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The Benefits of Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is the most common form of relaxation massage offering many relaxing as well as healing properties to your body. Swedish massage combines the use of long strokes, kneading and friction techniques to manipulate the soft tissues of the body causing a variety of benefits to your body to help it to heal itself. Below is a list of benefits that you will receive from Swedish massage: *Reduces stress and anxiety *Promotes relaxation *Improves circulation *Relieves general body tension *Relieves aches and muscle stiffness *Improves muscle tone *Removes toxins from the muscles *Improves flexibility in muscles and joints *Improves immune system *Improves digestion and elimination *Promotes healthy skin For added relaxation and health benefits have your therapist add essential oils such as lavender, chamomile or ylang ylang to your session. Essential oils can be customized by your therapist to suit your needs which are absorbed through the body via the skin and deep breathing to relieve your body of toxins, increase circulation, affect specific emotional or physical conditions and produce an overall feeling of well being. Are you ready to relax and to reduce the stress in your life? Get a Swedish massage and start relaxing and reaping the wonderful health benefits Swedish massage has to offer today! Swedish massage should be performed by a Licensed Massage Therapist. To locate a licensed therapist in your area visit The American Massage Therapy Association at www.amtamassage.org About the Author Erica Brooks is Owner of Stress Away Family Shop which includes Stress Away Bath Shop and Stress Away Bridal Shop. She specializes in offering products, tips and resources to help you to combat the everyday stresses of life. You can reach her at http://www.stressawayfamilyshop.com and http://www.stressawaybathshop.com or via e-mail at service@stressawaybathshop.com
Physician and Patient Attitudes towards Complementary and ... - 7thSpace Interactive (press release)
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Alternative Medicine Allergies: Why Do You Have Them? Next time you reach for your Claritin, think about this: Immunological Profile In Postpartum Women Post-delivery, the whole of immune system is restored to normalcy during puerparium. One of the extensively studied immunological markers is the assessment of CA- 125. Spitzer et al15 based on a prospective study reported that, there occurs a steep rise in CA 125 levels during first trimester of pregnancy (mean 43.1 U/mL) and the value is restored to normalcy in subsequent periods. At labor and immediately after the labor, the CA 125 levels rise steeply again (mean 39.9 u/mL) which, is restored to normalcy on day ?2. While, it is difficult to interpret the clinical application with the present knowledge, it can be concluded that, puerperal period is also meant to restore immunological status of mother to pre-pregnancy levels. Healing Through Stories Stories are powerful. How many times have you heard a child beg, *Tell me a story.* Scientists say we are wired to learn through stories. In fact, the first three polysyllabic words your child spoke are most likely Mommy, Daddy and story. Genital Herpes - Natural and Alternative Treatment Remedies Modern medical science has not been able to produce a cure for the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and can only offer pharmaceutical solutions that help ease the pain and speed up recovery from a genital herpes outbreak. For those that don't want to turn to medication to manage a lifetime of outbreaks, several holistic and natural remedies may offer a safer alternative. Do You Have Difficulty in Waking Up On Dark Winter Mornings? Our daily internal body clocks or circadian rhythms synchronise the timing of our wake/sleep patterns and our interactions with the outside world. An ADD Case Study: What Does it Mean to Fail? Josh is a client of mine who is a junior in college. He's very smart. He's amazingly smart. Talk to Josh for an hour and you'll know how smart he is. But if you don't know Josh and you look at his grades from previous semesters, you would probably guess that he wasn't smart at all. Superb Skin Disorder Relief found in Common Diaper Rash Ointment "Accidental" discoveries are made each day. Common substances can sometimes be utilized for other purposes in which they were initially intended. One of these common substances, also known as the widely-used diaper rash ointment, (specifically) -- Dr. Sheffield's Diaper Rash ointment, a mostly natural compound composed of zinc oxide and vitamins A and D, standardly used for diaper rash, minor skin irritations and chafed skin. Bath Time For Your Alzheimer's Patient Caring for an Alzheimer's patient is one of the most difficult things you can do. It involves a lot of energy, time and patience. It can be very frustrating. People with Alzheimer's may refuse help from caregivers. This is a sign that they are actually trying to communicate with you. Refusal to accept care is a sign that something is missing or not right. It's up to the caregiver to assess the situation. A Lifestyle Approach to Remedy Snoring If you want to remedy snoring, you have to find the underlying cause. Snoring is not an affliction like the common cold, where you wake up one morning and you've just got it. It is something that normally arrives slowly over time. Most people can't remember the day and date that their snoring started. It was sometime in my mid 30's or some such vague description is the normal response to a question on its arrival. Some Tips on Stopping Smoking Are you looking for tips on stopping smoking? And would you like to know what are some ways to help quit? Now let me remind you that when we come to the actual quitting process, that it is not going to be easy. Please do not consider yourself to be superhuman so be ready to get external help if you need it. As I told you