All about health and treatment

Nothing is more fulfilling to me than when I feel a person is responding to my service. A muscle melting under my hands is one example.

Muscles melt when the person’s brain begins relinquishing its guarding. Guarding is the person subconsciously maintaining a higher-than-natural muscle contraction, day and night. Massaging muscles in their shortened positions triggers a neurological response of relaxation. One of your hands palpates or presses a muscle while your other hand controls muscle length by moving a limb or joint. In this way, your hands make a more direct connection with the part of the person’s brain which controls guarding. Triggering muscles to melt is only the beginning. Once you notice and relish this response, you have the opportunity to respond back, continuing the dialogue, essence to essence. Service leaps to a deeper dimension.

Massage therapists relax muscles. The muscles need relaxing because they are guarded. Guarding is the person subconsciously maintaining a higher-than-natural muscle contraction, day and night. This article introduces you to the connection between your hands and the person’s subconscious awareness. Massaging muscles in their shortened positions triggers a neurological response of relaxation. After reading this article once, any student of massage, beginning, or advanced practitioner will be able to use this simple method. I hope you find that the muscles melt more easily than before. I hope the results from your first attempt will be promising enough to motivate you to practice, so you develop your connection with the people into a truly meaningful service.

Three experts agree: Treat muscles in their shortened positions

I was first directed to massage a muscle in its shortened position in 1994 by Rich Phaigh LMT. The muscle was the psoas. While the person is face up, one of the therapist’s hands grasps under the person’s knee and moves the knee superiorly, which shortens the psoas, then the other hand’s fingertips friction the psoas. When Rich showed me this position, I found the psoas began to melt almost immediately. I was very curious to learn more.

By 1996 I had attended all four of Rich’s 3-day OnsenTherapy workshops repeated one, memorized his 400 pages of accompanying notes and 8 hours of video, spent a week in Eugene apprenticing during his regular practice there, read several books of Osteopathic Techniques and manual methods, and created my own logic charts and assessment sheets. I am not suggesting you do this. I only tell of my wholehearted immersion into Rich Phaigh’s technique as an example of how intense practice, curiosity, and self-directed inquiry promote the effectiveness of any technique. Treating muscles in their shortened positions was practiced long before the Osteopathic Techniques arose.

Unlike other forms of yoga, Kum Nye does not emphasize stretches. Instead, the tense muscle group is contracted into a shortened position for several minutes until it fatigues. (Kum Nye Relaxation, by Tarthang Tulku, Dharma Publishing, Berkeley, CA) There is a Kum Nye pose coincidentally similar to Rich Phaigh’s psoas release. Don’t lie on a massage table or bed; it is too soft to accomplish the pose. Lying on your back, bring one knee at a time up until both thighs are touching your ribs. Contract the psoas as strongly as you can while relaxing the rest of the body. Do not lift your butt off the ground by contracting your abdominals. Trembling will occur, then fatigue. A warm energy sooths the low back. Set the feet back down on the ground and rest. Do this three times. Kum Nye is taught as a way of healing oneself, but not yet taught as a method to heal others.

Kum Nye is usually considered an esoteric energy technique, but I intend to show how shortening tense muscles encourages the brain to respond with muscle relaxation. When I showed the pose to Rich Phaigh, he said it looked like it caused lumbar relaxation by reciprocal inhibition. You don’t have to believe in anything supernatural to see the benefit of the neurological response to relax. But first, one more expert.

Lawrence Jones D.O., after treating thousands of people, discovered this: when a tight muscle is palpated with one hand as the limb or joint is brought through its range of motion, a dramatic softening is felt in the trigger point at a certain position in the range (Jones, Lawrence H., DO, Strain and Counterstrain, 1981 by American Academy of Osteopathy, Newark Ohio, p 21-27). No force upon the trigger point is necessary, except to monitor for when it begins to soften. Holding this position for 90 seconds, followed by an ultra-slow return to neutral, ends the guarding. The discovery is that precise positioning alone can trigger the brain’s response to relinquish guarding. It sounds simple but the art of precisely moving a joint with one hand (simultaneously assessing its quality of motion) while palpating with the other hand (assessing for softening) requires a good teacher and much practice. This art is not yet taught in massage schools, except as continuing education. What can you do today, to take advantage of this discovery?

