Блог Анкара

In This Chapter

^ Improving Part D coverage as you know it ^ Overhauling Part D completely

Mir art D has always been a political hot potato. Over time, it’s tended to V Scorch the fingers of folks who support it and those who oppose it. Why? Because it’s an imperfect, overcomplicated benefit that’s hard to support wholeheartedly. Yet it’s allowed millions of Medicare beneficiaries to buy prescription drugs more affordably than they ever could before, which makes it very hard to oppose wholeheartedly, too.

But of course, anything can be improved. In this chapter, I present ten proposals with the potential to change Medicare prescription drug coverage either in small or more sweeping ways. At the time I’m writing this book, these proposals are only suggestions put forward by consumer groups, policy experts, and/ or members of Congress. But they’re worth keeping an eye on.

SIMplIFyINg Plan ChoICes

Having a multitude of choices supposedly allows people to choose the Medicare private health or drug plan that fits them best. But in practice, it doesn’t necessarily work out that way. Faced with a dizzying number of plans, all with different costs and benefits, people are often too overwhelmed to make careful comparisons. As a result, many Medicare beneficiaries don’t make informed choices at all.

What can improve this situation, while still keeping the principle of choice? One idea that’s gained traction among some lawmakers and consumer advocates is to standardize and simplify plan choices. Medicare beneficiaries would be offered a certain number of standard plans — maybe ten or fewer — that each provide a different benefit package. Each plan would be sold by competing insurance companies for different premiums, according to the level of benefits. Sound

Familiar? It’s modeled on Medigap supplementary insurance, which supporters of the proposal point to as a precedent. The Medigap market was a free-for-all until 1992, when Congress reformed it by introducing ten standardized policies. Choice and competition were preserved, but consumers were able to compare benefits more easily.

Standardization may well simplify choices among Medicare health plans’ medical services, but it’s difficult to see how it’d work on the prescription drug side. One snag is that the best drug plan for consumers depends less on its design and premium and much more on the specific prescription drugs that each person takes. Part D has far more variables in it than Medigap.

Abolishing the Asset Test for Extra Help

More than 2.5 million Americans with limited incomes would qualify for Part D’s Extra Help benefit if it weren’t for the asset test, which takes savings as well as income into account when determining eligibility. Consumer groups protest that the test penalizes individuals who’ve managed to save a little for their old age when they’ll be living on low, fixed incomes. The chances of abolishing the asset test entirely aren’t high, because doing so would add billions of taxpayer dollars to the cost of Part D. But bills have been introduced in the House and the Senate to raise the asset limits to a degree that would allow many more people whose incomes qualify them for Extra Help to actually get it. Some of these bills would also exclude individual retirement accounts and 401(k)s from being counted as assets.

Allowing Medicare to Negotiate Prices

It was obvious from the get-go that a prescription drug benefit in Medicare would eat up a lot of taxpayer money, so you’d think Congress would’ve done everything possible to keep drug prices in check. Yet the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act specifically prohibited the government from negotiating Part D drug prices directly with the manufacturers. Instead of using Medicare’s huge bargaining clout to keep costs down, negotiation was left to individual Part D insurers. Proposals to reverse the ban have many powerful supporters (like AARP and the American Medical Association) and opponents (like the pharmaceutical industry and, latterly, the Bush administration).

In January 2007, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill to allow direct negotiation for drugs in Medicare, but a similar bill failed in the Senate. Look for more attempts — and big controversy — in the future.

Eliminating the Doughnut Hole

For consumers, the doughnut hole (also known as the coverage gap) is the most unpopular aspect of Part D. But although many lawmakers have railed against it, no one has seriously tried to move legislation to fill in the gap and give year-round coverage to everyone enrolled in Part D. That’s because doing so would cost an estimated $450 billion over ten years. Abolishing the doughnut hole is a popular enough cause for many lawmakers to continue proposing it. But given the hard choices of raising taxes, cutting benefits in other programs, or keeping Part D’s doughnut hole, eliminating it in reality seems remote unless the whole program is overhauled.

Improving Access to Needed Drugs

Allowing plans to impose restrictions on some drugs (through cost-cutting measures such as prior authorization, quantity limits, and step therapy), and requiring consumers to go through the hoops of the exceptions and appeal process to get those drugs, burdens people unduly and discourages many from requesting the drugs they need, according to many consumer groups. No concrete proposals to simplify this system have been advanced. But one suggestion, for Medicare to require plans to inform enrollees at the point of sale why a drug isn’t covered and how they can request coverage, would lessen many customers’ bewilderment at the pharmacy and may encourage them to file for an exception more quickly.

Cutting Medicare Advantage Subsidies

The 2003 law that created Part D gave Medicare health plans large subsidies to persuade private insurers into the Medicare fold. The extra payments, in turn, allow the plans to offer richer benefits to their enrollees than traditional Medicare offers — an average value of $1,100 more in 2008 for each enrollee. The plans defend this lopsidedness as a boon to people who can’t afford Medigap, whereas critics condemn it as a stealth agenda for essentially privatizing Medicare. Certainly, the extra payments add to Medicare’s overall costs and therefore increase the Part B premium for everyone in Medicare, not just beneficiaries in the plans. In 2008, many members of Congress called for a halt to the subsidies and succeeded in reducing them slightly. But abolishing them would probably cause many Medicare Advantage plans to raise costs, reduce benefits, or withdraw from the market — a tricky political issue for lawmakers with constituents in the plans. Many in Congress still eye the subsidies — estimated to cost $54 billion over five years — as a pot of gold to pay for other priorities. So stay tuned: This issue isn’t going away.

Legalizing Drug Imports from Abroad

Bills making it legal for American consumers to buy prescription drugs from Canada for their own use have been signed into law twice in the past decade. But in each case, the legal language required that the Secretary of Health and Human Services guarantee the safety of drugs imported from other countries, which no secretary has so far been willing to do, so the laws never went into effect. With many supporters on both sides of Congress, the issue will continue to be pressed. But drug pricing is complex, and experts say competition from abroad may not significantly push down prices in the U. S.

Creating a Government-Run Plan

One proposal floated by some Democrats is to create a government-run Part D plan to compete with private plans on a not-for-profit basis. It would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices for its enrollees and provide "a consistent, uniform drug benefit" available to anyone, according to the House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Rep. Pete Stark. Just as people can choose between traditional Medicare and a private plan, Stark said, they "could remain in the Medicare drug plan or choose to switch to a private option."

Throwing Out Part D and Starting Over

For the severest Part D critics, getting rid of the program and starting over has been a dream since it first became law. But unless a general election throws up a Democratic president and huge Democratic majorities in Congress, it ain’t gonna happen. Even so, overhauling the system would be a huge challenge in the face of Part D’s established infrastructure and opposition from the health insurance industry. More likely, changes to Part D will be made bit by bit over many years.

Bringing in Universal Health Insurance

With 44 million Americans uninsured, and costs rising even for those who have insurance, the need to make health coverage affordable for everyone is a huge political issue. Of course, there’s no consensus on how universal health coverage can be achieved. A wholly government-run health system? A mix of public and private systems? A kind of Medicare for all? Tax breaks for folks who buy health insurance? Who knows? We’ll have to wait to see if whatever system is decided upon (if any) has an impact on Medicare and

Part D.

Part VI

In This Chapter

^ Computing the perimeter and area of polygons

^ Coming full circle with the circumference and area of a circle

^ Putting shapes together to create interesting structures

^ Using the distance formula in Cartesian coordinates to measure sides

Reas and perimeters of Polygons (geometric figures with segments for sides) and circles have many practical applications. You need the

Perimeter of your yard before you order new fencing. You want the total area of your living room before purchasing carpeting. You need to know the area of a walkway around your circular pool when you’re choosing between cement or gravel. The challenges to doing problems involving perimeter and area are in determining what type of figure you have and then in finding and applying the correct formula.

