James Dowd and Diane Stafford
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 In fact, doctors have traditionally treated psoriasis patients with ultraviolet light therapy and topical steroids.
In the past two decades, researchers have seen that activated vitamin D and vitamin D analogs applied as ointments can reduce or eliminate psoriasis—and enhance the effectiveness of ultraviolet light therapy. Activated vitamin D combined with a vitamin A compound is even more effective.
For centuries people have sunbathed in the Dead Sea as a remedy for skin diseases. The high magnesium content of Dead Sea water is the healing factor. |
Andreas Moritz
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 Food and Drug Administration recently approved "light therapy" to fight advanced esophageal cancer and early lung cancer—with fewer risks than are found with the use of surgery and chemotherapy. Although it has been known for over 100 years that light can kill diseased cells, it is only since a number of convincing research studies have been conducted that there has been a sudden resurgence of interest in light therapy. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Narrow-band light therapy can result in total skin clearing in some cases, but skin lesions typically return approximately four to 12 weeks after the treatments are discontinued.
•Psoralen UVA (PUVA) therapy uses ultraviolet A light and a medication {psoralen) that makes the skin more sensitive to light. PUVA is effective against severe psoriasis, but it's usually a last resort. Patients given PUVA long-term are seven to 10 times more likely to develop squamous-cell carcinoma (cancer of the upper layers of the skin).
•Combination light therapy. |
James Dowd and Diane Stafford
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| In fact, study participants who had traditional broad-spectrum light therapy raised their vitamin D levels only by half as much and didn't reduce their depression at all. So vitamin D replacement is more effective than light therapy for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder.
We also see evidence that women and men with a history of depression have lower bone mass and more signs of bone turnover, both of which are associated with vitamin D deficiency, lack of omega-3 fatty acids, and dietary acid-base imbalance. |
Marshall Editions
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 Antidepressants: This type of medication is used in patients that are unresponsive to light therapy, or when light therapy is not acceptable to a patient. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are generally used. Serotonin has a calming effect on the body and reduces feelings of aggression and anxiety. No one SSRI seems to be more beneficial than another, but the atypical SSRI mirtazapine has the side effect of increasing appetite.
Lifestyle modifications: Eat a high-protein diet that excludes processed foods and is low sugar and caffeine. |
| Studies of patients with SAD indicate that bright light therapy in the morning has a greater therapeutic effect than evening light therapy.
Essential oils: Various essential oils can be used to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Use 5 drops of all or some of the oils below in a steam inhalation, add them to your bath water, or incorporate them into a massage oil, using almond or apricot oil as a base. Petitgrain oil can be uplifting, balancing, calming, and refreshing. Bergamot oil has a fresh, sweet, fruity scent. |
Andreas Moritz
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| Although it has been known for over 100 years that light can kill diseased cells, it is only since a number of convincing research studies have been conducted that there has been a sudden resurgence of interest in light therapy. There is promising success with bladder cancer, infertility-causing endometriosis, advanced lung and esophageal cancers, skin cancer, and diseases leading to blindness, psoriasis, and autoimmune disorders. In one study, light therapy eliminated 79 percent of early lung cancers. |
Marshall Editions
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| SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT GOAL
• Lethargy or fatigue
• Sleep problems
• Depression and feeling sad and low
• Overeating, especially a craving for carbohydrates
• Irritability and tension
• Concentration problems
• Loss of libido
• Feeling under the weather
• Period problems
Treatment involves developing strategies to compensate for lack of sunlight during winter months to relieve symptoms. light therapy is the most effective treatment, and helps about 80% of patients. |
| The condition is quite common in newborn babies, particularly those that are premature, because their immature livers are not able to cope with the higher than usual rate of breakdown of red blood cells in the first few weeks of life. light therapy treatment where the baby is exposed to powerful UV light is normally enough to treat the condition.