When I looked closer at Dr. Jones’ photos of treating a subscapularis trigger point, the position happened to be far into medial rotation, which shortens the subscapularis. Dr. Jones’ treatment of an infraspinatus trigger point happened to be far into lateral rotation, which shortens the infraspinatus. Dr. Jones did not express this point because he treated joints, not muscles. When you think of it in terms of muscles, the process becomes far simpler!

In each of the three examples above, little or no manual pressure was necessary to trigger the muscles to melt. This in itself is wonderful news. Even more exciting is the news that you already know how to treat muscles in their shortened positions. You already have some skill at palpating where the tight muscles are. For each tight muscle you find, you have already memorized its actions, origin, and insertion. Simply bring its origin closer to its insertion, and then massage the tight muscle by rubbing or pressing as you normally would.

Try this experiment

The lumbar sidebenders are massive, dense, and difficult to access. Trying to treat all of the trigger points is time consuming and exhausting, for both the giver and the receiver. To shorten the lumbar sidebenders on the left side, stand at the left side, reach under the person’s shins, and slide their legs toward you. Your left hand pushes the hip up into elevation. Now you can leave the legs there, and have both hands free for massaging the shortened left lumbar sidebenders. The muscles are already softer from lack of tensile stress, but feel how much easier the trigger points melt away. If you are not convinced yet, leave them in this position, walk around the right side of the table, and try to make the trigger points on the lengthened side melt. Prove it to yourself: The shortened position is the most favorable for encouraging the brain to change its mind about guarding.

Why is the person guarding?

Muscle guarding is a form of self-defense against a threat. The threat can be present, remembered from the past, or anticipated in the future. The anticipation of pain can be anything from physical joint pain to emotional mental pain, or a blend. I do not recommend digging for the emotional component, just as I do not recommend digging for the trigger points. When a natural method is used, little or no force is necessary. If we use force to overcome the person’s self-defense, this demonstrates that they are powerless against our superior force. How can this be called service?

The fine print, How and why muscles melt in the shortened position

Actin and myosin fibers overlap near 100% with many bonds when the muscle is in the shortened position. As the muscle is lengthened, the percentage of actin/myosin overlap lessens, and the number of bonds lessens (Juhan, Deane, Job’s Body 1987 by Station Hill Press, New York, p.116-122). Therefore, a muscle is weaker and more vulnerable to separating (micro-tearing) in the lengthened position. You learned this in Muscle Physiology class, but you may not have explored the subtler implications. Weakness and vulnerability in the lengthened position is one reason why the brain decides to increase contraction when it feels threatened. Increasing contraction tends to shorten muscles, which protects them from actin/myosin separation. When you hold the person’s muscle in the shortened position, you demonstrate to the person’s brain that you support its chosen strategy to reduce the threat of actin/myosin separation.

Lengthening a muscle past its easy motion barrier requires a greater force, which creates tensile stress in the muscle. If the muscle is in pain, tensile stress will increase the brain’s interpretation of pain. Annulospiral receptors in the muscle fire stronger and faster whenever the muscle is under tensile stress–reports that may be falsely interpreted by the brain as the muscle length accelerating at a dangerous rate (Korr, I.M.: Proprioceptors and somatic dysfunction, Journal of the American Osteopathic Association 74:638-50, Mar 1975, reiterated by Jones). In the shortened position, this stress is not present, and annulospiral firing reduces frequency and amplitude. Holding the muscle in the shortened position for long enough to demonstrate your patience allows the person’s brain to accommodate to the reduced annulospiral signal, and reinterpret that the therapy is safe.

In the shortened position, several of the brain’s justifications for guarding have been suspended. The muscle palpates softer already, but it hasn’t melted yet. When a muscle is melting, this is not directly caused by the therapist, but created by the person. It is not a mechanical softening of muscle tissue. Rather, a muscle melting under your hands indicates that the person’s brain has decided to relinquish muscle guarding. The melting is caused by the person’s own decisions, in response to you.