Keeping the Cows in the Pasture

Cows and sheep are standard fare when it comes to problems involving fencing in a pasture. You may have a set amount of fencing available, or you may need a particular minimum area for your herd. The pasture doesn’t have to be rectangular, but rectangles are nice figures to work with in these problems.

Working With a set amount of fencing

You have several rolls of fencing and you need to create a rectangular area for your herd of cattle. How can you best make use of the fencing? In this case, the better or best use is when you can create the largest possible area.

In Figure 19-1, you see how 60 feet of fencing is used to create several different rectangular regions, each with a different area.

10

Figure 19-1:

Sixty feet of fencing creates several

Areas. 1 C

20

15

15

25

29

5

The areas of the figures created by the same 60 feet of fencing are 200 square units, 125 square units, 29 square units, and 225 square units. The way a certain amount of fencing is used makes a huge difference in the area.

The Problem: You have 680 feet of fencing and want to create a rectangular pasture whose length is 10 feet more than twice its width. What dimensions do you make your pasture?

^.VLA/V The perimeter of a rectangular figure is determined with the formula P = 2/ + 2w Where / And W Represent the length and width of the rectangle. If your length is to be 10 more than twice the width, Then let W Represent the width and 10 + 2w represent the length. Replace the perimeter, P, With 680 and solve the equation for W.

680 = 2 (10 + 2w) + 2w 680 = 20 + 4w + 2w 680 = 20 + 6w 660 = 6W

W=

660 6

110

The width of the pasture is 110 feet. Replacing the W With 110 in 10 + 2W, You get that the length is 10 + 2(110) = 10 + 220 = 230 feet. Checking the perimeter, you get that P = 2(230) + 2(110) = 460 + 220 = 680 feet.

Having a nice, rectangular pasture or yard is fine and dandy, but what if you need to keep the little boy sheep separated from the little girl sheep — or some other such arrangement?

The Problem: You have 1,200 yards of fencing and want to create a rectangular pasture that has two dividing fences running down the middle. If the width is to be 30 feet less than the length, then what is the area of the pasture?

Figure 19-2 shows you the layout of the fencing. Let the length be represented by X And the width be represented by X - 30. Solve for the length; then determine the width. And, finally, compute the area by multiplying the length times the width.

Figure 19-2:

The dividers keep the sheep separated.

X – 30

X

The total perimeter plus the dividers is equal to 1,200 yards. So you add up all the fencing to get 1,200 = X + X + X - 30 + X - 30 + X - 30 + X - 30 = 6x – 120. The equation is now 1,200 = 6x – 120. Solving for X By adding 120 to each side, 6x = 1,320. Now, dividing each side by 6, you get that X = 220. The length is 220 yards. The width is 30 yards less than that or 190 yards. The area is 220 x 190 = 41,800 square yards.

Aiming for a needed area

You’re told that llamas need a certain amount of grazing area in order to thrive. Armed with the area constraints, you can go about figuring out how to create the needed room for a hungry llama.

The Problem: You need to create a rectangular area encompassing 6,400 square feet, in which the length is 40 feet less than three times the width. One side of the rectangular area will be along a river, so you don’t need to put a fence there. What is the least amount of fencing needed to partition off that rectangular area?

268 Part IV: Taking the Shape of Geometric Word Problems _

S, VLA*

The two different scenarios are:

Have the length of the area be along the river. Let the width be along the river.

Look at Figure 19-3 for the two different layouts. The W Represents the width, and the 3W - 40 represents the length.

Figure 19-3:

Use the river instead of fencing.

3w – 40

W

3w – 40

W

In both cases, the area is length times width or (3W - 40)w. So solve the equation A = /w, Replacing the A With 6,400.

6400 = (3w – 40) W 6400 = 3w2 – 40w

0 =3W2-40W-6400

0 = (3w — 160)( W + 40)

160

3 ,

W=

40

The two solutions of the quadratic equation are 53Ki and -40. The negative solution makes no sense, of course. Letting the width be 533*3, then the length, which is 40 less than three times that is 120 feet. The dimensions of the area needed are 53K by 120.

Now determine which layout will use the least amount of fencing. If you let the width be along the river, then you need two lengths and one width of the fencing or 293K feet. If you let the length run along the river, then you need one length and two widths or 226J3 feet — the better choice for economy’s sake.

Getting the Most Out of Your Resources

You can’t always create a rectangular yard or area, but the rectangular shape does seem to be the most popular with most builders and their projects. If you could use any shape you wanted, you could do a lot better with your resources because you could economize on fencing and maximize the area enclosed.

Triangulating the area

A triangular area requires just three sides of fencing. The area of a triangle is found using one of two formulas, depending on whether you have a perpendicular measure from one of the sides to the opposite vertex or just the measures of the sides.

The area of the triangle shown in Figure 19-4 is computed:

A = 2 bh, or

A = JS (s — A)(s — B)(s — C), where S Is half the total perimeter. (This is called Heron’s formu/a.)

Figure 19-4:

A triangle’s height is perpendicular to the base.

B

The Problem: You have 72 feet of fencing and need to enclose an area that’s triangular. Which triangle will give you more area: a right triangle that has sides measuring 18, 24, and 30 feet, or an equilateral triangle that’s 24 feet on each side?

^VLA* Find the area of the right triangle using the two perpendicular sides as the base

And height. The area is A = 2(18)(24) = 216 square feet. To find the area of the

Equilateral triangle, use Heron’s formula. The perimeter of that triangle is 72 feet (the amount of fencing you have), so half the perimeter, S, Is 36 feet. Computing

The area of the equilateral triangle, A = ^36 (36 — 24)(36 — 24)(36 — 24) =

36 (12) . 249.42 square feet. So the equilateral triangle has the greater area, even though the perimeter of each triangle is the same.

Squaring off with area

In the "Working with a set amount of fencing" section, earlier in this chapter, you see how the same amount of fencing creates several different areas. What size rectangle creates the greatest area? Does the shape of the rectangle or proportion of the lengths of the sides of a rectangle depend on the perimeter? Or is there some optimum shape?

The Problem: A rectangle is to have a perimeter of 36 feet and the greatest area possible. What are the dimensions of the rectangle that has the greatest area?

V£?LA/v Let the width of the rectangle be 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, and so on. For each

Width, determine the length of the rectangle by subtracting the width from 18. You subtract from 18 because the perimeter of a rectangle is P = 2(/ + w). When the perimeter is 36 feet, you get 36 = 2(/ + w). Dividing each side of the equation by 2, 18 = / + W, And / = 18 – W. When you get the width and length, compute the area of the resulting rectangle. Table 19-1 lays it all out.

8 feet

10 feet

80 square feet

You see that the area values start decreasing when you pass the point where the rectangle is a square. A rectangle that’s actually a square has the greatest possible area for a given perimeter. This statement is most easily proved using calculus. For now, the demonstration with the table should suffice.

Taking the hex out with a hexagon

A hexagon is a six-sided polygon. A Regu/ar Hexagon is special, because all the sides are the same measure, and all the interior angles are 120 degrees. An even more special feature of the regular hexagon is the fact that it’s made up of six equilateral triangles, all nestled together. In Figure 19-5, you find two hexagons, one made up of a rectangle topped by a trapezoid, and the other a regular hexagon. You get to find out which has the greater area for a set amount of perimeter.

