic drugs also prescribed for Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Neuropathic Pain (and more) have come out with warnings and recalls. One was even for the drug I wrote about last week, "Lyrica".

I don't know whether drugs are not being given time to be tested like they used to or if they are being rushed to market for their seen potential OR simply for greed. One thing is for sure -- more drugs than ever are being recalled and are getting "extra" warnings AFTER they are released. Maybe if the Big Pharmaceutical companies would start spending less on advertising and dedicate more of their resources to research this would not be an issue. People are dying because of these oversights and these are people that are actively seeking relief FOR their pain.

From the Associated Press, "Patches sold in the US under the brand name Duragesic which contain the painkiller Fentanyl were recalled on February 12, 2008. The recall includes all 25-microgram-per-hour patches that have expiration dates on or before December 2009. The cause of the recall is a possible cut in the lining of the reservoir where the drug is stored in gel form. A gel leak into the drug's packaging could result in difficulty breathing and a potentially fatal overdose."

"The cut in the patch can be seen when the foil pouch container is opened. Any damaged patch should be flushed down the toilet, and the handler of the drug should be immediately rinsed with water, but not washed with soap. The powerful drug is used with patients such as cancer patients, who are experiencing chronic pain and are used to narcotics. Therefore, it can cause trouble breathing in people not used to this class of painkillers. In December, the FDA put out its second warning in two years about the dangers of misusing the powerful drug. PriCara estimates that two patches out of every million included in the recall have the defect that causes the leak", according to Associated Press. If you or anyone you know has used these patches I recommend going to Associated Press article and finding the links to contact the manufacturers for updates or concerns.

For the second BATCH of drugs the FDA is issuing a relabeling but not a recall. The FDA has now has analyzed reports of suicidality (suicidal behavior or ideation) from 199 placebo-controlled clinical studies of 11 of these medications:

• Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol XR)
• Felbamate (Felbatol)
• Gabapentin (Neurontin)
• Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
• Levetiracetam (Keppra)
• Oxcarbazepine ( Trileptal)
• Pregabalin (Lyrica)
• Tiagabine (Gabitril)
• Topiramate (Topamax)
• Valproate (Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakene, Depacon)
• Zonisamide (Zonegran)

The results show that the risk of suicidality (suicidal behavior or ideation) is double while taking these drugs. If you or anyone you know show signs of depression or extreme sadness PLEASE see your doctor. For more information about this study, read MyMigraineConnection Expert Teri Robert's article: Risk of Suicidal Thoughts Linked to Anticonvulsant Medications.

These recent additions make it even clearer to me that people need to start looking to be on as FEW of these medications as possible. Your body HAS natural healing mechanisms built in. It is time to start using them and to take a more holistic approach. There are an unlimited amount of resources online to learn about natural healing. You need to find what methods and teachers resonate with you. I wrote a guest article on Alex Blackwell's site "The Next 45 Years" on the system I adopted to heal myself. Through studying you can find ways to heal yourself. Even if not 100% like me -- I would love for everyone to recognize the healing power of the mind and the body. I want people to be as healthy as they can be without medications and to be taking as few medications as necessary. If you are currently on medications and want to cut back please see your doctor and find out a safe way to go about this. Most of these drugs require being "weaned" off of for your safety.

I am available to talk to readers, offer my e-book as a total look at how I healed myself and offer a lot of resources on my site to find natural means to heal that resonate within. Take control of your health and make sure you have a good doctor that treats the whole you and not just your diagnosis. Remember in most cases Prescription Drugs Numb Pain but do NOT Heal Pain. To heal you need to look within.

Fibromyalgia & Lyrica

In light of The New York Times article on Lyrica, (the new Pfizer drug being prescribed for Fibromyalgia) -- I had to write about a topic close to my heart. I will not go into how The New York Times is debating whether Fibromyalgia is a real dis-ease or not. I feel that is beside the point right now. The point is millions of Americans HAVE been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and are now being seduced into taking this new drug.

What is Fibromyalgia and what does it have to do with me?