I believe a trigger point is an imbalanced contraction. Two different parts of the brain contract different parts of the muscle. Alpha motor nerves control willful muscle contraction, enervating the majority of muscle fibers. Gamma motor nerves contract only the muscle spindles, where the annulospiral receptors live, in order to subconsciously supervise and coordinate contraction. Alpha contractions arise consciously from the brain’s motor cortex while gamma contractions arise subconsciously from the brain’s terminal gamma ganglia (Juhan, p.212-214). I believe a trigger point exists when there is a higher percent of contraction in the muscle spindle than in the muscle as a whole. If this is true, the presence of a trigger point would indicate that consciously the person chooses to relax, while subconsciously they feel there is a good reason to remain on guard. The person’s will is divided. Different parts of them create actions that are incongruent with each other. I do not know if one part of them is right or wrong. A therapist serves well to help them become congruent–at least balancing the conscious and subconscious orders from the brain to the muscles. When a trigger point melts, I believe this is their resolution of incongruence. Why does the trigger point melt with direct pressure, under favorable conditions like a shortened position?

Even gentle pressure will trigger their pressure sensors to report a significant signal to their brain. If the muscle is palpated up and down its length to find the densest region, pressure on this trigger point will report a mildly irritating sensation to the brain, reminding it of the imbalanced contraction down here. Since the conditions which triggered the guarding are no longer present or greatly reduced by the shortened position, this reminder is likely to urge the brain to reconsider its decision to contract, and send a new message. Melting begins, as a tentative experiment. The therapist’s responsibility, however, is only beginning.

To support this experiment, you must respond to the person’s response. Maybe you lighten the pressure upon the trigger point; maybe you rock the joint or move it even further into the shortened position. With these silent gestures, you communicate with those parts of the brain monitoring proprioception and sensation, that you acknowledge their response. Maybe you are more direct, saying, “Boy, this muscle is really melting now… Do you feel it sinking?” When you acknowledge in words that it is melting, you reinforce the brain to take a more conscious role in relinquishing guarding. It is your choice which part of the brain you would like to address. In either case, stay with this muscle until it is soft, or until progress tapers off.

If the muscle stops responding before full relaxation, maybe you need to treat this muscle’s antagonist first. Antagonist muscles often fight over a joint’s position like a stubborn married couple: “I’m not gonna budge until you give me some slack first.” For example, the elevators of the scapula like the levator may not fully relax until the depressors like the lower trap and pec minor have relaxed, and vice versa. Placing muscles in their shortened position with one of your hands, while you press or rub the muscle with your other hand, is indeed effective, to begin the relaxation process. However, the nature of therapy is your responding to their response. A two-way communication occurs between the essences of the two people. More occurs during this communication than any person could consciously be aware of. The part of you where knowing and responding arises, knows the part of them where their knowing responding arises. Essence recognizes itself in the other. This is the mirror which Socrates describes (Author unknown. Found in the Socratic Dialogue, Alcibiades, 132c through 133c, included in Plato Complete Works, edited by John M Cooper and D. S. Hutchinson, 1997 by Hackett Publishing, Indianapolis Indiana, the mirror analogy is found on p 591-2) which enables a willing and aware service professional to “know thyself” in seeing the other. It is this therapeutic relationship, which drew us to the service professions.

Conclusion

This should be more than enough information for you to begin practicing massaging muscles in their shortened positions. If you practice and study on your own, you won’t need any more information from me. It is that simple!

Sinus infection is not something very deadly! They can be got rid of naturally. Yes, there are various ways to get rid of a sinus infection naturally. When you learn about the natural ways of treating sinus would realize that sometimes we neglect many things around us which are so beneficial to us. Let us see how you can beat the irritating sinus infections without taking medications. You will use simple home made remedies which not only cure your infection but treat the root of the problem permanently.

Sinus infections are generally caused due to bacteria and viruses or some other microorganisms. They can infect any of the four sinuses that we have in our facial region. When they infect the sinuses we call it sinusitis. The infections cause great trouble to a patient. A patient suffering from sinus infection experiences a lot of symptoms like headache, nasal congestion, pain in the facial areas, swollen face, irritation and many others. If you too had been suffering from such symptoms now its time you get rid of a sinus infection naturally. Let me tell you some secrets of natural products around us.

Grapefruit seed extract: You can use grapefruit seed extracts as drops into your nose to get rid of a sinus infection naturally. The drops are preferable to ingestion because the taste of the seed extract can be very much terrible. Never ever take the medication empty stomach.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is a good supplement for beverage drinks for sinus patients. This would help in thinning the mucus that congest the nasal passage. Once you are free from congestion you will realize that your other problems like difficulty in breathing, headache disappears slowly. This is an effective treatment to get rid of a sinus infection naturally.

