Recent studies praising the many health benefits of tea – reduced rates of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and some cancers – have increased its popularity and consumption. Additional research now suggests tea can help focus a scattered mind.
Much of the current research has examined the healthful properties of tea: antioxidants, flavonols, catechins and lignans. These elements can help the body fight off disease, improve blood vessel dilation and lower the risk of aortic atherosclerosis.
New research suggests components in the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant could help people focus and pay more attention to certain tasks. The purported mechanism for this action is an amino acid called theanine, which is found in green, black and oolong teas.
As more and more properties are studied, tea could prove to be a great ally in the fight against other major diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In fact, a study done on mice at the National Parkinson Foundation Centers in Israel found that the main antioxidant in tea showed an ability to slow brain cell death and encourage neurons to repair themselves.
So, next time you're at your local coffee hangout, don't order a cup of joe – try a soothing cup of tea instead. Give your body and mind a boost.
To Your Health [April 8, 2008]
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Rotator Cuff Problems
By Joel Schwartz, DC
The most common cause of shoulder pain is a problem with the rotator cuff muscles and tendons of the shoulder. You may have heard of these muscles before in conjunction with injuries to baseball players, tennis players, golfers or other athletes. The truth is, these injuries affect most of us to one degree or another.
1. Despite their small size, these muscles provide the primary means of stability to your shoulder joint. They are working hard with any movement your arm makes.
2. These muscles are inadequately strengthened by most fitness and sports exercise regimens, thus they are not properly conditioned.
3. Most of us lack coordination in the joints of our shoulder, neck and upper back region as a result of poor posture and repetitive motions. This results in a continual friction and abrasion to the rotator cuff muscles and tendons.
4. Previous shoulder injuries treated only with rest and medication were not properly rehabilitated and are prone to re-injury until properly conditioned by corrective exercise and deep massage.
5. The blood supply to the rotator cuff muscles starts to atrophy somewhat in people over the age of 40.
These problems present a truly unique opportunity for the massage therapist. With proper training, you can have the best tools for the non-drug or non-surgical treatment of these injuries, as they respond very well to exacting soft tissue work and exercise. So, really no other health care practitioner has an advantage over you here.
Although there are many causes of rotator cuff problems, one very interesting and common cause is impingement. Understanding impingement is critical to being able to successfully treat rotator cuff problems. Impingement exists when shoulder joint structures get pinched as the arm is raised. The structures that can get pinched are the subacromial bursa, the supraspinatus tendon and the tendon of the long head of the biceps brachii. These important structures are located in the subacromial space.
The subacromial space is located underneath the coracoacromial arch. This arch is a bridge-like structure spanned by the coracoacromial ligament, which runs between the acromion process posteriorly and the coracoid process anteriorly.
Why do structures of the subacromial space get pinched? This occurs for basically two reasons. First, the height of the subacromial space might be decreased. This could be due to a bone spur growing off the undersurface of the acromioclavicular joint, or sometimes the acromion itself might be hooked and projecting downward into the subacromial space. Secondly, the proximal humerus can fail to glide inferiorly in the shoulder joint socket as the arm is raised. If the proximal humerus does not glide downward, it will rise up when the arm is raised and the tendons and bursa will be pinched between the humerus and the coracoacromial arch. The humerus can fail to glide downward either because the rotator cuff is weak or the shoulder joint capsule is tight in its posterior and inferior portions.
The weakness in the rotator cuff and tightness in the shoulder joint capsule can be treated with therapy. Bone spurs and the actual anatomy of the acromion cannot be changed, but better movement and control of the shoulder joint can make them less of a factor in impingement. Correcting the factors causing impingement will have a huge positive effect in the client with rotator cuff problems.
How do you correct these factors?
- Use neuromuscular and myofascial techniques to treat adhesions and trigger points in the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff. When these muscles and tendons are free of adhesions and trigger points, they will be stronger and function much better in their important job of stabilizing the shoulder joint. They also will not be a source of pain.
- Learn techniques to increase the flexibility of the shoulder joint capsule itself.
Comprehensively strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and also the key scapular stabilizers such as the lower and middle trapezius, the rhomboids and the serratus anterior. - Strengthening the scapular stabilizers will prevent a secondary impingement, which results from a lack of the control of the scapula as it glides along the chest wall.
