Tag: Soft Tissues

THE FOOT MASSAGE

Some 2,500 ago and during Lord Buddhas time in ancient India, a physician named Jivaka Komarabhacca developed a complex massage system which somehow ended up in Thailand where it was pass on by word of mouth from one generation to the next and is still practiced today in much the same way as it was so many centuries ago. When the Thai alphabet was developed under King Ramkamhaeng the Great, scholars began recording all aspect of Thai society, culture and healing practices which, of course, included massage therapy. Unfortunately, future generation had little left as almost all was destroyed when Thailands capital of Ayuthaya was captured by the Burmese invaders in 1776. All that remained of the recorded ancient traditions was that which, under the directives of King Rama III who wanted to preserve as much as possible, was engraved on the walls of Wat Poh, one of the most famous temples in Bangkok.

Based on the ancient teachings regarding massage therapies, many different kinds are practiced in modern day Thailand. The Foot massage is one of the most interesting of them all due to the fact that its principles are simple while its practice is quite a bit more complicated as the force which is applied to the foot by the massaging hands must be exceedingly accurate as it is directed toward particular nerves of the foot. The Thai believe that each part of the foot has a direct link to another remotely located part of the body such as a vital organ or a system. Therefore, applying pressure and massaging a certain area of the foot influences the soft tissues of that particular area of the foot as well as the other.

As a general rule, the Foot massage is much more effective when the foot is bare as opposed to being clad with socks or stockings. There are several basic techniques that are used by just about every Foot massage therapist and they are:

* Sweeping and Rubbing. Most Foot massages begin with bringing an increased supply of blood into the foot by rubbing its surface lightly but long enough to create the desired warmth and the rhythm of movement.

* Thumb Walking. The thumbs are used to apply more direct and firm pressure to various parts of the foot as well as to loosen the tense tendons which run along the its outside edge.

* Toe Rotation. The toes are very sensitive and care should be taken when manipulating them by either rotating each toe individually or by gently pulling them upwards and outwards while squeezing gently.

* Kneading. Kneading is accomplished by firmly but not harshly pressing and rotating the knuckles of a fisted hand back and forth across the sole of the foot, from its heel to its toes.

* Cupping. This is a simple squeezing of the entire foot with an up and down motion of one hand while cupping it with the other.

The benefits of a good Foot massage are many:

* Firmly pressing and massaging the base of the fourth toe heals an ailing heart.
* Pressing and massaging the base of the second toe stimulates the lungs and the bronchial system for improved breathing.
* Pressing and rolling the area between the first and second thumb relieves headaches.
* Massaging between the third and fourth toe relaxes tired eyes and improves vision.
* Stretching and pulling the big toe alleviates pain caused by sinusitis.
* Rotating pressure at the ball of the foot will ease stomachaches and heal the kidneys, the bladder and the entire excretory system.
* Applying pressure to the front of the heel delivers remedial effects to the male and female genital glands.
* Stretching the skin backwards and forwards under both sides of the anklebone is therapeutic to the reproductive tracts of men and women.
* Pulling the knuckle of any toe backwards along the instep eases spinal pain and improves posture.
* Holding the foot between two hands and rubbing the top of the foot between the first and second toe with one thumb which rubbing the top of the foot between the fourth and the fifth toe with the other, relieves pain of the inner ear and the chest.
* Massaging the inner and outer edges of the foot is beneficial to the diaphragm.
* Pushing and massaging the soft spot beneath the anklebone reduces the pain from the sciatic nerve and stimulates the lymphatic system to cleanse the body of bacteria and toxins.
* Enfolding and rotating the toes achieves overall relaxation and a sense of well-being.
* With so much pressing, massaging, rolling, gyrating, pulling, stretching and stroking; all the soft tissues of the foot itself become relaxed and invigorated.

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Pain Relief for Your Aching Muscles

Soft tissues are vulnerable to injuries, both chronic and acute. The best way to repair injured soft tissues is through hands-on approach. Consult a chiropractic doctor or an osteopath because they know how to manipulate the soft tissues and how to mobilize them. Aside from that, you can also try physical therapy and massage.

Individuals who havent tried Massage Therapy are hesitant to try such approach and they get really nervous. Well, youre not the only person whos anxious of getting a massage. Oftentimes, patients tend to ask question like if they need to take off their clothes, if they should talk to the massager, or what they would do just in case they get uncomfortable. These are common questions that require immediate answers.

Firstly, you need to look for a massage therapist in your area. You can ask for referrals or you can check out the different massage parlors in your locality. Once you find a massage parlor, its now time to talk with the therapist. You will be asked to provide some vital information about your health and your current health concerns. You see, the therapist needs to analyze your condition so that he or she can determine what techniques to use and what not to use. This is important to ensure your safety.

Aside from the personal questions, the therapist will also ask you about your preference when it comes to the actual therapy. The therapist will try to meet all your preferences to ensure comfort. The most commonly used oils are lavender, cajeput, and tea tree oil but you will still be asked to choose scented oils. The reason why therapists prefer these oils is because they soothe inflammations and irritations. The oils also desensitize and penetrate nerve endings, thereby giving pain relief. However, if the therapist doesnt ask you, you can bring up your concerns and preferences.

The question of getting undressed is another consideration. Therapists prefer to work with a patient who doesnt have clothes on because they can easily work on the different areas of the body. However, if youre uncomfortable in such setting, you can talk to your therapist about it. Besides, you will not be asked to expose your whole body because you will use a drape. If you still want to wear clothes, make sure that you wear loose clothes so that the therapist can still work well on the affected areas of your body.

