You or I may not agree with the approach mentioned in the following article (massage for sculpting the body), but the practitioner does take before and after pictures. At $1,795 per body zone (presumably upper body or lower body) this could clearly be a very lucrative additional service to offer in any massage practice. Certainly more so for the spa-type practice. You may not want to do something like this yourself, but it is good to be aware of what others are doing, isn’t it?

Lypossage can help erase excessive fat
BY MARIA HERNE
Staff Writer

Summer might be months away, but if the thought of donning a swimsuit makes you cringe in horror, take comfort in the fact you’re not alone.

Many women are plagued by cellulite, those fatty bulges that even diet and exercise don’t seem to erase.

But take heart: Massage therapist George “Jake” Koch says he has an answer to your swimsuit season problem - lypossage.

“If you exercise all the time, but still can’t seem to get rid of that excess fat, lypossage can help,” Koch said.

“Lypossage is an all-new, body contouring, anti-aging treatment that will help reshape your figure without invasive surgery. It’s a natural, noninvasive, low-cost alternative to liposuction.”

Lypossage is performed by hand on the lower body, including the buttocks, hips, thighs and lower abdomen, as well as the upper body, including the arms, face, neck and head.

“With lypossage therapy, you’ll start to see results by the eighth treatment,” Koch said. “I take before and after photos, and you can literally see the difference.”

Koch, Schuylkill Haven, a recent graduate of the massage therapy program at Schuylkill Institute of Business & Technology, Pottsville, recently traveled to Middletown, Conn., to learn this new technique from its founder, Charles Wiltsie III, a nationally recognized massage therapy educator and practitioner.

Wiltsie derived the idea for lypsossage from a combination of physical therapy treatments, including lymphatic drainage and deep tissue releases, after noticing the effectiveness of these techniques to reduce swelling in cancer patients suffering from lymphodema.

In a year-long study of 100 female subjects, he documented the effectiveness of the technique, noting most subjects achieved an average inch loss of almost 1 inches per thigh.

“Lypossage works by cleansing the body of stagnant, stalled lymphatic fluid that can create the lumps and bulges we know as figure imbalance,” Koch said. “It tones the muscles and retones and reshapes sagging tissue.”

The procedure is noninvasive and mostly painless, he said.

“Afterward, it’s natural to feel a little sore - like a good workout,” Koch said.

But lypossage won’t be effective if you’re not committed to a healthy regimen, he said.

“Lypossage won’t help you lose weight. It’s about body sculpting, not weight loss, ” Koch said. “You need to combine lypossage with diet and moderate exercise program. You have to be committed to making a change. I’m not interested in helping somebody who isn’t willing to help themselves.”

Koch operates his business out of the New Vision Fitness Center along Route 61, Orwigsburg, under the business name “Body by Jake.”

His lypossage program, for adult men and women, includes a one-on-one consultation and body measurement diary, followed by 18 30-minute lypossage treatments, over a six-week period. The cost is $1,795 per body zone.

Koch also offers other massage therapy services, such as chair massages, hot stone massage, and deep tissue massage.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.asp?brd=2626

Posted by Ralph at 04:01 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

People in the early stages of addiction recovery often experience an uncomfortable gap between their body and mind. Therapeutic massage can bridge that gap, and is a powerful adjunct treatment in the addiction and recovery process.

Substance abuse is a major public health problem. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, substance abuse costs our nation more than $484 billion per year. This includes costs related to crime, medical care, treatment, social welfare programs, and time lost from work.

Comprehensive treatment for the addicted individual is the key to turning this health crisis around. In the October 2003 edition of Counselor, The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, Joni Kosakoski, BSN, RN, CARN gives us the fuel to propel massage therapists into the realm of drug and alcohol treatment. In her article “Massage: Hands Down, a Treatment for Addiction”, Kosakoski gives us a clear and concise analysis of massage’s benefits for this population and its place in addiction treatment.

Incorporating massage into a substance abuse program is advantageous in all of the stages of quitting an addiction: withdrawal, detoxification and abstinence. The physical, emotional and spiritual components of recovery all can be directly benefited by the healing power of therapeutic touch. The nurturing contact of massage utilizes skin as the translator of the therapist’s intent. Skin, the largest sensory organ in our body, is our primary sense for connecting information from our external surroundings to our internal environment.

