Tag: Muscles

Help Cope with Grief through Essential Oil Aromatherapy

Grief hits us so fast and unexpectedly, and it is one of the hardest emotionally traumatic issues from which to relieve yourself. Grief is an emotion that hangs over your head and it never leaves you spiritually. All you can do to help fight against grief is to help cope with the feelings. Some people will turn to drugs or chemicals that are unsafe and have unknown side effects. Essential oils in aromatherapy are a way to naturally soothe your mind and help relieve yourself from the adverse effects of grief and depression.

Grief comes in several forms. It can be the effects from loss of a loved one, bereavement, relationship troubles, or even the loss of a job. Aromatherapy can relieve the stress and pain from all of these sources. Bereavement is a strong emotional pain that can overcome your life. It stays with you for a lifetime. Bereavement is extremely painful and it can interfere with you relationships, home life, and eventually your job.

Use of essential oils in aromatherapy can help you battle these emotions and remove your feelings of anxiety and loss of control. Grief can create a feeling of loss that can kill your soul and build tension in muscles. It will eventually cause you to lose your health, and you can become sick or ill from the emotional stress. Illnesses from grief are not uncommon especially when the grief stems from the emotional loss of a loved one.

Using the below essential oils will help you maintain a healthier attitude towards life and it will help your mental state for future endeavors. Your mental health is more important than you might realize. It can control your physical health, and a downward spiral of depression can ultimately lead to tragic events. Using Frankincense and Rose can help you boost your mood and keep your mind balanced from the overwhelming emotions from grief.

Frankincense

Frankincense is a rejuvenating essential oil that can help you balance the out of control emotions that come with the negative effects of grief. It is an exotic plant extracted from a bush in Africa. Frankincense is an essential oil that has been used for thousands of years as a therapeutic ingredient to help people relax and aid in meditation. The ancient herb has been used in ancient religious ceremonies to uplift the spirit and help the mood.

Rose

Rose is a unique essential oil that helps balance the mind and relax your spirit and muscles. It is undoubtedly a feminine oil that makes you feel sensual and soft. Its effects on the emotional system also uplift and balance your mood. Stabilizing your mood is especially important for those who suffer from grief, so this essential oil is ultimately an emotional solution.

Although feelings of loss and grief cannot be entirely removed, essential oils in aromatherapy will increase your mood and balance your emotions to help you deal with the issues and overcome the depression that accompanies grief. Use both of these essential oils for an ultimate effect of grief help.

You can also use them individually for their separate benefits. Use what you can to overcome grief so that your depression does not overcome your mind and spirit. By using these essential oils, you can begin your journey of feeling better.

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Pros and Cons of Natural Arthritis Relief

When it comes to treating the pain, stiffness, and discomfort associated with arthritis, most medical professionals recommend pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs. These do work, but you may be concerned with what you are putting in your body. You may want to turn to natural remedies or relief options, but are they right for you? In most cases yes, but know they do have their pros and cons.

The Pros of Natural Arthritis Relief

Your options. The phrase natural arthritis relief encompasses many different items. It all depends on your take. For example, natural supplements have all natural ingredients. But, since they are bought and sold at stores, you may not consider them a natural way to seek relief. Certain actions are also natural ways to relieve arthritis pain and discomfort. For example, there is exercise. Those with rheumatoid arthritis have trigger factors that bring on pain. Some experience pain with strenuous joint use, others do so with certain foods. So, eating or avoid certain foods is another way to seek natural arthritis relief. Virtually, your options are endless.

Most are safe. Since these remedies are natural, if anything needs to be ingested or applied to the skin, it is all natural. This means it was found in the environment. Since there are no guarantees, caution is still advised. For example, cayenne pepper is known for the presence of capsaicin. This is also found in many over-the-counter arthritis creams. Although natural, it can interact with certain medications.

Many are cheap and some are even free! For example, exercise can be free. Exercise is important because it strengths the muscles surrounding the joints. It provides extra support and protection, which should result in less pain. You can pay for a gym membership. Instead, walk around your neighborhood or stretch at home. In terms of all-natural supplements and foods, look for sales, use coupons, and shop at stores known for their everyday low prices.