Treating the rotator cuff in this manner allows you to provide a service to your clients they cannot easily get elsewhere. Most people still have these problems treated with rest and medication, which provide no long-term benefit in preventing re-injury. Thus, you provide a much-needed service and all that is required of you is to acquire the necessary skills. I hope this will wet your appetite for learning about this interesting area.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Feel Better in Just 20 Minutes a Week
Massage is known to help decrease stress through it's effect on the parasympathetic nervous system. Workouts combined with massage have been found to be highly effective in helping increase muscle and tendon recovery.
"Harmonizing the body, mind, and soul"
A mere 20 minutes a week of any physical activity, including housework or gardening, will boost mental health, according to a large study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The researchers surveyed almost 20,000 men and women about their mental state and how much physical activity they did per week.
It turns out that any form of daily physical activity was associated with a lower risk of distress. The range of beneficial activities included housework, gardening, walking and sports. The strongest effect was seen for sports, which lowered the risk of distress by 33 percent.
Results also indicated that as little as 20 minutes of activity per week improved mental state. As you might expect, the more activity a person indulged in, the lower their chances of psychological distress. And obviously, there are physical benefits to increasing one's physical activity.
The researchers stated, "Mental health benefits were observed at a minimal level of at least 20 minutes per week of any physical activity, although a dose-response pattern was demonstrated with greater risk reduction for activity at a higher volume and/or intensity."
So grab your vacuum cleaner or your gardening trowel and spend at least 20 minutes brightening up your house or your yard, as well as your mental state!
To Your Health
July, 2008 (Vol. 02, Issue 07)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
5 Stength Training Tips for Women
Schedule regular massage sessions to help with muscle recovery after your workouts.
Personal Training
These days, many women have jumped on the cardio bandwagon and are making a point of hitting the treadmill or the elliptical machine a few times a week. Not a bad idea, considering government guidelines for heart health recommend engaging in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise three to four days per week.
However, not enough women emphasize strength training in their workout routines. Perhaps it's a fear of getting hurt or doing it "wrong," but many women avoid weights altogether and think of the free-weight section of the gym as the area where the bodybuilders hang out. The following five tips will help educate and encourage you to venture into that muscle-bound area of the gym to get the most out of your weekly workout routines.
1. Vary your workout with an interval program. This means that instead of working at the same pace on the treadmill or stationary bike for an hour or more, you should alternate quick bursts of speed with a recovery period. Combine this with a strength training regimen and you're on your way to fitting into those skinny jeans.
2. Make it a priority to lift weights three times a week. Beginning a lifting routine once a week is better than not lifting at all, but you aren't going to notice too many changes. Twice a week is better, but still isn't going to give you the results you want. However, any more than three times a week and your muscles won't have enough time to recover between workouts.
3. Increase the weight you lift over time and lift enough weight to make a difference. It's important to find the right balance between going for the heaviest weight in the room and going for the lightest. You want to make sure you are lifting enough to make a significant difference. Experts advise choosing a weight you can lift for at least 8-10 reps. Once you can lift a particular weight consistently for 12 reps, go to the next highest weight and go back to lifting it at 8-10 reps and so on. (Note: To learn more about how much weight you should be lifting, read Chelsea Cooper's exercise series, "A Total-Body Workout in Five Easy Steps," online at http://www.toyourhealth.com/. The five-part series began in July 2007.)
4. Exercises that work smaller muscles won't necessarily get you the best results. Small and large muscles need to work together, as part of a larger complex system, to get you the results you want. That means you need to work the chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps and legs. Remember, it's about getting your entire body in shape, not just specific areas or muscle groups.
5. Traditional crunches aren't the answer. It's hard to find the motivation to do crunches in the first place, but having to lie flat on the hard floor to perform this exercise would make even the most die-hard workout junkie come up with an excuse. An alternative to traditional crunches is to perform the same motion on an exercise ball. This will help provide some cushion for your back and allow you to work all of your abdominal muscles by providing a complete range of motion.
6/10/2008 To Your Health [Vol. 2, Issue 14]
Thursday, May 29, 2008
A Brief History of Spa
There are several theories suggesting how the word "spa" came into being, including the Latin word "espa," meaning fountain, or the word "spagere," meaning bubble up, to scatter, sprinkle or moisten. Other possible origins include "Salus Per Aquam," Latin for health by water; "Solus Per Aqua," meaning to enter through water; "Salut Per Aqua," Latin for health or relaxation through water; and "Sanitas Per Aquas," for health through water.
Initially, the Romans used natural hot springs and thermal baths as a means of health and wellness, initially for the benefit of wounded soldiers. Over time, however, thermal and mineral baths evolved into elaborate structures, used for socializing and relaxation, as well as continued medical treatment.
