Many of the people that come to Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers are seeking someone to help them with muscular pain and chronic tension from Myofascial Trigger Points. They’ve heard that Trigger Point Therapy is a great way to naturally relieve their pain and restore function.

Trigger Point Therapy is used when Myofascial Trigger Points are present in a person’s muscles. Myofascial Trigger Points, usually just called Trigger Points, are hyperirritable spots in a muscle associated with a palpable “knot” or “taut band” in the muscle tissue. Trigger Points are painful on compression and can refer pain and tenderness to other areas. Trigger Points are usually ischemic and often cause an entire muscle to be painful, too tight, weak, and more easily fatigued. Trigger Points can be caused by overworking or overstressing muscles, direct trauma to muscles, or even sustained chills. Trigger Points can be either the cause or a contributing factor of a wide variety of painful conditions.

Trigger Point Therapy directly targets the trigger points and the muscles in which they’re found. In Trigger Point Therapy the Massage Therapist carefully seeks out the trigger points in a muscle wit
h their fingers and uses specific compression techniques, friction strokes, and stretches which make the trigger points release and seemingly melt away. The release of the trigger point usually results in a rapid decrease or complete elimination of muscular pain. Trigger Point Therapy is a versatile technique and is often employed to treat low back pain, TMJ pain, headaches and migraines, whiplash, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, hip pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and more. Trigger Point Therapy can be used by itself as a stand-alone treatment, or it can be used during a Swedish massage, Sports massage, or Medical massage and as part of Neuromuscular Therapy or Deep Tissue Massage procedures.

Trigger Point Therapy does have a reputation as being a painful therapy to receive. However, despite its reputation as a “no pain, no gain” type of technique Trigger Point Therapy can be quite comfortable to receive. Some clients may experience some mild discomfort during the treatment. This mild discomfort is often described as a “good pain” that rates low on a standard pain scale and is actually welcomed by most clients. Try Trigger Point Therapy. You have nothing to lose except your pain.

If you liked this post, buy me a cafe.

The thyroid gland is a precision piece of equipment, and when it starts to run into problems we shouldn’t assume that treatment will be quick or easy. However, by using B vitamins, three in particular, the treatment of thyroid problems can be at least natural. Not so much “easy as A-B-C,” but “easy as B-B-B.”

The conventional treatment given by physicians for thyroid problems is a course of synthetic thyroid hormones. This treatment can be often very hit-and-miss, with constant monitoring needed as to how synthetic thyroid levels are affecting the condition. If the condition remains unaffected by treatment, then a lifetime could be spent on what is effectively a drug, no matter how “natural” it is designed to be. A less synthetic method of treating thyroid health problems is by using a natural thyroid hormone, such as an extract from cows. It has to be pointed out that the utmost care is always taken to ensure thyroid extracts from cows are kept free from contamination. Even so: Yuk. Plus, there is always the fear of virus contamination and no bovine hormones are 100% risk-free. In both cases it is hoped that changing the thyroid hormone levels will treat the causes of the thyroid problem, rather than just temporarily relieve the symptoms.

As mentioned previously, thyroid problems are linked to immune system disorders; in fact, some thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto’s disease, are simply a type of immune disorder. It is this connection that makes B vitamins not only an excellent way to treat the symptoms of thyroid problems, but also the root of the problem too.

Introducing the B vitamins

The B vitamins were once thought to be one compound, like Vitamin C or D, and were collectively called Vitamin B. This is because they were often found together in the same foods, and have similar chemical structures. Now, the term “Vitamin B” has fallen out of usage, and most people call the B vitamins by their individual name. There are three main B vitamins that help provide immune system support, and can therefore be used in the treatment of thyroid problems. In ascending numerical order:

Vitamin B6: also known as pyridoxine. Vitamin B6 is important in keeping the lymphoid
glands healthy. Lymphoid glands produce white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting infection and protecting the body from harmful germs and bacteria. So far, so good for Vitamin B6 being helpful in the treatment of thyroid problems. Vitamin B6 is also responsible for protein metabolism and cellular growth, all of which are important for the growth of a healthy the immune system; and healthy immune system means a thyroid without a problem.

Vitamin B9: more commonly known as Folic Acid. Folic acid in the diet or as a supplement catalyzes the production of T-cells, which increase immunity. It is known that the number of T-cells in the body decreases with age. The incidence of thyroid problems, particularly hypothyroidism, also increases with age (by age 60, one in five women will suffer from a thyroid deficiency). A coincidence? More likely folic acid can strengthen the immune system and be helpful in the treatment of thyroid problems.