The Cons of Natural Arthritis Relief

There are no guarantees. Always remember that the human body is similar, but very different. This is most commonly seen with allergies. Our bodies process food differently. Some arthritis patients claim eating raw cabbage or drinking cabbage juice reduces arthritis pain and inflammation. On the other hand, it does nothing for others. In fact, some cannot stomach the taste and others are allergic! Your best option is to familiarize yourself with popular natural remedies and then experiment to find the best form of relief for your own body.

Some natural remedies require prolonged use. Research apple cider vinegar and arthritis online. You will find a ton of remedies and information on how it does work. With that said, you will also see that prolonged use is required. Some patients stop drinking apple cider vinegar mixtures or stop soaking their body due to the reduction in pain and swelling. Many are disappointed to later see the pain and inflammation return.

Some natural remedies can get costly, especially overtime. You just heard that continued use is best for maximum and long-term relief of pain and swelling. Unfortunately, this means you need to buy more. Remember, exercise can be free. As for heat, opt for a warm bath. If you need to use a heating pad, save the one-time patches for on-the-go use. At home, use a reusable heating pad.

In short, natural remedies for arthritis relief do have their pros and cons, but what do you have to lose? In most cases not much, so give exercise, heat, food, and supplements a try. You just may get the relief you were hoping for.

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How to Prevent and Manage Arthritis Pain

If you suffer from arthritis, pain becomes a part of your life. Even those who have dealt with arthritis for years, still suffer. With arthritis, the pain is more than physical. It is emotional too. Help must be sought.

If you suffer from arthritis, you want pain relief. In fact, you may want it now. Yes, it is important to seek pain relief, but first look at the cause. When seeking relief, you want more than temporary relief. The best approach is to stop pain before it starts. How? Luckily, you have many options.

Exercise. Exercise is vital to create a strong and healthy body. Not only that, it can relieve and prevent the pain associated with arthritis. Those suffering from severe pain, often left their symptoms go untreated. Their joints are so stiff that it literally hurts to move. If you have reached this point, it will take time. If not, start the process now. Exercise results in joint movement, lessening the stiffness and the pain overtime. It also builds muscle strength. This strength provides the joints with protection, lessening the pressure and pain.

Wise use of joints. Those who suffer from severe forms of arthritis suffer every minute of the day. They wake up and feel pain. In fact, a full nights sleep may be near impossible. Prevent joint pain by wisely using your joints and muscles. Do you suffer from arthritis in your elbows or hips? If so, lessen the strenuous activity that requires these joints. Instead of lifting heavy boxes with your arms, lift with the entire body. Instead of turning only the upper part of the body at the hips, reposition the entire body to get a good look.

Sleep. As previously stated, sleep can be difficult for those suffering from severe pain. A good nights sleep is vital to preventing pain. The energy the body receives from sleep can ward off pain or lessen its severity. If your nights are restless, sleep whenever possible. This may involve afternoon naps, but the payoff is worth it. A well-rested and well-energized body is able to ward off pain and manage it better.

Do not load up on pain medication. Unfortunately, those who suffer from pain, whether it be arthritis or not, rely on pain relievers. Some reach the point where they take medication before pain even sets it. It will arrive eventually, so why wait. Do not take this approach, unless advised by a medical professional. The body grows dependant on the medication we ingest. It is easy to become addicted to over-the-counter pain medication. To prevent pain, exercise, eat healthy, and get a good night sleep. Wait until the pain arrives before turning to over-the-counter medication.

Speaking of when the pain arrives, you now know how to prevent arthritis pain, but what if you still feel it? The above mentioned steps prevent some from experiencing severe pain, but there are no guarantees. Our bodies are all different. If your attempts prove unsuccessful, the next step is management. You need to learn to manage your pain. Pain management will allow you to function from day-to-day.