Figure 19-5:

Hexagons have six sides.

5 in

4 in

6 in

12 in

5 in

6 in

4 in

6 in

6 in

6 in

6 in \ 6 in 6 in A in

The Problem: Each of the hexagons shown in Figure 19-5 has a perimeter of 36 inches. Which has the greater area?

The house-shaped hexagon on the left is a rectangle topped by a trapezoid. Add the two areas together to get the total area. The area of the rectangle is

12 X 4 = 48 square inches. The area of a trapezoid is A = 2H _b 1 + B2), which

Is half the height of the trapezoid times the sum of the two parallel bases.

In the case of the trapezoid in the figure, the area is A = (4)(6 + 12) = 36

Square inches. Add the area of the rectangle and the area of the trapezoid together to get 48 + 36 = 84 square inches.

The regular hexagon is made up of six equilateral triangles; the sides of each of the triangles is 6 inches. Use Heron’s formula to find the area of one of the triangles, and then just multiply by 6. The area of one of the triangles

/9 (9 — 6)( 9 — 6)( 9 — 6) = / 9 (3)3

Is A = J9(9 — 6)(9 — 6)(9 — 6) = J9(3) = /243 . 15.59 square inches. Multiply that area by 6 to get 93.54 square inches. The regular hexagon has

The greater area.

Coming full circle with area

Each of the problems in this section deals with making the most of perimeter to get the biggest possible area. A common theme that you find is that a Regu/ar Polygon has the greatest area of any other polygon of its type. Also, the more sides you add to a regular polygon, the more the polygon seems to resemble a circle. In this section, you compare the area of a hexagon that has a perimeter of 36 inches with the area of a circle that has a circumference of 36 inches.

The Problem: Which has the greater area: a regular hexagon with a perimeter of 36 inches or a circle with a circumference of 36 inches?

First, refer to the problem in the preceding section, "Taking the hex out with a hexagon," and you find that a regular hexagon with a perimeter of 36 inches has an area of about 93.54 square inches. To find the area of a circle that has a Circumference Of 36 inches, you need to find the radius of the circle, first.

The circumference of a circle is found with: C = 2nr, where R Is the radius. The area of a circle is found with: A = Nr2, Where R Is the radius.

If the circumference of a particular circle is 36 inches, then 2nr = 36. Dividing each side of the equation by 2n, you get that R Is about 5.73 inches. Use 5.73 as the radius in the formula for the area of the circle, and you get that the area is about 103.15 square inches. The area of the circle is almost 10 square inches larger than that of the hexagon. The area of a circle will always be greater than a polygon with the same perimeter.

Putting in a Walk-Around

You’ve finally hit the big time and decide you can afford to put in a pool and party area in the backyard. A pool has water in it — well, let’s hope so. With water comes mud and a mess, so you need to put a nice cement walk around the perimeter of the pool.

Determining the area around the outside

When you have an existing pool or other area that needs to be surrounded, then you take measurements of the structure in the middle and determine what you want around the outside — how wide and how deep.

The Problem: You have a rectangular pool that’s 40 feet long and 30 feet wide. You want to put in a cement walkway that’s 6 feet wide on all four sides, and the corners will be 6-foot squares. How many square feet of cement will you need? (Refer to Figure 19-6 which shows both the square corners for this problem and rounded corners for the next problem.)

Figure 19-6:

The pools have cement walkways.

To figure the total area of the cement walkway, divide the walkway into four rectangles. Include the square corners in rectangles that go across the top and bottom. The rectangles across the top and bottom now have dimensions 42 feet by 6 feet (the 42 comes from 30 + 6 + 6 for the two ends). Multiplying 42 x 6, you get 252 square feet for each of the two sections. The side sections are 40 feet by 6 feet, so each of their areas are 40 x 6 = 240 square feet. Double each section type and add the areas together: 2(252) + 2(240) = 504 + 480 = 984 square feet.

But what if you want curved corners? It may be that you want to make mowing easier by making the corners curves. Or, perhaps, you think that the curved corners are more aesthetically pleasing. Also, there’s always the chance that you’re just very frugal and want to save some money.

The Problem: You want a 6-foot cement walkway around the outside of your 40 foot by 30 foot rectangular pool. The walkway is to be 6-feet wide at the corners, too, so they’ll be pieces of circles with a radius of 6 feet. How many square feet, total, will your walkway contain? (Refer to Figure 19-6 to see what this type walkway would look like.)

^VLA* The four corners of the walkway are each one-fourth of the same 6-foot -

Radius circle. Just find the area of a circle with a radius of 6 feet, and add it onto the four rectangular sections. The four rectangular sections have dimensions matching the sides of the pool. Two sections are 40 x 6, and the other two are 30 x 6.

The total area of the walkway is the area of the circle plus twice the area of each rectangular section.

A = n (6)2 + 2 (40 x 6) + 2 (30 x 6) . 113.10 + 480 + 360 = 953.10

The total area is about 953 square feet. That’s about 31 square feet less than the walkway with square corners.

Adding up for the entire area

You’re contemplating putting in a circular above-ground swimming pool, but you’re not sure whether you have enough room. There’s not only the pool itself, but also the 3-foot-wide deck to consider.

The Problem: Your backyard is 120 feet long and 40 feet wide. The neighborhood ordnance dictates that a pool and its surround can’t take up more than 25 percent of your yard. How big a pool can you get if you’re going to put a 3-foot-wide deck around a circular pool? (Figure 19-7 shows you a possible scenario for the pool and the yard.)

120

Figure 19-7: 40

The pool fits in the yard.

First, determine the total square footage allowed by the ordnance. Then try to maximize the size of the pool. Your main constraint will be the width of the yard — you may have to settle for a smaller pool than allowed or go for another shape. Your total square footage is 120 x 40 = 4,800 square feet.

Avoiding wet feet

You have a fish pond on your property that’s a have a boat, a raft, or even waders. You’re a perfect circle with a diameter of 100 feet. In the clever sort, though, and you figure out how to exact center of your fish pond, there’s a flag – tie the rope to the flagpole without getting your pole. You want to tie a rope to that flagpole, but feet wet. How do you do it? your rope is only 101 feet long, and you don’t

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Twenty-five percent of 4,800 square feet is 1,200 square feet. To get the biggest pool possible, you want the area of the pool plus the deck to be 1,200 square feet (25 percent). Let the radius of your pool be represented by r. Add a 3-foot deck, and the total radius is R + 3. Now use the area formula to solve for R.

2

A = n (radius) 1,200 = N (R + 3)2

1, 200 2

—n – = (R + 3) /SP = R + 3

1,200

The radius of the pool should be about 16.54 feet. Add the 3-foot deck, and it makes the total 19.54 feet. The pool plus the deck just fit the width of the yard.

Creating a Poster

You see posters all over the place announcing events. Garage sale signs crop up every spring, and fundraising dinners are plastered all over the place before the big night. Creating an eye-catching yet economical poster is an art — which is why some people take courses to learn how to do it effectively. Color is important, but so is the use of white space. The problems in this section assume that you have a certain portion of the poster dedicated to the print and pictures and the rest of it is a plain, white border.

Starting with a certain amount of print

You’re in charge of printing up campaign posters for your favorite candidate. The person running for office has a lot to say and wants to devote 120 square inches of the poster to information about her position on the issues. You get to create the most economical size poster (use the least amount of print).

The Problem: What are the dimensions of the poster that uses the least amount of material if you have to include 120 square inches of print, 2-inch borders on the sides, and 3-inch borders on the top and bottom? (To make it more reasonable to solve, the measures all have to be whole numbers.)