The Touch Research Institute in Miami, Florida has performed scientific research documenting the physiological effects of massage on the body. Kosakoski reminds us of some of their findings on massage such as decreased pain, diminished autoimmune response, enhanced immune response, and increased alertness and performance. These effects appear to be related to massage’s ability to reduce cortisol, a stress hormone, as reported by the Touch Research Institute in 2003. Several of the Touch Research Institute’s studies positively document the ability of massage to decrease anxiety, depression, agitation, and cravings.

In order to understand the connection between massage therapy and its benefit in addiction treatment, Kosakoski explains the neurological biochemistry of addiction: “Much attention has been directed to the mesolimbic reward system, the so-called ‘pleasure pathway’ of the brain. The area is activated in part by the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, the chemical messenger responsible for making us feel good when we engage in any pleasurable activity. It is well known that dopamine is significantly involved in addiction and that dopamine levels are lower than average during the withdrawal process and into early recovery until brain chemistry normalizes.”

In 1998, the Touch Research Institute published the findings that a regular massage regimen produced long-term results of increasing dopamine levels. The fact that massage naturally increases dopamine levels, and decreases cortisol levels makes it a perfect addition to a standard detoxification program.

The neurochemistry of an addict takes time to get back into balance, so massage treatments after the initial detoxification phase is crucial. When a person uses a substance to feel good, his/her body stops manufacturing its own “feel good” chemicals, (endorphins), and the substance takes over that task. Therefore, when a person quits using an abused substance, they lose their source of feeling good. Since it takes time for the body to start manufacturing its own endorphins again, this is a challenging interim to endure. This interim is the recovering addict’s most vulnerable time to relapse.

In the 1989 edition of General Pharmacology, Kaada and Torsteinbo of Norway reported on study results that massage therapy increased the amount of beta-endorphins in the blood by 16 percent. The release of endorphins during a massage allows the recipient to feel normal, even fantastic, without the aid of a drug. This can be a powerful, even life-changing experience for the client.

On a physical level, the circulation that occurs with massage is also a desired occurrence during the detoxification process. Therapeutic massage’s invigoration of blood and lymphatic fluid allows for a more efficient exchange of oxygen rich nutrition into the body’s tissues, and the delivery of toxic waste products out of the body’s tissues. Kosakoski adds that “All systems of the body function more efficiently with improved circulation and a reduction in tension of the soft tissues and musculature…”

On an emotional level, part of an addict’s recovery process is learning to identify and manage the triggers that cause them to desire escape. Regular massage sessions can aid the client’s awareness of his or her own body, including where and when tension exists. Being conscious of these patterns is a step toward recognizing one’s own resistance, which can lead to healthfully addressing emotions associated with cravings and stress. In addition Kosakoski says that “Emotional release can commonly occur with massage, which provides a safe, non-threatening opportunity to begin the process of recovering long-buried emotions and memories.”

On a spiritual level, the deep relaxation of a massage can provide a still inner place for the recipient to connect with themselves. Being grounded, centered and fully present can be experienced when receiving therapeutic touch from a grounded, centered and fully present practitioner. A recovering addict has a whole new world opened to them when they acknowledge that they can simultaneously be anchored, present, feel good and be substance-free. As Kosakoski explains, “To allow oneself to surrender to the practitioner’s hands — to breathe fully and easily, to acknowledge and receive the gifts of nurturing, surrender and relaxation ….is an invaluable addition to the newly recovering person’s repertoire of relapse-prevention skills.”

Massage has the unique ability to affect all of our layers of being — from the spiritual plane all the way up to and including our body’s chemical composition. In the process of abandoning an addiction, these many parts of ourselves become fragmented. It is merely a matter of time before all addiction and recovery treatment programs recognize massage’s ability to mend the mind-body connection. When that happens, therapeutic massage will be integrated into addiction treatment, and clients will be optimally prepared to succeed in their recovery.

Posted by Nicole at 12:18 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

When I saw the following article I wished I could get one of these set-ups to use in my office. And not just for patients/clients but for family and friends, too. I hope the prices drop soon.

Musical vibrations make gains as healing therapy

By JAN JARVIS

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH, Texas - Stretched out on a recliner, Sandra McLellan could feel her pain fade as the rhythmic beat of drums pulsated across her back, around her arms and down her legs.

“I hear the music on the speakers,” said McLellan, whose severe anemia is being treated with chemotherapy. “But I feel the instruments throughout my body.”

These good vibrations are taking some of the nausea, anxiety and fatigue out of chemotherapy and other procedures for patients at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital’s Klabzuba Cancer Center in Texas.