Reduce stress and relax. There is no doubt that arthritis sufferers deal with pain. This is a proven fact. However, our bodies play a huge role in the impact it has on our lives. A positive outlook on life will help. The less you focus on your pain, the less you will feel. Relaxation is key too. Does a warm bath relax your body and sooth your joint pain? If so, fill up the bathtub, add scented bubbles, and turn on your favorite music.

Get a massage. Most patients are surprised to hear their physicians recommend massages. Most assume they will be loaded with pain relievers and sent homes. Yes, over-the-counter relievers do assist with pain, but so does a good old massage. It relaxes the body and mind. Massages also warm the body and promote movement. In some cases, regular massages can help to prevent pain.

As you can see, there are many ways to avoid and manage the pain associated with arthritis. In fact, these are just a few of your options. No matter what type of arthritis you suffer from or how severe the symptoms, know you are not alone and that relief is available.

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SELF MASSAGE DEVICES

This is for all of you out there who are like most of us; too busy and too cash poor to treat ourselves to massage therapy on a regular basis or at all. That is indeed an unfortunate self denial. However, this particular denial can never guide us to also deny the fact that we can all use the benefits of massage therapy for it is not a mere luxury of the superfluous nature but an inherent need. As a matter of fact, massage therapy is deeply embedded into the fabric of our being and we all instinctively practice it to some extent without ever calling it that.

What do we do when our tummies hurt, when we have headaches, when we stub our toes, when our muscles tighten and cramp and so on and on? We automatically and without contemplation or forethought place our hands to the areas of discomfort to press and rub. Guess what? That is self massage therapy. And self massage therapy is every bit as effective and beneficial as any other kind of massage therapy, and it can be performed at any time and at any place to accommodate our unforgiving schedules and at no cost.

However, there are some parts of our bodies which are difficult to reach and therefore impossible to self massage. There are also times when our own two hands are too fatigued or sore to perform the self massage therapy we need. Furthermore, there may be certain situations that would require our hands to be put to other uses while we wish we could do some massaging. For those reasons, some very intuitive and insightful inventors designed self massage devices which can resolve these issues without depriving us of a good massage.

Massage devices are by no means new concepts as implements have been used on peoples bodies for many centuries throughout the world:

* Mesopotamia and Egypt. Some writings indicate that the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians used a variety of objects to manipulate the body and those would date as far back as 3000 B.C.

* China. The oldest massage tool that has been discovered thus far is made out of jade and it was used in the Longshan culture of China during the Shang dynasty and dates back to about 2000 to 1500 B.C. a massage knuckle.

At approximately the same time, tools carved of wood or animal bones were used to apply pressure to painful points in the body, and needles carved out of wood were used to treat gout.

* Greece and Rome. Stones (jade, marble, basalt and others) were allegedly used either hot or cold by the Greeks and Romans in 175 B.C.

The strigil, rubbing cloths and tapotements made of ebony, wood or bone were also used in the Roman and Greed empires and flagellation (self beating) was practiced with the use of twigs or leafy branches.

* England. The English shaped needle-like instruments to alleviate the symptoms of gout.

An English veteran of the American Revolution, Admiral Henry of Rolvenden, created a large collection of tools to treat his own aches and pain. He drummed his back with a hammer covered with cork and leather; he made a few wood carvings to pound the soles of his feet, he used cattle ribs to loosen the knots along his tendons and to stroke certain parts of his body and he fashioned small bone gadgets to massage the inside of his mouth.

* Pacific Islands. The Polynesians used a thinly curved limb shaped out of the indigenous guava tree called the laau lomi-lomi stick as well as rounded lava rocks called lomi balls. Both these devices tools were used for rubbing, pounding and pressing.

In the 1890s the Health Culture Company of New York introduced an entire line of manual self massage devices and those have been used widely ever since, even more than the electronic devices which began flooding the market in more recent years.

The selection available to you today is extraordinary and the prices are surprisingly low. Among them are rollers, balls, percussion sticks, mats, vibration devices, and much, much more. All you need to do is visit websites such as http://www.ultimatewatermassage.com/ProductCart/pc/viewcategories.asp and be amazed.

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