Shingles

It’s baaaack! Just when you thought that childhood bout of chickenpox would never irritate your epidermis again, it has returned with a vengeance. There’s the same maddening itch that you had as a child, those unsightly dots—as well as severe burning and a blistering rash.

Shingles is caused by the same virus (herpes zoster) as chickenpox, and it can lie dormant for decades. It reappears when the immune system is weakened by age, disease or unmanaged stress. You’ll need to see your doctor to determine if you have shingles. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with the approval of your doctor—may help ease shingles, according to some health professionals.

Food Therapy

Although a diet rich in cayenne pepper may not prevent shingles, it can bring quicker relief from pain, says Allan Magaziner, D.O., a nutritional medicine specialist and head of the Magaziner Medical Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. In fact, he points out, the medication that’s usually prescribed for shingles pain, Zostrix, is made from capsaicin, a derivative of hot peppers that indirectly helps prevent pain messages from reaching the brain.

Homeopathy

“The best homeopathic remedy for shingles is Ranunculus bulbosus, especially when the shingles are on the trunk of the body,” says Stephen Messer, N.D., dean of the National Center for Homeopathy’s summer school and a naturopathic physician in Eugene, Oregon. He recommends taking a 6C dose up to four times a day as needed for pain. You should notice improvement within a couple of days, Dr. Messer says. If not, see your medical doctor or homeopath.

Ranunculus bulbosus is available in many health food stores. To purchase it by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.

Reflexology

Try working the diaphragm, spine, ovary/testicle, pancreas and pituitary, parathyroid, thyroid and adrenal gland reflex points on your hands or feet, suggests St. Petersburg, Florida, reflexologist Dwight Byers, author of Better Health with Foot Reflexology.

To help you locate these points, consult the hand and foot reflex charts beginning on page 582. For instructions on how to work the points, see “Your Reflexology Session” on page 110.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapy

A person with shingles may want to use the following supplemental regimen to help control the condition, suggests David Edelberg, M.D., an internist and medical director of the American Holistic Center/Chicago: 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day; 400 international units of vitamin E twice a day; and one gram of citrus bioflavonoids twice a day. Citrus bioflavonoids are available in most health food stores.

Yoga

Reduce stress, and you’ll probably reduce the incidence—and possibly lessen the severity—of shingles, says Stephen A. Nezezon, M.D., yoga teacher and staff physician at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. To lower stress, Dr. Nezezon suggests trying a daily routine of breathing exercises, meditation and yoga poses.

Do the complete breath exercise (see page 152) whenever you’re stressed, suggests Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association. Meditation (see page 153) helps clear your mind and teaches you to relax whenever you want to, she says. And for the poses, choose three or four from the Daily Routine, which begins on page 606. Christensen suggests varying the poses daily to keep your interest high and to strengthen different parts of your body. Dr. Nezezon says you should include at least one relaxation pose, such as the corpse (page 612), knee squeeze (page 612) or baby (page 618), in your daily yoga routine.