Today, spas fill many of the same needs as they did thousands of years ago, including relaxation, wellness and stress relief by incorporating many of the same methods embraced by the ancients such as a multitude of hydrotherapy treatments, body scrubs and massage therapy, one of the most widely used spa treatments.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is recognized as one of the oldest methods of healing, with references in medical texts nearly 4,000 years old. In fact, Hippocrates, known as the "father of medicine," referenced massage when he wrote, in the 4th century B.C.: "The physician must be acquainted with many things, and assuredly with rubbing."
Now a days, in addition to "rubbing," massage therapy, often referred to as bodywork or somatic therapy, refers to the application of various techniques to the muscular structure and soft tissues of the body that include applying fixed or movable pressure, holding, vibration, rocking, friction, kneading and compression using primarily the hands, although massage therapists do use other areas of the body, such as the forearms, elbows or feet. All of the techniques are used for the benefit of the musculoskeletal, circulatory-lymphatic, nervous, and other systems of the body. In fact, massage therapy positively influences the overall health and well-being of the client. It's physical and mental benefits include:
Relaxing the whole body
Loosening and relieving tired, aching and tight muscles
Increasing flexibility and range of motion
Diminishing chronic pain
Calming the nervous system
Lowering blood pressure and heart rate
Enhancing skin tone
Aiding in recovery following injuries and illness
Strengthening the immune system
Reducing headaches and mental stress
Improving relaxation
Promoting restful sleep
Compliments of SpaTherapy.com
Friday, May 2, 2008
Melt Your Aches with Hot Stone Massage!
Mobile & Studio Prices http://titangoddessholistictherapies.com
(article by Jon Lumsden © 2003 Massage Marketing. All rights reserved.)
Your personal condition sets the stage for how you experience each day of your life. It’s only natural to want to feel the best you can. Those who take an active role in improving their overall health know that one needs to address all aspects of life —the emotional and mental as well as the physical. A great way to accomplish this is to help your body to relax with regular massages.
If you are interested in experiencing the best bodywork session possible, you’re going to love a massage that incorporates hot stones! Combining the many benefits of massage with the addition of soothing, penetrating heat, this treatment will take your bodywork sessions to a new level.
How does bodywork help?
One of the main reasons massage is able to do so much to improve health and function is the way it helps to deal with stress. According to Sandra McLanahan, M.D., “Massage therapy is beneficial for almost all diseases. Eighty percent of disease is stress-related, and massage reduces stress.”
Your body does much of its maintenance, regeneration and healing while you are resting. It follows that when your body is more relaxed, it will be better equipped to do its job and keep you healthier. Relieving the stress and tension that so easily accumulates in your neck, shoulders and back can help to open your body’s lines of communication. And when the stress goes, you feel like a brand-new person, happy and alive!
What part do the stones play?
Massage alone does a great job of bringing about this relaxation of tense muscles, etc. By adding the penetrating heat of these smooth stones, the result you can experience is enhanced greatly.
Adding this comforting source of warmth increases both the speed and degree of relaxation you’ll experience. Additionally, this deeper state of muscular relaxation allows a more intense level of bodywork on those trouble areas with little or no lingering soreness afterward.
Most of us have used a heating pad or hot water bottle on an aching neck or back and know how soothing the application of heat can be. Now imagine the combination of relaxing massage strokes and heated stones loosening all those tense muscles and relaxing your joints. The deep, penetrating heat draws blood into the area, increasing circulation and creating an extremely relaxed state.
An ancient therapy rediscovered...
Though relatively new in our modern culture, hot stones have been used therapeutically for thousands of years. The ancient civilizations in Egypt, China, and Japan as well as North American Indians all found beneficial treatments using the soothing stones. From a means of alleviating pain and stress to helping with menstrual discomfort and even serving as an aid during childbirth, the hot stones helped our ancient ancestors deal with many of their physical complaints and to pursue improved health.
Too often in modern society, the common approach to dealing with pain and discomfort is to mask the sensations with pain-killing drugs. A much better approach is to do something that works to handle the source of the problem. Helping your body deal with tension and soreness has never been more enjoyable, thanks to the availability of hot stone massage.
In summary, incorporating hot stone therapy into your bodywork sessions:
• Increases circulation
• Increases metabolism
• Decreases pain
• Decreases muscle spasm
• Decreases joint and tissue stiffness
This article is excerpted from the Staying in Touch client education newsletter: Hot Stone Massage.
(article by Jon Lumsden © 2003 Massage Marketing. All rights reserved.)
