The Wonders Of A Full Body Massage
Posted on November 19, 2008
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History records the prevalence of the full body massage as a regular feature of ancient civilizations - Hellenic, Egyptian, Roman, and Asian. Even then, centuries ago, a massage could not be administered by just anyone. Social historians say that the masseur or masseuse had a status somewhere between a physician and a priest in ancient Egypt. This esteem was well deserved, because the massage requires specialized training to be performed properly and correctly.
Massage is a form of psychosomatic treatment. By ‘psychosomatic treatment’ I mean that which affects the body and the mind in consort. A trained masseuse will use her knowledge of physiology to soothe the nerves. This calms the recipient’s mind. The masseuse will also manipulate the muscles and tissues to relieve physical tension. So you benefit bodily and mentally in many wonderful ways. An untrained practitioner focuses only on the physical aspect, the body. Therefore such a massage is only half done, and leaves you vaguely unsatisfied.
Massage is based on a specific psychosomatic treatment that is popularly called ‘touch therapy’. We all know the effect and value of a hearty hug, an emotional embrace, a tender touch, and a kindly kiss. Few know that these ‘touches’ actually help the body to heal itself in an inexplicable but wonderful way. The massage stimulates the blood circulation which is a prime treatment in itself, because a better blood flow improves excretion of toxic substances from the body, improves the supply of oxygen to the muscles and organs, improves the supply of disease-fighting antibodies to sites under virulent attack. Even the skin benefits from a massage. It becomes tauter, even radiant, so much so that people not only look younger they actually feel younger! So who needs Ponce de Leon when you have a good masseuse!
Never had a full body massage before? It is a truly wonderful experience, as we’ll describe below.
I’ll walk you through your first massage. The first step is to select a well-reputed massage parlor. You go to the receptionist, register yourself, and set up an appointment. The usual charge is $50 to $100 for an hour-long session. You step into a private cabin, step out of your clothes, and lie face down on the massage table. You’ll be covered with a sheet, just to keep the warmth in. The masseuse will begin massaging you, using a massage oil to help her hands move smoothly over you. There are special strokes used in a massage like strokes, circular motions, pressing actions, and a gentle kneading action.
It is common for the masseuse to begin the massage at the feet and then work her way up, past the legs, up to the hips. You will feel the warmth generated by her hands flowing into the muscles, relaxing each fiber, untwisting the veins and arteries, nerves and tendons and ligaments. There are a number of methods of massage. You should let the massage therapist select the one that is best for you. When you have had ten or more massages, you’ll be experienced enough to make your own choice!
From the hips her hands will move over the back, the arms and shoulders, the neck, and finally the head.
You will feel a wonderful, gentle glow that is completely restorative. Just remember that massage as a therapy must be performed only by trained, licensed massage therapists, who have undergone a rigorous training in physiology. The strokes they use, the pressure to be applied, all this is part of their intense professional syllabus. They must pass a state-approved examination which includes a written portion as well as a practical portion before they are certified as professional massage therapists and licensed for public practice. All this is done to ensure that the recipient of the massage is not harmed in any way. So what are you waiting for?
Nature’s Best Pain Reliever
Posted on November 16, 2008
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So many folks are bearing some sort of physical pain, and are in need of an effective form of pain relief. One that is more than just a masking agent (one that just blocks the pain sensation), but instead heals while reducing pain. Helichrysum essential oil has the ability to do both. Noted by many therapists as one of the most profoundly healing essential oils used today, Helichrysum italicum is used with success for a great many physical ailments. One of North America’s leading medical aromatherapists has noted the oil’s effects to be so convincing as to have “never met with any kind of criticism” from the conventional medical community. The oil is readily available, and easy to use — here’s more about it, and how to make best use of it for your needs.
The essential oil steam distilled from the little yellow flowers of the Helichrysum plant (the oil is also known as ‘Everlasting’ and ‘Immortelle’) is in a class by itself for the three most important factors for a medicine: safety, efficacy and ease-of-use. Some essential oils used for pain must be used with caution; those containing methyl salicilate should be used sparingly due to their toxicity potential. Helichrysum however, has no such restrictions in the aromatherapy literature. It is in fact, one of the few essential oils recommended for direct application to the skin in the most critical or immediate cases.
Its efficacy is unsurpassed. Most folks who use it find the pain relief nearly immediate — “it just makes the pain go away”, “it’s amazing” and other similar comments are frequently uttered when the oil is used. The oil is recommended for ANY kind of pain: joint pain, muscular aches and pains, back pain, neck pain, nerve pain, and pain resulting from surgery and trauma. In most cases, a simple preparation of the oil in any common aromatherapy carrier oil is the formula of choice. Jojoba is commonly used for aches and pains; Rosehip seed oil and Tamanu are selected when healing skin damage (or reducing scarring).
Mixing your own topical preparation is very simple: just mix one part Helichrysum to nine parts ‘carrier oil’ in a separate bottle. This makes a 10% concentration. Some users create formulas as strong as 20% Helichrysum, others with as little as 5%. Using the lowest concentration necessary is more a question of cost than anything else — the pure essential oil is relatively costly, particularly the highest quality, rarest varieties. The pure essential oil applied ‘neat’ or undiluted is called for when a trauma has just occurred. For example, if one has just twisted an ankle, or really any serious injury where bruising will occur, several drops of the essential oil should be applied immediately and then again every hour or so until the potential for hematoma is eliminated.
In addition to its pain-relieving action, the pure essential oil includes natural constituents which actually speed wound healing. It is thought that this is a result of the oil quenching free radicals in the injured area, and signaling tissues to regenerate. For these reasons, Helichrysum is also found in many formulas for healing and anti-aging of the skin. Helichrysum is also excellent for burns, and just a little bit of oil on small burns can provide immediate relief. (If using for injuries with broken skin, avoid use if excessive bleeding is an issue, as the oil acts as an anticoagulant. Use only once bleeding has stopped completely, and is not likely to be of concern again in these cases).