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT GOAL
• Yellowing of the whites of the eyes
• Yellowing of the skin
• Urine darker than normal
Jaundice is always a sign of a more significant problem in the body and it should never be ignored. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 This problem can be corrected with light therapy, melatonin supplements, or napping. Dr. Perl says that if you're gong to nap, don't nap after 3 p.m. and don't nap for more than 1 hour. Also, try to stay up until 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.; if you get sleepy earlier, take a walk or do indoor exercise.29
Older adults also tend to have less dramatic ups and downs in their body clock, or circadian rhythms. "The polarity between nighttime sleep and daytime wakefulness decreases as night and day blend together," says Dr. Perl. |
| DSPS patients need to reverse the process: doing light therapy first thing in the morning and taking 0.5 mg of melatonin in early evening or 7 hours after they get up. One study showed that taking 1 to 2 mg of melatonin 2 hours before the desired bedtime helped people with extreme DSPS (who were falling asleep at 5 a.m.) reset their body clocks in eight weeks.66 With all cases of sleep phase syndrome, patients can discontinue melatonin supplementation once they've achieved their ideal sleep-wake pattern. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Mike: Now, I think light therapy is very interesting, because it is accepted not only in natural health or naturopathic treatments, but also very well accepted in conventional medicine, correct?
Pederson: Absolutely. The American Psychiatric Association has basically endorsed light therapy for use not only for seasonal depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder, but also for a range of other disorders, including sleep disorders and delayed phase sleep syndrome -- which can affect teenagers -- and, there are a lot of different applications for seniors, and there's more emerging everyday. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Combination light therapy. This particular approach combines UVB light with an oral retinoid, such as acitretin (Soriatane). It's effective in 70% to 80% of cases.
SYSTEMIC DRUGS
Patients who do not respond to topical treatments or phototherapy—or whose psoriasis is severe—may need oral drugs such as methotrexate (Trexall), cyclosporine (Neoral) or acitretin, which suppress the immune system and inhibit rapid cell division. These medications are cheaper than some of the newer psoriasis medications.
Drawback: They have a high risk of serious side effects, including organ damage. |
| PHOTOTHERAPY
Ultraviolet light (UV) from the sun or artificial sources can slow cell proliferation and reduce inflammation. light therapy is a good choice for psoriasis that doesn't respond to—or is too extensive for—topical treatment.
•Narrow-band ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy delivers light wavelengths that treat psoriasis while minimizing the rays that cause burning. Patients usually get three treatments per week. Skin clearing takes at least four to eight weeks. |
| Light Therapy Products (800-486-6723, www.lighttherapyproducts.com).
MAXIMIZE OMEGA-3S
Essential fatty acids (EFAs), which come from the foods we eat, make up 20% of the brain—primarily the cell membranes and the fibers that carry nerve impulses. Of particular importance are two types of fatty acids—omega-3s, which are found in fish and certain leafy vegetables.. .and omega-6s, a principal component of many vegetable oils. When the brain developed, the human diet had equal amounts of both. Today, the average American diet has at least 10 times as much omega-6s as omega-3s. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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| Those suffering from seasonal affective disorder will learn valuable ways to improve mood during the winter months. light therapy and melatonin supplementation will be described in detail.
Step 4: Resolve emotional issues. In chapter 6, Resolve Emotional Issues, we discuss how lingering psychological problems can adversely affect sleep. We explore different ways emotional issues can be resolved, including diet modification, cognitive therapy, hypnotherapy, and stress management techniques such as meditation. |
| Sleep problems due to disrupted circadian rhythms are reversible if you take steps to reset your body clock to follow a new schedule. light therapy, chronotherapy, and magnet therapy are proven alternative therapies for disruption of circadian rhythms. Melatonin supplements, dietary changes, exercise, stress management, and good sleep hygiene can also alleviate many sleep disorders. While avoidance of factors that disturb the body clock is the best way to prevent ongoing sleep problems, even shift workers and frequent flyers can use these therapies to their advantage. |
Andreas Moritz
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| In one study, light therapy eliminated 79 percent of early lung cancers. Regular exposure to sunlight still seems to be one of the best measures one can take to prevent cancer, including cancers of the skin.