Determine the different dimensions that rectangular areas of printed material can be in to get 120 square inches. Then determine the amount of border material that has to be added to each rectangle.

Figure 19-8 shows two possibilities for shapes of the resulting poster. Each poster has printed material in the middle taking up a total of 120 square inches. After you determine a height and width that gives you an area of 120 square inches, add 6 inches to the height (3 on the top and 3 on the bottom) and 4 inches to the width (2 and 2). Compute the new total area by multiplying the two new dimensions together. Look at Table 19-2 for the possibilities. (I haven’t included choices like 120 by 1 or 60 by 2 because they’re impractical.)

20

12

10

6

Figure 19-8:

Posters with a white border.

Two different sizes yield the least amount of material: either a poster that’s 21 by 12 or a poster that’s 18 by 14. Probably a rectangle that’s 18 by 14 is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and would be the choice.

Climbing the ladder

Pete the painter is on a ladder leaning up against four rungs, down nine rungs, up three rungs and the wall that he’s working on at the time. He then up ten more rungs to reach the top bar of starts on the middle rung of the ladder, goes up the ladder. How many rungs are on this ladder?

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Working with a particular poster size

You’re to create a poster with a certain number of square inches. The white border around the printed material is to be 2 inches on each side and 3 inches across the top and bottom. Now you have to determine the amount of material left for pictures and words.

The Problem: You are to create a poster with a total area of 300 square inches. In the center of the poster you’ll put the printed material in a rectangular box with 2-inch borders on either side. You’ll also put 3-inch borders on the top and bottom. The material in the borders is included in the total area of 300 square inches. If the width of the poster is to be K the length, then what are the dimensions of the rectangular area containing the printed material? (Refer to Figure 19-9 to help you picture the situation.)

3

Figure 19-9:

Figuring out the dimensions.

2

2

3

J, VLA*

Let the dimensions of the print in the poster be L X W. Adding in the white borders, the dimensions of the overall poster are (l + 6) by (w + 4). The width of the poster is to be % the length, so replace the (w + 4) with % (l + 6). If the poster is to have an area of 300 square inches, then multiply the length times the width and set it equal to 300.

L = 14

So the inside length of the poster (for the written part) is to be 14 inches. Add 6 to get the outside length of 20 inches. The width is to be % of the length, which makes it 15 inches. The inside width (for the printed material) is 15 inches less the border of 4 inches or 11 inches. To recap: The whole poster is to be 20 by 15 inches, giving you 300 square inches. The inside rectangle is 14 by 11 inches, giving you 154 square inches to put all the print and pictures.

Shedding the Light on a Norman Window

Houses have windows to let in the light and fresh air. The most common shape for a window is a rectangle, but you also see round windows and hexagonal windows and other creative shapes. A Norman window Is made up of two geometric shapes: a semicircle on top of a rectangle. One side of the rectangle is the same measure as the semicircle’s diameter. Figure 19-10 shows two Norman windows.

Figure 19-10:

The curve is on the top.

Maximizing the amount of light

A window lets in light and fresh air. Adding a semicircle to the top of a rectangular window not only lets in more light, but adds a decorative touch.

The Problem: You’re planning on putting in a Norman window in a room on the north side of your home. You want as much light as possible to be let in through the window. The rectangular part of the window is to be 6 feet by 4 feet, and the semicircle will sit on top. Which will let in more light: if the rectangular base is 4 feet and the sides 6 feet, or if the rectangular base is 6 feet with 4 foot sides? (Refer to Figure 19-10 for approximate figures.)

^VLA* Find the total area of each window. The rectangular part of each window is 24 square feet, so the main interest is in the respective areas of the semicircles on top. The window with a 4-foot base has a semicircle on top with a diameter of 4 feet — or a radius of 2 feet. The area of a circle is found with A = Nr2. The semicircle has half the area of the full circle, so the area of this

Semicircle is i n (2)2 = 2n. 6.28 square feet. The window with a 6-foot base 2

Has a semicircle on top whose radius is 3 feet. So the area of that semicircle is

I n (3)2 = 9 n. 14.13 square feet. Clearly, the wider window will let in more 22

Light.

The areas of the two Norman windows in the preceding problem are different by almost 8 square feet — a fairly large difference. You may be surprised to know that the perimeters of these two windows aren’t nearly so different.

The Problem: Which has the greater perimeter: a Norman window with a 4-by-6-foot base or a Norman window with a 6-by-4-foot base?

^VLA/y The perimeter of a Norman window consists of the three sides of the rectangle and the circumference of the semicircle. The circumference of a full circle is found by multiplying the diameter by n. Because you only want half that area, you multiply half the diameter (the radius) by n. The Norman window with the base of 4 feet and sides of 6 feet has a semicircle with radius 2 feet, so the total perimeter is 4 + 6 + 6 + 2n = 16 + 2n~ 22.28 feet. The Norman window with the base of 6 feet and sides of 4 feet has a semicircle with radius 3 feet, so the total perimeter is 6 + 4 + 4 + 3n = 14 + 3n~ 23.42 feet. The perimeters of these two windows differ by just a little over 1 foot.

Making the window proportional

What if you want the area of the rectangular part of a Norman window to be equal to the area of the semicircular part? This arrangement just may be more esthetically pleasing to you.

The Problem: How long should the base of a Norman window be if the two sides of the rectangle are 2 feet high and the area of the rectangle is to be equal to the area of the semicircle?

^VLAAf First, let the length of the base be represented by X. Because the area of a rectangle is length times width, the area of the rectangle is 2x. You want the area of the semicircle also to be equal to 2X. The area of the semicircle is found by taking half the area of a circle whose radius is half the base2 of the rectangle,

So the radius is X And the area of the semicircle is i n (X) . Set the area of 2 2 \ 2 /

The rectangle equal to the area of the semicircle and solve for X.

Two different values of X Satisfy the equation. Obviously, X = 0 Isn’t going to

Work — it’s extraneous. But setting the factor in the parentheses equal to 0, 1 F\

You get that X = ^j-, which is about 5.1 feet.

Fitting a Rectangular Peg into a Round Hole

An old adage says that you can’t fit a square peg into a round hole. (Or is it a round peg in a square hole?) Mathematicians must have found this statement to be a challenge. No, they still couldn’t fit the peg into the hole, but the statement opened up all sorts of questions and answers as to how large a round peg could fit into a square hole or how large a rectangular peg could fit into a semicircular hole. Oh, the possibilities!

Putting rectangles into circles

A rectangle has a set length and width and doesn’t fit very neatly into a circle. See Figure 19-11 for some examples of rectangles working their ways into circles.

Figure 19-11:

The circle has to be bigger than the

Rectangle.

Just how large a rectangle will fit into a circle, if you have some particular constraints?

The Problem: You want to fit a rectangle with length 8 inches into a circle with radius 5 inches. What width will the rectangle have if each of the vertices of the rectangle are to be on the circle?

^ylA/v Take advantage of the symmetry of a rectangle, the radius of the circle, and good old Pythagoras. First, a rectangle’s "center" is where the two diagonals (from opposite corners) intersect. The center of the rectangle is also where the center of the circle is. The radius of this circle is 5 inches, so that’s the distance from the center of the rectangle to any of its vertices, because the vertices are on the circle. The length of the rectangle is 8 inches, so a segment drawn from the center of the rectangle horizontally to one of the sides is half that, or 4 inches. Refer to the left circle in Figure 19-11 and you’ll see the radius and segment drawn in. The horizontal segment is perpendicular to the side of the rectangle — using the symmetry and angle measures of a rectangle — so the triangle formed is a right triangle. Solving for the length of the third side of the right triangle (I’ll call the length b) using the Pythagorean theorem, you get that 42 + B2 = 52 or B2 = 25 – 16 = 9. The length of the third side of the triangle is 3 inches, so the length of the entire side of the rectangle is 6 inches. You can fit an 8-by-6-inch rectangle into a circle whose radius is 5 inches.