Vibroacoustic therapy is a marriage of music and vibrations that is moving into hospitals, psychiatric facilities and geriatric settings nationwide. It is being used to relax adults with Alzheimer’s disease, distract children during difficult procedures and reduce patients’ anxiety before surgery.

Like yoga, tai chi and meditation, vibroacoustic therapy is part of a growing trend toward natural healing or complementary therapy in medicine.

“It plays into the whole mind-body connection,” said Corrine Anderson, a pain and palliative care nurse at Harris hospital. “When you change someone’s state of mind, it allows chemical changes to take place, and that makes relaxation possible.”

Vibroacoustic therapy is more than a mechanical massage set to sound. The recliners, which are made by Florida-based Somatron and cost about $2,800, produce a rippling sensation throughout the body. It’s this complex pattern of pulses rather than a single vibration that seems to make all the difference.

“Music by itself has the ability to relax, but when you add vibration it seems to heighten the experience and stimulate the relaxation response,” said Chris Brewer, a North Carolina-based music and education consultant. “The body relaxes, the heartbeat slows, and it creates a state of relaxation.”

In a National Institutes of Health study, 272 patients who used vibroacoustic therapy reported more than a 50 percent reduction in pain, headaches, nausea and tension. The patients, who had cancer, heart disease and mood disorders, also felt less depressed and fatigued.

The evidence indicates that vibroacoustic therapy reduces pain and anxiety, but it’s less clear why it works.

One theory is that the sounds vibrate cells, organs and tissue, like an internal massage.

As the vibrations press on sensors close to the skin’s surface, they activate a natural pain suppressant, said Dr. George Patrick, chief of recreation therapy at the National Institutes of Health, where the therapy has been studied.

“If you vibrate them, they seem to send messages to the spinal cord that confuse pain messages,” he said. “It has the effect of white noise.”

The music’s pitch and beat also play a part. At Harris, patients can chose from the slow and steady beat of Native American drums or the sound of ocean waves splashing.

“It’s not a symphony; it’s more a new age soothing sound,” Anderson said. “It’s also music that is not associative.”

After one session, McLellan said her constant pain, triggered by colitis, a disease that causes inflammation in the colon and small intestine, and numerous surgeries, decreased dramatically. The relief lasted for several days.

“It seems to relax my mind and muscles,” she said. “And I know I don’t have to take as much pain medication after it.”

VIBROACOUSTIC TECHNOLOGY

Research and clinical programs show a variety of mental and physical benefits. Vibroacoustics has been found to:

Reduce stress
Reduce nausea, headache, anxiety, fatigue and depression
Calm and soothe restless behavior
Improve range of motion
Promote muscle tone
Develop sensory awareness
Source: Musicinhealth.Com

Posted by Ralph at 04:00 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

What in the world could curry and IBS have in common? The most common disorder in gastroenterology, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is benefitted by the dominant ingredient in curry, turmeric.

New hope for IBS
PRIMEDIA Intertec and Gale Group

The popular yellow curry ingredient, turmeric–also known as curcumin–can play a role in improving the symptoms of irritable bowel Syndrome (IBS).

In a study at the University of Readings School c Food Biosciences in Great Britan, 66 percent of participants reported definite or some improvement in their overall symptoms. The study was released to the media on October 17, 2004.

IBS is the most common disorder in gastroenterology. Symptoms include abdominal pain and discomfort and altered bowel habits.

The supplements tested contained 72 mg of dried standardized turmeric extract. If you’d rather get that from eating curried dishes, good luck. Aside from the discomfort such foods may cause IBS patients, you’d need 1,800 mg of dried turmeric root daily to equal the potency of 72 mg of the extract.

Posted by Nicole at 03:39 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

This next article gives quite a bit of credibility to aromatherapy in a very simple and straightforward way. The orangutan story is particularly telling. Please note that the article references NAHA (The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy). This association is the most highly regarded for healthcare professionals in the aromatherapy realm. Incidentally, the Institute’s distance learning Aromatherapy Essentials program was designed specifically for massage therapists and is approved by NAHA.

Essentially, aromatherapy works

By Lisa Ryckman, Rocky Mountain News

Using odors to treat illness spans time and culture, dating back more than 5,000 years to Ancient Egypt. The modern version of aromatherapy has a holistic focus that uses highly concentrated natural plant essences called essential oils to promote emotional and physical health.

“The emotional benefits come from inhalation,” says Laraine Kyle, director of the Institute of Integrative Aromatherapy in Boulder. “For physical problems, more often the application is topical.” Certain oils have specific effects on emotional and physical health, aromatherapists say, because they help release neurochemicals in the brain that reduce pain and promote relaxation and a sense of well-being.

