Natural Treatment Options for BPH

It may seem as though we have come full circle, but even if your diagnosis leaves you free of prostate cancer, you may still have Benign Prostate Hyperplasia(BPH). 

Before beginning an exploration of natural treatment options, it must be perfectly understood that there is no substitute for your physician.  These options are presented as just that. . .options and you should consult your physician before undertaking any new treatment options whether medical or homeopathic.

First we will look at 7 different therapy options.  These options are Ayurveda, Reflexology, Food Therapy, Imagery, Hydrotherapy, Vitamin and Mineral Therapy and Yoga.  We present you with a brief synopsis of each therapy as it relates to prostate problems.

• Ayurveda - The Ayurvedic approach to all disease is to first make certain that you have received an appropriate diagnosis from a medical professional.
  
  If the prostate diagnosis is benign the "flowing" approach can be used.  Mix the following herbal powders: Punarnava, Gokshura and Shilajit.
   
  Ingest just 1/4 teaspoon a day either dry or added to warm water.  An alternative is to drink any one of horsetail, ginseng or hibiscus tea, consuming as much as you wish each day.  All of these herbs should be available at your health food store or by mail order.
  
  
• Reflexology - Reflexology is the practice of directing energy toward specific pressure points in the body.  Reflexology sessions begin with relaxing the total body then shifting the focus of the reflex to those areas of greatest need.
  
  For our purposes that would be the prostate, endocrine, pituitary, parathyroid, thyroid and adrenal glands as well as the pancreas with the reflex in the hands or feet.
  
  You can find reflexology charts that give you the reflex points at most health food stores or schedule a session with a professional reflexologist.
  
  
• Food Therapy - The key to affecting positive change in the prostate by eating specific foods is including any foods high in zinc.  The properties in zinc have been proven beneficial in shrinking an enlarged prostate.  Take a daily supplement of zinc.
  
  In addition to a low-fat diet, particularly avoiding saturated fats, consider adding one or two tablespoons per day of flaxseed oil to your diet as well as pumpkin and sunflower seeds, both know for their high content of zinc.
  
  
• Imagery - Imagery is closely associated to hypnosis, both practices incorporating positive visualization techniques to effect positive changes.  Here is one exercise proven beneficial for our purposes here: 
  
  Close your eyes; breathe out three times and imagine entering your body through any opening you choose.  Find your prostate and examine it from every angle.  Next, envision putting a thin golden net around the gland.  This net has a drawstring that you can tighten.  Cinch the drawstring so that the net is wrapped snugly around the prostate.  As you do this, picture the prostate shrinking to its normal size.  Then imagine using your other hand to massage your prostate.  Sense that urine can now flow evenly and smoothly.
  
  The recommendation for this exercise is to practice it twice a day, three to five minutes per session for six cycles of 21 days on and 7 days off.
  
• Hydrotherapy - A hot sitz bath comes highly recommended for the treatment of an inflamed prostate.  Sit down in a tub filled with comfortably hot water to a depth of your navel.  Soak for twenty to forty-five minutes and follow with a cold bath or shower.  This treatment should be done once a day for thirty days or until the symptoms are gone.
  
  
• Vitamin and Mineral Therapy - The ideal vitamin and mineral treatment for prostate problems incorporates herbal medicine.  The following regimen is recommended to help control symptoms:
  • 400 international units of Vitamin E per day
  • 30 milligrams of zinc twice a day
  • 1 milligram of copper twice a day
  • One tablespoon of flaxseed oil a day
  • 160 milligrams of saw palmetto twice a day

        Flaxseed oil and saw palmetto are easily obtainable in any health food store. 
        Also of recent interest is the use of pumpkin seeds.

• Yoga - Certain Yoga poses can increase blood flow to the groin, thereby relieving certain prostate problems. 
  
  You can find books on Yoga that include these poses, as well as many others, at any herbal or homeopathic store. 
  
  The two poses that will benefit prostate problems are the "knee squeeze" and the "seated sun" along with the "stomach lock." 
  
  To do the "stomach lock," lie on your back and take a deep breath.  Breathe out until all air is expelled from your lungs, then pull in hard on your buttocks, groin and stomach muscles.  Hold this pose for a count of three then release the muscles.  It is recommended that this session is repeated two or three times a day, three times a session to help prevent prostate trouble.
  
  You should not use this yoga pose if you suffer from high blood pressure, hiatal hernia, ulcers or heart disease.