earlier, there might be physical, mental and emotional changes when you stop smoking. But you do not have to worry. There is plenty of help available nowadays. Below are some tips on stopping smoking: Boost Self Confidence Through Hypnotherapy What is self confidence and how do you get it? The compact oxford english dictionary is simple in its definition: "a feeling of trust in one's abilities, qualities, and judgment". A positive sense of self confidence is more than just believing in you. Self confidence means that you have a respect for yourself and your abilities that allows you to take risks in life and put one foot in front of the other daily. You can build your self esteem with hypnotherapy, and by reading self improvement articles and books. How to Use a Footbath with Herbs Recently I read a book by William L. Fischer called "Hidden Secrets of Super Perfect Health at Any Age", Book II, 1986. In chapter 10, The F-M Circulizer System, he discusses the use of an herbal footbath. After reading this chapter, I understood the importance of using herbs in a footbath to improve your health. It's a simple concept yet this is the first time I have read about this idea.This book was written in 1986 and Fischer claims this herbal footbath has been in use overseas since 1946! Use Fresh Herbs In Your Cooking Many common herbs that you might use in cooking are well known for there healing properties. Using them in cooking is a great way to incorporate the healing attributes of natural herbs with your meals. Chances are you probably already use some herbs in your cooking like basil and thyme but experimenting with even more herbs can add taste to your dishes while improving health. Seven Sinus Headache Solutions 1. Try steam inhalation as one of your sinus headache solutions. Steam inhalation is an excellent way of clearing all the spaces inside. If you have an infection too, steam inhalation can be very soothing. But there is a word of caution that I have to offer here, before you start undertaking this method as one of your sinus headache solutions, Anxiety Anxiety is a pernicious little devil; it can hold us back, freeze our creativity and diminish our ability to fight our way out of trouble. Anxiety leads to a 'vicious cycle' in which anxiety feeds poor performance which increases anxiety and . . . you get the picture. Understanding Aromatherapy In the 1920's, a French cosmetic chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, was one day making fragrances in his laboratory, when he accidentally burned his arm. He then thrust his badly burnt arm into the nearest cold liquid, which turned out to be a tub of lavender oil. To his surprise, the pain was decreased dramatically and left no usual burn results, such as, redness, heat, inflammation, and blisters. He also noticed that the wound healed quickly and left none of the usual scars associated with burns. It was at that point that Gattefosse dedicated his life to researching the medicinal properties of what we now call nature's essential oils. Incidentally, he was the first to coin the term aromatherapy. All Natural Shampoo - 5 Tips All Natural Shampoo - 5 Tips Here are 5 tips to ensure you are buying a true all natural shampoo product, even though the label may say all natural. All natural shampoo will not contain as an ingredient SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfate. This additive is only added to ensure the shampoo bubbles, and forms a thick lather, neither of which ensure your hair is actually clean. This is the same additive added to oven cleaners. SLS is a known, and much publicized skin irritant. No SLES is listed in the ingredients. This is a sister chemical to the SLS. While SLES is not quite as much of a skin irritant, it definitely causes drying of the skin. You should avoid SLS and SLES at all costs. No PEG is added. This ingredient is normally listed as PEG-with a number behind it. Also a strong skin irritant. One of the main ingredients if brake fluid. No term fragrance will be listed in the ingredients. Fragrance is just an artificially derived chemical, which is cheap to use and makes the shampoo have an aroma to it. This is also a know skin irritant. All natural shampoos will be fragrance and enhanced with pure essential oils. No artificial colors, preservatives, or ingredients added. Just a quick check of the label will ensure you are truly buying an All Natural Shampoo product. Chronic Back Pain Magnetic Advantage Newsletter FEATURED TOPIC Chronic Back Pain By Bruce Spiegler I had been to three different physicians. The car accident in 1990 had left me with terrible back pain. The only option offered to me was prescription medication. For three years I lived with chronic pain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The prescription drugs helped relieve some of the discomfort, but I had to stop taking them when I began getting sick to my stomach which was often worse than the pain itself. Time and again I thought, "This can't be the only choice. There must be another alternative." It wasn't until 3 years later that I heard about magnetic therapy from a friend, and decided to try it. With nothing to lose, I used a magnetic pad on my back during the day and slept on a magnetic mattress pad every night. Much to my surprise, after two weeks my back felt much better. After a few months, the pain was completely gone! My wife, who had a back problem caused by herniated disks, woke up every morning with pain and stiffness. Not long after sleeping on the magnetic pad, the stiffness began to subside, and she was soon waking up pain-free as well. Although skeptical at first, I was amazed at the effectiveness of magnetic therapy, and began to intensely investigate the field of biomagnetics. Since my initial experience, I have had the pleasure of helping many people achieve similar results, enhancing the quality of life of those suffering from chronic conditions and injuries. Now I'd like to take the opportunity to help those of you who may be suffering