I lived with a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia for 2 years before being re-diagnosed by a rheumatologist as having Benign Hypermobility Syndrome (Ehlers Danlos III). Fibromyalgia is a widespread pain illness. The symptoms are vast and not everyone diagnosed has the same exact symptoms. The predominant symptom that everyone does have is chronic pain that moves throughout your body and specifically to many different pressure points throughout the body. It has been described by many as feeling like you have the flu ALL the time.

I have heard some doctors say it is nerve based -- the person that has Fibromyalgia perceives pain differently and more extreme than others. I have also heard it described as a soft tissue ailment like rheumatoid arthritis. Some of the other symptoms associated with it are insomnia, headaches, Fibro Fog "feeling disconnected and unable to concentrate", abdominal pain, jaw tenderness, extreme pain during exercise and there are numerous others.

Fibromyalgia has never had a "cure". Doctors usually recommend managing it with a cocktail of miscellaneous prescription drugs including a low dose anti-depressant (helps to break the sleep/pain cycle), pain killers, muscle relaxants, sleep aides and sometimes anti-migraine medication. When I was treating my dis-ease as Fibromyalgia no natural means of pain control or "healing" were mentioned. Doctors tell the patient that the best thing is to "manage their pain using prescription drugs". People that are diagnosed with Fibromyalgia often are on many medications, gain weight because of the lack of exercise and most often do not get any better but need more and more medication.

What is Lyrica and what does it do?

Pfizer released Lyrica a few years ago for nerve pain associated with diabetes and for seizure disorders. My doctors mentioned that it was being tested on Fibromyalgia patients. In 2004 the FDA recommended Lyrica be rejected for diabetic nerve pain because of its unimpressive results and the very real side-effects. Lyrica can cause SEVERE weight gain, edema, sleepiness and dizziness. It also should not be given to people who have had a history of drug dependence because it can make you feel "high". It has to be carefully monitored and you have to see a doctor to wean you off of it. You CANNOT drink alcohol while taking Lyrica.

Lyrica is the first drug being prescribed specifically for Fibromyalgia as the new commercials point out. This alone will have millions of people lining up to take it. Sales from Lyrica totaled $1.8 billion in 2007 and are expected to rise 30% in 2008. It brings up some very interesting questions.

If this drug was found to have dangerous weight gain as a side-effect (which we all know causes other health issues) why would they prescribe it for a population that is already mostly over-weight? The New York Times article lists the average Fibromyalgia patient (Findings from the 2007 survey have 2,500 people surveyed) weighing 180 pounds and standing 5 feet 4 inches. The average weight gain on Lyrica during a 12 week trial was 7% of the person’s body weight. So the person standing at 5’ 4” and weighing 180 lb. would now weigh 192.6 lb (and that was just after 12 weeks).

There are already MANY prescription medications doled out for this diagnosis that result in dependence. I finally gave in and took Hydrocodone when I was in severe pain. Luckily I have always been terrified of dependence and was very mindful when I was taking it and never got up to the 12 pills/day I was allotted. Still, in the few short months I was on them I went from ½-1 pill taking away my pain to needing 2 at a time (every 4 hours). Lyrica is similar in that you need to take it often (for pain) and it is habit forming. Hydrocodone is now the most common household drug and we are facing record number of addictions. I personally have known MANY people who could not stop this drug once they started it – even after the pain had gone. WHY in the world would you release a drug like this when you know it will likely lead to another epidemic in dependence and addiction?

Again, from The New York Times article, “Pfizer has steadily ramped up consumer advertising of Lyrica. During the first nine months of 2007, it spent $46 million on ads, compared with $33 million in 2006, according to TNS Media Intelligence.” Wow, that is a LOT of money. One would hope they spent as much researching the illness Fibromyalgia over the last 2 years as well as the long term effects of Lyrica – but somehow that is highly doubtful! You can read my post on Pharmaceutical Companies Spending Double on Ads than Research to see why I feel this way.

So what worked for me?

