Tag: sleep disorders

The Healing Benefits of Fish oil

“What are the healing benefits of Fish oil and how can it help someone with cardio vascular diseases?”

This is one of today’s biggest question on one of this century’s enigmatic disease called cardio vascular diseases, which is often associated with ones lifestyle, diet and even stress and depression.

The primary cause of cardio vascular diseases is still not known, however, experts agree that emotional or physical trauma are among the factors that develop the disease. Some experts also believe that cardio vascular patients have constant abnormal transmission responses to pain.

Insomnia and other sleep disorders are also common in cardio vascular patients, leading to increased stress levels on the patient and could rapidly spread the disease throughout the human body, while another theory supposes that cardio vascular diseases is also linked to the metabolical changes in a person’s blood flow, leading to symptoms of weakness and chronic fatigue.

A much more simpler theory suggests that cardio vascular diseases may be inherited and flows along family lines, still there is also no proof to attest to that claim.

Although there is no established prevention for cardio vascular diseases to occur in a person, the management and treatment of the disease has significantly improved and advanced over the years.

Despite the somewhat enigmatic cause of this disease, one treatment method that is popularly adopted by cardio vascular patients is an Asian therapeutic treatment approach is fish oil supplements, since it is a very good source of Omega 3 acids which significantly help in ensuring good oxidation in the body and helps improve blood circulation and muscle strengthening, among them the human heart.

Fish oil has been adopted as a good treatment for internal diseases for over a thousand years now and traces its roots back to ancient Japanese and Chinese natural healing methods.

Currently, thousands of cardio vascular sufferers have benefited from the healing powers of fish oil, and many of these consistent testimonials are that it significantly relieves stress and anxiety, strengthens the body’s natural self-healing ability, balances the functions of the human organs and glandular systems, promotes a positive spiritual and emotional well-being, enhances relaxation including sleep, relieves pain, removes toxins from the body and strengthens the body’s immune system.

Today, cardio vascular diseases and fish oil are mutually associated with each other, since a growing number of cardio vascular patients have found fish oil to be a healthy alternative to the treatment of the disease, although it is pointed out that it is not a direct healing medication that will actually ‘cure’ the disorder, its supplemental properties- when administered accordingly with conventional treatment- hastens the healing process.

The healing benefits of fish oil especially for those suffering from cardio vascular diseases – are not just made popular by lip service or media hype, but more from the results of a healing experience that have eased the suffering and pain of thousands of those with cardio vascular diseases.

Science and technology has indeed found a way to harness this wealth of the deep for the benefit of mankind and now that we have it at the palm of our hands and what better way to make the most of it is to embrace the healing benefits of fish oil to our day to day living, be it for treatment or even just as a health supplement.

MASSAGE THERAPY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

With the baby boomers aging and with the help of higher technology and greater innovations in medicine and geriatric science, life is not merely being prolonged but more and more senior citizens today have the opportunity to take advantage of more quality life than ever before. This translates into a generation of more senior citizens of more advanced ages living among us, and that is, in my opinion a very good thing. National demographic studies tell us that nearly 40 million Americans are currently 65 years of age or older and over 2,000 more reach age 65 every single day. To accommodate the ever grown demand for massage therapy among senior citizens, many massage therapists are choosing to expand their expertise by studying the art of age-specific massage therapy which is often referred to as seniors massage or geriatric massage.

For the most part, massage therapy for senior citizens is extremely beneficial and of utmost importance to relieve the aches, the pains, the stiffness and the great number of health condition which are so often associated with aging; such as inflammations in the joints; arthritis; skin discoloration and other dermatological conditions; deteriorating muscles and bones; fading eyesight and loss of hearing, reduced appetite and therefore weight loss, poor blood circulation; sleep disorders; weakened mental capacity, tendonitis; bursitis; asthma; emphysema; high blood pressures; diminished functions of the internal vital organs such as the heart, the liver, the brain, the thyroid, the stomach and the intestines; and so much more. Most importantly, however, lonely and isolated, depressed, anxious and fearful senior citizens derive pricelessly valuable benefits from the simple pleasure of the caressing human touch and the intimate companionship afforded them during massage therapy sessions.