Now Even Doctors and Scientists Say, "It's Not True!"
Like myself, there have always been some health practitioners who didn't buy into the theory that the sun causes deadly diseases. It warms my heart to hear that now even some of the top authorities in the field are standing up for the truth, despite intense criticism from their colleagues. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 Results of this study showed that treatment with 900 mg per day of hypericum coupled with two hours of daily light therapy significantly reduced symptoms of depression in patients suffering from seasonal affective disorder.
Multicenter Double-Blind Study Examining the Antidepressant Effectiveness of the Hypericum Extract LI 160. Hansgen KD; et al. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 1994 October, 7(Suppl. 1):S15-18. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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 Photodynamic Therapy: This treatment, also called light therapy, has been shown to effectively treat acne (Source: Journal of Cosmetic Laser Therapy, June 2004, pages 91-95). This medical treatment uses a topical medication called aminolevulinic acid (a drug used for treatment of precancerous skin conditions) in conjunction with non-skin-damaging lasers or a light source called blue light (Source: American Academy of Dermatology, www.aad.org). After the topical medication is applied, the patient sits in front of the light source for 15 to 30 minutes. |
Steven V. Joyal
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 Varying levels of success have been found with other interventions, including nutraceuticals (such as Saint-John's-wort, L-tryptophan, Ginkgo biloba), light therapy, exercise, stress-management techniques (covered in this chapter), prayer/spiritual guidance, and various mind-body therapies (for example, guided visualization, self-hypnosis, biofeedback). Please see the Suggested Reading List for resources that explore these other strategies for treating depression. |
James Dowd and Diane Stafford
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| In the past two decades, researchers have seen that activated vitamin D and vitamin D analogs applied as ointments can reduce or eliminate psoriasis—and enhance the effectiveness of ultraviolet light therapy. Activated vitamin D combined with a vitamin A compound is even more effective.
For centuries people have sunbathed in the Dead Sea as a remedy for skin diseases. The high magnesium content of Dead Sea water is the healing factor. |
| So vitamin D replacement is more effective than light therapy for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder.
We also see evidence that women and men with a history of depression have lower bone mass and more signs of bone turnover, both of which are associated with vitamin D deficiency, lack of omega-3 fatty acids, and dietary acid-base imbalance.
Vitamin D, Diet, and Chronic Pain
Chronic pain affects 15 percent of adults in the United States—about 45 million people. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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| Ideally, light therapy would take place first thing in the morning. Sit before the light box with your eyes open but not staring directly into the light, either at home or at work (assuming you work at a desk or in some manner of stationary pursuit). Interestingly, research has found that external light is sensed by organs other than the eyes. In fact, one study found that exposing the back of the knees to light suppressed melatonin production. (The therapeutic applications of these findings are not assessed at this time. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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| Rather than just recommending a different kind of pill for them to take," his holistic approach includes treatment for "the levels of thought and the spiritual level, which might encompass psychotherapy, spiritual practices like prayer and meditation, and lifestyle interventions like light therapy and exercise.
"The raw material of St. John's wort is very inexpensive. It's basically a weed that grows everywhere. Manufacturers are less likely to try to thin it out by using fillers. It is pretty unique among antidepressants because it appears to work in many different ways at once. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 What has been demonstrated time and time again, however, is that light therapy is the most effective way to alleviate the symptoms of SAD. If you suffer from winter depression, there's a very good chance that you'll benefit greatly from just a few simple changes: utilizing specific light therapy, installing full-spectrum lights that imitate the effects of the sun, spending time outdoors every day, and arranging your life so that you're near a window as often as possible. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| Basically, it's light therapy. Light therapy's been around for about 20 years. It was these big fluorescent light boxes that, for many years, took up half your desk -- and yes, they work. But, they were very inconvenient and a lot of people wouldn't use them very practically. So what we did is we came up with a way to harness the white light emitting diode -- or LED technology -- that was invented in Japan five or six years ago -- and what we found is that that LED actually keeps at a very specific wavelength that's identical to sunlight. |
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