Vitamin B12: or cobalamine. Vitamin B12 is responsible for the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a compound that has a strong effect on the body’s immune system. Cobalamine is also called an “anti-stress” vitamin because it enhances the activity of the immune system, which helps body to fight stress. SAMe also helps in the treatment of hypothyroidism by stimulating the thyroid gland. Cobalamine helps in removing neurological disorders such as loss of memory, dementia, and numbness. Vitamin B12 is helpful in slowing down the damage caused to the thyroid gland by autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s disease, a kind of hyperthyroidism.

And the Rest…

The three vitamins B6, B9, and B12 all have clear benefits in immune support and therefore the treatment of thyroid disease. However, many doctors advise against taking large quantities of individual B vitamins, as it may lead to deficiencies in the others. B vitamins are generally found together in nature, so it is always best to take them together when supplementing your diet in the treatment of thyroid problems. Most dietary supplements or natural remedies using a B vitamin should include it as a vitamin B-complex, with a balanced dose of all the B vitamins. That way, you can keep your nutrient levels balanced while still effectively treating your thyroid problem.

If you liked this post, buy me a cafe.

High cholesterol: two words that strike fear into the hearts of many people. High cholesterol: something that can strike more than fear into a person’s heart if it goes untreated. Conventional medications for the treatment of high cholesterol may or may not be effective, but they certainly cause side effects: muscle pain, nausea, and if taken for too long, liver damage. Clearly medication is not a long-term measure, which is why many people try to find a natural remedy for high cholesterol; something that can lower cholesterol levels, and keep them down. Is Vitamin C a natural remedy for high cholesterol? That is what we will discuss in this article. But first…

The Skinny on Cholesterol

The truth is that most of the cholesterol in your body does not come from the diet, but is produced by your own body. What? How could your own body do such a thing to you! But cholesterol is vital for the body to function, as it is used in cell repair and maintenance. When doctors or nutritionists talk about high cholesterol, they are referring to the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol travels in the blood so that it can be used anywhere in the body as and when it is needed. However, if blood levels become too high, cholesterol deposits itself onto the walls of your arteries, as a kind of “plaque.” As the cholesterol builds up, the blood has less and less space to travel through the arteries. This causes a build-up in pressure, and high cholesterol easily leads onto hypertension, and hypertension severely increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

So, a natural remedy for high cholesterol must seek to lower cholesterol in the blood, rather than eliminating it all together. What natural supplement could help in this?

Vitamin C’s role in High Cholesterol Treatment

Vitamin C is considered an excellent natural remedy for high cholesterol because of its properties in dealing with the effects of high cholesterol and because it actively reduces cholesterol levels in the blood.

Vitamin C deals with the effects of high cholesterol

Vitamin C is a good natural remedy for high cholesterol because it helps to widen arteries and so minimize the effect of cholesterol deposits on the artery walls. A study conducted on rabbits showed that high doses of Vitamin C can prevent the narrowing of arteries by anywhere between 4% and a whopping 50%. Counteracting the effects of high cholesterol in this way effectively “buys time” for you, so that Vitamin C can reduce cholesterol in other ways.

Vitamin C deals with the cholesterol in your blood

Vitamin C also helps in increasing fibrinolytic activity, which is responsible for removing cholesterol plaque from the arteries. A number of studies conducted on animals suggest that Vitamin C can reverse plaque formation caused by high cholesterol, making it an excellent natural remedy for high cholesterol. Vitamin C also eliminates excess cholesterol in the bloodstream by converting it to bile.

Vitamin C keeps the cholesterol levels down

Vitamin C isn’t just a natural remedy for high cholesterol, it can also maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in the blood. There is a continuous recycling process where excess cholesterol in the blood is removed and converted to bile (as mentioned above). This process only occurs when you have enough Vitamin C in your body. However, in the absence of enough Vitamin C, the conversion of cholesterol into bile is affected and cholesterol accumulates in the bloodstream.

Vitamin C does all of the above. Safely

Vitamin C is also incredibly safe compared to high cholesterol medications, and even compared to other vitamins, having no known fatal dosage or side-effects. If Vitamin C is taken in extremely high dosages then minor side-effects can occur, such as stomachache or diarrhea, but we’re talking huge dosages here. People have been reported taking 150 times the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C (RDA of around 100mg). Up to 2000mg of Vitamin C daily is considered by most experts to be completely safe, with no harmful side effects.

Bottom line: Vitamin C safely deals with the effects of high cholesterol, lowers cholesterol, and then keeps it down.

