Tag: Blood Clots

PREGNANCY MASSAGE

Who better deserves and needs a good massage therapy than a mother to be? I cannot think of anyone, can you? Pregnancy is a very stressful time in a womans life; on the physical level as well as on the emotional. By increasing the blood and lymph circulation, by lowering the heart rate, by relaxing the body and by easing the mind; massage therapy can be very beneficial on both of these levels as it relieves common symptoms of this delicate feminine condition: muscle cramps, spasms and myofascial pain of the lower back, neck, shoulders, hips and legs; the excess stress on weight-bearing joints; the swelling of the extremities (arms, hands, legs and feet); sleep difficulties and the psychological turmoil (stress, anxiety, fear and restlessness). Many independent studies have conclusively shown that the positively beneficial effects of massage therapy during pregnancy also benefit the growing child in the mothers womb as well as resulting in an easier labor and in a less painful delivery.

What is the difference between Pregnancy Massage and any other massage? Well, there are a number of very important differences which should not be overlooked. And due to those differences, therapists who perform massage therapy on pregnant women must be specially trained and certified accordingly, and they must always take those extra few precautionary measures:

* Pregnancy Massage should not be performed until the first trimester of the pregnancy has been concluded because the increased blood circulation may lead to dizziness and a worsening of the existing morning sickness symptoms.

* Positioning of the pregnant woman is detrimental to her safety and the safety of the child she is carrying. If using a massage table for the Pregnancy Massage session, it must be a semi-reclining table. In the event that such an appropriate table is not available, the pregnant woman should lie on her side and switch sides in midsession to make both her hips available for the massage treatment. A wide variety of pillows (body pillows, wedge pillows and extra padding pillows) set in a few strategic places under the pregnant womans body can greatly add to her comfort.

Important safety measures: The pregnant woman must never lie directly on her belly and
the flat, horizontal table with the hole for the belly must never be used as it inflicts too much stress on her lower back.

* There are certain parts of the pregnant womans body that must never be massaged or pressed; both sides of the ankles as well as the webbing between the thumbs and the index fingers are pressure points that can induce early labor when exposed to sustained pressure.

For the great majority of the time, Pregnancy Massages are perfectly safe and much advised. However under certain very specific conditions Pregnancy Massages should not be attempted without consulting a medical specialist and those conditions may be: women who are at risk of preterm labor and women with blood clots or related blood clotting disorders.

How are Pregnancy Massages and any other massages similar to one another? Every human being, (pregnant or not, female or male, young or old, rich or poor) enjoys the touch of anther human being as it conveys comfort, love, awareness, caring, security and too many other wonderful sensations to name in this single short oration. Pregnancy Massage as well as any other kind of massage provides all that and more.

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THE DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE

The deep tissue massage is a kind of massage therapy which centers its attention primarily on the ailing, the sore, the painful and the distressed deeper layers of muscles and connective tissues. Its therapeutic benefits are particularly beneficial for chronically tight and constricted areas such as in cases of stiff necks, tightness of lower backs and aching shoulders. The strokes of the Deep Tissue massage are not very different from those of any other types of massage therapies but they are slower and with more pressure applied to reach deeper while focusing on troubled areas.

The Deep Tissue massage is so important in certain painful contractions and spasms due to stress, strain or injury because that is the only way to get to the root of the problem as it is embedded deep under the surface where adhesions which are the causes of the pain and rigidity in muscles, tendons and ligaments are found. Left to their own wills, adhesions obstruct circulation in the affected areas to limit the blood flow which leads to the pain, the restricted movement and, ultimately, to the inflammation. By applying firm pressure and direct friction across the grain and fabric of the muscles, the Deep Tissue massage aims to break down those troublesome adhesions to restore proper blood circulation, reinstate full movement and heal the inflamed tissues. The therapists performing the Deep Tissue massage may use fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows and forearms during the therapy session and alternate them during the various stages. Clients are frequently asked to take in deep breaths as the therapists dig deeply into a particularly tense area.

Because the Deep Tissue massage is somewhat intense, it should not be applied under the following conditions:

* Infectious skin disease, rashes, bruises, inflamed skin, tumors or open and unhealed wounds.
* Immediately or soon after surgery or recent fractures.
* Immediately or soon after chemotherapy or radiation treatments, unless approved by the clients physician.
* Osteoporosis patients, unless approved by the treating doctor.
* Clients who are prone to blood clots.
* Heart disease patients, unless recommended by their cardiologists.
* Pregnant women should get their massage treatments from professionals who are certified in pregnancy massage.
* Abdominal hernia.

The good news is that Deep Tissue massage really works and it usually works very fast. Often, clients will walk into a session with excruciating pain and walk out a couple of hours later with smiles of relief on their faces. The bad news is that, depending on their tolerance level to pain, most clients experience it to one degree or another at certain point during the session. In addition, there is usually some measure of soreness immediately after the treatment which can last up to an entire day. However, the pain of the Deep Tissue massage therapy and the lingering soreness afterwards is nothing compared to the pain before the treatment and it comes with the knowledge that it will all be over very shortly. The massage therapist may suggest applying an icepack to the sore area but it is rarely severe enough to warrant it.