Getting the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is upsetting in so many ways:

1. The extreme pain you are in and the many tests you are subjected to for ruling out other illnesses.
2. There is a huge controversy surrounding whether it is a real or phantom illness – which doesn’t help if you are trying to explain to your family and friends that you are in REAL pain.
3. The experience of having chronic pain and feeling unable to participate in your own life causes ENORMOUS amounts of stress which exacerbates ANY dis-ease.
4. The lack of sleep (due to pain) contributes to the feeling of dis-ease and makes pain worse. (This is the sleep/pain cycle)
5. You are told essentially “there is nothing you can do” and to “manage your pain” by drugs. HERE is where I strongly disagree – you CAN help yourself.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and later with what many would consider an even more debilitating disease that has a lot of similar characteristics as Fibromyalgia. I have been pain and pain pill free now for a year. I had to do it myself. No doctor aided me in coming up with options for my well-being. It took me saying and believing I would heal myself and finding the tools to help me to do so. I needed to face my demons and things that I had not dealt with. I needed to stop blaming others and myself and start forgiving. I needed to feel gratitude for what I did have in my life. I needed to exercise no matter how badly it hurt in order to get my body stronger. I needed to set goals to move forward with my life. I needed to be OFF of the pain pills to even fully assess what my pain was and to be sure that it wasn’t the pain pills causing more pain. (They did actually contribute to a lot of stomach pain). I needed to STOP going to the doctor 3 times a week to hear how sick I was and to stop concentrating on my dis-ease all the time.

Wait, Are you Saying Fibromyalgia and the Pain is ALL IN MY HEAD?

No! My pain was as real as it came. I was not happy to be crawling out of bed hysterically crying, passing out from pain or to question whether or not I should drive my kids somewhere because of how dizzy I was. Those memories are ingrained as are memories of JUST how badly my body could hurt. I have not experienced pain like that or taken a pain pill in over one year now.

I am saying your mind is SO powerful and can be USED as a tool to heal. I have written about some of the methods I have used on my blog and I fully outline them in my e-book. I also have recommended a bunch of teachers to pursue further learning. You need to find someone that resonates with you for you to be able to fully understand the power that lies within. EVERYTHING affects your body; your environment, the food you eat, the medications you take, how active or inactive you are, your emotional state and your thoughts and self-talk. Some of my personal favorites are Dr. Mercola, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer and Dr. Ingrid Bacci. With the internet you have the means to get a lot of information for free and from that you can decide who you want to pursue learning from.

Please, if you or someone you know is debating taking Lyrica, stop and evaluate other options. TRY some of the mind/body techniques and just see what happens. Find a holistic doctor near you. What do you have to lose? If you are on medications you might need your doctor’s assistance in weaning off of them. I am not a doctor and cannot advise you on how to go about this. I was never on the maximum doses of anything so was able to wean myself off without assistance. Think about it, chances are you probably know someone with this diagnosis – what will you recommend?

So Under No Circumstance should ANYONE take this drug?

For the Fibromyalgia patient that has gone through the plethora of drug treatments available, the one that has seen holistic doctors and the one that has exhausted every mind/body technique – maybe this will be the drug that finally takes away your pain. I would guess a very small percentage of Fibromyalgia patients have done all of this though. Alternative methods of healing are not even addressed by most doctors much less advertised in the media. Before taking Lyrica I would investigate what kind of research has gone into long term effects. Will this be another drug pulled off of the shelves in 5 years? What bodily damage can this pill cause? I know Hydrocodone can cause liver, kidney, stomach damage and even death. I think you owe it to your long-term well being to investigate ALL other options before taking this drug. Remember, “Prescription drugs NUMB Pain but do NOT Heal PAIN” – to heal you need to look within.

Prescription Drugs Numb Pain But Do Not Heal Pain

I wrote at Ezine article by this same title "Prescription Drugs Numb Pain But Do Not Heal Pain" a few months back. It occurred to me as I came across the post today that while this is SUCH an important issue for me -- I have never discussed it on my blog.