Neurologist-psychiatrist Alan Hirsch says that any smell a person likes will make them feel good, whether it’s an all-natural essential oil or a $3 bottle of shampoo. “There’s reasonable evidence odors can have effect on all sorts of different conditions,” he says. “But what works for you might be different than what works for me.” Or what works for the orangutan next door. The Denver Zoo uses essential oils to calm their great apes, and several aromatherapy practices specialize in animals.

Kyle says certain oils help in specific ways; floral and citrus scents, for example, are known for mood elevation and stabilizing.”Of course we involve the client in selecting the fragrance they prefer, because it’s meant to be something enjoyable and something someone really prefers to use,” Kyle says. “Often we blend several different oils together to make a composite blend.”

People often make the mistake of using essential oils full-strength when they might actually be more effective if diluted, Kyle says. ” For psychological benefit, such as insomnia, anxiety, agitation or depression, we use a very mild concentration,” says Kyle, who recommends a ratio of six drops of essential oil to one ounce of lotion or massage oil.

Here are the top 10 essential oils and their uses from the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy:

Eucalyptus: Helpful in treating respiratory problems; helps boost the immune system; relieves muscle tension.
Ylang Ylang: Aids relaxation; reduces muscle tension. Good antidepressant.
Geranium: Helps to balance hormones in women; good for balancing the skin. Can be both relaxing and uplifting.
Peppermint: Useful in treating headaches, muscle aches and digestive disorders.
Lavender: Relaxing; also useful in skin care and treating wounds and burns.
Lemon: Very uplifting yet relaxing. Helpful in treating wounds and infections; useful as house cleaner and deodorizer.
Clary Sage: Natural painkiller; helpful in treating muscular aches and pains. Very relaxing; can help with insomnia. Also helps balance hormones.
Tea Tree: A natural anti-fungal oil. Also helps boost the immune system.
Roman Chamomile: Very relaxing; can help with sleeplessness and anxiety. Also good for muscle aches and tension. Useful in treating wounds and infection.
Rosemary: Very stimulating and uplifting; aids mental acuity and helps stimulate the immune and digestive systems. Very good for muscle aches and tension.
Ryckmanl@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2736

Recommended Study
Aromatherapy Essentials

Posted by Ralph at 04:08 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

Breastfeeding an infant can be extremely painful when the baby has a misalignment. Discover the gentle massage technique that can restore the loving, healthful and nurturing bond of nursing.

CST for Breastfeeding Blues
By Brandi Schlossberg
MASSAGE MAGAZINE

Breastfeeding can boost babies’ intelligence; help prevent asthma; protect from infections and high blood pressure later in life; and reduce new mothers’ stress levels, according to medical experts.

With all these benefits and more, it’s no wonder that many moms choose to breastfeed their infants. But what happens if the process is too problematic or painful to continue? Instead of turning to breast pumps or formula, some new mothers are relying on CranioSacral Therapy (CST) to solve the breastfeeding blues.

The technique, pioneered by osteopathic physician John Upledger, is a hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the craniosacral system, which consists of the membranes and cerebospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. Practitioners aim to release restrictions in the craniosacral system, using pressure about the weight of a nickel, to improve the functioning of the central nervous system and the body’s overall ability to heal itself.

“I was willing to try anything,” said Michelle Biagi, of Powell, Ohio, who suffered painful nipple compression from feeding her 3-month-old daughter, Brooke. “I wasn’t willing to believe my [obstetrician], who said that not every baby can breastfeed.”

Biagi began using a breast pump but continued to search for a solution that would allow Brooke to breastfeed naturally. A lactation consultant recommended that she see Alison Hazelbaker, a CranioSacral Therapist and lactation consultant in Columbus, Ohio.

Hazelbaker, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1985, began using CST as a primary modality in her practice after watching it work wonders on her own baby’s problematic breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding difficulties may arise from a variety of factors, said Hazelbaker, such as misalignment, improper tongue placement, tongue thrusting or tight mouth, and can result in extreme pain for the mother, as well as insufficient calorie intake and irritability for the baby.

Althoug CST does not solve all sucking dysfunctions, Hazelbaker said there are some, such as misalignment, which respond particularly well.

During a session, Hazelbaker performs CST on the infant, and improvements are almost immediately visible, she said, although it may take up to six sessions to completely solve the problem.

