Elise Maree Mobile Massage

01/11/2015

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Weddings - Parties - Everything

20/01/2015

A very interesting read. Hope everyone is having a great week :) Elise.

Connective Tissue: The Very Basics

As the name implies, connective tissue serves a "connecting" function. It supports and binds other tissues. Unlike epithelial tissue, connective tissue typically has cells scattered throughout an extracellular matrix.

Loose Connective Tissue:
In vertebrates, the most common type of connective tissue is loose connective tissue. It holds organs in place and attaches epithelial tissue to other underlying tissues.

Loose connective tissue is named based on the "weave" and type of its constituent fibers. There are three main types:

Collagenous Fibers:
Collagenous fibers are made of collagen and consist of bundles of fibrils that are coils of collagen molecules.

Elastic Fibers:
Elastic fibers are made of elastin and are stretchable.

Reticular Fibers:
Reticular fibers join connective tissues to other tissues.

Fibrous Connective Tissue
Another type of connective tissue is fibrous connective tissue which is found in tendons and ligaments. Fibrous connective tissue is composed of large amounts of closely packed collagenous fibers.

Specialized Connective Tissues

Adipose:
Adipose tissue is a form of loose connective tissue that stores fat.

Cartilage:
Cartilage is a form of fibrous connective tissue that is composed of closely packed collagenous fibers in a rubbery gelatinous substance called chondrin. The skeletons of sharks and human embryos are composed of cartilage. Cartilage also provides flexible support for certain structures in adult humans including the nose, trachea and ears.

Bone:
Bone is a type of mineralized connective tissue that contains collagen and calcium phosphate, a mineral crystal. Calcium phosphate gives bone its firmness.

Blood:
Interestingly enough, blood is considered to be a type of connective tissue. Even though it has a different function in comparison to other connective tissues it does have an extracellular matrix. The matrix is the plasma and erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets are suspended in the plasma.

28/11/2014

Interesting read. Enjoy your weekend everyone! Elise.

Questions and Answers about Spinal Stenosis:
This collection contains general information about spinal stenosis. It describes the condition's causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments. At the end is a list of additional resources. By the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) - National Institutes of Health

Article Here: http://1.usa.gov/17I4pKB

21/10/2014

An interesting read for a Wednesday morning! Enjoy another amazing day today! Elise.

What Is Hypertension?
By Medical News Today

Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the arteries have persistently elevated blood pressure. Every time the human heart beats, it pumps blood to the whole body through the arteries.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing up against the blood vessel walls. The higher the pressure the harder the heart has to pump. Hypertension can lead to damaged organs, as well as several illnesses, such as renal failure (kidney failure), aneurysm, heart failure, stroke, or heart attack. Researchers from UC Davis reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology that high blood pressure during middle age may raise the risk of cognitive decline later in life.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, hypertension means "High blood pressure; transitory or sustained elevation of systemic arterial blood pressure to a level likely to induce cardiovascular damage or other adverse consequences."

The normal level for blood pressure is below 120/80, where 120 represents the systolic measurement (peak pressure in the arteries) and 80 represents the diastolic measurement (minimum pressure in the arteries). Blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called prehypertension (to denote increased risk of hypertension), and a blood pressure of 140/90 or above is considered hypertension.

Hypertension may be classified as essential or secondary. Essential hypertension is the term for high blood pressure with unknown cause. It accounts for about 95% of cases. Secondary hypertension is the term for high blood pressure with a known direct cause, such as kidney disease, tumors, or birth control pills.

Some 70 million adults in the United States are affected by hypertension. The condition also affects about two million teens and children. According to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in September 2012, over half all Americans with hypertension do not have their high blood pressure under control.
What causes hypertension?

Though the exact causes of hypertension are usually unknown, there are several factors that have been highly associated with the condition. These include:
Smoking

Obesity or being overweight

Diabetes

Sedentary lifestyle

Lack of physical activity

High levels of salt intake (sodium sensitivity).

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), sodium consumption should be limited to 1,500 milligrams per day, and that includes everybody, even healthy people without high blood pressure, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. AHA's chief executive officer, Nancy Brown said "Our recommendation is simple in the sense that it applies to the entire U.S population, not just at-risk groups. Americans of all ages, regardless of individual risk factors, can improve the heart health and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by restricting their daily consumption of sodium to less that 1,500 milligrams." The recommendation was published in the journal Circulation (November 5th, 2012 issue)

Insufficient calcium, potassium, and magnesium consumption

Vitamin D deficiency

High levels of alcohol consumption

Stress

Aging

Medicines such as birth control pills

Genetics and a family history of hypertension - In May 2011, scientists from the University of Leicester, England, reported in the journal Hypertension that some genes in the kidneys may contribute to hypertension.

Chronic kidney disease

Adrenal and thyroid problems or tumors

What are symptoms of hypertension?
There is no guarantee that a person with hypertension will present any symptoms of the condition. About 33% of people actually do not know that they have high blood pressure, and this ignorance can last for years. For this reason, it is advisable to undergo periodic blood pressure screenings even when no symptoms are present.