from chronic back pain, and to tell you how to better prevent it. Back pain is the number one form of pain experienced by people in the U.S. It accounts for 20% of all injuries and illnesses in the workplace, and is responsible for as much as $50 billion in diagnosis and treatment each year [1]. The National Institutes of Health estimate that 4 out of 5 Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Not a pretty picture from any standpoint. The majority of back pain occurs in the lumbar region of the spine [2]. Here, most of your body's weight is placed on the lowest 5 of the 24 vertebrae (bones) that make up the spine. Considering all the other muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, disks, and major nerves that are also a part of or connected to the spine, it's no surprise that there are so many ways to injure your back as you twist and bend them [3]. Pain is considered chronic if it's recurring, lasts more than three months, and can seemingly be stimulated by any small movement (for whatever reason) [4]. In the 21st century, we're finally realizing that drugs and surgery are not always the answer for treating chronic pain or other musculoskeletal conditions & injuries. The future lies in an integrative approach to promoting the body's own healing ability by using non-invasive, safer treatments. Acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic and osteopathic care, and certain physical therapy exercises are just a few options to help with back pain. Following an individualistic approach to treatment is key. A particular therapy that may work for one person may not work as well for another. Often it's necessary to try a combination of treatment methods to begin feeling significant improvements. For true recovery of back injuries and disease, pain and inflammation need to be reduced, proper function and strength restored, and further injury prevented [4]. With this in mind, let's discuss how magnetic therapy can help. One of the primary benefits of magnetic therapy is the reduction of inflammation. Localized inflammation following an injury is a natural protective reaction. It creates an imbalance in sodium and potassium ion (charged particle) concentrations at a cellular level. As a result, fluid accumulates in the cells, causing the injured tissue to become inflamed. (Think of it as retaining water after eating salty food.) If there's no intervention, the body will eventually heal itself and the inflammation will subside. However, this process can be very slow and painful. Because of this, treatments that can safely speed the overall process are needed--particularly in the case of chronic conditions like arthritis. Applying a bio-north magnetic field safely rebalances electrochemical ion concentrations. Excess fluids and toxins are flushed from the cells and removed through the lymphatic system. As a result, healing time is often reduced by as much as 50%. Since major nerve bundles run through the spine, it's obvious why back pain is so common. Pain is caused by an electrochemical signal sent to the brain. The normal electric potential of a neuron (nerve cell) is around -70mV when in a resting state. When injured, a neuron's charge becomes positive due to a shift in chemical ion balances. This triggers a pain signal to be sent to the brain. Applying a bio-north (negative polarity) magnetic field lowers a neuron's electric potential, bringing it closer to its normal, negative state. As a result, the pain signal diminishes faster, and in most cases, will eventually stop. Another important goal when recovering from back injuries is restoring mobility. Magnetic therapy helps relax muscle tissue, thereby increasing flexibility and reducing the incidence of muscle spasms. About four years ago, researchers in Italy tested the effects of a magnetic seating system on several volunteers. Each person participated by either driving or remaining seated at a computer workstation for prolonged periods--both with and without the magnetic system. "The results showed a decreased myoelectric (neuron) activity both at shoulder and lumbar level by using the magnet-based sitting system for prolonged seated work tasks...The system appears to be an effective tool in preventing muscle contractures secondary to prolonged, constrained positions" [5]. Because it can be so difficult and painful to move, many people feel they need to rest for a few days after injuring their back. But did you know that bed rest should really be minimized or avoided? According to David Lehrman, M.D. (chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Francis Hospital and founder of the Lehrman Back Center in Miami, FL), "for every week of bed rest, it takes two weeks to rehabilitate" [3]. A 1995 study in Helsinki, Finland found that out of 186 subjects, those who went about their daily activities as tolerated had greater flexibility and less pain than those who underwent back-mobilizing exercises. The *slowest* recovery was seen in subjects that were prescribed two days of bed rest [6]. While an interesting fact, it's one that some of us may grumble about. Bear in mind we still have to sleep and give our bodies a chance to heal and recuperate. As I found out years ago, sleeping on the proper magnetic mattress pad will help speed the healing process and can significantly reduce chronic pain over time. Back in 1990, a 12-month clinical test on the effects of magnetic mattress pads was conducted in Tokyo, Japan. The study, led by Dr. Kazuo Shimodaira, involved 431 subjects. 