The Weavers Tale Retreat Center in the State of Oregon recently conducted a two-year study examining the effects of massage therapy for senior citizens and they found that at least 50 percent of the elderly who were tested showed a reduction in their rates of breathing, an increase in their range of motion, an improvement of their postures, development of more body awareness, their skin took on healthier colors and their muscle tones were enhanced. The same study also showed that 100 percent of the senior citizen who were tested showed a dramatic improvement in their moods and their attitudes toward life in general.

Massage therapy for senior citizens does not differ in technique but it does differ, and it differs greatly in the application of that technique, whichever that technique may be. In other words, just about any of the different massage techniques can be used on senior citizen but they must be modified enough to accommodate the facts that, very often, the skin of senior citizens have become thinner while growing much less pliable and much more easily broken, their bones are thinner and more brittle, their joints are more stiff with reduced range of mobility, their blood vessels are more prominent and closer to the surface of the skin and their overall health, vigor and vitality have been downgraded through the years. Taking all that into consideration, extra care musts be taken when positioning them on the massage tables, they should never be expected to perform the same movements as younger adults, and wheelchair-bound or bedridden seniors should get their massage treatments while remaining seated in their chairs or reclining in their beds.

Most massages for senior citizens are limited to anywhere from thirty to forty five minutes because the elderly seem to respond better to shortened sessions with greater frequency. Furthermore, greater time is usually spent on massaging their hands and feet than any other part of their bodies. That is especially true for those seniors who have lost the use of their hands and feet as massaging them will enhance their body awareness as well as increase sensations and blood circulation throughout.

We all need plenty of TLC (tender love and care) but senior citizens need and deserve quite a bit more of it.

PPPPP

(Word Count 667)

DYSFUNCTIONS RESPONDING TO CLINICAL MASSAGE

Occasionally referred to as an orthopedic massage, Clinical massage is an entire array of manipulation techniques designed to assess and then to minister to soft tissue injuries and these may include but are not limited to: massage therapy, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, muscle-energy techniques, craniosacral therapy, deep tissue massage and so on. The Clinical massage therapy is usually based on a physicians prescription and directives as a series of treatment sessions to be performed over a set period of time and at specified frequency as related only to a specific need. In that regard, this therapy is most often performed with a particular and purposeful outcome in mind, and its first and foremost objectives are to relieve pain, to increase the range of motion and to help repair and restore soft tissues such as muscles, tendons and ligaments to their normal and healthy functions.

The first of the doctor-prescribed set of sessions is predominantly devoted to assessment or diagnostics of the clients true condition and with all the data collected an action plan can be formulated:

* By using various levels of palpation or touching of the ailing body part, the massage therapist will pinpoint the exact location as well as determine the levels of pain.

* The range of motion and the strength of the muscles is tested through a sequence of movements such as a passive movement which involves the massage therapist moving the relevant muscle groups while the client is inert; an active movement which involves the clients own movement of the muscles in questions; and the resisted movement which involves the clients movement against a resisting force.

* If clinical data related to previous soft tissue injuries and massage therapy is available, it will be reviewed for comparison to the current situation and the phase of healing will be determined.

* The findings are closely reviewed along with the doctors orders and a customized Clinical massage therapy is drawn up.

Most every condition of the soft tissues can benefit from Clinical massage to some extent, but the following list displays dysfunctions which respond most advantageously to its application:

Myofascial Pain. Pain and physiological dysfunctions are known to begin at specific points within muscles and their connective tissues which are also known as fascia. These are appropriately referred to as trigger points because they tend to set off or trigger reactions at remote locations.

Scientists and researchers have successful recorded comprehensive map systems of myofascial trigger points and they have been able to identify dozens of dysfunctions relating to them. The most common of these are: carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ dysfunction, PMS, headache, diarrhea, dizziness, cardiac arrhythmia, indigestion, tennis elbow, urinary frequency, sinusitis, deafness and blurred vision.