The most potently-healing Helichrysum essential oil is considered to be the ’serotinum’ sub-species grown on the island of Corsica, France. The oil is often distilled from wild growing plants, which can be the strongest healers due to their synergistic relationship with their natural environment. The oil is also distilled from Helichrysum italicum flowers grown around Europe; one may try more than one source to find the oil that works best for them.
The profoundly effective action for pain relief provided by Helichrysum italicum essential oil is one of natural medicine’s most wonderful treasures. With its exceptional ratings for safety, efficacy and ease-of-use, the oil is unsurpassed as a healing agent for all sorts of pain. Its quick, gentle action is appreciated by the great majority of users, and is worth investigating for your own needs.
Inversion Table Therapy For Back Pain
Posted on November 15, 2008
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What is inversion table?
Inversion table is an exercises table that is designed in such a way that your feet is placed higher than your head. As a result it reduces the bad effect of gravity. In fact these tables position your body upside down, so the gravity works in the opposite direction.
Most of the doctors and physical therapist recommended to their patients with back pain. In fact for these patients most medical practitioners recommended inversion table exercise.
Inversion tables comes in many different sizes and design.They are also available from many different brands and manufacturers.
Certain design of the table are complicated, big size and difficult to operate. There are some small design that can fit into a small apartment living room.
Some inversion tables are designed to be multi functional, could also be used as a regular exercise machine. The price tag is labeled according to the features and functionality. For examples power inversion tables are more expensive than the manually operated one.
Each of the equipment could only hold certain weight and will last in a limited time. Most of the manufacturers offer limited warranty.
What are other benefits of inversion table?
The table is especially effective for people with lower back pain, since the gravity helps to stretch the back bone. As a result it provides a great relief from the lower back pain.
Older people are especially beneficial from the inversion table exercise. Largely back problems are caused by the aging process. Back pain is largely the effect of gravity constantly pulling down over a long period of time.
Inversion therapy is not new. It has been around for thousands of years.
It is known that inversion table therapy could improve blood circulation, reduce compression fatigue, reduce stress and increase relaxation. It is also effective for stress headache treatment.
Those who tried this treatment believed that it can increase flexibility in movement for older people and reduce the effects of aging caused by gravity.
Some of the doctors from western countries refuse to recommend inversion therapy to their patients. No doubt the benefit of inversion therapy is proven. Such therapy is known to help improve posture,lessen back pain,better blood circulation and increase flexibility.
Physiotherapy treatment of knee injuries
Posted on November 14, 2008
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Injuring the knee is one of the most common general and sporting injuries and can give long-term problems with pain, stability and functional activities. Physios begin with the subjective examination, asking about the cause of the injury, the amount of force involved, whether the knee swelled up quickly or the knee was unstable afterwards and the person found it difficult to weight bear.
The amount of pain a patient suffers indicates the severity of the injury involved and the particular location of the pain can point to which anatomical structures have been injured. As the knee will be very difficult to walk on in the presence of a fracture these injuries are rarely missed in diagnosis. During the examination the physiotherapist will test the knee structures to look for the cause of the injury.
The Objective Examination
Knee effusion or joint swelling is an indication of the degree of inflammation present in the knee and the physio will check the amount of swelling manually. If the swelling is severe it can be drained using needle aspiration to relieve the pressure which can interfere with normal muscle recruitment and function. The physio records the movements of the knee on the plinth non weight bearing, assessing straightening and bending of the knee (extension and flexion) and the small degrees of rotation.
The physiotherapist decides where to start treatment by their findings - how much the patient can easily move the knee, how much pain they have and how the knee behaves on testing. Active movement the patient can do themselves and the physio may gently push the joint further to test weakness or guarding. The physio will test the strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings which straighten and bend the knee respectively, seeing how much the pain or weakness affects the knee function.
The medial and lateral collateral ligaments of the knee give side to side stability to the joint, and the anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament provide front to back stability. Provided pain is not severe the physiotherapist will test these ligaments manually, pushing the knee into knock-knee and bow-leg for sideways stability and the forward and backward movement of the shin bone to assess cruciate function. The physio will palpate round the joint manually to search for clues to injured structures.
Physiotherapy treatment
Cryotherapy, or cold treatment, is an initial treatment for an acute painful knee and is used to reduce the swelling and pain. If pain is reduced then movement can occur more readily, allowing rehabilitation to progress to the next stage. A compression sleeve useful to compress the effusion as swelling inhibits the function of knee muscles. Of the knee is unstable on weight bearing a brace can be used to stabilise and protect it, with crutches or a stick necessary if the patient cannot weight bear well or achieve a reasonable gait.
Exercises to increase the strength and movement are instigated once the pain and effusion have begun to settle, working on the major weight supporting muscles of the thigh, the quadriceps and the hamstrings. The knee extensors (quadriceps) push us up from a chair, control the knee in running and walking and push us steps. Exercise progression by the physiotherapist involves non-weight bearing exercises initially, followed by rehab exercises in the gym and finally sport-focused activities.
The ability to sense the position of our joints is a vital part of normal joint function. The brain constantly checks the position of the knee and coordinates the pattern of muscle response to prevent dangerous postures. Balance work such as standing on one leg and progressing to working with balance on an unstable wobble board is started. Balance and coordination are practiced until the knee can manage rough ground and dynamic activities such as running and jumping. Good movements with a small amount or no pain, good strength and balance with normal walking mean that the knee has recovered.