A rectangle measuring 8 by 6 inches has an area of 48 square inches. A rectangle with these dimensions is not the largest rectangle that you can fit into a circle with a radius of 5 inches. In calculus, you prove that the largest rectangle that fits into a circle is really a square. So, if that’s the case, what size square fits into a particular circle?

The Problem: What is the length of any side of a square that fits into a circle whose radius is 5 inches?

V£?LA/v Use the diagonal of the square and the Pythagorean theorem to solve this

Problem. The diagonal of the square is the same as the diameter of the circle. A circle with a 5-inch radius has a 10-inch diameter. Let the lengths of the sides of the square be X Inches long. Because the angles of a square are all right angles, you have a right triangle whose hypotenuse is 10 inches long and whose sides are each X Units long. Filling in values in the Pythagorean theorem and solving for X,

X 2 _|_ X 2_

2X2= 100 X2= 50

X = /50 = 5 /2 . 7.07

So a square with sides measuring about 7.07 inches is the largest that will fit into the circle. The area of this square is about 49.98 square inches — larger than the rectangle measuring 8 by 6 inches.

Working with coordinate axes

Circles, rectangles, and squares are easily described using the coordinate axes and some points and equations. The distance formula for the coordinate plane allows you to solve for lengths of segments if you have the values of the coordinates at either end.

Using coordinate axes,

The equation of a circle with its center at the origin is X2 + Y2 = R2, Where R Is the radius of the circle.

The distance between the two points (x1,y1) and (x2,y2) is found with the formula D = J_X2 — X1) + _Y2 — Y 1) .

In Figure 19-12, you see a triangle drawn inside a semicircle. Even though a semicircle is only half a full circle, the equation for the circle is used when solving problems involving one of its semicircles.

Figure 19-12:

The base of the triangle rests on the axis.

The Problem: A rectangle is inscribed inside a semicircle (its vertices are all on some part of the semicircle). If the semicircle has its center at the origin and a radius of 5 units, then what are the coordinates of the vertices (x, y) In the first quadrant if the length of the rectangle is four times its height?

The Y Coordinate of the vertex you want also represents the height of the rectangle. The X Coordinate is actually half the length, because the X Is just the distance from the origin to the right. So the length of the rectangle is represented by 2x. Writing that The length is four times the height, The equation is 2x = 4y, which simplifies to X = 2y.

The equation of a circle with its center at the origin and with a radius of 5 is X + Y2 = 25. Replacing the X In this equation with 2y and solving for Y,

_2YI2_y2=25 4Y2_y2=25 5Y2= 25

Y2= 5

Y = ±y5

You use only the positive value for Y. Because X = 2y, then X Must be 2 and the coordinates of the vertex are

Any triangle that has two of its vertices at the endpoints of a diameter and the third vertex on the circle is a right triangle. You don’t prove this fact here, but the next problem allows you to see, from the coordinates of the points, that the rule holds.

The Problem: A triangle has one side along the flat part of a semicircle, with the endpoints of that side of the triangle at the endpoints of that diameter (refer to Figure 19-12). The radius of the semicircle is 10 units. What are the coordinates of the vertex of the triangle if it lies on the circle, and the distance from that vertex to the left endpoint is 2 /I0?

You see that the endpoints of the diameter lie along the X-axis. If the radius of the semicircle is 10 units, then the coordinates of the endpoints of the diameter are (-10,0) and (10,0). The left endpoint is at (-10,0). Use the distance formula, and set that distance equal to the value you get by substituting in the points (x, y) And (-10,0) into the formula.

2/T0 = \ (x — (—10))2 + (Y — 0 )2 = / (x + 10)2 + Y y

You see both XS and YS in the equation. Use the equation of the circle with its center at the origin and a radius of 10 by solving for Y2. Then you can substitute the equivalence for Y2 Into the equation and solve for X.

X2_y2=100 Y2=100 —x2

Substituting, squaring both sides, and solving for X,

The x-coordinate is -8. Substituting back into the equation for the circle, you get that Y2 = 100 – (-8)2 = 100 – 64 = 36. Taking the square root of each side, you get that Y Is either +6 or -6. The point you’re looking for is above the X-axis, so you want the +6. The coordinates of the vertex are (-8,6).

Back to the fact that you have a right triangle here, you can show that it’s true by using the Pythagorean theorem on the lengths of the sides of the triangle. The side along the X-axis is 20 units long. The side that goes from the point (-8,6) to (-10,0) is./40 units long. (You can check me by using the DistAnce formula.) And the side that goes from the point (-8,6) to (10,0) is /360 units long. Plugging these values into the Pythagorean theorem,

(740)2+(7360)2 = 202

40 + 360 = 400

Chapter 20

In This Chapter

^ Finding out what energy medicine is all about

^ Discovering what energy medicine can be good for

^ Examining the evidence

^ Knowing what to expect in a typical consultation ^ Finding a practitioner

Јnergy medicine is a broad term used to refer to the diagnosis, treatment, and/or enhancement of the subtle energy system in the body. It encompasses what is also sometimes termed Bio-energy medicine, functional medicine, Or Vibrational medicine.

The concept of subtle energy is referred to in many forms of traditional medicine and was sometimes diagnosed by means of divining techniques and treated with magnetic stones, gemstones, and the like. Nowadays, a range of electrical and other devices have been designed that claim to be able to measure the flow of subtle energy in the body or to provide energy-based treatments intended to rebalance the body. A range of modern-day treatments are based on energy medicine including magnet therapy, gem therapy, and flower essences. Some medical doctors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, homeopaths, and others use these devices and therapies, but energy medicine remains highly controversial because little scientific evidence exists to support its use.

In this chapter, I give you some background to the roots and principles of energy medicine and then take you on a guided tour of the most common forms that you may encounter. I also let you know what can happen in an energy medicine consultation and the kind of results you may receive. At the same time, I let you know what (if any) scientific backing the different techniques have.

To some people, the whole world of energetic medicine is a step too far into the realms of the weird and wacky while for others it represents the medicine of the future. Delve into this chapter and decide for yourself.

Finding Out about Energy Medicine

,&^tif- Energy medicine is based on both ancient wisdom and modern scientific and technological advances. Each of the ancient medical traditions mentions a (~ ^ I Vital, subtle energy system in the body that is crucial to health. In Traditional

VNjf J Chinese Medicine (TCM), this subtle energy is called Qi; In Japanese medicine, it is Ki; In Tibetan medicine, it is Loong, Or ‘wind’, and in Ayurveda, it is Prana. This subtle energy is said to flow through a network of invisible channels in the body known as the meridian system in acupuncture or the Nadi System in yoga.

For decades researchers around the world have been interested in developing devices that may measure and treat the flow of this subtle energy, and the electro-magnetic field believed to surround the body. A range of these devices is now available and in use by complementary medicine practitioners. This chapter explores the most common ones, while also looking at some other forms of energy medicine, including radiesthesia and radionics (divining techniques using pendulums or electrical devices), magnet therapy, gem therapy, and flower essences.