“After my third session is when I really started to notice a big difference,” said Biagi. “As her suck changed, I was out of pain.”

After years of such success stories, Hazelbaker decided to document her work in hope of spreading the word. She is now working to publish a 40-page study she conducted on a sample of 20 clients, called “Impact of CranioSacral Therapy on Sucking Dysfunction as Measured by the Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale.”

“In every case where the sucking dysfunction was due to misalignment, CranioSacral Therapy eliminated it,” she said. “That’s 100 percent of the time.”

Biagi, too, is spreading the word to new moms about an alternative to breast pumps or formula for painful breastfeeding. She is writing an article about CST for a local new-mothers’ newsletter.

“I truly believe CranioSacral Therapy was the only thing that got Brooke to breastfeed,” said Biagi. “More moms whould know about this.”

Posted by Nicole at 11:27 AM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

The following story deals with a subject that every parent with a school aged child is aware of. Just as chiropractors are positioning themselves to help, so can massage therapists. There is a need for this sort of education and assistance in every community in the US. Perhaps you can team with a local chiropractor to work on this project.

Students dealing with backpack backlash
By: Jackie Tilton

Staff Writer
02/22/2004

Chiropractors crack down on the injuries caused by children’s overloaded book bags

Backpacks have evolved into more than a sporty way to tote texts to and from school.

They are now an essential accessory for nearly every student.

But several studies are pointing to backpacks as a major contributor to injuries among youth in America.

An estimated 40 million teenagers carry a backpack to school each day, as do countless young children who march into school hauling loads that look almost as big as they are.

“Today’s heavy loads are causing injuries that last a lifetime,” the Congress of State Chiropractic Associations warns on its Web site.

While carrying a backpack to school every morning may seem harmless enough, medical professionals argue there is proof it can cause painful back and neck problems and injuries for students who don’t pack or carry their backpacks properly. It can also lead to long-term medical problems.

More and more doctors are seeing children for back pain and injuries, according to the Congress of State Chiropractic Associations.

Medical professionals advise individuals carry no more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight on their backs. A child weighing 50 pounds, for example, should carry no more than 7.5 pounds on his or her back.

But studies have found many children carry up to 40 pounds on their backs, which could be causing long-term spinal problems.

Painesville resident Katie Major has brought her children, 7-year-old Avery and 6-year-old Zach, for regular spinal adjustments since they were babies.

Avery was first brought to Dr. Brian J. Morris at Painesville Family Chiropractic for pain in her middle back and neck, but continues visits as a preventative measure.

Now quite familiar with the routine, Avery hops atop the rocking horse massage bench as Morris uses an activator on her neck. The device, equipped with a spring, is often used on smaller patients’ necks to realign their vertebrae.

Major worries her tiny, 50-pound daughter toting a heavy blue quilted backpack for at least an hour each day will create long-term back problems.

Although Major tries to ensure her daughter gets on the bus for St. Mary School in Painesville with her backpack properly strapped over both shoulders, Avery still complains of back pain.

“When she gets off the bus, she hands (the backpack) to me right away and says it’s too heavy,” Major said.

With increasing demands put on students to achieve, so do the amounts of books they must take home.

“Our teachers put lots of books in there for us to study,” Avery said.

Her bag also is often filled with gym clothes and shoes, adding even more weight.

Morris usually has young patients bring in their backpacks and weighs the bags to see how much the children typically lug around.

During Avery’s last visit, she complained of lower back pain after falling on the stairs at her house. But after a visit with Morris, she was almost feeling like new again.

“When I get home from here, it feels better,” Avery said.

Her usual catch phrase after an adjustment is, “The power’s on.”

Chiropractor Dr. Thomas Campana of Eastlake notes children already are susceptible to vertebral subluxation, or spinal misalignment, even before they strap on their first backpack. He said spinal trauma is common from the delivery infants endure and from tumbles they take while learning to crawl, walk and ride a bike.

With each fall, scar tissue forms, taking more of a toll on a child’s developing body.

“They have enough accidents that they don’t need to hurt their developing spine on purpose by carrying overloaded backpacks incorrectly,” Campana said. “Each injury becomes a cumulative trauma.”

Even a properly carried backpack is not ideal, he said. Backpacks pull the arms back and flatten out the middle back, changing the curve in the upper and lower spine.

About 30 percent of the patients Morris treats are younger than age 18, and he has seen a rise in the number of younger children as patients during the last five years.