Hot Water Treatment: Expose your face to warm water and allow the treatment for five minutes everyday. The warmth not only relieves the pain and but also helps in killing the germs causing infections and gives a soothing effect to your nose.

Besides these natural treatments to get rid of a sinus infection naturally you must try to avoid those food that help in thickening of mucous. These are wheat, cheese, spicy food, milk, citrus fruits and to name a few.

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a condition first reported in the United States in 1981, that has since become a major worldwide epidemic. AIDS is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). By killing or damaging cells of the body’s immune system, HIV progressively destroys the body’s ability to fight infections and certain cancers. The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection.

How is HIV spread?

There are several common ways that HIV can be passed from person to person, including:

• Having unprotected sex with someone who is infected
• Using needles or syringes that have been used by people who are infected
• Receiving infected blood products or transplanted organs (Since 1985, the United States actively tests all donated blood for HIV; therefore, the risk of getting HIV in this way in the United States is now extremely low.)
• Transmission from mother to child – An infected mother may pass the virus to her developing fetus during pregnancy, during birth, or through breastfeeding.

If you have a sexually transmitted disease, you may be at higher risk for getting infected with HIV during sex with an HIV-infected partner. There is no evidence that HIV is spread by contact with saliva or through casual contact, such as shaking hands or hugging, or the sharing of food utensils, towels and bedding, swimming pools, telephones, or toilet seats. HIV is not spread by biting insects such as mosquitoes or bedbugs.

What is the treatment for HIV/AIDS?

Although when AIDS first appeared there were few treatments, researchers have now developed drugs that can help fight both HIV and the related infections and cancers that come with it. Treatment advances have improved the survival rates and decreased progression of HIV disease in developed countries like the United States, where antiretroviral drugs are available.

Additional treatment information is available from the National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases at NIH. The NIH is currently conducting many clinical trials related to HIV/AIDS to test treatments and therapies. These trials are sponsored and co-sponsored by various Institutes, including the NICHD. The NICHD supports and conducts research related to HIV/AIDS in specific groups of people, including pregnant and non-pregnant women, infants and children, and adolescents and young adults. The information below applies to those groups.

How does HIV/AIDS affect women?

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 19.2 million women are living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world. In many countries, the rate of HIV infection in women is rising faster than in any other group.

Worldwide, more than 80 percent of HIV infections are spread by heterosexual sex (vaginal intercourse); women are particularly at risk of contracting HIV through this type of contact. HIV is increasing most dramatically among African American and Hispanic women. Although most of the signs and symptoms of HIV infection are similar in men and women, some are more specific to females. For example:

• Vaginal yeast infections may be chronic, more severe, and difficult to treat in women with HIV infection than in women who are uninfected.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the female reproductive organs, may also be more frequent and severe in women with HIV infection.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, which cause genital warts, may occur more frequently in HIV-infected women, and can lead to pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix or cancer of the cervix.

The NICHD, along with other Institutes, supports studies to determine what aspects of HIV are specific to women and the best treatments for these symptoms.

How does HIV affect pregnant women and infants?

Women can give HIV to their babies during pregnancy, while giving birth, or through breastfeeding. But, there are effective ways to prevent the spread of mother-to-infant transmission of HIV:

• Taking anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy—either a drug called zidovudine or AZT alone or in combination with other drugs called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)—a mother can significantly reduce the chances that her baby will get infected with HIV.
• Delivering the baby by cesarean section, and doing so before the mother’s uterine membranes rupture naturally, reduces transmission that may occur during the birth process. Use of anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy and delivery, combined with a cesarean section in women with certain levels of HIV in their blood, can reduce the chance that the baby will be infected to less than 2 percent.
• Avoidance of breastfeeding by an HIV-infected mother. HIV can be spread to babies through the breast milk of mothers infected with the virus. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that, in countries such as the United States, where infant formula is safe and is often available and affordable, HIV-infected women feed their infants commercially available formula instead of breastfeeding.

Approximately one-fourth to one-half of all untreated pregnant women infected with HIV will pass the infection to their babies. HIV infection of newborns is very rare in the United States because women are tested for HIV during pregnancy, and women with HIV infection receive anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy, cesarean delivery if their HIV blood levels are high, and are advised not to breastfeed their infants.

How does HIV affect children and adolescents?