A (very) brief history of energy medicine

Energy medicine in its oldest form consisted of divining techniques, often using a pendulum, rod, twig, or other instrument (known as Dowsing), For detecting imbalances in the body and also for other purposes such as for locating water and evaluating the therapeutic properties of plants. The ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese are all believed to have used forms of dowsing and the technique is thought to have been fashionable in 18th-century France. Dowsing was resurrected by French Jesuit priests in the 1920s, who taught it to their missionaries as a way of determining the therapeutic properties of plants in areas where no medicine was available.

SV—

The French priest Abbe (Father) Alex Bouly coined the term Radiesthesie, from the Latin Radius Meaning a ray or beam, and the Greek Aisthesis Meaning a feeling or perception. This term has been translated as Radiesthesia And is used to mean literally ‘perception of the radiation or vibration of a person or thing’.

Pendulums are usually made of metal, such as brass, or wood, generally have a point at the end, and are suspended by a thread or chain. To begin using a pendulum, you first determine what its line of movement will be to indicate ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Users suggest that you hold the pendulum suspended directly below your fingers without moving it and then ask it to give you a ‘yes’. After a short time, the pendulum may gather momentum and move in a clockwise or anti-clockwise fashion or move forward and back or side to side. You then repeat this exercise asking the pendulum to give you a ‘no’. For many people, a clockwise movement is ‘yes’ and an anti-clockwise movement is a ‘no’.

Next, you suspend the pendulum in the air, or over the body part, plant, or object that you’re

Investigating and then mentally ask questions about it. The way that the pendulum swings determines the answer. For example, you may ask questions about the therapeutic value of a particular plant. Dowsers believe that the pendulum amplifies the unconscious mind and tunes into the vibrational frequency of the matter being investigated. This idea may sound far-fetched, and no real scientific evidence supports this technique, but in fact dowsing is used by the military, local authorities, and mineral companies to detect water and mineral deposits, and it has even been used by the police in criminal investigations.

Abbe Bouly and two other Jesuit priests, Abbe Alexis Mermet and Abbe Jean Jurion, pioneered the medical use of dowsing. They surmised that if dowsing could be used successfully for divining water, it could also be used to determine the circulation of blood and the condition of the tissues in the body.

At the turn of the 20th-century in another part of the world, American doctor Albert Abrams formulated the idea that disease was caused by an imbalance of electrons (tiny sub-atomic particles) in affected tissue rather than imbalance in the cells. He believed that these electrical particles radiated a charge that could be detected outside of the body and that different electronic reactions were linked with different diseases. He developed devices for measuring these changes and called his system Radionics.

Although a recognised medical expert at Stanford University in California, Abrams was ridiculed for his ideas, as was Dr Ruth Drown, a chiropractor who took up his work and developed ways of diagnosing and treating at a distance using samples of hair or blood. However, in the UK, Abram’s work found more acceptance after a medical committee tested his findings and replicated them and an American living in the UK, David Tansley, popularised his work in the 1960s. Dr Cyril W. Smith, a retired UK lecturer in engineering, has also done pioneering work on the body’s electro-magnetic field, summarised in his fascinating book, Electromagnetic Man.

In Germany, a modern-day pioneer of energy medicine was Reinhold Voll, a doctor who studied acupuncture in the 1950s, and then, together with a group of colleagues, became interested in the electrical properties of acupuncture points.

Voll developed a simple electrical device to measure these points and used them to map the acupuncture meridians, verifying the known ones and adding some of his own along the way. He also converted some of the traditional Chinese medical terminology into Western physiological terms, which made his system, that he called EAV (ElectroAcupuncture according to Voll), more widely acceptable amongst medics.

Voll used the application of tiny micro-electric currents to abnormal points to bring their measurements back into the normal range and held that this procedure could help relieve illness and imbalance. He also claimed that incorporating homeopathic remedies, nutritional supplements, or medicines into the circuit could alter abnormal measures and could be effective in treating a range of conditions including inflammation and allergies.

Voll’s method was simplified by some other German doctors who developed Bioelectronic Functions Diagnosis and Therapy (BFD), Which reduced the number of points being measured to around 60 and also limited the number of medications tested.

The innovative Dr Helmut Schimmel was always interested in bridging the gap between orthodox and natural medicine and between science and religion. He studied dentistry, medicine, natur-opathy and homeopathy and was constantly striving to make a synthesis between orthodox and alternative disciplines. He felt he had a lifelong calling to work in ‘bio-energy (functional) medicine’ and believed that this really was the medicine of the future. Schimmel summed up this belief by saying:

‘I personally believe that functional medicine will prove to be the medicine of the 21st-century. Orthodox medicine has no answers and no means of coping with the problems of chronic and degenerative diseases. I regret having to say this, but something dreadful will probably have to happen before functional medicine can free itself of its isolation. This means that chronic

Diseases will have to increase drastically, that the health insurance companies will probably become bankrupt due to the immense costs, and that the normal patient will finally understand that orthodox medicine has to be complemented by functional medicine. The public will demand changes in our public health system. Traditional medicine will be forced to do something, just because of the pressure of public opinion. I’m afraid that these changes will be fundamental and drastic. But these are the forces that move the world. When such idealistic thoughts coincide with these materialistic events, the result will be a break-through.’

(c) Copyright Wholistic Research Company 2001. Reproduced with kind permission from the Wholistic Research Company (www. Wholisticresearch. com).

The BFD system is still in use today but has been overtaken in popularity by the VegaTest method developed by Dr Helmut Schimmel in the 1970s. His system was a further refinement because it involved measuring trays of ampoules of test substances rather than different points on the body. The VegaTest method, or VRT (vegetative reflex test), has been constantly updated and is now used in many countries including the UK, Germany, Australia, the US.

Researchers in other countries, such as Dr Hiroshi Motoyama in Japan and others in Russia, Hungary, the US, and elsewhere, have also done pioneering work investigating different ways of measuring the body’s subtle energy flows and electro-magnetic fields. With the advances in information technology, energy medicine devices for assessment and treatment are now increasingly available both in clinical settings and for home use. However, many practitioners remain sceptical about them because little evidence supports their claims for effectiveness.

Understanding how energy medicine works

Energy medicine approaches such as radionics, magnet therapy, and flower essences are based on the idea that every living thing has an electromagnetic ‘field’ or ‘vibration’, which is different in health and disease and which may be affected by different remedies, types of healing, or devices.

Many energy medicine devices are types of Electro-dermal screening (EDS) Devices – that is they measure changes in the ability of the skin to conduct electricity, known as the Electrodermal response (EDR) Or Galvanic skin response (GSR). This ability changes according to physical and emotional states and environmental influences such as dryness or humidity. High speed computerised versions have also been developed, known as Computerised electro-dermal screening (CEDS).

Other devices use different forms of measurement, such as skin tissue sampling (the AMI device) or infra-red pulses (the MERID).

Treatment devices then add a substance into the electrical circuit with your body and it is believed that this can then directly influence your own body’s electro-magnetic field and indirectly help to rebalance internal organ function and restore health.

However, little scientific evidence supports these theories or assessment and treatment approaches.

What’s the evidence?

Not much evidence currently exists to verify the principles underlying energy medicine or the effectiveness of energy medicine treatments. Some studies

Confirm the link between EAV (Voll) assessment and allergies, and other studies have suggested a link between skin polarisation values (as measured by the Motoyama AMI – see below) and different types of health conditions. However, many of these studies have used only very small samples, have had design flaws or have not been replicated.

More damaging are investigations that have shown that people can get different results when measured by the same machine in different places, as shown for example with Vega food intolerance testing in high street chemists. Critics argue that people who get better after being tested on the Vega device do so because of cutting out obvious foods that may be causing problems, such as dairy and wheat, rather than the accuracy of Vega diagnosis.