Your personal condition sets the stage for how you experience each day of your life. It’s only natural to want to feel the best you can. Those who take an active role in improving their overall health know that one needs to address all aspects of life —the emotional and mental as well as the physical. A great way to accomplish this is to help your body to relax with regular massages.
If you are interested in experiencing the best bodywork session possible, you’re going to love a massage that incorporates hot stones! Combining the many benefits of massage with the addition of soothing, penetrating heat, this treatment will take your bodywork sessions to a new level.
How does bodywork help?
One of the main reasons massage is able to do so much to improve health and function is the way it helps to deal with stress. According to Sandra McLanahan, M.D., “Massage therapy is beneficial for almost all diseases. Eighty percent of disease is stress-related, and massage reduces stress.”
Your body does much of its maintenance, regeneration and healing while you are resting. It follows that when your body is more relaxed, it will be better equipped to do its job and keep you healthier. Relieving the stress and tension that so easily accumulates in your neck, shoulders and back can help to open your body’s lines of communication. And when the stress goes, you feel like a brand-new person, happy and alive!
What part do the stones play?
Massage alone does a great job of bringing about this relaxation of tense muscles, etc. By adding the penetrating heat of these smooth stones, the result you can experience is enhanced greatly.
Adding this comforting source of warmth increases both the speed and degree of relaxation you’ll experience. Additionally, this deeper state of muscular relaxation allows a more intense level of bodywork on those trouble areas with little or no lingering soreness afterward.
Most of us have used a heating pad or hot water bottle on an aching neck or back and know how soothing the application of heat can be. Now imagine the combination of relaxing massage strokes and heated stones loosening all those tense muscles and relaxing your joints. The deep, penetrating heat draws blood into the area, increasing circulation and creating an extremely relaxed state.
An ancient therapy rediscovered...
Though relatively new in our modern culture, hot stones have been used therapeutically for thousands of years. The ancient civilizations in Egypt, China, and Japan as well as North American Indians all found beneficial treatments using the soothing stones. From a means of alleviating pain and stress to helping with menstrual discomfort and even serving as an aid during childbirth, the hot stones helped our ancient ancestors deal with many of their physical complaints and to pursue improved health.
Too often in modern society, the common approach to dealing with pain and discomfort is to mask the sensations with pain-killing drugs. A much better approach is to do something that works to handle the source of the problem. Helping your body deal with tension and soreness has never been more enjoyable, thanks to the availability of hot stone massage.
In summary, incorporating hot stone therapy into your bodywork sessions:
• Increases circulation
• Increases metabolism
• Decreases pain
• Decreases muscle spasm
• Decreases joint and tissue stiffness
This article is excerpted from the Staying in Touch client education newsletter: Hot Stone Massage.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Cleanse Your Body
TitanGoddess Holistic Therapies
"Harmonizing the body, mind, and soul"
We offer the IonCleanse Foot Bath Detox. Call today to schedule your appointment.
Are you considering a fast or a detox diet? It's not unusual for people to do this kind of "cleansing" after the holiday season. Many of us have been running around, preparing for the holidays, eating too much and not exercising enough. And, after all of the overindulgence and stress, we want to begin a healthier new year.
Cleansing is used to promote health and healing by reducing toxic intake and removing toxins from the body. It has become extremely popular, with several detox programs on the market. The wide variety of cleansing programs or detox diets include different combinations of therapeutic components such as cleansing herbs, juice or water fasting, whole-food or raw-food diets, colonic irrigation and hydrotherapy.
What is common across all detoxification programs is that you will eat differently, usually much less, so you can support the elimination of toxins from your body. These programs are usually short-term and emphasize whole, organic, non-genetically-modified foods (especially fruits and vegetables) that provide the vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants the body needs for detoxification.
There is no empirical scientific evidence on the health effects of detoxification diets. However, studies on various plants and herbs show positive effects on certain detoxification organ systems. The strongest evidence that supports dietary detoxification programs is related to caloric restriction and fasting. Research suggests fasting can lower blood pressure, regulate blood glucose, lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation. Studies have shown, however, that in order to sustain the health benefits of fasting, individuals need to modify their diets over the long term.
You should always consult your health care professional before doing a cleanse or a detox diet, especially if you have a medical condition. Detox diets are not advised for children or women who are pregnant or nursing.
To Your Health Newsletter, January 22, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Stress Reduction Techniques (article)
TitanGoddess Holistic Therapies
"Harmonizng the body, mind, and soul"
Stress is more than a discomfort. Studies indicate that it can be a threat to your health. A study published in the journal Neurology in 2003 found that the people most prone to distress were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease as the people least prone to distress. A Duke University study found that heart patients could dramatically reduce their chance of further cardiac problems by practicing stress-reduction techniques. A study published in December 2005 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that stress can increase the odds of developing skin cancer.