It is estimated that approximately 10,000 children are living with HIV infection in the United States. In the United States, the number of infants born with HIV infection has dramatically decreased from about 2,000 a year to fewer than 200 a year due to identification of HIV infection in pregnant women and use of anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, and avoidance of breastfeeding.

In contrast to the United States, mother-to-child transmission in developing countries remains a major problem; about 700,000 infants are newly infected with HIV each year because most women are not screened for HIV during pregnancy, anti-HIV drugs are not available, and safe alternatives to breastfeeding are not available. Prior to 1985, when screening of the nation’s blood supply for HIV began, some children as well as adults were infected through transfusions with blood or blood products contaminated with HIV, but this is now rare in the United States.

In contrast to the dramatic decrease in mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection, the number of cases of HIV infection in adolescents and young adults continues to increase in the United States. About one-third to one-half of new HIV infections in the United States are among adolescents and young adults.

Most HIV-infected adolescents and young adults are exposed to the virus through unprotected sex; some teens and young adults are also infected through injection drug use. In addition, an increasing number of children who were infected as infants are now surviving to adolescence.

High blood pressure is one of the most common health problems in the developed world. It’s also one of the most mysterious. In fact, it is often called the silent killer for its ability to strike people dead (in the most extreme cases) without showing any previous symptoms at all. But more often than not, people suffering from high blood pressure exhibit subtle symptoms of it but they often disregard them as something not serious. For this reason they may fail to see a doctor who would have easily diagnosed the condition with the most basic checkup.

It is therefore a good idea to pay attention to any signs of high blood pressure and to take them seriously. But how does one determine that they indeed are suffering from elevated blood pressure? What are the symptoms to look out for?

1. Headaches

Headaches can be an indication of high blood pressure but because they can also be due to many other things such as stress or anxiety many people don’t take them seriously, even if headaches sometimes become extremely painful.

Most of the early warning signs of high blood pressure, such as headaches, can be easily related to the condition: think of the old headache commercials on TV showing a head between a vice… that’s high blood pressure!

2. Fatigue, dizziness or confusion

How could hypertension cause these symptoms? Again, think of the physiology. If you rise quickly and your blood vessels are narrowed (a common feature of high blood pressure) you may not get sufficient blood to your brain, hence the dizziness. Confusion has related causes.

3. Blurred vision

A related symptom, which may often give you an earlier tip-off than blurred vision is sensitivity or tenderness of the eyes to touch. This happens because high blood pressure also increases the pressure within the eyes. This can make them sensitive to touch and, at a later stage, slight distortion of the eyeball due to pressure can actually affect your vision.

4. Noise or buzzing in the ears

This is caused by internal pressure in the ears in a similar way as that which causes vision disturbances.

5. Chest pain and/or nosebleeds

These final symptoms are obvious and alarming. You should consider them advanced warning signs that your blood pressure may be seriously elevated. See a doctor promptly. All of these symptoms can have many different causes, not just hypertension, and many of them are harmless, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. This is especially true if you begin to notice more than just one or two. The more symptoms you have the stronger the picture that starts to emerge.

Even if you have just one vague symptom or an inner suspicion that you may have high blood pressure it makes good sense to at least get to a pharmacy to have your blood pressure checked. And remember that it’s true that most instances of high blood pressure show no symptoms at all. This is another reason for regular checkups. If left untreated hypertension can lead to other more serious health problems and even sudden death in extreme cases.

Many studies have shown that physical activity reduces the risk for heart disease. The results indicate that heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people than in those who exercise regularly.

Regular physical activity, including mild to moderate exercise, can help reduce your risk of heart disease. Exercise will help burn calories that will help you lose weight or maintain your proper weight, which also helps lower your risk of heart disease. The best exercises to strengthen your heart and lungs (cardio vascular exercises) are the aerobic ones like jogging, biking and swimming. At the gym, you can participate in group classes, or use the cardio equipment like the treadmill, elliptical, bike or stair stepper.

Coronary Artery Disease is the primary cause of heart disease and heart attacks in America. It is caused by fatty deposits building up on the inner walls of the blood vessels coming from the heart (coronary arteries). When one or more of these coronary arteries becomes blocked by the buildup of deposits or by a blood clot forming in the narrowed artery, the result is a heart attack.