However, in the hands of well-trained practitioners, large numbers of patients do claim to have benefited from following advice and treatment regimes based on VEGA test results.

Currently, insufficient evidence exists to support the methods of assessment and treatment used in energy medicine, but the numerous testimonies of benefits by both practitioners and their patients suggest that further consideration and investigation may be worthwhile.

Stones with magnetic properties (lodestones) have been used for healing since ancient times. More recently extensive research into magnet healing has been carried out in Russia, Eastern Europe, Austria, Germany, the US, and the UK.

Fixed therapeutic magnets are usually encased in plastic or ceramic material and then placed against the skin by means of a plaster or wrap. They may also be embedded in items such as mattress covers and shoe insoles. Pulsed electro-magnetic devices are usually hand-held and moved over the affected area.

Magnets vary in strength, size, and thickness, and magnet products vary in terms of how many magnets are used and their placement. To be effective therapeutically, the magnets must be strong enough to penetrate the skin tissues and the product must contain enough magnets.

Magnet strengths of 800 to 1,000 gauss are needed and thicknesses of %to 3X Inch are helpful. Generally, the stronger, thicker, closer, and more numerous the magnets are, the greater the therapeutic effects are likely to be. Horseshoe, bar, and fridge magnets are not suitable for healing as they aren’t strong enough!

Magnet therapy is used by vets, podiatrists, acupuncturists, osteopaths, physiotherapists, and sports coaches to heal injuries and ease conditions such as arthritis, headaches, foot pain, and more.

Magnetic devices shouldn’t be used by people with pacemakers, defibrillators, insulin pumps, or other electro-insulin devices, as the magnets may interfere with their activity, nor by pregnant women, as the effect on the foetus or on babies is unknown.

Energy medicine today

Energy medicine isn’t regulated in the UK. Some of the energy medicine devices used have now obtained a CE mark in Europe, which means that they satisfy European Community directives, or have FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval in the US. However, these approvals relate mainly to issues of safety and don’t necessarily verify what the devices claim to be measuring or the effectiveness of their treatment.

Countries such as the UK, Germany, and the US have attempted to establish training standards for the use of particular devices, but the range of devices and the many different types of practitioners who use them have made establishing any universal standards or unifying association or training body difficult.

Radionics, magnet therapy and flower and gem essence therapy also remain unregulated at this time.

Introducing Different Types of Energy Medicine

Energy medicine devices currently in use that assess and/or treat the body include the following:

The AMI (new version is called AMICS), Devised by Dr Hiroshi Motoyama in Japan, measures polarisation values at acupuncture Source Points on the fingers and toes to determine meridian balance and, it is claimed, the health of corresponding internal organs.

The ASYRA, A device approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was developed by Mark Galloway and uses fewer point readings than the BEST system, incorporating software that scans a vast range of remedies, including all the single and nosode homeopathic remedies, Scheussler tissue salts, Dr Reckweg formulations (see Chapter 10 for more about each of these), flower remedies, and so on.

The BICOM (BlO-ogical COM-puter) takes electro-magnetic readings from the body and compares them across 400 preset therapeutic programs.

The LISTEN System, which developed into the BEST (MSAS, or meridian stress assessment system) BioMeridian system, also uses devices that measure electrical changes over acupuncture points and tests for food intolerances, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, environmental sensitivities, and so on.

The MERID, A device developed in Holland by Derk Buiskool Leeuwma, uses pulses of infra-red light, at gradually increasing levels of intensity, to measure responses at 24 points on the hands and feet and provide information on the energetic state of meridian channels.

The MORA, Devised by German physician Dr Franz Morrell and electronics engineer Mr Eric Rasche in the 1970s, was named by combining the first letters of their names. The various MORA devices now available measure ‘ultra-fine electro-magnetic oscillations’ by taking electrical measurements at acupuncture points on the body and also using pre-set programs to assess toxicity and imbalance.

The NES (Nutri-Energetic Systems) device, developed by Peter Fraser and Harry Massey, involves the client placing a hand on an input device, which then relays information to a computer that analyses disturbances in the human body field.

The OBERON Is a device developed by a team of Russian scientists that scans the body with a range of different frequencies of magnetic field and identifies areas of diseased tissue in the body.

The QXCI (Quantum Xxroid Consciousness Interface) and SCIO (Scientific Consciousness Interface Operations System), Developed by American William Nelson, is a computerised biofeedback system that collects data from measurements via wrist, ankle, and head electrodes and then assesses them across sophisticated software for a wide range of remedies and conditions.

The SCENAR (Self-Controlled Energo Neuro Adaptive Regulation) is a hand-held biofeedback device with an electrical contact that is passed over areas of inflammation, injury, or infection on the body to stimulate healing.

The VEGA Electro-dermal screening (EDS) devices measure electrical changes at an acupuncture point and are used to test for food intolerances, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and environmental sensitivities.

Kirlian photography Is a controversial technique used in energy medicine involving Energetic photography. Developed by Russian engineer Semyon Kirlian and his wife Valentina in 1939, it measures electromagnetic fields around the hands and body and reproduces these on photographic paper. Luminous, regular patterns are claimed to be signs of health, whereas broken outlines are believed to indicate disease. Kirlian photography produces beautiful images but as a method of diagnosis it has not yet been proven to be very reliable or accurate.

Other forms of energy medicine include dowsing and radionics, mentioned at the beginning of this chapter and also the following:

Magnet Therapy: Magnets are placed directly on the skin or electromagnetic devices are used to pulse a magnetic field around the affected body part. Some research suggests that the magnets may stimulate cellular activity and tissue repair and reduce inflammation.

Dr Edward Bach (pronounced Batch) A Harley Street doctor and homeopath in the 1930s, came to believe that mental attitude and emotional health played a vital role in illness and recovery. He identified 38 primary negative states of mind and, over years of careful research, created a flower or plant remedy to treat each one. These came to be known as the Bach Remedies and are used individually or in combination and taken as drops on a daily basis. One combination of five remedies created by Dr Bach is known as Rescue remedy And he recommended its use during emergencies or traumas.

More recently people all over the world have started to develop flower, tree, mineral, gem, rock, desert plant, and even dolphin remedies based on Bach’s principles. Some of the most well-known ones in use today include the Bailey Essences, created by Dr Arthur Bailey in 1967, the Australian Bush Flower Remedies, created by Ian White, The Findhorn Flower Essences, The Alaskan Essences, and the Perelandra Essences.

U Gem Therapy: Gemstones or crystals, such as rose quartz, amethyst, jade, and lapis lazuli are placed on different parts of the body, or worn as pendants. The gemstones are believed to emit certain frequencies that trigger healing of physical, emotional, and even spiritual problems. This type of therapy has been practised since ancient times but little scientific evidence exists to support its use.

U Flower and vibrational essences: Flowers, or other plant materials such as bark, are soaked in spring water in the sun or boiled to extract their essence. Alcohol is added to this Mother tincture As a preservative. You take a few drops of the essence daily to treat emotional states such as anxiety, grief, and disillusionment. These flower and other remedies are now made and sold worldwide and it is believed that the vibrational energy contained in the essences can alter mental, emotional, physical and spiritual states. However, no scientific evidence supports this.

Discovering Whom and What Energy Medicine Is Good For

In clinical ecology, also known as environmental or functional medicine, Electro-dermal devices (electrical devices used to measure points on the skin) such as the ones mentioned earlier on in the chapter may be used to determine whether your body is reacting to the following:

U Irritants inhaled through the air, such as pollens U Components of certain foods, such as lactose in dairy products

U Chemicals ingested with your food or otherwise swallowed or inhaled, such as chemicals from the linings of tins of food or mercury from tooth fillings

U Stored toxins, such as from previous chemical or pesticide exposure

See Chapter 12 for more details about this and other ways of testing for food intolerance and food allergy.