More recently, scientists from Australia's Garvan Institute have found that during periods of stress, nerves release a great deal of neuropeptide Y (NPY) into the bloodstream. NPY directly impacts the cells in the immune system that seek out and destroy bacteria and viruses -- which suggests people may be more vulnerable to illness during periods of stress. And last year, the journal Science reported that stress can even make you forgetful.
So what can you do to keep your stress levels low, and help yourself feel healthier? Following are some tried-and-true tips from fibromyalgia patients:
• Margit Crane suggests a warm bath scented with a favorite aroma. Aromatherapists tout lavender as one of the scents that help people relax. You may want to relax in the tub by candlelight, or add bubble bath to increase your relaxation response.
• Breathe easy. You can find books about different breathing techniques, as well as a number of websites (http://www.breath.org/ and http://www.breathing.com/, just to name two), which contain tips for relaxation breathing. Or just try a very simple exercise: inhale deeply, and take twice as long to exhale as you did to inhale. A few minutes of relaxation breathing can make a very big difference in a stressful day.
• Prepare for fighting future stressors. Laura Collins created lists of her negative stressors, or "downdrafts," and a list of her positive stressors, or "uplifts." These are things she enjoys doing, things that make her feel better. "When I am experiencing a 'downdraft,' I pick two cards from my 'uplift' deck and do those," she says. "It balances me."
• Take some time for yourself every day -- a few minutes to meditate, go for a leisurely walk, or just enjoy a cup of tea. Laura R. McMullen also recommends scheduling larger blocks of time for yourself. "Take a day off a week," she suggests. "Work your schedule so that you can enjoy one day, or one afternoon, to yourself, where you're not required to do anything."
• Keep an eye on your diet. When Miriam Deniz feels stressed or unwell, she craves broccoli; McMullen found that her outlook dramatically improved when she eliminated all refined sugar from her diet. It is especially recommended that fibromyalgia patients avoid aspartame, caffeine and alcohol.
• Find a passion. Even if it's an activity that sometimes causes you physical discomfort, the pleasure you take in the activity itself may improve your outlook -- and create a relaxation response. For Scherry A. Clarke, that passion is her horses. "They keep me active and busy, help stave off depression, and have raised me up during some of the lowest points of my life with their love and loyalty," she says. "Yes ... I will feel pain from my activities, and sometimes that pain will be mind-blowing; severe enough to literally knock me off of my feet. However, I will never, ever stop trying to get up again. This is my life ... and I can either choose to 'sit it out' or 'dance.' I have chosen to dance."
• Adopt a relaxation practice, such as meditation or hypnosis. Be sure to practice on a regular basis!
• Embrace spirituality. "Understand, with certainty, that you can make your situation more tolerable, no matter what the circumstances," says Celeste Taylor. "Realizing that stress will most likely never change the outcome of a situation, begin to relax and place your faith in God or a higher universal being of your choice. Smile at this comforting realization."
Elisabeth Deffner is the editor of Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine and the National Fibromyalgia Association's e-newsletter, FMOnline. For more information about fibromyalgia and the National Fibromyalgia Association, go to http://www.fmaware.org/.
Compliments of NewsTarget.com
Friday, January 11, 2008
Links
As you begin to develop a meditation routine, different and sometimes unexpected emotions might emerge. Whether joy or sorrow, don't be afraid to let your emotions out. You also might discover that you have more energy and less fatigue throughout the day. As this habit becomes a natural part of your life, you'll see how differently you will begin to view situations that used to stress you out or push you over your emotional limit.
To Your Health Newsletter, January 8, 2008
My Website
http://www.kiwellnessstudio.com/
Networking
http://myspace.com/tghtwellness
Massage Benefits and Contra-indications
http://www.wellkneadedmassage.com/whatis.html#benefits
Personal Training
http://www.bodyworkbynat.com/
Submit Service Reviews
www.kiwellnessstudio.com/contact.html
To Your Health Newsletter, January 8, 2008
My Website
http://www.kiwellnessstudio.com/
Networking
http://myspace.com/tghtwellness
Massage Benefits and Contra-indications
http://www.wellkneadedmassage.com/whatis.html#benefits
Personal Training
http://www.bodyworkbynat.com/
Submit Service Reviews
www.kiwellnessstudio.com/contact.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)