Fascial Plane Dysfunction. Fascia covers nearly the entire body in large endlessly connected sheets which can be distorted and bound to themselves and nearby tissues when inflicted with injury, misalignment or a chemical imbalance. To promote optimal health, the fascial sheets and the blood vessels and nerves which follow them must be in good conditions.

Neuromuscular Dysfunction. Even the simplest and the tiniest of movements of the body requires armies of nerve impulses to be sent to the muscle which is directly involved, as well as to the adjoining and opposing muscles. And it must all be accomplished with precision of timing and proportions. When the mechanics of any part of these functions break down, muscle fibers or entire muscles lock.

Tonus System Dysfunction. Overused muscles become hypertonic or lose their ability to relax. Consequently, they tighten and cause stress on opposing muscles and on the joints they cross.

Dermatomic Dysfunction. When nerves are pinched anywhere along their path, pain will be delivered to the area they serve.

Spondylogenic Dysfunction. When joints of the spine are impaired or compressed, pain will occur in that specific area.

Stated more simply, people suffering from muscle or joint pains or tightness, muscle fatigue or tension, shooting or spreading pains, allergies or asthma, anxiety or depression, irregularity of the digestive system, arthritis or circulatory problems, sleep disorders, headaches, immune function disorders or stress, they can be helped as their symptoms can be relieved through Clinical massage.

PPPPP

(Word Count 698)

Treatment and Care for Alzheimers Patients

Many breakthroughs and important discoveries have been found throughout the years of research and testing regarding the cure and treatment of Alzheimers disease. Despite that though, there continues to be no known cure or prevention for Alzheimers. Furthermore, once the disease has started, there can be no repairing or slowing down the damage of abnormal deposits of proteins in the brain.

People with Alzheimers have abnormal deposits of protein in their brains. These brain protein coat the brain and interacts with the neurons, neurotransmitters and nerves, causing damage and massive atrophy. Eventually, the brain will continue to shrink and the otherwise wrinkled surface will start to smoothen out. This is basically what causes the degeneration in the mind and in the person’s body.

There however are some drugs and treatments that seem to relieve symptomatic conditions slightly in some cases. These drugs and Alzheimers treatments are especially important during the onset and early stages of the illness when the sufferer can still be aware of what he or she is going through.

For instance, a person with Alzheimers at the early stages may suffer from depression or restlessness and certain drugs and Alzheimers treatments can be administered to help with this somewhat. Also, there have been some cases where memory loss at the beginning of dementia can still be improved somehow. Other possible symptoms that can be momentarily alleviated are sleep disorders and hallucinations.

Beyond these, the proper Alzheimers treatment of caregivers for patients is a highly specialized skill and needs to be administered by a professional. This will mean that the patient will eventually have to be entrusted in institutionalized care for the proper Alzheimers treatment needed.

Of course, loved ones of the Alzheimers patient will want to administer care personally but the care and Alzheimers treatment needed by the patient will be full time and specialized so it is best for a professional caregiver to ensure dignity is maintained throughout the course of the person’s disease.

Despite the present lack of Alzheimers treatment and cure, hope should never be abandoned. After all the technological advancements that have been made in the field of science and medicine, it probably won’t be long before the proper Alzheimers treatment and cure will be discovered.

If not the cure or Alzheimers treatment, then perhaps the methods of prevention against Alzheimers will be found to help other individuals not fall into this predicament. Perhaps in the near future, there will be vaccines for Alzheimers disease much like we all have vaccines against diseases like small pox and the like. All those diseases in the past posed a challenge to humanity then just like Alzheimers does now.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know and care about suffers from Alzheimers, it is best to consult a professional for possible options for instance for eventual institutional care, or for support groups or counseling advice that can be given to the patient and to his or her friends and relatives.

There may be some misconceptions and even some difficulty in accepting the situation of this disease whether it is on the side of the patient or from the people around him or her. For instances such as these, the right counseling and guidance is needed as part of the proper Alzheimers treatment.