Natural ways to reduce anxiety – Part 6

My final tip on reducing anxiety is to try chamomile.  Chamomile is a herb with a long history of use.

A cup of chamomile tea is a common home remedy to calm frayed nerves and promote sleep. A 2009 study showed chamomile may also be a powerful ally against generalized anxiety disorder. The study found people who took German chamomile capsules (220 milligrams up to five times daily) had a greater reduction in scores for tests that measure anxiety symptoms than those who were given a placebo.

A more recent trail, much longer term trail reported similar results and noted that the treatment was safe with only a few mild side effects.

References

https://nccih.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/040310.htm

Amsterdam JD, Yimei L, Soeller I, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2009 ;29(4):378–382.

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Long-term+chamomile+treatment+for+generalised+anxiety+disorder.-a0503569379

Related Posts

  • Bates Method – Part 1

    For most people their sight is their most important sense.  This is probably due to the fact that about 80% of the information we take in via our sense is through our eyes. If you have impaired vision as I do, we all know the standard options:

    1. Glasses
    2. Contact lens
    3. Laser Eye Surgery
    There is one more option, the Bates Method that most people aren’t aware of.  Developed by a New York ophthalmologist he published his method in 1919 (yes 1919!).   People with
    • Myopia or short-sightedness
    • Hypermertropia or long-sightedness
    • Presbyopia or “old-age” sight i.e. loss of reading vision as you get older
    • Astigmatism
    have all responded to the Bates Method. In 1957, C A Hackett a Bates Method Teacher (the Bates Method is a instruction manual), analysed 10 years of her work in which she treated 2180 patients with problems with their eye sight.  She found 75%  achieved lasting improvement and 45% were able to do without their glasses completely. Right now you are probably thinking, “if this is so great, why haven’t I heard of it before?”.  That’s a good question, and the answer probably is because it’s a way of re-educating your eyesight.   Which means it takes time and definitely isn’t a quick fix.

  • Do you have tight hips? – Part 2

    I know many of my clients sit at a desk for very long hours which can lead to tight hips.  So in this post I want to show you how to stretch them.

    How to stretch your hips

    Single knee hugging Lying on your back, grab your right knee and pull it toward your chest until you feel a stretch. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat on the left side. Bilateral knee hugging Lying on your back, grab both knees and pull them toward your chest. Hold for 20 seconds. "Cobra pose" Lie face down on the floor, hands parallel to your shoulders. Straighten your arms, lifting your upper torso off the floor. Your lower back should be arched, with your pelvis making contact with the floor. Hold for 20 seconds, then lower yourself back down Hip flexion with abduction/adduction Lying on your back, bring one knee up toward your chest. Holding your knee with both hands, roll your knee from one side to the other for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. External hip rotation Lying on your back, pull your right knee toward your chest. Place your right hand on the knee and your left hand on the ankle. Gently pull your right ankle in the direction of your head. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on your left leg. Internal hip rotation Lying face down, bend your knees 90 degrees and let your feet fall outward. Hold for 30 seconds. If after trying these stretches you are still strugling with tight hips why not book a deep tissue massage.

  • What can assist you with anxiety?

    Like most people there are times when I feel anxious.  I appreicate I am luck in that this isn't a permanent state.  Based on anetdotal evidence I am aware that there seems to be a rise in our clients feeling anxious.  So I wanted to share some latest scientfic evidence of what may be able to assist you. Recently researches in Iran conducted a randomised control trail to compare the effectivness of hand reflexology and acupressure for reducing anxiety in patients with coronary artery diseases undergoing procedures in hospital. One hundred and thirty-five women with coronary artery disease were randomly assigned to three groups, receiving hand reflexology, acupressure or a placebo. For the first group, hand reflexology was performed on each hand for 10 minutes.  The acupressure was also performed for 10 minutes on each hand. For the placebo, similar conditions to the intervention groups were created, but a thumb touching method was used without applying acupressure or hand reflexology. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire to examine the effects of treatments. The results revealed significant changes in anxiety in the hand reflexology and acupressure groups, when compared to the placebo group.   Mean anxiety scores reduced similarly with both treatments, indicating that they were equally effective. So if you have been feeling anxious recently why not try a reflexology treatment or a Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage.  To book click here. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6473738/