There are several factors that can increase your risk for developing coronary artery disease and the chances of a heart attack. However, many of these risk factors can be reduced or eliminated by making very simple lifestyle changes. The risk factors for heart disease that you have the most control over are:

Physical Activity

Physical activity decreases your risk for developing heart disease. Even people who have had a heart attack can increase their chances of survival if they begin exercising regularly. Performing regular physical activity helps control cholesterol levels, diabetes and obesity as well as lowering blood pressure. Exercising at the right intensity, duration and frequency will also increase the fitness of your heart and lungs. By working with a personal fitness trainer you can get set up on a proper resistance exercise and cardio program.

Obesity

Being overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes. You can reach and maintain your proper body weight by exercising regularly. People at their proper weight are less likely to develop diabetes or heart disease.

Smoking

Smokers are more than twice as likely to have a heart attack than nonsmokers. The heart attack death rate among smokers is 70 percent greater than among nonsmokers. People who are physically active are more likely to cut down or stop smoking which reduces their risk of a heart attack.

High Blood Pressure

The higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. A blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is generally considered high. Regular physical activity, even of moderate intensity, can help reduce or prevent high blood pressure in some people.

High Blood Cholesterol

A blood cholesterol level of 240 or above is high and increases your risk of heart disease. A blood cholesterol of under 200 is desirable and usually puts you at a lower risk of heart disease. Cholesterol in the blood is transported by a protein called high density lipoprotein or HDL. HDL is called “good” cholesterol because research has shown that higher levels of HDL are linked with a lower risk of coronary artery disease. Regular physical activity is known to increase HDL levels.

Remember, consistent exercise, even at a mild to moderate intensity, will help reduce or even eliminate some risk factors which will reduce your chances of having a heart attack. So, to help maintain a healthy heart:

1. Stay physically active.
2. Reduce your weight if you are overweight.
3. Stop smoking and avoid second hand smoke whenever possible.
4. Control your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.

Unlike most conventional medicine practices, holistic medicine seeks to treat all components of the human body, which include physical, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. While not all alternative health care is widely accepted, a growing number of holistic medicine practices like massage therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic are definitely gaining leeway in modern society.

Where conventional medical wisdom addresses physical symptoms of a disease, holistic medicine attempts to treat the whole person and get to the root cause of the illness through natural and holistic therapies. Holistic medicine like chiropractic, for example, is a great alternative to sometimes invasive surgeries and other traditional pain treatments involving medications that can carry strong side effects. Using an X-ray to determine where “subluxations” exist along the spine, licensed chiropractors can help to realign these spinal disruptions through gentle and safe adjustments (to the spine). If you haven’t yet experienced a chiropractic treatment for your chronic back pain and headaches, you should speak with your primary care provider to determine if chiropractic might be right for you.

Another holistic medicine - acupuncture, is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and facilitates fine, hair-like needles that are placed along acu-points of the body. Believing in restoring “Chi” (energy flow) to the body, acupuncture is widely used in pain relief, quitting smoking, stress reduction, and is even used to help alleviate symptoms related to the affects of cancer treatments.

Massage therapy is a holistic medicine that probably has the greatest historical roots in ancient healing. Used for thousands of years, massage therapy has shown remarkable value in reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and improving overall health and wellbeing. Specific therapies range from basic Swedish massage to more intricate massage modalities like Trigger Point therapy. This holistic medicine is comprised of over 80 bodywork treatments that can be tailored to meet specific health needs and goals.

Some energy healing therapies like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), flower essence therapy, hypnotherapy, and Tai Chi are that part of holistic medicine that seeks to remove emotional and/or energy blocks in the body to improve health and wellbeing. Hypnotherapy has successfully been facilitated in helping individuals to lose weight, quit smoking, and in mild forms of depression.

Other holistic medicine disciplines like naturopathy, homeopathy, and herbology are closely interlinked, but each one of these practices is defined by its own set of educational and philosophical guidelines. Homeopathy, for instance, stems from a long history of healthcare exploration; but it wasn’t until Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, who in the late 1700s developed the holistic medicine into what it is today. Though naturopathic medicine programs often integrate teachings of homeopathy into academic curricula; its overall practices variants slightly from homeopathic medicine, itself. Herbology is commonly included in both naturopathic and homeopathic practices, but is also a major player in Oriental medicine therapies. Note also that there are some holistic medicine colleges that offer degree and diploma programs in herbal sciences, as well. source

Everyone knows hair loss is definitely not fun, and most people get stressed about their hair loss because they start getting hair loss at early ages in life. In here I’ll explain how to cure hair loss by implementing the top 3 tips I’ve used for how to cure hair loss.