Since writing the article I have seen even more people around me be affected by prescription drug use. In addition to the CDC's Study on The Overuse of Prescription Painkillers, I recommend reading the more political take on the situation set forth by Dr. Mercola. Dr. Mercola is one of the leading contributors on health, health products and living well articles and resources and this video is about the town of Allopath.


Certainly there are very real conditions that warrant pain killers. Believe me -- I was in chronic pain for years and I know and remember clearly JUST how debilitating chronic pain can be. My message is one I have said before in my post on finding a GOOD Doctor that Treats the WHOLE You. PLEASE if you are ill or you know someone that is ill seek out other holistic treatments as well. Make SURE you have a good doctor that isn't just labeling you and handing you pills. What OTHER pain management techniques can you learn so you can limit these medications? ASK your doctor! What work can you do on your emotional state that might help the physical feel better? Being in pain can cause depression and stress which worsens most conditions. Are you open to learning methods on the mind/body connection that even if they don't heal you 100% will undoubtedly make you feel significantly better? 99% of the information I found was free online. What do you have to lose?

When I was taking pain killers I did feel better physically for the period of time they worked for -- then I plummeted into a worse pain. My tolerance built up so quickly and I hate to think what kind and what dosage of pills I would be on now if I had continued. I was 35 when doctors started offering me any pain pill I wanted.

I know people that have been put on hydrocodone or some other pain prescription for an injury and YEARS later are still struggling with dependence issues WAY after the pain has been gone. I've been talking to lots of people about health the last year and in my journey have heard horror story after horror story. People who have lost close friends or family (we're talking mid-20-40 year olds) to overdoses of these pills. People who have lost friends or family because of the gastrointestinal damage these pills do long term. People who have had friends or family develop worse conditions from their long term use. Teachers who have seen KIDS in their schools on these medications they took from their parents or a friend's parents.

The more studies that are done the more results are showing that these prescription pain killers have horrible long term effects on your body. I feel everyone owes it to their own body to be as healthy as they can be and if needed take medications to supplement that. I am still on coumadin for my blood disorder (don't get me started on that drug since it is really "rat poison"). I have my blood monitored regularly and HOPE someday to be free of it. But I am on no more pain pills. I have taken regular Tylenol twice since healing myself and have just had my first mini-illness a few weeks back. This is from someone who has always gotten colds, bugs and was in chronic head-to-toe pain for several years. In January I will celebrate a year of GREAT health!

It is possible to be pain pill free for MANY people who suffer from chronic pain -- not ALL but MANY. Find a good Doctor. If it's a loved one that's ill present them with information on alternative healing. There are so many methods -- find what rings true to you. Study Deepak Chopra, visit Dr. Mercola's site, see The Secret, study up on EFT or the Sedona Method, make a gratitude list so when you're really down you have somewhere to look for encouragement, find a meditation on youtube that relaxes you, pay attention to the influences around you, .... there are countless ways to heal yourself for free with NO medications....

If you are on a lot of prescription medications you must consult your doctor because serious withdrawal symptoms may occur. When I was on pain killers they numbed my pain and allowed me to get through my day. Now that I healed myself I am pain free and enjoy every day to its fullest naturally without worrying about side effects.

I am always available for anyone that wants to investigate ways to better their health. Just send me an email at jennymannion@yahoo.com and I will be more than happy to answer any questions you have and give you tons of resources that helped me. My goal is to empower others to find out all they can about alternative medicine and natural ways to heal.

Holistic Doctor Link via the American Holistic Medical Association

I've talked a few times about the importance of finding a doctor that treats the "whole person" and not just the symptoms. Whether it be an illness you want treatment options for or some kind of pain you feel needs to be healed -- I was just made aware of a resource I wanted to share on my blog. The American Holistic Medical Association now has a link where you can search for a holistic doctor. You can break down your search by type of holistic treatment you are interested in or by city or state. I have a feeling this list is in its beginning stages but will continue to grow as time goes on. If you feel you need a different look at your health options, a more complete look at your health or just alternate methods to explore I recommend checking if there are any doctors in your area. Holistic Doctor Search.