Morris said many people don’t realize spinal misalignment can be a factor in several other problems, such as sinus infections or asthma, which is why keeping a child’s back in good form is important for more than just posture.

A 1999 American Academy of Orthopedics survey of more than 100 physicians found that 71 percent felt backpacks are a clinical problem for children, and 58 percent stated they have seen patients complaining of back or shoulder pain related to backpacks.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning in 1997 concerning injuries related to backpacks.

However, the study also suggests spinal misalignment from carrying the excess weight is responsible for a minority of the injuries.

There were 7,277 emergency room visits from injuries related to book bags since 1996.

The CPSC data revealed the most common injuries involving backpacks are from tripping over them or being hit with them.

Of all reported backpack injuries to children, 13 percent were associated with wearing a backpack.

Although many children begin carrying backpacks when they enter kindergarten, Morris said severe spinal injuries often go unnoticed until children are older.

Chiropractors believe older students (12 to 18 years) magnify the back injury problem by carrying their backpacks with one strap over one shoulder, directing the weight to one side of the body.

There is evidence that this encourages scoliosis and other permanent physical problems.

The Association of Backpack Use and Back Pain in Adolescents found the prevalence of nonspecific back pain increases dramatically during adolescence, from less than 10 percent in pre-teenage years to up to 50 percent in 15- to 16-year-olds.

One alternative is a roller bag that can be pulled on wheels with a handle. However, many schools, such as St. Mary’s, have banned roller bags because of space constraints or damage they cause to floors.

Morris said he has also encouraged schools to have teachers coordinate assignments so students are not required to take as many textbooks home at once.

The concern about damage caused by backpacks also hits home with school nurses.

Brenda Swanson, West Geauga School District’s nurse for elementary students, said although she does not see many acute cases of back problems due to backpacks, she often fields complaints from parents who feel children are being asked to carry too many books to and from school.

“They’re chronically complaining to their parents that their shoulders hurt or their back hurts,” Swanson said. “I do agree they’re carrying too much weight on them.”

Although West Geauga allows students to use backpacks on rollers, Swanson said other children often trip over the bags and children still often have to lift the roller bags onto the bus, up school steps or out of the snow.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11006419&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21849&rfi=6

Posted by Ralph at 03:51 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

The following article speaks to the widening acceptance of alternative therapies among cancer patients. While it focuses on naturopathic practice, it mentions massage, as well.

Cancer Patients Likelier to Use Alternative Medicine
- Study finds they spend $500 a year on nontraditional treatments

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDayNews) — Cancer patients are twice as likely to turn to acupuncture and herbal therapy as people suffering from other diseases are, claims a new study of alternative medicine use.

In fact, alternative medicine accounted for an average of $500 worth of therapy a year among cancer patients in Washington state, which requires insurers to pay for nontraditional treatments.

“A substantial number of people in our region are using naturopathic medicine,” says study co-author Dr. William Lafferty, an associate professor of public health at the University of Washington. “This may deserve some additional investigation to see exactly what people are getting from those forms of treatment that they aren’t getting elsewhere.”

While patients and conventional doctors appear to accept alternative medicine more than ever before, they aren’t approved by all insurance companies, making it difficult for researchers to study them. In Washington state, however, a 1995 law requires insurers to cover visits to licensed alternative medicine providers, such as massage therapist, acupuncturists, and naturopathic doctors, Lafferty says. Chiropractors were covered under previous laws.

In the new study, Lafferty and colleagues analyzed the medical claims of 357,709 Washington patients. The findings appear in the April 1 issue of Cancer.

The researchers found cancer patients were twice as likely to turn to naturopathy — herbal medicine — and acupuncture. Patients treated with chemotherapy, those with blood or bone cancer, and those with spreading cancer were most likely to turn to naturopaths and acupuncturists, as were women as a whole.

The sicker patients may have been trying “to get help with the toxicity of cancer itself as well as from conventional treatments,” Lafferty says.

On average, alternative medicine accounted for 2 percent — or $500 — of the average $25,000 annual medical costs per cancer patient. Cancer patients were less likely than other patients to go to chiropractors and about as likely to turn to massage therapy.

Lafferty says the fact that 12 percent of female chemotherapy patients saw a naturopathic physician highlights the importance of full communication between health providers.

“If you’re going to get naturopathic care, you should tell your [conventional] care providers that you’re doing that,” he says. “The same would be true for other forms of care like chiropractic and acupuncture. The more you share with all your health-care providers, the better service and outcome you’re going to get.”