Hypertension speeds up brain aging

Young and middle aged people with high blood pressure have a higher risk of accelerated brain aging, scientists from the University of California Davis reported in The Lancet (November 2, 2012 issue).

The risk appears to be there even for those whose elevated blood pressure is not considered enough for medical intervention.

The authors say their findings should encourage doctors to control patients' blood pressure early on, even the prehypertensive ones.

The team, led by Professor Charles DeCarli, said they found evidence of structural damage in white matter, and also volume of gray matter among people with high blood pressure, including prehypertensive patients in their 30s and 40s. They wrote that "(brain injury) develops insidiously over the lifetime with discernible effects".

MORE info here: http://bit.ly/14U1X1D
Art by thevirtualheart.org

19/10/2014

Interesting article from the amazing Anatomy in motion page. Enjoy the read and have a great week. Elise.

Questions and Answers about Spinal Stenosis:
This collection contains general information about spinal stenosis. It describes the condition's causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments. At the end is a list of additional resources. By the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) - National Institutes of Health

Article Here: http://1.usa.gov/17I4pKB

12/09/2014

Will be looking at getting some new furniture for the massage room next weekend!!! Was going tomorrow but my car is being repaired by an auto electrician on Tuesday. :( booking up fast this week and next week too!! Please let me know if you need an appointment. I would hate for anyone to miss out!! Have an amazing, relaxing weekend! Elise.

17/08/2014

Had a few clients this past week who were asking about a herniated disk and what it is. Hope this article helps you all. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

Herniated Disk: Basic Information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

A herniated (slipped) disk occurs when all or part of a disk in the spine is forced through a weakened part of the disk. This may place pressure on nearby nerves.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The bones (vertebrae) of the spinal column protect nerves that come out of the brain and travel down your back to form the spinal cord. Nerve roots are large nerves that branch out from the spinal cord and leave your spinal column between each vertebrae.

The spinal bones are separated by disks. These disks cushion the spinal column and put space between your vertebrae. The disks allow movement between the vertebrae, which lets you bend and reach.
• These disks may move out of place (herniate) or break open (rupture) from injury or strain. When this happens, there may be pressure on the spinal nerves. This can lead to pain, numbness, or weakness.
• The lower back (lumbar area) of the spine is the most common area for a slipped disk. The neck (cervical) disks are affected a small percentage of the time. The upper-to-mid-back (thoracic) disks are rarely involved.

Radiculopathy is any disease that affects the spinal nerve roots. A herniated disk is one cause of radiculopathy.

Slipped disks occur more often in middle-aged and older men, usually after strenuous activity. Other risk factors include conditions present at birth (congenital) that affect the size of the lumbar spinal canal.

Symptoms
Low back or neck pain can feel very different. It may feel like a mild tingling, dull ache, or a burning or pulsating pain. In some cases, the pain is severe enough that you are unable to move. You may also have numbness.
The pain most often occurs on one side of the body.
• With a slipped disk in your lower back, you may have sharp pain in one part of the leg, hip, or buttocks and numbness in other parts. You may also feel pain or numbness on the back of the calf or sole of the foot. The same leg may also feel weak.
• With a slipped disk in your neck, you may have pain when moving your neck, deep pain near or over the shoulder blade, or pain that moves to the upper arm, forearm, or (rarely) fingers. You can also have numbness along your shoulder, elbow, forearm, and fingers.
The pain often starts slowly. It may get worse:
• After standing or sitting
• At night
• When sneezing, coughing, or laughing
• When bending backwards or walking more than a few yards

You may also have weakness in certain muscles. Sometimes, you may not notice it until your doctor examines you. In other cases, you will notice that you have a hard time lifting your leg or arm, standing on your toes on one side, squeezing tightly with one of your hands, or other problems.

The pain, numbness, or weakness will often go away or improve a lot over a period of weeks to months.

Signs and tests
A careful physical exam and history is almost always the first step. Depending on where you have symptoms, your doctor will examine your neck, shoulder, arms, and hands, or your lower back, hips, legs, and feet.
Your doctor will check:
• For numbness or loss of feeling
• Your muscle reflexes, which may be slower or missing
• Your muscle strength, which may be weaker
• Your posture, or the way your spine curves
Your doctor may also ask you to:
• Sit, stand, and walk. While you walk, your doctor may ask you to try walking on your toes and then your heels.
• Bend forward, backward, and sideways
• Move your neck forward, backward, and sideways
• Raise your shoulders, elbow, wrist, and hand and check your strength during these tasks

Leg pain that occurs when you sit down on an exam table and lift your leg straight up usually suggests a slipped disk in your lower back.

In another test, you will bend your head forward and to the sides while the health care provider puts slight downward pressure on the top of your head. Increased pain or numbness during this test is usually a sign of pressure on a nerve in your neck.

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
• EMG may be done to determine the exact nerve root that is involved.
• Myelogram may be done to determine the size and location of disk herniation.
• Nerve conduction velocity test may also be done.
• Spine MRI or spine CT will show that the herniated disk is pressing on the spinal canal.
• Spine x-ray may be done to rule out other causes of back or neck pain. However, it is not possible to diagnose a herniated disk by a spine x-ray alone.

Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Image from: chiropractic-help.com

12/08/2014

Some light reading for wednesday morning. Have a great day everyone!! :)

Radial Nerve Dysfunction:
Radial nerve dysfunction is a problem with the radial nerve. Damage to the radial nerve leads to problems with movement in the arm and wrist and with sensation in the back of the arm or hand. http://1.usa.gov/1ktseAx

Image Larger Here: http://1.usa.gov/1ktseAx

10/06/2014

Bursitis facts by Medicine Net

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa, a tiny fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between tissues of the body.

An injury, infection, or an underlying rheumatic condition can cause bursa inflammation.

Bursitis is diagnosed by identifying swelling, tenderness, and pain with motion in the affected area.

Treatment of bursitis is directed toward reducing inflammation and treating any infection present.

What is bursitis?

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Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. A bursa (the plural form is bursae) is a tiny fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between tissues of the body. There are 160 bursae in the body. The major bursae are located adjacent to the tendons near the large joints, such as the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.

What causes a bursa become inflamed?

A bursa can become inflamed from injury, infection (rare in the shoulder), or due to an underlying rheumatic condition. Examples of bursitis include injury as subtle as lifting a bag of groceries into the car to inflame the shoulder bursa (shoulder bursitis), infection of the bursa in front of the knee from a knee scraping on asphalt (septic prepatellar bursitis), and inflammation of the elbow bursa from gout crystals (gouty olecranon bursitis). Sometimes tendonitis occurs associated with bursitis, especially in the shoulder.

What are bursitis symptoms and signs?
The symptoms of bursitis are directly related to the degree of inflammation present in the bursa and the location of the bursa involved. The inflamed bursa can cause localized pain and tenderness. If the bursa is so inflamed that swelling occurs, it can cause local swelling and stiffness, sometimes associated with local redness and warmth. The inflammation can make it painful to support body pressure. For example, hip bursitis can make it difficult to lay on the affected side of the hip. As another example, bursitis of the inner knee (anserine bursitis) can make it painful to lie with the knees touching each other

How is bursitis diagnosed?
Bursitis is typically identified by localized pain or swelling, tenderness, and pain with motion of the tissues in the affected area. X-ray testing can sometime detect calcifications in the bursa when bursitis has been chronic or recurrent. While MRI scanning can be used to identify bursitis, it is not always necessary.

More info here: http://bit.ly/1hgtcdl

06/06/2014

Another article, this is very common in both men and women. Enjoy the read. Elise.

What Are Fallen Arches?

If you look at an adult foot from the inside, you'll usually notice an upward curve in the middle. This is called an arch. Tendons -- tight bands that attach at the heel and foot bones -- form the arch. Several tendons in your foot and lower leg work together to form the arches in your foot.

When the tendons all pull the proper amount, then your foot forms a moderate, normal arch. When tendons do not pull together properly, there is little or no arch. This is called flat foot or fallen arch.

Test Yourself for Flat Feet

You can easily test yourself to see if you might have fallen arches or flat feet. Follow these three steps:

Get your feet wet.

Stand on a flat surface where your footprint will show, such as on a concrete walkway.

Step away and look at the prints. If you see complete imprints of the bottom of your feet on the surface, then you're likely to have flat feet.

Many young children have flat feet, a condition referred to as flexible flat feet. When the child stands, the feet look flat.

But when the child rises to his or her toes, a slight arch appears. In most cases, as children grow older, the arches develop.

Causes of Flat Feet and Fallen Arches

Flat feet in adults can arise from a variety of causes. Here are the most common:

An abnormality that is present from birth

Stretched or torn tendons

Damage or inflammation of the posterior tibial tendon (PTT), which connects from your lower leg, along your ankle, and to the middle of the arch

Broken or dislocated bones

Some health conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis

Nerve problems

Other factors that can increase your risk include:

Obesity
Diabetes
Aging
Pregnancy
Symptoms of Flat Feet and Fallen Arches

Many people have flat feet -- and notice no problems and require no treatment. But others may experience the following symptoms:

Feet tire easily
Painful or achy feet, especially in the areas of the arches and heels

The inside bottom of your feet become swollen

Foot movement, such as standing on your toes, is difficult

Back and leg pain

If you notice any of these symptoms, it's time for a trip to the doctor.

Diagnosing Flat Feet and Fallen Arches

Your doctor examines your feet to determine two things:

Whether you have flat feet
The cause(s)
An exam may include these steps:

Checking your health history for evidence of illnesses or injuries that could be linked to flat feet or fallen arches
Looking at the soles of your shoes for unusual wear patterns
Observing the feet and legs as you stand and do simple movements, such as raising up on your toes
Testing the strength of muscles and tendons, including other tendons in the feet and legs, such as the Achilles tendon or the posterior tibial tendon
Taking X-rays or an MRI of your feet

This and MORE here: http://bit.ly/JWSJ0l

01/06/2014

Cucumber facts. Who would have thought they would have all of these great benefits! Enjoy the read, Elise.

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