When most massage therapies are aimed at relaxation of the body and mind and the massage is generally applied to the entire body, the Deep Tissue massage sets its sights on precise problematic areas such as those afflicted with:

* Chronic or acute pains
* Diminished mobility or limited range of motion.
* Healing areas after traumas or injuries caused by falls, sports injuries, whiplashes from car accidents and so on.
* Strains from repetitive motion such as the carpal tunnel syndrome.
* Pains due to incorrect posturing of the body.
* Pains from osteoarthritis. According to a study conducted and reported by the Consumer Reports magazine, over 34,000 people classified Deep Tissue massage therapy as being more effective in alleviating osteoarthritis pain than physical therapy, exercise, prescribed or over-the-counter drugs, glucosamine, diets, acupuncture or chiropractic treatments.
* Fibromyalgia. Statistics have shown that Deep Tissue massage is more successful in easing symptoms of Fibromyalgia than any other available curative remedy.
* Muscle tension, contractions or spasms.

To flush out metabolic waste from the massaged tissues, clients should drink plenty of water after the Deep Tissue massage therapy and enjoy the fact that they are as good as new again.

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What is the Treatment for Spider Veins

A lot of women experience spider veins. In the medical field, these are known as telangiectasias or sunburst varicosities which happen to be small and thin veins that are very close to the surface of the skin. The good news is that you can make this cosmetic problem disappear through spider vein treatment.

The most common procedure to treat spider veins is with sclerotherapy. Here, the plastic surgeon will inject the patient with a sclerosing solution, which causes the veins to collapse and fade from view. Aside from that, you will no longer feel the symptoms associated with this problem that includes aching, burning, night cramps and swelling.

This procedure has been practiced in Europe for more than 50 years and has been practiced in the states for more than a decade. The solution used for the procedure are safe to use on your small veins and relatively painless.

But how does spider veins develop? Studies have shown this is caused by activities that require prolonged sitting or standing, heredity, hormonal shifts, pregnancy, the side effects of certain medication and weight gain.

Some people may think that spider veins and varicose veins are the same but they differ in a number of ways. Varicose veins are much bigger, darker and at times bulge. If this should happen to you, you will feel a lot of pain and this is often related to more serious vein disorders. Just like spider veins, it can be treated with sclerotherapy.

Spider veins may happen in your teen years or later on in life. The ideal candidate for sclerotherapy must be between 30 to 60 years of age. Those who are breastfeeding or are pregnant are advised to postpone this form of treatment since it could affect breast milk while this may disappear on it sown after pregnancy.

Women are not the only ones who may experience spider veins because a number of men have had it. Unlike the opposite sex, they dont do anything about because they have facial hair on the legs so people will hardly notice that it exists.

Although sclerotherapy is very popular, you have to realize that it will not totally make the spider veins disappear. What it can do is make the veins appear lighter but it does not prevent new ones from appearing in the future. This means you will have to see your doctor when this happens.

One reason why sclerotherapy is so popular is because complications are extremely rare. Some of the things that could happen if there should be a problem are allergic reactions to the sclerosing solution, blood clots in the veins and skin injury which will leave a permanent scar.

The most common is pigmentation irregularity where brownish splotches will appear on the affected skin and it may take months to a year before it fades and “telangiectatic matting,” where fine reddish blood vessels appear around the treated area and the only way to treat that is a few more injections.

Spider vein treatment can be done and no complications may occur only if are treated by a doctor who has experience and training in sclerotherapy. This is because there are many types of sclerosing agents at his or her disposal and together, you can find one that works.

What Can You Expect From Spider Vein Treatment

What can you expect from spider vein treatment? Simply put, better looking legs because although your doctor will not be able to make those veins disappear, he or she will be able to conceal it by making these appear lighter in color thus making these unnoticeable.

But how does that happen? This begins after the doctor has done all the necessary tests before approving this procedure. You will then be scheduled to come at a certain time so he or she will be able to get to work.

The most popular spider vein treatment these days is sclerotherapy. It last between 15 to 45 minutes and is relatively painless.

Before the spider veins are injected with the sclerosing solution, it will first be cleaned with an antiseptic solution. The number of injections to be given to a patient varies depending on the number of affected veins. This could be from 5 to 40 per session and after each one is injected, it is covered with a cotton ball and compression tape to make sure it does not get infected.

This procedure does not require anesthesia. You will be awake the whole time and you can listen to music, read or just talk to your doctor while you are lying down on the bed. You might need to shift positions several times so just follow what your doctor says so this can be finished.

After treatment, you will need to wear a tight fitting hose that is prescribed by the doctor. This helps against blood clots and also promotes healing which has to be worn for 72 hours or longer. You will feel cramping during the first few days after the injection. You wont be given any pain killers because this is normal so you just have to bear with it.

You should also expect your veins to look worse than they are now before it gets better. Any improvements will only be seen after 2 or 3 sessions so you will have to go back for your next one apart about a month. Since your legs are still healing, you shouldnt sit, stand, squat, carry heavy items or exercise.

If there are no complications, you will be like a lot of patients who are happy with sclerotherapy. You will feel proud of how your legs look that you will go to the beach often and wear that two piece suit or put on a mini skirt should you go to a party.

One thing you should remember thought about sclerotherapy is that it does not prevent new veins from appearing. It can happen and it is up to you whether or not you want to undergo through the same procedure again.

Sclerotherapy is a form of spider vein treatment that is done by a plastic surgeon. If you are looking for one, you should seek specialist that is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). These people are members of a bigger organization namely the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

So do you want to improve how your legs look? If you do, ask a doctor to see if you qualify for this procedure. It is affordable and painless which are the two things that any patient would want to look better than before.