375 of them received full-sized magnetic pads and the remaining subjects received sham mattress pads for control. (Each magnetic pad contained 124 permanent ferrite magnets with field strengths of 750-950 Gauss.) Here are the results of the yearlong test: On average, 53.3% of the subjects realized the effect of the magnetic mattress pad within 3 days, and over 70% within 5 days. What's more is that thorough testing for side effects was conducted and none were found [7]. (Note: The magnetic mattress pads used in this study did not produce very strong magnetic fields. As stronger magnetic fields are more effective, a higher energy pad would improve results even further.) Supporting these findings, a 1997 Johns Hopkins pain center treatment study compared magnetic therapy for chronic pain with a placebo therapy. It concluded that people using the magnetic therapy showed a dramatic improvement, whereas the placebo group improved only minimally. Again, there were no side effects detected [8]. Since the vast majority of adults are not in 'ideal' physical condition, the risk of back injury for them is greatly increased. If you are out of shape and are planning an activity that requires lifting, bending or twisting, it's a good idea to take steps that can help prevent injury in the first place. Magnetic therapy is an excellent way of accomplishing this. There are three primary actions that take place when using magnetic therapy for prevention. The first two are its ability to increase circulation and to relax muscles. The effects are similar to warming up and stretching before a strenuous workout. It's really the third action that sets magnetic therapy apart from anything else though. Magnetic therapy can effectively control energy flow along the body's acupuncture meridians (energy channels). Placing a magnetic pad or support over an area channels the body's energy directly to that location. Increased energy availability, combined with improved circulation, significantly extends the amount of time that one can exert themself before muscle fatigue sets in. In turn, this reduces the likelihood of muscle strain. The combination of improving blood flow, relieving muscle tension, and reducing pain makes magnetic therapy ideal for treating back conditions and preventing further injury. While effective on its own, magnetic therapy is also an excellent adjunct to other treatments. Whether chiropractic, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, or another method, it can help improve and prolong a treatment's positive results. The next time you are out and about, make use of a high-energy magnetic support or back pad. It's a simple and effective way to continue through the day with less pain and a greater range of motion. Trust me. Your back will thank you! SOURCES: 1 - Centers for Disease Control National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, June 19, 1999. 2 - Pain Central: What Causes Back Pain? 3 - Pain Foundation: Back Pain 4 - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Low Back Pain Fact Sheet 5 - PubMed: Efficacy of a chair with magnets in the prevention of musculo-skeletal disorders caused by prolonged sitting. 6 - PubMed: The treatment of acute low back pain--bed rest, exercises, or ordinary activity? 7 - Summary of a 12-month double-blind, clinical test of magnetic mattress pads. Kazuo Shimodaira, M.D. Tokyo Communications and Kouseikai Suzuki Hospitals, Tokyo, Japan. 1990. 8 - "Use of magnetic therapy for chronic pain" by Joseph Kandel, M.D. and David B. Sudderth, M.D. The Arthritis Solution. TIPS & GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTHIER BACK The National Institutes of Health provides guidelines for maintaining a healthier back. Following these and a few other tips will greatly increase your chances of preventing further injury while strengthening your back muscles. When Standing: Keep your weight balanced on your feet. Your back supports weight most easily when curvature is reduced. Don't slouch when standing or sitting. (Keep your hands lightly clasped behind your lower back. This improves posture for your neck, shoulders and upper back, and reduces muscle tension.) Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes. When sitting: Make sure your work surface is at a comfortable height for you. Sit in a chair with good lumbar support and proper position/height for the task. (Use a pillow, rolled towel, or lumbar cushion if needed.) Switch sitting positions often and periodically take a short walk or light stretch to relieve tension and restore blood circulation. If you must sit for a long period of time, rest your feet on a low stool or a stack of books. When lifting: Don't try to lift objects too heavy for you! Pull in your stomach muscles, keep your head down and in line with your straight back, and lift with your legs. Keep the object close to your body. Do not twist when lifting. Do not carry an object in one hand if it causes you to lean to one side. (Use both hands, or carry an additional item to balance the load.) Exercise: Always warm-up and stretch before exercise or other strenuous activity. Following a prolonged period of inactivity, begin a program of regular low-impact exercises. (Ask a physician or orthopedist for recommended exercises appropriate for your age and requirements.) Speed walking, swimming, or stationary bike riding for 30 minutes a day can increase muscle strength and flexibility. Yoga or Tai Chi can help stretch and strengthen muscles, and improve posture. Everyday habits: Maintain proper nutrition and diet to reduce and prevent excessive weight (especially around the waist area). If you smoke, quit. Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes spinal disks to degenerate. - Magnetic Advantage - Your source for magnetic therapy news,research, and natural pain relief Going Back to the Basics: Revival of Traditional Treatment through Herbs Herbal medicine has its origins in ancient cultures including those of the Egyptians, American Indians and Chinese. It involves the medicinal use of plants to treat disease and enhance general health and wellbeing. Toxic Plastic Water Bottles I recently received a question from one of my readers about the safety of drinking water from clear plastic water bottles. These bottles, made from Lexan polycarbonate resin (a plastic polymer), are widely used for single-serving sales to one-gallon of water in stores and home-delivery bottles.
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