If you liked this post, buy me a cafe.

Lupus is a complicated disease that does not have a clear and consistent set of signs and symptoms that can be seen and treated. Because of this, diagnosis is difficult and the disease is usually discovered very late, making treatment so much more difficult. However, lupus is a disease, and where there is a disease there is a treatment available: if not to cure the disease, then at least to treat the signs and symptoms of lupus.

A Closer Look at Lupus

So what lupus treatment is available? The answer to that question begins with looking more closely with what we are up against. The most dangerous and common type of lupus disease is Systemic lupus Erythematosus (SLE), which can affect and damage any of the body’s organs such as skin, liver, kidney, joints, blood vessels, brain, blood, and nervous system. The second most common type of lupus disease is Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE), which only affects skin. The signs and symptoms of this type of lupus are skin rash and scaly sores appearing on the face, neck, and chest. The signs and symptoms of SLE will be specific to the part of the body affected, although usually the rash is also present, and can often be misdiagnosed as a different disease.

The other major sign and symptoms of lupus, common to both SLE and DLE, include chronic inflammation in various parts of the body. This causes free radicals to be released, reactive molecules with unpaired electrons that reek havoc amongst healthy cells in the body. Free-radicals are extremely d
estructive and so increase the severity of lupus symptoms, causing more discomfort to sufferers. Now we know the cause of lupus, we are one step closer to finding the way to treat the signs and symptoms.

Lupus Treatment with Antioxidants

The best way to combat free-radicals within the body is with antioxidants, naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that “mop-up” the free-radicals and prevent tissue damage.

Folic acid and Vitamin D are both antioxidants that have been shown to help reduce the symptoms of lupus, and ease discomfort. The Medical University of South Carolina has collaborated with the American College of Rheumatology - Research and Education Foundation, to study the effects caused by Vitamin D therapy with the treatment of lupus in SLE patients. The Lupus Foundation of America is involved with a lot of research into the causes, prevention, symptoms and treatment of lupus. In addition, Calcium, another mineral, helps strengthen bones and prevent inflammation.

Along with supplementation, adequate rest is also beneficial in the treatment of lupus. Regular exercise can be a part of anyone’s lupus treatment as it helps reduce stress levels, which mitigate flare-ups.

Scientists may still not know perfectly what lupus is, and no 100% cure is yet available, but the evidence is there to support the use of vitamin supplements in treating the signs and symptoms of lupus.

If you liked this post, buy me a cafe.

This kind of
professional assistance is meant to cover some gaps that the traditional
counseling might have. First of all, as any online service, it can go with you
anywhere you go. Many times, people postpone their asking for help due to lack
of time. Either because they have to drive far to see their therapist or that
they work too hard so when getting back home, they just want to relax on the
couch, counseling is generally postponed. Now, those excuses might not longer
work given that you can ask for counseling from your house without driving
anywhere but comfortably placed on your sofa or from your desk in your office. Counseling
can be a peaceful moment you give to yourself.

 

Also,
some people might feel discouraged to start with therapy because they have to
travel as part of their job. That is another case when online counseling
appears as the best option. In fact, when traveling, people might feel
specially awkward or lonely in the new environment; and being able to count on
a close professional who is ready to listen and pay complete attention to you
in those “far from home moments” can be a bless.

 

We
know many cases of very shy people who might feel quite uncomfortable if they
had to talk face to face with a professional about their concerns. That is
exactly what the online counseling wants to prevent. You control you space,
intimacy and dialogue.

 

On
top of all these strong points, what we think is essential in the results we
get when working online is the strength of the writing process. When one has
the time to think about what is going on inside him/her, it gives a different perspective
of us. Talking is a fast action and we might lose a lot of important things we
thought about and talked in a face to face session. But when things remained
written, it provides you with a constant record you can retrieve any time you
want. You can check what you said and what you received as a response in a past
session and then compare it you’re your present to evaluate your progresses.

 

Writing
to a person who is willing to help you is therapeutic by itself. It can give
you a new insight of your concern that you might have never reached if just
talking about it.

 

Of
course, there are things that the face to face counseling covers that the e-therapy
lacks. We are talking of the non-verbal communication that is missing when the
screen separates people. Also, it may happen that a person needs to be
physically comforted when being in a counseling session and we cannot do that
online. Being aware of those disadvantages, we, as professionals, face our role
with all our heart and seriousness so as to make the best out of all the
strengths of the online counseling.

 

Mike
Dionne

HREF=”http://www.tuva24hs.com/”>www.tuva24hs.com

If you liked this post, buy me a cafe.