First, you have to understand that hair loss is caused by dihydrotestosterone. Every individual’s hair will react differently to DHT, but everyone loses hair because of it. The first thing you have to accomplish is to reduce or completely block dht from forming in your hair follicles.

To do that you need a dht inhibitor, in other words you need saw palmetto. It’s a natural dht reducer, the main cause of hair loss. To apply saw palmetto simply take a supplement, you can also take the soft gels and take out the free fatty acids and apply it on your head topically. I do find it more effective when you apply it directly on your head than just taking it in.

The next thing you want to do is promote new hair growth and thicken current hair. The best way to do that is eat red bell pepper (also known as capsicum). Eat some red bell pepper and steam some with water. Take the water solution and cool it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then spray some on your scalp. This dramatically promotes blood circulation on your scalp, greatly feeding your hair follicles the liquids it needs to grow faster and thicker.

Now you should concentrate on not using many products for your hair. Try to use aloe vera gel on your hair instead of any other hair loss products. The properties in aloe will speed up healing from any damage that’s been done to your hair in your life. Aloe has been used since ancient times, and it’s one of the best natural miracle plants in the world, especially to cure hair loss. source

If you are a Jumpking trampoline owner you have probably wondered, while either you were jumping or as you were watching the children bounce on the trampoline mats, when trampolines were invented. Back in 1930, as a young boy from Iowa watched a circus act he was impressed by the aerial acrobatics that were done. One thing that left a lasting impression on his mind was the net below these acrobats that they would bounce into and spring back up from during their act. Unable to shake this image from his mind George Nissen decided to invent his own version of this bouncing net.

After he finished college, Nissen invented the trampoline mat using tent grade canvas tightly stretched on a welded frame. Originally it was called a ‘jump rig’ instead of calling it a trampoline mat. It wasn’t until after World War II and after Nissen had gotten together with a couple of business partners that he took a trip to Mexico. It was on this trip that he heard someone calling a diving board, “el trampolin” when he decided to adapt this name to his new invention and patent the trampoline.

Since that day trampoline mats have came a long way. Currently the material used for most trampoline mats is a black polypropylene. This material has little air resistance because of the way it is woven. Due to this lack of air resistance it has a cushioned or ’springy’ feeling that allows it to be bounced upon. One of the most enjoyed forms of exercise that can be done in just about any creative style is jumping on a trampoline.

Padded mats can be placed around the edges of the trampoline as an increased safety feature. Originally trampolines did not come with this safety feature. Since trampolines came from the idea of safety nets you would expect that some form of jumper/user safety features would be implemented. In recent years not only have trampolines included padded mats, these also include a caged area to keep the jumper from falling off. While many envision multiple children bouncing on their JumpKing trampoline in the backyard, these really are created for use by one child at a time. For safety reasons putting multiple children on at once is a really bad idea.

The enclosures that are available for trampolines and the padded trampoline safety mats that cover the bars and the springs make trampoline use safer than it was 20 years ago. Broken arms and missing teeth no longer have to happen as long as these safety features have been installed correctly. While the trampoline can stay outdoors during all types of weather, it is important to remember not to use the trampoline if the mat is wet. Trampoline mats can become very slippery when they are wet and can be dangerous to the user.

Yet another obvious safety rule that is often overlooked is not jumping while wearing shoes or belt buckles that may damage the trampoline mat. Since this mat is the only thing keeping you from plummeting to the ground it is a good idea to keep it in one piece. Sharp objects such as cowboy boot heels and belt buckles can easily tear a large opening into the trampoline mat.

When damage happens there are some companies that can repair the damage, but it’s generally a better idea to replace the trampoline mat once it is damaged. When replacing your trampoline mat you no longer have to go with the old and boring black traveling mats since a variety of colors are now available. With the ability to hold 800 pounds of pressure per square inch, it’s not only the colors that are amazing. There isn’t a more enjoyable exercise for the family than a trampoline; it’s like having a circus in your backyard. source

It’s a strange old world that we live in, isn’t it? Why is it that the population of the world still continues to have sight problems and why is vision loss on the increase? You’d think that the opposite would be true with the number of medical advances being made seemingly every day. Ironically, many researchers believe that about half of all blindness could be prevented! Eye health care, therefore, is obviously very important to everybody.

