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Why Massage Therapy Can Be an Important Way to Maintain Your Health

   

In the modern hustle and bustle of American urban life, a huge number of individuals are searching for quick fixes and wonder drugs to help them overcome a lot of health problems. But, as we have come to experience over and aver again, taking shortcuts often lead to nowhere. While the demand for massage has been growing steadily throughout the years all over the United States, New York City has become a hot bed of activity. This city attracts millions of tourists every year with landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. Tourists often go for a round of massage to pamper themselves on vacation. But massage therapy has very significant benefits to health which makes it more important than just a way to relax.

For those who have made New York City their home, they know how crazy life can be here. Whether you’re shopping at Macy’s or taking the subway train to any of the city boroughs to buy some groceries, people seem to be always in a rush. The stress and heat of our many congested streets can leave anyone exhausted, anxious, and with frayed nerves. Here at Living Well Spa of Saratoga Springs, we offer massage therapy to help you get your life back into balance and prepare yourself for the everyday challenges of urban life.

Massage therapy as most everyone know, can ameliorate body pain and loosen tight muscles, but its benefits extend much farther than that. This type of bodywork is one of the best ways of removing anxiety and stress in your mind and body, which affects your health in a huge way. Lowering the effects of withdrawal and depression, encouraging tissue regeneration, strengthening the immune system, and enhancing range of motion are some of this therapy’s other valuable benefits. Massage therapy has certain special techniques and modalities that can be useful for seniors suffering from arthritis and even for pregnant women.

We at Living Well Spa of Saratoga Springs have determined, from our own experience, that a number of important points should be considered to help with various types of ailments. Old people especially those with arthritis, can find temporal alleviation by icing the sore areas and then getting massage. Our massage therapy services will leave our clients pain-free for several days to a week after being given massage. A lot of our clients are in a state of constant pain, therefore the massage services we offer that help them get rid of their pain is incredibly invaluable to them.

For individuals with the flu or common cold, massage can be an effective healer for them. The moment when a person has just passed the apex of his/her sickness is the best time for him/her to get a massage. The massage helps stimulate the flow of blood and the lymph system. To know how beneficial massage therapy can be, a one hour massage equates to a whole day (24 hours) of normal flow of lymph fluid throughout the body.

People with high blood pressure (hypertension) can also find massage therapy helpful. It’s a wonderful way to relax the body, which in turn can lower blood pressure and calm the mind. Blood pressure can dramatically rise due to anxiety and stress. Massage is one of the best ways to alleviate tension making one feel soothed and relaxed.

These days, a lot of Americans need to work two, three, or even four jobs just to get by. Some have jobs that entail remaining in one position for a long time or in constant holding patterns which negatively affects the muscles. Most of these hard working people suffer from extreme stress which manifest in tight muscles in the shoulders and neck. Furthermore, this tension can lead to knots and trigger points that can result in severe headaches and migraines. Though most of them don’t have the time, they really need to give time to massage treatment which can prove to be the most important way to preserve their emotional and physical health.

Over the years, we have gotten to know and understand the importance and benefits of massage therapy. This treatment still causes surprises as we get to know more and more about it through endless scientific studies and anecdotal evidences.

Eastern Healing Solutions, LLC
10875 Grandview St #2200
Overland Park, KS 66210
(913) 549-4322

Overland Park Acupuncturist

Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and a Proper Diet can Help Resolve Anemia

   

The body tissues of a person suffering from anemia are deprived of oxygen resulting in a decrease of the number of red blood cells circulating in the body. The blood condition known as anemia has actually more than 40 different types. They usually come with symptoms of loss of memory, depression, confusion, slick tongue, balance of movement problems creases on the palms (strong signs of anemia), pale eyelids linings, nail beds, or gums (strong signs of anemia), bluish lips, yellowish or pasty skin, dizziness or faintness (severe anemia), shortness of breath, tiredness, weakness, burning tongue, (vitamin B12 anemia), an overall feeling of malaise, fatigue, weakness, and tingling in the extremities (pernicious anemia). Less common symptoms may include irregular heartbeat, poor concentration, weak appetite, insomnia, and headache. Too much iron supplement can cause symptoms like seizures, lethargy, jaundice, fever, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Miami use Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture to treat anemia or deficient blood. For fatigue, a general tonic of Asian ginseng is used. The blood tonic known as dang gui has been used for thousands of years often along with astralagus and Chinese foxglove root.

Acupuncture

A 1990 Chinese study observed the use of a Chinese medicine principle known as bu-shen-yi in the treatment of anemia. The study had 60 volunteers all suffering from orthostatic dysregulation. The patients were randomly divided into a control group (treated with vitamins B1 and B6 and oryzanol) and a treatment group (given Chinese herbal formulas under the principle of bu-shen yi-qi). Herbs used had high amounts of trace elements, especially in zinc and iron (boosts red blood cell action). A month after, outcomes revealed that members of the control group and 16 members of the treatment group exhibited significant improvement. Seventy-one percent of the total group (43 of the volunteers) also clinically manifested mild anemia. Blood tests before and after treatment for hyperchromia, hemoglobin, and red blood cells in 20 volunteers of the treatment group showed significant improvement while 17 members of the control group remained unchanged.

