Tag: Bodily Functions

The Arthritis-Hypnosis Connection

The Arthritis-Hypnosis Connection
Paul Gustafson RN, BSN, CH

Did you know that we all have the ability to enhance self-healing, increase comfort and improve nutrition, exercise, communication and flexibility? This article explains clinical hypnosis and how it can bring relief to clients suffering from arthritis. Hypnosis is easy to learn, you can do it on your own and it empowers you to take an active role in your healthy well-being.The subconscious mind has many jobs. It quietly and effectively regulates our bodily functions and stores all of our values, beliefs and memories. It also balances our blood pressure, heart rate and co-ordinates each step we take everyday of our life. The negative effects of arthritis extend into many areas of a clients life, as does the positive resolve and relief of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is the simple process of accessing and directing the subconscious mind to support certain positive changes. It is the language of the mind, it access the most powerful level of awareness and down loads new applications of freedom and relief.Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It causes a deterioration of the protective lining of cartilage in our joints. This deterioration occurs due to a breakdown of the chondrocytes that form cartilage. Osteoarthritis affects men and women equally. Most people over 30 years of age have some features of early osteoarthritis. The degree of limitation depends on the location of the inflammation. The major areas of concern are hips, knees and spine. The development of osteoarthritis may be related to trauma, aging or heredity.The symptoms of stress play a big role in exacerbating the situation. Communication with family and friends plays a key role in managing stress and hypnosis makes this a lot easier. Suggestions offered to a client during a hypnosis session encourage them to share whats on their mind enabling them to offload concern and frustration, giving them more time doing things they enjoy.It takes energy to deal with any physical or emotional burden. Hypnosis creates ideal sedation allowing for sound sleep. We all follow the path of our most dominant thoughts and if the last thoughts a client has at bedtime involve deep restful sleep, they are in a much better position to recharge their body and mind for tomorrows challenges. For those suffering with arthritis its often difficult just keeping up with the fast pace of day-to-day life. Hypnosis helps individuals adjust to a more appropriate pace and also to release the frustrations and anxiety associated with any limitation. Clients who routinely relax with hypnosis are more centered, balanced and less affected by things they can not control. Increasing muscle tone reduces stress to affected joints, which increases mobility and comfort. Low impact activities like swimming; walking and range of motion exercises are commonly recommended to clients with arthritis. With hypnosis its easier to integrate new regimes and to establish positive subconscious connections between healthy activity and improved mobility, comfort and freedom.The more protection in your joints, the more comfort and mobility you create. Since the subconscious controls the multitude of our bodily function, hypnosis can direct it to increase the production of chondrocytes, which increases the growth of healthy new cartilage. Pain is often the biggest issue with arthritis. Some pain, however, is necessary; it acts as a warning system telling us that something isnt right. The responsible approach with hypnosis is to only reduce unnecessary pain, leaving intact the bodys ability to signal us and protect us from further complications.Hypnosis can also be used to regulate the flow and distribution of endorphins, which are the feel good chemicals the body uses to create comfort and relaxation. Using hypnosis to regulate endorphin production plays a big role in putting the client in control. Hypnosis can also alter the perception of where the pain is located. By redirecting sensitivity away from key areas such as hips, knees and vertebrae to a less critical part of the anatomy like a finger tip, the client has much more control.The same approach can be used to attach a different quality to pain. A sharp pain can be perceived as dull; burning pain can be perceived as cool. Involving other senses is one of the distinct advantages hypnosis offers in managing the symptoms of arthritis. Another technique involves using one color to represent pain and another to represent comfort, and then blending the two offering instant relief.Lastly, by attaching a number value to pain creates the option of change. By imagining a yardstick during hypnosis a client can pick the number that best reflects their current level of pain, and then they are directed to different numbers which changes their perceived level of discomfort. With hypnosis arthritis sufferers gain a distinct advantage in managing and even reversing the limitations of arthritis. Hypnosis is simple, empowering and extremely effective. A few sessions with a hypnotherapist gets you started and with a little practice you begin to effect healthy positive changes in your life. We all have remarkable self-healing abilities and hypnosis is an excellent way to jumpstart a return to a healthier more active life. About the Author
Paul Gustafson RN, BSN, CH runs HealthyHypnosis.com of Burlington, Massachusetts. His 11 years of acute cardiac and hospice experience offer a solid foundation supporting his clinical approach to hypnotherapy. Visit HealthyHypnosis.com or call toll free at 888-290-3972.

Solutions For Health Problems-Keep Illness Away

People all across the planet suffer from a wide variety of health problems. These health problems can be anything, from something as minor as a simple allergy to something as serious as full blown cancer. So what are you suppose to do about these sicknesses? The best Solutions for Health Problems you can find are simply to avoid getting these problems all together.

Now obviously, a lot of problems are out of your control, some things just happen. But for a lot of them you can take preventive measures. As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. Instead of waiting for something to happen and trying to cure it, take the steps needed to avoid getting it all together.

1: Maintain a proper diet. One of the main reasons people suffer so many problems is because they do not keep their body in top form. The human body is a remarkable thing and is quite the power house when it comes to it’s own well being. Your body is capable of fending off almost every type of illness or health problem, as long as you give it plenty of fuel.

Your body, like anything else, requires fuel to run. That fuel comes in the form of food. If you are not eating the right kinds of foods, your body has to not only fight off potential illnesses, but it has to do so while underpowered.

