Healing Hands Therapeutic Massage.

09/05/2018

03/17/2017

What are some integrative therapies and healing practices to consider for headaches?

Mind-Body Practices
Self-awareness, which is a critical aspect of mind/body practices, can help you be more aware of your body cues and perhaps avoid or minimize a headache.

Two practices that can be very helpful with tension headaches are progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery. In additions, studies have shown that imagery and relaxation used with thermal biofeedback (learning to increase the skin temperature of fingers) decreases migraine symptoms significantly.

The concensus from a number of individual research studies is that biofeedback for migraines is comparable with drug therapy for prevention. Biofeedback does require high motivation and a commitment to at least 10-15 hour-long training sessions and regular practice at home.

There is a consistent body of research showing the effectiveness of behavioral treatments for tension-type headaches. Relaxation training, cognitive-behavioral therapy with or without relaxation training, specific types of biofeedback combined with relaxation training, and the same biofeedback alone have all been shown to be effective for reducing tension-type headache symptoms.

Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), which people can learn in an 8-week course, has been shown to improve mood, relax muscle tone, and shift pain perception-benefiting any headache sufferers.

Manual Therapies
Physical therapy and movement training (like Feldenkrais) can help decrease muscle tension and improve range of head and neck movement. Studies have shown that physical therapy decreases frequency of tension headaches. Massage therapy has been shown in some studies to be more effective than acupuncture for migraine pain, and equally effective for tension headaches.

Chiropractic manipulation for migraines have shown improvement in frequency, duration, disability, and medication use, compared with controls. Chiropractic may be additionally useful when combined with biofeedback practices.

Craniosacral therapy, which stems from osteopathic practice, is a very gentle manipulative approach, intending to restore balance and flow to the cerebrospinal fluid, which circulates around the spinal cord and brain. A series of 4-6 treatments have been reported in practice to be very effective for both migraine and tension headache sufferers, and benefits may be long-lasting.

03/17/2017

Different types of headaches:

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are the most common type of primary headache and affect as many as 90% of adults. Tension headaches typically feel like a tightening on both sides of the head. They can last for minutes or days, and can happen frequently. Tension headaches are often the result of stress or bad posture, which causes tightening of the muscles in the neck and the scalp. Tension headaches often worsen with noise and hot, stuffy environments. This type of headache occurs mostly in women over age 20.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches are the second most common type of primary headache. An estimated 25 million people in the United States (about 12% of the population) will experience migraine headaches each year. Migraine headaches affect children as well as adults. Before puberty, boys and girls are affected equally by migraine headaches, but after puberty, more women than men are affected.

Migraine headaches are intense and throbbing, often involve one side of the head, and can make you sensitive to light or noise. Migraines last from hours up to three days. Some sufferers have an "aura" (a group of visual symptoms) just before an attack. Migraines recur at intervals of varying length. Some people have attacks several times a month; others have less than one a year. Most people find that migraine attacks occur less frequently and become less severe as they get older

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are less common than tension or migraine headaches, but still affect about 1 million people in the United States. Cluster headaches are non-throbbing and usually are felt on one side of the head behind an eye. They generally occur between one and four times a day. Like migraines, cluster headaches are likely to be related to an increased blood flow as a result of the blood vessels in the brain widening. More common in men, they can happen over several days and usually last 30 to 45 minutes.

03/17/2017

What are headaches?

Headaches are defined as pain in the head or upper neck. This is one of the most common locations of pain in the body and one of the most common reasons why people go to the doctor. Seven in 10 people have at least one headache a year, and 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches.

There are a number of underlying causes, most of which are benign. Primary headaches, which account for over 90% of headache pain, include migraine, tension, and cluster headaches, and are thought to have an underlying vascular (blood vessel) component.

This section addresses primary headaches only and assumes that you have had a provider rule out other causes of pain. It focuses primarily on tension and migraine headaches (the best way to identify what type of headache you have is to give your provider a detailed history of your symptoms).
Sources: University of Minnesota

03/17/2017

When You Need a Chiropractor vs. When You Need a Massage

The human body is a delicate, multi-faceted machine, and when the machine breaks down, it hurts. When your body hurts, it’s time to seek treatment and diagnosis of your symptoms. Options include physical medicine, chiropractic care, and massage therapy. How do you determine what the best course is? If you’re favoring an all-natural approach to treatment and recovery, you might consider a massage or a chiropractic adjustment. Both facilitate healing in regards to your body’s nervous system, but in differing ways. Both methods have a common goal: restored health and wellness.