A Chinese study (1992) experimented on the use of a tonic decoction of shi-quan-da-bu-tang (SQT). The study concluded that SQT relieves anemia by strengthening and tonifying vital energy (Qi).

A 1993 Chinese study about an herbal mixture of rehmannia and astralagus (known as Man-Shen Ling) proved that it was effective in treating anemia whilst showing no negative impact on gastrointestinal, heart, kidney, or liver functions.

Another Chinese study done in 1995 showed Vitamin C and Chinese herbal’s effectiveness in treating 43 children suffering from condition known as aplastic anemia who were subjected to fetal blood transfusion therapy. The results showed that only 46% of the members of the group given only blood transfusion treatment improved compared to the 88.9% improvement of chronic aplastic anemia in the group administered with blood transfusion and Chinese medicinal herbs.

Supplements and Foods

Parsley and other foods rich in iron and vitamin C like red meat, poultry, liver, almonds, dried fruits, blackstrap molasses, dried beans, tomatoes, and broccoli are great for increasing iron in the body..

Foods to be avoided when you have anemia include tea, particularly black tea containing tannin, cola, and coffee as they all impair the absorption of iron. In lieu of this, one can drink citrus juices and other foods and drinks high in vitamin C. You need to avoid the long term use of alcoholic beverages as they adversely impact the body’s ability to absorb folic acid.

Red blood cell production can be improved by consuming foods minimally cooked or even raw, to preserve their acid and folic content: eggs, liver, pumpkin, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, milk, and dark green vegetables. Mackerel and salmon are high in vitamin B12, and lentils, beans, and black-eyed peas provide folate. Most vegetarians are deficient in vitamin B12 since this vitamin is only found in fermented foods (such as tempsch, tofun and miso), eggs, dairy products, and animal products. Vitamin and iron supplements con oversupply the body with iron that can prove harmful.

Studies Reveal PTSD Symptoms Can Be Alleviated By Acupuncture

   

PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder can lead to substantial impairment in a person. It can affect anyone and is a long-term and serious psychological response to a harrowing event. PTSD may develop after the person has been exposed to a major traumatic event (such as military combat, violent personal assault, or a serious accident).

People react to extremely distressful situations in different ways. These events may cause physical manifestations such as lethargy, tiredness, or illness or show up as symptoms such as irregular sleep patterns, lank hair, dull skin, or tight sore muscles. Withdrawal, jealousy, paranoia, confusion, frustration, anger, mood swings, or depression can be generated by severe mental stress. PTSD has telltale signs that include forgetfulness of the event that triggered the condition, incapacity to experience feelings, concentration difficulties, irritability, and insomnia, hyper-arousal, nightmares or flashbacks when asleep, and vivid memories of the traumatic event.

Approximately as early as a month after the traumatic event, symptoms can arise although in about 15% of people with PTSD, symptoms manifest months or even years after the event. More or less, though the symptoms commonly appear after or before 6 months after the event. The good news is that about 65% of adult PTSD resolves by itself several months after the event. In the other 35%, symptoms can last much longer and are rather quite severe.

Relaxation and cognitive behavioral therapies and medications such as anti-anxiety meds are the common Western conventional treatments for PTSD.

Acupuncture Treatment for PTSD

Preliminary clinical studies have shown acupuncture to be a promising treatment for PTSD-related chronic anxiety. Four RCTs (randomized clinical trials) reviewed suggested that acupuncture was equal, if not superior to Western treatments, or when combined to conventional therapies boosted the effects of the treatment. Three of the four studies (all done in China) used a combination of paroxetine and electro-acupuncture to help improve the PTSD score of the subjects who where all earthquake survivors. The results showed that both paroxetine and electro-acupuncture vastly improved PTSD scores, but that electro-acupuncture showed a much greater improvement than paroxetine. The studies also revealed that the benefits of electro-acupuncture lingered for at least a few months more after the study concluded.

Another review analyzed a study that observed the psychological impact of acupoint stimulation for the treatment of PTSD and other emotional conditions. The study revealed the maladaptive fear responses to traumatic memories were significantly reduced by tapping on selected acupoints.

These studies provide evidence showing acupuncture to be a promising alternative form of treatment for PTSD. And because acupuncture tends to have very few and minor side effects not to mention produces superior outcomes compared to other interventions, it should be considered as one viable therapeutic option alongside existing therapies.

All in all, acupuncture is known to stimulate the release of neurochemical messenger molecules and activate the nervous system which leads to emotional and physical well-being and homeostatic balance.

Studies reveal that acupuncture has certain benefits that help quell anxiety disorders and the symptoms of stress and anxiety. It does this by:

-Reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines related to stress reactions
-Stimulating endogenous opioid production affecting the autonomic nervous system: Acupuncture helps relax the body by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system that opposes the sympathetic nervous system which is activated by stress.
-Elevating feel-good hormone and neurotransmitter levels such as ACTH, neuropeptide Y, GABA, dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin which helps neutralize stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative states.
-Acting on parts of the brain that are known to lessen sensitivity to stress and anxiety.

Vita-Health Acupuncture and Wellness Center
6840 Dykes Road
Pembroke Pines, FL 33331
Phone: (954) 880-0090

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