You will simply lie down on the massage table. Some tables have bolsters for more comfort. There are also times when you will be asked to move so that the therapist can better access the area being massaged. If the position makes you uncomfortable, tell the therapist at once.

During the therapy, you can talk to the therapist or you can remain silent. When changing positions, then there is a need to talk but after that, there is no need to converse with the therapist. It is up to you to tell the therapist if you like a conversation during the therapy or if you prefer to be silent.

Dont worry if your body is oily after the massage. The therapist will help you in removing them so that the oils will not stain your clothes.

Massage is an effective pain relief tool. Why dont you try it now?

The Truth About What a Yeast Infection Looks Like

How to Identify a Yeast Infection

At some time in your life, you will probably need to know what a yeast infection looks like. A yeast infection will have different characteristics depending on which body part it has attacked. In most cases, it looks like a patchy red rash that is not raised at all. After a while, this rash can generate pus.

Babies usually get yeast infections in their mouths, where the fungus finds a wet, enclosed space in which to live. This type of yeast infection often resembles a layer of white, milky mucus over a red area of the skin. When the mouth is in this condition, it makes drinking and eating difficult and painful.

Babies and children still in diapers may also develop a yeast infection from the wet, warm environment. The more vigilant you are in changing the diaper, the more likely your child can avoid a yeast infection. Dry clothing is key to keeping yeast infections at bay. The yeast infection on a babys bottom will look similar to the red patches of rash mentioned earlier in the article.

Yeast infections can also occur in the skin between fingers and toes. In this case, it will look red and dry and feel quite irritated. Sweaty socks can often contribute to this problem, so go for socks that provide a looser fit and allow your feet to have some circulation.

When found in the ear, a yeast infection looks like a standard ear infection, causing the ear to look red or swollen. There may be a cottony discharge that comes from the affected ear.

A vaginal yeast infection has to be the most well known type of yeast infection. Up to 75% of many women suffer from this condition at least once in their lives. It is important to know what this kind of yeast infection looks like.

Often, you will notice a red patch of skin that looks inflamed and swollen. The soft tissues surrounding the vagina may also become swollen and irritated. Excessive dryness of the vaginal area is another indicator that you may have a yeast infection.

Other Symptoms of Yeast Infections

Vaginal yeast infections also present with a host of other symptoms. A white, thick discharge will most likely occur; this will look different from the normal discharge a woman experiences when ovulating. It may have an odd smell, which some women compare to the smell of baked bread. You may notice a difference in coloration when discharge is due to a yeast infection.

Yeast infections in the ear can also be identified in children by the affected childs behavior. Often, the child will act fussy due to the ear pain, or repeatedly pull on or rub the infected ear. Children with ear infections usually have trouble sleeping.

Once you are acquainted with what a yeast infection looks like, you can begin treating this condition much more quickly than before. Always consult with a doctor before taking medications, as some medicines can actually cause a future yeast infection to be more resistant to drugs.

Advancement in Hair Transplantation

A standard hair transplantation procedure involves the removal of donor strip of hair from the back of the head from where the follicular unit grafts are dissected under a microscope. These grafts are then preserved in saline and are then transplanted on a bald patch on the crown area of the scalp.

Given the time consuming and tedious nature of this procedure, a hair transplant surgeon is often able to transplant only about 500 to 600 follicular unit grafts per day. However, thanks to the recent hair transplant advances, this technique is often replaced by the follicular unit extraction (FUE). The cost per graft of FUE is typically twice the cost of the standard follicular unit hair transplant procedure discussed above but it is comparatively faster and minimally invasive.

Some hair transplant advances

In a typical FUE procedure a small round punch is made in the donor area to directly extract 1, 2, 3 and 4 hair follicular unit grafts. The follicular units extracted using this process is typically referred to as “blunt dissection” where a punch is made to envelope the entire follicular unit separating it from the surrounding soft tissues.

Once the underlying follicular unit is separated from the surrounding tissues, it is easily extracted using a small forceps. The small holes left behind after the follicular unit extraction gradually heal over the next few days and are not detectable to the naked eye once the patient’s hair grows out. The healing time is much less than the donor strip extraction procedure.

While the FUE procedure has been adopted by most hair transplant clinics, the standard strip excision method is still the most popular hair transplant procedure because it is more economical than the FUE.

Moreover, due to some recent hair transplant advances such as the use of trichophytic closure technique, the linear donor scar created by the strip excision procedure is now often rendered almost undetectable to the naked eye. This advancement in the hair transplantation technique has made FUE procedure relatively less appealing.

Hair transplantation research

Besides the hair transplant advances in the transplantation procedures, a lot of research is also underway to clone the hair. If the hair transplantation research is successful it will be possible to make several copies of donor hair in the laboratory. The application of this technique would be used in the form of hair transplantation. In the traditional procedures, the biggest limitation is often the donor which is not able to meet required density. However, hair cloning promises to overcome this problem by having the amount of hair required to be grown in a laboratory from a single donor hair and then implanting it into the scalp.

Hair transplantation research for cloning is very difficult and there are many hurdles that have to be overcome regarding the safety and cosmetic characteristics of the cloned hair. Some hair transplantation research has also provided breakthrough for some hair loss medication like Dutasteride.