Tag: Deep Vein Thrombosis

MASSAGE THERAPY AS COMPLIMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Massage therapy is a broad term that encompasses a wide variety of procedures and methods of pressing, rubbing and manipulating muscles and other soft body tissues such as tendons, ligaments, skin and connective tissues. The main objective of massage therapy is to relax the soft tissues while promoting an increased delivery of blood and oxygen to the areas being massages and, therefore, to decrease tightness and pain. Massage therapy is most often accomplished by utilizing the massage therapists fingers, hands, arms, elbows and/or feet. Occasionally, however, mechanical and electronic devices may be also used.

As a matter of fact, there are more than eighty official types of massage therapy treatments but some of the most widely known are the following:

* The Deep Tissue Massage. This technique uses a combination of strokes and deep finger pressure applied way down under the skin and into the muscles at the painful sites in order to breakup knots and loosen tightness.

* The Trigger Point Massage. This procedure is also known as the Pressure Point Massage and it is more focused on specific myofascial trigger points with a stronger force than the Deep Tissue Massage. The goal here is to dissolve the painful knots that were formed in the muscles as well as to relieve additional symptoms in more remote areas of the body.

* The Swedish Massage. This system utilizes oblong smooth strokes, kneading and friction of the muscles as well as movement of the joints to increase their range of motion and flexibility.

* The Shiatsu Massage. Using altering rhythmic pressure, tapping, squeezing and rubbing along the meridian and on various other parts of the body, the main objective of this Eastern massage therapy is to enhance the flow of a fundamentally important energy called gi. And this energy, in the ancient Chinese medicine is believed to be the life force that regulates a persons spiritual, emotional, mental and physical wellness that is easily affected when subjected to the rival forces of yin and yang.

Whether the four most often practiced massage therapies I mentioned above are used as complimentary alternative medicine (also known as CAM) or any one of the other recognized eighty which are available to a lesser or greater extent, there are important points to be considered:

* No massage therapy should ever be used in place of regular or ongoing medical care.

* Massage therapy should not be the cause or the excuse to postpone visiting a medical professional for existing medical issues.

* The massage therapists schooling and credentials must be verified as well as his or her experience with specific health and medical conditions.
* Any additional complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) such as herbs, supplements, special diets or other treatments which are suggested by the massage therapist must first be reviewed with a medical professional.

* Although the subject of massage therapy (how it works and why) has been studied for many years and continues to be studies, much of it still remains within the realm of a mystery.

* If and when massage therapy is performed by a well training and experienced professional, few risks are involved and the worst of them may be temporary pain or discomfort, bruising, swelling or an allergic reaction to the massage oils. The small number of serious injuries which have been reported were triggered by untrained hands that were not aware that certain medical conditions should not be massaged. It is, therefore, essential to consult a medical professional before undergoing massage therapy, particularly under the following circumstances:

* Deep vein thrombosis
* A bleeding disorder or when taking blood thinners
* Damaged blood vessels
* Weakened bones from osteoporosis, a recent fracture or cancer
* The presence of high body temperature
* Open or healing wounds, tumors, damaged nerves, an infection, a severe inflammation or fragile skin
* Pregnancy
* Heart problems
* Dermatomyositis or any other skin disease
* History of physical abuse

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Are There Side Effects for Spider Vein Treatment

Are there any side effects from spider vein treatment? There are a few but most people do not experience it. Just the same, you should know what could happen.

The first side effect is hyper pigmentation which occasional develops when the vein is injected. Fortunately, it does not that long and it normally fades. Since your skin will turn dark, one way to prevent people from seeing it is to wear pants or apply bleaching cream.

It is also possible that an inflammation will occur for a few days after the procedure. Doctors that perform on patients say that this is also normal because things will look worse before they get any better. You just have to bear with it.

Your skin may not turn dark but it can become reddish. This happens when multiple veins develop around the injection site.

The last spider vein treatment side effect is deep vein thrombosis. Of the four mentioned this is very rare and when it does happen, the patient will feel pain and the veins will be red, swollen and engorged.

If you experience any of these side effects, it is best to call your doctor immediately so he or she can come over and examine it further.

Doctors will always do their best to prevent complications and side effects like these from occurring. One of the things they do is let you answer a questionnaire and you have to answer it truthfully. You will also need to undergo a physical exam because you may or may not have spider veins but something more serious.

Patients who have circulatory problems, diabetes, heart condition or a blood born disease like hepatitis or AIDS are also not allowed because these people have the tendency to bleed or have poor healing.

If you experienced a blood clot in the past, the doctor will not say no right away so you still have a shot since this is decided on a case to case basis depending on the cause of the clot.

Women who are pregnant or are breast feeding are also not allowed to undergo this procedure because it could contaminate the milk which is fed to the infant and in some cases, spider veins go away on their own once the female gives birth. In both cases, the patient will just have to see the doctor later on if she still wants this done normally after three months.

You should avoid certain activities and taking certain things a week before surgery to prevent any problems. This includes not taking any medication especially antibiotics and not applying any lotion especially in the areas where the doctor will work on.

The side effects of spider vein treatment are minimal and in some cases very rare which is why sclerotherapy which was widely used in Europe has made its way to the US and doctors here have been performing this procedure for more than a decade.

You just have to find a licensed practitioner who will be able to perform this procedure safely so you can go out and show your legs. This could even make you look younger so you will feel good about yourself which is perhaps the best thing about this form of spider form treatment.