Patient Need

Pain affecting hard tissue like the spine and joints, and soft tissue including muscles and ligaments, is bound to happen to everyone at some point in life. Sudden, onset pain from specific injuries like athletics or car accidents as well as chronic pain from repetitive, ingrained habits both affect the body’s musculoskeletal system. Limited range of motion can result from tissue damage, and both chiropractic and massage can restore the body’s mobility.

There is often a dilemma between choosing a massage or chiropractic care to treat pain. Both methods share a similar philosophy – treatment that is drug-free as well as hands on. Things to consider when deciding your course of treatment include the severity of the pain, patient history, and insurance options.

Massage as Therapy

Massage therapy targets issues that are muscular in nature. Muscle spasms and overworked areas of tension can benefit from massage as well as pulled or strained muscles. Massage therapy isn’t just a pampering, luxury treatment. It has legitimate medical properties effective in aiding in pain management and recovery.

Massages also affect the nervous system through the manipulation of soft tissue. The top layers of muscles benefit directly from applied massage because it encourages the free flow of fluids and energy. Soft tissue treatment helps correct misalignment of the spine.

Unlike chiropractors, massage therapists are not licensed to adjust the spine or other joints, nor can they prescribe medication. They can, however, suggest holistic and homeopathic remedies in conjunction with massage therapy. There are many massage techniques used in healing including Swedish, deep-tissue, cranial sacral therapy, and trigger point therapy. Massage therapy boasts benefits ranging from:

Boosts Immunity
Improves Skin Condition
Increases Blood Flow
Reduces Anxiety
Aids athletes, expectant mothers, and cancer patients with healing properties

When You Need a Chiropractor

Chiropractic care specifically addresses the disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Unlike massage therapy, chiropractic care focuses on the hard tissue; the spine and joints. Chiropractors are trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises and might even use massage in their course of treatment. A spinal manipulation or adjustment is the most common technique employed to treat issues like back pain or neck pain. Other issues can be treated effectively with chiropractic care including:

Joint pain
Headaches
Ear infections
Tendonitis
Insomnia
Tension
Chiropractors are authorized to make medical diagnoses and order x-rays or blood work. An initial patient evaluation will assess the patient’s entire wellness to determine issue and treatment.
Posted by Ryan J. Granroth ,D.C

03/15/2017

What are some integrative therapies and healing practices to consider for low back pain

Massage Therapy
Cochrane reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness of treatments in specific circumstances, based on the best available published information. A Cochrane review found thirteen randomized trials on back pain and massage therapy.

This review found that massage was more likely to work when combined with exercises (usually stretching) and education. Massage produced more benefit in pain reduction and return of function than joint mobilization, relaxation, physical therapy, self-care education, or acupuncture alone. Acupressure or pressure point massage techniques appeared to provide more pain relief than classic (Swedish) massage.

Manual therapies
Chiropractic
Back pain is the most common reason that people seek chiropractic care. Studies have shown that after six months, chiropractic manipulation reduces pain and disability to the same level as conventional medical care, but with higher levels of patient satisfaction and no side effects from medications. Manipulation of the lumbar area has very low risks.

03/15/2017

What is low back pain?
Pain in the low back (waistline or below) is a very common problem and affects 80 percent of Americans at some time in their lives. Back pain is one of the most frequent reasons people seek medical care.

It is important to remember that back pain is a symptom. Common cause of back pain include nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. However, pain arising from other organs may be felt in the back. Other medical conditions, such as appendicitis, kidney diseases, pelvic infections, and ovarian disorders, among others, can cause low back pain.

Most of the time, back pain is relatively minor, and 80 percent of episodes of acute low back pain will resolve within six weeks, regardless of whether you seek treatment or not. However, the following symptoms and warning signs may suggest a more serious condition and should be evaluated by a professional.