Flower and gem remedies are widely used to treat emotional states; magnet therapy is often used to treat pain and inflammation; and radionics and dowsing may be used for any condition.

Little scientific evidence exists to support these therapies and approaches as yet.

What can energy medicine treat?

The devices mentioned earlier in this chapter are used to treat allergies and other sensitivities (such as to chemicals), asthma, joint problems, digestive problems, and a whole host of chronic diseases. Often people who go to energy medicine practitioners have tried everything else, which makes the oft-reported dramatic improvements all the more interesting. Radionics practitioners treat any condition, even at a distance, by claiming to be able to Broadcast Remedies far afield using devices or simply mental intention. Flower remedies are believed to be especially helpful for emotional states.

To sceptics such treating at a distance, or the healing of emotional problems using water with trace amounts of plant material seems impossible. Yet perhaps, once we understand more about subtle energy fields, we may get closer to an explanation.

When not to use energy medicine

Energy medicine is generally believed to be entirely safe because no direct physical intervention is involved. The only exception is magnet therapy, which isn’t suitable for pregnant women or for those with pacemakers. However, people with serious diseases or chronic conditions need to ensure that they seek medical advice rather than relying entirely on the assessments and treatments as mentioned in this chapter.

What to Expect in a Typical Consultation

Energy medicine is unusual amongst complementary therapies in that you may not need to answer questions, give a medical history, complete a questionnaire, or even be physically present! In the case of radionics, diagnosis and treatment given at a distance sometimes all that is required is a lock of your hair or just your name on a piece of paper! In the case of the energy medicine devices, however, you do need to be present and you’ll be in some way connected to the device either by means of electrodes or by holding an electrode and then being tested with a probe touched to a point, or points, on the skin.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is made on the basis of the swing of the pendulum, the measurements of the radionics device, or the manual or computerised measurements of the electro-dermal measuring devices. In the case of flower and gem remedies, diagnosis is made either online after answering questions about mood and emotions; by yourself with the help of books or dowsing; or in consultation with a trained therapist.

Treatment

In the case of radionics, treatment may be ‘broadcast’ by means of a pendulum or radionics device. The ‘matter’ being broadcast may be a homeopathic remedy, a nutrient, a herb, or even a word or loving thought.

In the case of the devices, treatment is more sophisticated and may be a homeopathic or other remedy that is ‘put into the circuit’ and transferred into drops or pills or onto a magnetic strip on a card and worn on the body.

For magnet therapy the magnets are worn on the body or received from a pulsed magnetic field device. For flower and gem essences you take the remedy as drops in water several times a day.

What to expect once you start treatment

Treatment is very subtle, so you may notice nothing very much at first. However, people often report having effects similar to those created by

Homeopathic remedies (see Chapter 10 for more about these) – for example, they may initially get a flare-up of symptoms and then a decrease. Many people report improvements in how they feel within a relatively short period of time.

Your first consultation with a practitioner may last from 30 to 60 minutes. Subsequent visits may be shorter, usually 30 minutes or so. You may need to return for one or two follow-ups or until your health problem has cleared up.

If you’re given a remedy in the form of drops, pills, or magnetic strip card, you need to continue to take or wear them as directed by your practitioner. In the case of magnet therapy, the magnets are usually worn until you feel better and may be used continually for health maintenance and prevention (as in the case of magnet mattress pads or insoles).

Knowing Whether Your Energy Medicine Treatment Is Working

Inl

You may experience immediate benefits from your energy medicine treatment or remedy, or you may find that you get an initial worsening followed by an improvement. Some people feel more tired than usual afterwards. This effect should pass quickly. Here are some more pointers about using energy medicine:

U If you experience a significant deterioration in your symptoms, contact your practitioner for advice.

U Ask your practitioner what improvements you can realistically expect over what sort of timescale.

U For best results, carefully follow the directions for taking the remedy, using the magnet, as well as any diet and lifestyle advice given by your practitioner.

U If you have no improvement after a course of treatment, it may be that energy medicine isn’t effective for your condition. Discuss this situation with your practitioner.

Common Questions about Energy Medicine Treatment

Here are some questions that I get asked about energy medicine:

U Does this type of measurement hurt? No. The most you may feel is a tiny tingle from the application of the tiny electrical micro current.

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U How do I know which device to go for? Each device has its strengths and limitations. Read up about them and ask the practitioner lots of questions before committing yourself. Also, check that your practitioner is thoroughly trained in using the device and knows how it works!

U Does it matter if the magnets get wet? Usually the magnets are encased in plastic or ceramic and are fairly waterproof, but try to keep them dry or they lose their power. I washed some of mine in with the laundry once by mistake and they were too weak to pick up a single key afterwards, whereas before they could pick up a whole bunch!

U Can radionics be used for someone at a distance without their consent? Not usually, no, because an individual needs to be involved in their own healing, and ready to play an active part in it.

Finding a Good Practitioner

No formal national registers of energy medicine practitioners exist. In the UK, two of the foremost centres for energy medicine are the Centre for Complementary and Integrated Medicine in London, run by Professor George Lewith and his colleagues, and the Dove Clinic, run by Dr Julian Kenyon:

U Centre for Complementary and Integrated Medicine (Tel: 020 7935 7848; Www. complemed. co. uk).

U Dove Clinic for Integrated Medicine (Tel: 01962 718000; Www. doveclinic. com). The Dove Clinic also has a London practice (Tel: 020 7580 8886).

You can find flower and Vibrational Essence practitioners in the UK via the British Flower and Vibrational Essences Association (Www. bfvea. com).

Alternatively, ask friends, family, and colleagues for personal recommendations, or try accessing names of practitioners via online directories such as The Institute for Complementary Medicine Www. i-c-m. org. uk (for the UK) or Www. EnergyMedicineDirectory. com (mainly for students of Donna Eden in the US and around the world).

Questions to ask your practitioner

You may want to ask your practitioner about the following:

U Qualifications and training: Most practitioners are happy to give these details. If you have any doubts as to their validity, check them with the organisations themselves.

U Insurance: Check that they’re a member of a professional association and have appropriate indemnity insurance.

U Device: If your practitioner is using an energy medicine device, ask what exactly it is measuring, how it works, what the research is behind it, and what the evidence is of its usefulness in therapy.

U Experience: Ask your practitioner about their experience in treating your particular ailment and their usual degree of success!

U Treatment: Ask about the likely frequency of consultations that you may need and the costs involved.

Counting the cost of energy medicine

Initial energy medicine consultations may cost from Ј35 (for high street chemist VegaTest consultations for food intolerances) to Ј100 or so for more sophisticated forms of measurement. The cost of remedies may be separate. Magnet therapy prices range from Ј15 for a disc magnet to around Ј90 for a pulsed magnetic field device. Pendulums can be obtained from Ј5 to Ј15 upwards. Gemstones vary from a few pounds to hundreds of pounds depending on the size and quality of the stone. Flower and other vibrational essences range from Ј5 upwards.

Ensuring satisfaction

Because no formal registration of energy medicine practitioners exists, your only recourse if you’re not satisfied with your therapy is to talk things over with your practitioner or contact their professional body if they belong to one.

Helping Yourself with Energy Medicine

You can have fun using a pendulum, as described earlier in this chapter, to dowse anything from lost objects to remedies for your health. However, if in any doubt about a remedy, always contact a specialist practitioner for advice, and if in doubt about a medical problem, always consult a qualified health professional.