Some insurance companies try to guarantee that communication takes place. At the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan in the Mid-Atlantic states, for example, conventional physicians work directly with alternative therapists, says Dr. Lydia S. Segal, service chief for integrative medicine.

Among other things, the alternative practitioners recommend meditation, guided imagery, acupuncture, acupressure, and massage, she says. Also, “we judiciously, cautiously review the diets [of cancer patients] and recommend supplements and herbs on a case-by-case basis,” she says. “But we do not recommend using alternatives in place of traditional cancer therapy.”

More information

To learn more about alternative medicine, try theNational Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. For more on cancer treatments, visit theAmerican Cancer Society.

- SOURCES: William Lafferty, M.D., associate professor, public health, University of Washington, Seattle; Lydia S. Segal, M.D., M.P.H., service chief, Kaiser Permanente Health Plan, Mid-Atlantic region, Falls Church, Va.; Feb. 23, 2004,Canceronline

The News-Herald 2004 http://www.4woman.org/news/

Posted by Ralph at 03:54 PM
© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

Although essential oils typically lack an expiration date stamp, their effectiveness can diminish with element exposure and time. However, therapists can easily learn how to prolong the life of their oils and detect when they are no longer viable.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Therapists can learn to use pure essential oils safely and successfully through a National Organization for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) certified program of study. However, some aromatherapy information typically skimmed over and forgotten about is this: most pure essential oils don’t last forever. There are several things anyone purchasing, storing and using pure essential oils must know for aromatherapy to accomplish what it is capable of.

Luckily, pure essential oils do not go rancid. However, they do degrade through the process of oxidation. Heat, sunlight and air can all break down the chemical structure of essential oils. Additionally, the complex and varying chemistry of pure essential oils means that each oil has a different rate of degradation. Although there are too many variables to accurately predict how long an essential oil will be at its most potent, there are several tips that will help you determine your oil’s lifespan.

Buy Carefully
You can only control the environment of your oils after you purchase them. Thus, knowing what to look for when buying essential oils can help ensure their longevity.

1. Dark colored glass; no dropper – Dark colored glass helps protect the oils from the oxidative properties of ultraviolet light. Avoid purchasing essential oils that are stored in bottles with a rubber dropper incorporated into its cap. Pure essential oils can turn rubber into gum and quickly ruin the oil.

2. Evaluate your supplier – The closer to its distillation date, the more potent an essential oil will be. Suppliers specializing in aromatherapy typically have a high turnover of oils, ensuring a fresher purchase. When purchased from a store, they may have been sitting on the shelf for a long time. If you do buy from a store, make sure they are not displayed under hot lighting or in direct sunlight, and check that they don’t have a layer of dust on their caps.

Store Carefully
Once you have the essential oils, the steps you take to properly store them will either make them last long or render them useless.

3. Know their age – Although you are not likely to know the date an essential oil was first distilled, you can keep track of how long you have owned them. Devise a way to mark your oil with the date of purchase so that you can be alerted to when one might be approaching the end of its life.

4. Minimize oxidation – Since heat and light oxidize essential oils, always store essential oils inside dark glass bottles in a cool, dark place. In addition, keep your oils in the smallest possible sized bottles to reduce the amount of empty space in the container. Because the empty space in a bottle is occupied by air, more empty space hastens the rate of oxidation. For this reason, experts advise rebottling oils into smaller bottles as they are used.

Check your Stock
Again, based on the substantial number of variables in determining the viability of a pure essential oil, there are no guarantees of how long it will last. Some experts tout that well cared for oils will last for one to two years, while others claim this time frame is longer. However, terpene-rich oils such as citrus and some coniferous essential oils oxidize quicker than other oils, while the thicker viscosity essential oils, including Patchouli, Vetiver and Sandalwood mellow and improve with age. The only surefire way to know if your oil is still viable is to check it yourself.

5. Look and smell – Through a little bit of effort, you should be able to detect an essential oil that has passed its prime. Look carefully to see if your oil appears cloudy or thick, both of which indicate oxidation. Since drastic changes in odor also indicate oxidation, smell your oils to see if they have lost their characteristic odor or if they smell acidic. In either case, the therapeutic value has diminished, requiring its proper disposal.

Although the skilled application of essential oils can dramatically improve a person’s health, they must be suitably maintained to do so. Along with the knowledge gained through a NAHA certified course, careful purchasing, storage and inspection of pure essential oils allows bodyworkers to fully appreciate the therapeutic value of aromatherapy.