What causes these serious vision problems? Here’s a short list:

1. Age-related macular degeneration.
2. Diabetic retinopathy.
3. Cataracts.
4. Glaucoma.

Eye Health Care Tips

It’s important to prevent vision problems before they have chance to develop. Prevention is definitely better than cure and eye care is superior to eye cure. So, what can you do? Well, getting plenty of vitamins, especially vitamin A, is essential. Also, a decent supply of minerals will prove to be beneficial. Eye exercises can also help to keep your vision in tip-top condition.

Proper eye health care can slow down the natural degenerative processes of the eyes as we grow older. In particular, macular degeneration can be reduced with the correct preventative treatments. With correct eye exercises and good nutrition, it is possible to reduce the affects of injury, accident, disease and vision loss caused by strain.

Vitamins, minerals and many foods can play a major part in maintaining eye health care. There seems to be a direct link between nutrition and the health of your vision. There are many tips and exercises to be aware of. Start early, in childhood, and avoid eye strain caused through reading. Remember, children have the added burden of learning new words, learning how to scan text and other new reading skills that need developing. Make sure there is plenty of light to read by and experiment with different colored backgrounds to the text. There is evidence that, for some kids, a white background (ie paper!) is too glaring against black text, especially if there is a tendency towards dyslexia. Avoid glare and try a cream-colored paper! Taking the right precautions when young can prevent a multitude of eye care problems in later life.

Which Supplements are the Best?

Vitamins A, C and E all play their part in looking after your eyes. Consider these eye care nutrition tips:

1. Vitamin A: can reduce cataracts and night blindness.
2. A lack of vitamin A has been linked to corneal ulcers and blindness.
3. Vitamin E: can reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
4. Vitamin C: needed to reduce the pressure in glaucoma, to resist the onset of cataracts, and to slow down the effects of degeneration caused by aging.

In short, vitamins are extremely important in the fight to maintain eye health care. They are rich in antioxidants and thus reduce the effects of oxidation which can lead to the destruction of healthy tissue. So, there is certainly a lot that you can do to prevent eye and vision problems. Take steps now to prevent more serious conditions in the future. source

It goes without saying that most people would prefer to be in shape, but the common problem is finding the time and the inclination to do so. It probably comes as no surprise that as new advancements in exercise equipment are made that the rush to get the latest and greatest at the cheapest prices is always popular. However, getting in shape is not just about the occasional bit of exercise and having a personal trainer is the best answer. Finding one in places like London are not as challenging as people may realize.

Personal trainers are an essential ingredient for getting a healthy workout and routine going that can be maintained for life. They have an understanding and training that helps them teach their clients how to get the most out of their workouts and what the needed ingredients are for a good routine. Most personal trainers spend years learning the basics and how to apply this in an understandable and workable way for eager clients. They are certified either after they have learnt their trade or by health clubs, gyms or fitness organizations. However, there are a growing number of freelance personal trainers available in the London area.

These trainers may spend months or years with their clients, not all of which are royalty or the wealthy. In fact, hiring a personal trainer in London has become so affordable that even the average person can now afford one. The criteria when searching for a London based or any personal trainer is that they monitor all progress, create a workable plan and address not only spot areas of the body, but the entire physical make up, including healthy lifestyle changes and eating habits. One with a knowledge of proper nutrition is essential for success.

The best locations in London to find one are at the local gyms. Anyone with a gym membership can use the in-house trainers or get recommendations from gym members. Most work in and out of the gyms, so finding a reputable one may be as simple as asking the gym staff. However, it is vital to interview the trainer and go over the aspects of the potential plan for fitness and any problems that need to be addressed. It is also a must do to ask to look at their certification papers and know exactly what their qualifications allow them to do.

For those who do not go to gyms, personal trainers do operate fitness studios across the city. These can be found by looking on the Internet under London fitness studios or by checking out London’s Yellow Pages directory under either fitness trainer or personal trainer. The list is quite extensive and the better ones advertise all their rates, services and complete contact details.

Alternatively, ask friends or work colleagues for their recommendations. However, be sure to follow the above procedures as there are many fly by nights in the industry and it is important to get one who knows what they are doing.