Seek medical attention if the pain:
Extends down your leg
Increases when you lift your knee to your chest or bend over
Follows a recent fall or trauma
Lasts more than three weeks
Becomes worse when you rest, wakes you up at night, or is associated with a fever
Is associated with bladder or bowel problems
Is associated with numbness or weakness in your legs

03/15/2017

How might prayer benefit your health and wellbeing?

Prayer is important in a healthcare context simply because it is used so widely. According to Dr. Wayne Jonas, "Surveys indicate that nearly 90% of patients with serious illness will engage in prayer for the alleviation of their suffering or disease." Among all forms of complementary medicine, prayer is the single most widely-practiced healing modality. Research conducted by Dr. Christina Puchalski, Director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, prayer is the second most common method of pain management (after oral pain medication), and the most common non-drug method of pain management.

The following explanations have been offered as to how prayer helps improve health:

The relaxation response - prayer elicits the relaxation response, which lowers blood pressure and other factors heightened by stress.
Secondary control - prayer releases control to something greater than oneself, which can reduce the stress of needing to be in charge.
The placebo response - prayer can enhance a person's hopes and expectations, and that in turn can positively impact health.
Healing presence - prayer can bring a sense of a spiritual or loving presence and alignment with God or an immersion into a universal unconsciousness.
Positive feelings - prayer can elicit feelings of gratitude, compassion, forgiveness, and hope, all of which are associated with healing and wellness.
Mind-body-spirit connection - when prayer uplifts or calms, it inhibits the release of cortisol and other hormones, thus reducing the negative impact of stress on the immune system and promoting healing.

03/15/2017

Types of prayers

Prayer comes in many flavors! Specific types of prayers include:

Intercessory prayer - praying for someone else

Distant healing prayer - praying for the healing of someone or something at a distance

Petition prayer - asking God or a higher power for something

Centering prayer - centering on a word or phrase for a minimum of 20 minutes in silence, usually in order to open to the sacred

Contemplative prayer - opening to union with God or the sacred

Meditation - differs somewhat by religion. In Christianity, the goal of meditation is often union with God. In Buddhism, the goal is to expand awareness and gain insight into the nature of passing phenomenon. Meditation may be practiced by sitting in silence (often while following one's breath), doing intentional movement, or using visualization, imagination, or a specific object or mantra as a focus.

03/15/2017

What is prayer?

Prayer has a very personal meaning arising from an individual's religious background or spiritual practice. For some, prayer will mean specific sacred words; for others, it may be a more informal talking or listening to God or a higher power.

The word "prayer" comes from the Latin precarius, which means "obtained by begging, to entreat." Prayer is rooted in the belief that there is a power greater than oneself that can influence one's life. It is the act of raising hearts and minds to God or a higher power.

There is no one set way to pray. Forms include spoken prayers, silent prayers, and prayers of the mind, the heart, and union with God. Prayers may be directed (e.g., prayers for specific things) or non-directed, with no specific outcome in mind.

03/15/2017

Tibetan Medicine?

Tibetan medicine consists of philosophy, science, and healing practices that can help create and maintain a healthy mind and body. The Tibetan name for this holistic healing system is Sowa Rigpa, which means the science of healing.

Tibetan medicine teaches that the purpose of life is to be happy. By using Tibetan medicine for self-care, you will become aware of how your thoughts and behaviors influence your health and happiness. Tibetan medicine can be part of any program of integrative healthcare.

Principles:

Health is balance and dis-ease is imbalance.

Treating illness requires correcting the underlying imbalance.

Wellbeing means living in harmony with your unique nature.

03/15/2017

Mind-Body Therapies?

Mind-body practices are techniques designed to enhance the mind's positive impact on the body. These techniques practices include behavioral, psychological, social, expressive, and spiritual approaches.

Awareness of the mind-body connection is certainly not a new idea, but it may feel unfamiliar to some in the West, where the mind and body has been traditionally viewed as distinct entities for several centuries. However, this view is rapidly changing as researchers scientifically prove the complex links between the mind and body.

Mind-body therapies include:
Meditation
Prayer
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Guided imagery
Biofeedback
Yoga