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New Choices in Natural Healing: Impotence

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Impotence

Forget the great myth of impotence. It’s not all in your mind. An estimated 15 million American men are consistently unable to achieve or maintain erections, and 80 to 90 percent of the time, the cause is physical.

Egyptian researchers, for example, believe that wearing polyester underwear can cause a buildup of static electricity that may inhibit erections. But most often impotence is caused by something deadly serious: vascular disease. Clogged-up arteries, caused by a high-fat diet, lack of exercise or other reasons, can block the blood flow that causes erections. impotence can also be a side effect of medication.The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor’s approval—may help prevent or relieve impotence, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When...

You have diabetes or arteriosclerosis and aren’t able to maintain an erection as frequently as usual.
Your impotence is persistent or getting worse.

Acupressure

“Acupressure on the Sea of Vitality points, B 23 and B 47, can fortify the body and, with repeated usage over a long period of time, can make a man stronger sexually,” says Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., director of the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure’s Potent Points. To find the B 47 points, measure four finger-widths away from the spine at waist level. The points are situated on the lower back on the left and right sides of the spine, in line with the navel. From B 47, you can move two finger-widths closer to the spine to find the B 23 points. (For help in locating these points, refer to the illustration on page 565.)

Dr. Gach says you can use your thumbs or fingers to work the points, pressing one or both B 47 points for one minute, then one or both B 23 points for one minute. He says to use this remedy three times daily. He adds that if you have a weak back, press these points lightly, and be sure not to press directly on the disks or vertebrae.

Aromatherapy

Jasmine is often inhaled for its aphrodisiac qualities, writes San Francisco herbalist Jeanne Rose, chairperson of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, in her book Aromatherapy: Applications and Inhalations. Because the oil is expensive, Rose suggests using it in a candle diffuser to make it last longer. It can also be inhaled from a handkerchief or applied directly to the body, she says.

For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential oils, refer to the resource list on page 633.

Ayurveda

Here’s a treatment regimen recommended by Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc., director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Mix one cup of fresh grape juice with one teaspoon of fresh onion juice and one teaspoon of honey. Drink this mixture daily, one hour before going to bed, for 45 days. Dr. Lad says it will help increase sexual energy and sperm count.

Men with kapha constitutions should add a pinch of trikatu, says Dr. Lad. (For information on the doshas of Ayurveda, see “All about Vata, Pitta and Kapha” on page 28.) He explains that trikatu is an Indian herbal preparation combining dried ginger, black pepper and pippali, an Indian pepper. Trikatu and pippali are available from Ayurvedic practitioners and by mail order (refer to the resource list on page 634). You can also purchase trikatu in some health food stores.

Flower Remedy/Essence Therapy

If a visit to your doctor has ruled out physical causes of impotence such as medication side effects and vascular disease, consider that your impotence may have an emotional cause, says Cynthia Mervis Watson, M.D., a family practice physician in Santa Monica, California, who specializes in homeopathic and herbal therapies. If a lack of sexual self-confidence is hampering you, Dr. Watson recommends the essence Pink Monkey Flower. If you’re haunted by past episodes of impotence, the essence Sticky Monkey Flower may be helpful, she says.

“Impotence is always traumatic for a man, whether it’s caused by physical or emotional factors,” according to Dr. Watson. She says men receiving medical treatment for physically caused impotence can take the Bach flower remedy Star-of-Bethlehem, which will help them keep balanced emotionally.

Flower remedies/essences are available in some health food stores and through mail order (refer to the resource list on page 635). For information on preparing and administering flower remedies/essences, see page 37.

Food Therapy

“You need to keep the arteries to the genitals open, and the way to do that is with a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet,” says Michael A. Klaper, M.D., a nutritional medicine specialist in Pompano Beach, Florida, and director of the Institute of Nutritional Education and Research, an organization based in Manhattan Beach, California, that teaches doctors about nutrition and its relationship to disease. “The key to reversing impotence is to eat as you would to reverse heart disease.” That means a diet centered around plenty of high-fiber fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and other low-fat fare, says Dr. Klaper.

Herbal Therapy

Supplements of the herb ginkgo, found in most health food stores, can improve blood flow to the penile arteries and veins, which may help reverse impotence, says herbalist James Green, director of the California School of Herbal Studies in Forestville. He cautions that this herbal remedy isn’t a quick fix; you’ll need to take the supplements daily for six to eight weeks before you see results. Green says to follow the dosage recommendations on the product label.

Homeopathy

After a thorough medical exam and diagnosis, try taking one of these 6C remedies two or three times a day until improvement occurs, says Chris Meletis, N.D., a naturopathic physician and medicinary director at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Agnus castus can be helpful for symptoms of a cold and relaxed penis and for lack of sexual desire, especially if accompanied by a fear of death and dilated pupils, says Dr. Meletis. If you are apprehensive and cannot have an erection, or if erections lead to premature emission, he recommends Lycopodium. Try Argentum nitricum, he says, if your erection fails when attempting intercourse, if intercourse is painful and if your symptoms are made worse at night, from warmth and when you eat sweets.

All of these remedies are available in many health food stores. To purchase the remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.

Imagery

Conquering impotence may be as simple as slaying an ogre, writes Gerald Epstein, M.D., a New York City psychiatrist and author of Healing Visualizations. Here’s how: Imagine yourself descending into a valley. There you’re confronted by a monster or an ogre. Fortunately, you have everything you need to defeat this beast. Fight the monster, and when you are triumphant and the monster is dead, skin it. Carry the skin with you and climb to the top of the valley. There you meet your loved one. Take her hand, walk with her to a tree and lie behind it. Picture the two of you surrounded by a cocoon of blue light and embrace.

Dr. Epstein suggests practicing this technique for five to seven minutes once a week, on the same morning each week, for three weeks.

Reflexology

Pay special attention to the diaphragm reflex as well as to the spine, reproductive system and pituitary, parathyroid, thyroid and adrenal gland reflexes on your feet, says St. Petersburg, Florida, reflexologist Dwight Byers, author of Better Health with Foot Reflexology.

To help you locate these points, consult the foot reflex chart on page 592. For instructions on how to work the points, see “Your Reflexology Session” on page 110.

Relaxation and Meditation

Daily practice of thermal biofeedback can often help overcome impotence because it reduces anxiety and keeps your blood vessels open, says Steven Fahrion, Ph.D., director of research at the Life Sciences Institute of Mind-Body Health in Topeka, Kansas. To give this simple ten-minute technique a try, see page 121.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapy

“Vitamin A deficiency has been the cause of impotence in some men,” says Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Although vi tamin A can be toxic in large doses, Dr. Haas says that most men can safely take between 10,000 and 25,000 international units daily without dangerous side effects. However, he recommends talking over possible supplementation with your doctor before beginning self-treatment.

Yoga

A yoga pose called the knee squeeze (page 612) may help against impotence, according to Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association. She recommends combining this exercise with two inverted yoga poses, the easy bridge (page 619) and the cobra (page 622), in a daily routine that should also include breathing exercises (see page 152) and meditation (see page 153). She also recommends several meditation breaks throughout the day of no more than five to ten minutes at a time. Note: Do not do the easy bridge pose during the second half of pregnancy.

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