Recommended Study:
Aromatherapy Essentials

References:

http://www.aromaticsinternational.com/shelf-life.php, Shelf Life and Storage, Retrieved July 9, 2008, Aromatics International, 2008.

http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/essentialoilshelflife.asp, Essential Oil Shelf Life, Retrieved July 9, 2008, AromaWeb LLC, 2008.

http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/oldessentialoils.asp, How to Use up those Aging Essential Oils, Retrieved July 9, 2008, AromaWeb LLC, 2008.

www.aromaweb.com, Storing Your Essential Oils, Retrieved July 9, 2008, AromaWeb LLC, 2008.

http://www.quinessence.com/essential_oil_storage_methods.htm, Storing your essential oils, Retrieved July 9, 2008, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd., 2008.

http://www.quinessence.com/shelf_life.htm, Shelf Life of Aromatherapy Oils, Retrieved July 9, 2008, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd., 2008.

Posted by Editors at 01:50 PM

© 2009 Institute for Integrative HealthCare Studies. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Institute. www.Integrative-Healthcare.org

History
Hippocrates was one of the first persons to mention the lymphatic system in fifth century BC. In his work “On Joints,” he briefly mentioned the lymph nodes in one sentence. Rufus of Ephesus, a Roman physician, identified the axillary, inguinal and mesenteric lymph nodes as well as the thymus during the first to second century AD. The first mention of lymphatic vessels was in 3rd century BC by Herophilus, a Greek anatomist living in Alexandria, who incorrectly concluded that the “absorptive veins of the lymphatics”, by which he meant the lacteals (lymph vessels of the intestines), drained into the hepatic portal veins, and thus into the liver. Findings of Ruphus and Herophilus findings were further propagated by the Greek physician Galen, who described the lacteals and mesenteric lymph nodes which he observed in his dissection of apes and pigs in the second century A.D.

Until the seventeenth century, ideas of Galen were most prevalent. Accordingly, it was believed that the blood was produced by the liver from chyle contaminated with ailments by the intestine and stomach, to which various spirits were added by other organs, and that this blood was consumed by all the organs of the body. This theory required that the blood be consumed and produced many times over. His ideas had remained unchallenged until the seventeenth century, and even then were defended by some physicians.

Olaus Rudbeck in 1696In the mid 16th century Gabriel Fallopius (discoverer of the Fallopian Tubes) described what are now known as the lacteals as “coursing over the intestines full of yellow matter.” In about 1563 Bartolomeo Eustachi, a professor of anatomy, described the thoracic duct in horses as vena alba thoracis. The next breakthrough came when in 1622 a physician, Gasparo Aselli, identifed lymphatic vessels of the intestines in dogs and termed them venae alba et lacteae, which is now known as simply the lacteals. The lacteals were termed the fourth kind of vessels (the other three being the artery, vein and nerve, which was then believed to be a type of vessel), and disproved Galen’s one idea wrong: that chyle was carried by the veins. But, he still believed that the lacteals carried the chyle to the liver (as taught by Galen). He also identified the thoracic duct but failed to notice its connection with the lacteals. This connection was established by Jean Pecquet in the 1651, who found a white fluid mixing with blood in a dog’s heart. He suspected that fluid to be chyle as its flow increased when abdominal pressure was applied. He traced this fluid to the thoracic duct, which he then followed to a chyle-filled sac he called the chyli receptaculum, which is now known as the cisternae chyli; further investigations led him to find that lacteals’ contents enter the venous system via the thoracic duct. Thus, it was proven convincingly that the lacteals did not terminate in the liver, thus disproving Galen’s second idea that the chyle flowed to the liver.Johann Veslingius drew the earliest sketches of the lacteals in humans in 1647.

Thomas BartholinThe idea that blood recirculates through the body rather than being produced anew by the liver and the heart was first accepted as a result of works of William Harvey—a work he published in 1628. In 1652, Olaus Rudbeck (1630–1702), a Swede, discovered certain transparent vessels in the liver that contained clear fluid (and not white), and thus named them hepatico-aqueous vessels. He also learned that they emptied into the thoracic duct, and that they had valves. He announced his findings in the court of Queen Christina of Sweden, but did not publish his findings for a year, and in the interim similar findings were published by Thomas Bartholin, who additionally published that such vessels are present everywhere in the body, and not just the liver. He is also the one to have named them “lymphatic vessels”. This had resulted in a bitter dispute between one of Bartholin’s pupils, Martin Bogdan, and Rudbeck, whom he accused of plagiarism.