2: Stay active. Another great Solutions for Health Problems is to simply stay active. The human body does not do so well when forced into a sedentary life style. It was made to run and be active, that is why your metabolism and other bodily functions increase whenever you are active. You burn off excess fat, produce beneficial chemicals, and generally just give your body what it needs.

3: Avoid stress. It has been clinically proven that stress can cause all sorts of problems for people. When stressed, your body works in odd ways and will produce certain chemicals. Some of these chemicals are just downright harmful, while others are harmful because there’s too many of them. So try to avoid stress whenever possible.

4: Avoid smoking or drinking. If you really want to avoid health problems, then avoid taking harmful things into your body. We all know by now that smoking is not good for you, but even so millions of people still do it. The same can be said for drinking as well. While not as dangerous, drinking too much will still cause you problems. If you keep it in moderation it will not be a big issue.

5: Get routine checkups. Even if you try your best, things can still go wrong. Visit your doctor routinely for a checkup. Many diseases can be cured if caught early enough, so you want to catch these problems before they get out of hand.

There are many, many more Solutions for Health Problems out there than just these. But these tips offer a place to start, from there you can go further and make sure you live a long, healthy life.

Thyroid Self Test And Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a very common condition that effects millions of people across the globe without them even realizing it. Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid slows down in function which can have severe side effects on your body. Your thyroid primarily controls your metabolism but it also plays parts in other bodily functions as well, which is why it is important to make sure it is working as it should.

There is no real form of Thyroid self test that you can do, and considering the symptoms of hypothyroidism it can be hard to know if you even have it. Some of the symptoms can include constipation, fatigue, feeling cold, gaining weight and the inability to lose weight and depression or anxiety. As you can imagine, all of these symptoms can be caused by a host of other things which is why determining whether or not you even have hypothyroidism is such a problem.

Given these kinds of symptoms are so common you do not want to jump the gun and immediately assume you have hypothyroidism just because you are feeling a little blue or gained a few pounds. However if some of those symptoms have been going on for a while, you may want to consult your doctor about the possibility that you have hypothyroidism.

As I mentioned, you can not Thyroid self test, so you will have to go to your doctor to check to see if you have hypothyroidism. It is a fairly simple and quick procedure to see if you have it. They will take a small blood sample to see if you have elevated counts of TSH.

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is produced by your body when it detects your thyroid behaving abnormally. It is intended to correct the problem and get your thyroid back in working order. Sometimes this fails and that is why you suffer from hypothyroidism. Your doctor will test your blood and if there is a high enough amount of TSH it will tell them that you do indeed have hypothyroidism.

This is not a very serious condition, though, so do not panic if you do have it. Your doctor will likely tell you that you will have to take some medication for the rest of your life and maybe make some small adjustments to your life style, but nothing significant.

One of the most common reasons for your thyroid to act up is a lack of iodine. Iodine is a chemical produced by your body that essentially fuels your thyroid. Hypothyroidism is usually caused when your body does not produce enough iodine, forcing your thyroid to slow down since it does not have enough fuel. If this is the case your treatment will likely include iodine supplements to counter the problem.

In the end, while the symptoms are exceptionally common and there is no Thyroid self test, hypothyroidism is not that big of a problem. If you suspect you have it just go see your doctor, and if you do have it than just do as instructed. You will find it to be a very minor inconvenience on your life.

Borderline Thyroid Issues-One Of The Most Important Glands

One of the most important glands in your body is the Thyroid gland. Your thyroid not only regulates your metabolism, but the hormones it creates can help a wide array of bodily functions. So you want to make sure you take care of it and support it properly so that it can continue to work at peak efficiency.

Hypothyroidism is a common condition that effects millions of people. It is when your thyroid is slower than it should be which can result in a variety of problems. However there are many more people who do not actually have hypothyroidism, but instead have Borderline Thyroid Issues. Even though you do not technically have hypothyroidism, being borderline can still present you with problems.

The most common symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and those who are borderline are the following; feeling fatigued, inability to lose weight, gaining weight, irritability, poor skin complexion, depression and anxiety. These symptoms can still be problematic to you even though you do not have hypothyroidism, so you will still want to shore up your thyroid and get it working even better so that you can get rid of these symptoms.

The most common reason for hypothyroidism, and even borderline hypothyroidism is a lack of iodine in your system. Iodine is a substance required by your thyroid to function, it acts as a sort of fuel. So when you do not get enough of it your thyroid suffers and slows down. Having Borderline Thyroid Issues means you are taking in enough iodine not to have hypothyroidism, but not enough iodine to keep your thyroid running properly, thus you still suffer symptoms.

If you suspect your symptoms are caused by your thyroid then the first thing you will want to do is go and see your doctor. It may sound like a good idea to just start taking iodine supplements, but too much iodine is equally as harmful as too little. So make sure to consult your doctor and find out if iodine deficiency is the cause, and if so find out how much you need to get to correct the issue.

Iodine can be found in a wide array of places, however the best place to get natural iodine is from seafood. Fish and kelp especially contain large amounts of iodine and if you only have Borderline Thyroid Issues simply adjusting your diet may be all that you need to do.

However if that is not enough your doctor can prescribe you medication to help get your thyroid back in balance and working correctly. While a little cumbersome to have to deal with, these sorts of thyroid issues are nothing major and easily treated. You may have to take some medication for the rest of your life but beyond that you will not have to worry about much.

But while minor it is still important to talk to your doctor about it. Even minor issues may turn major if left untreated and only your doctor can determine the proper course of action to get you in tip top shape.