Archive for the Pain Relief Category

Health and Wellness links - is the product that you are using toxic? Not icyball!!

23. June 2010 by admin.

Talk knowledgeably with your clients about their product concerns with help from


Icyball and Thermallball products were designed for managing your pain without toxic ingredients

Other notable Sources (from the personal care site):

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Use an icyball instead!

9. August 2009 by aaron.

One of the things to do is ice the knee before and after using the CPM (continuous passive motion) machine or having a physical therapist work with on post op knees. This is what most people are told to do:

Take paper cups and fill with water. Place in freezer. When needed, take a totally frozen paper cup and peel around the cup edge exposing the ice surface. While holding the paper cup, rub the ice around the knee area. You can either put the rest of the frozen ice back in the freezer to use later or toss away.

Icyball therapy is more convenient is reusable, sterilizable and more effective.  This tool can be used on many parts of the body that need icing.

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - AVOIDANCE (use thermalballs or icyballs)

7. July 2009 by admin.

Dear All,
For everyone who works daily on a computer or administers massages with their hands, you can avoid this condition by following the below techniques and using thermalballs in your therapy toolbox . The mistakes daily mouse and keyboard usage will result in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! Use the mouse and keyboard correctly. View below for the surgery of a patient suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome followed by the
RIGHT TECHNIQUES for usage….

carpal surgery tendons - REAL

AVOIDANCE TECHNIQUES:

Keyboard

Mouse

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B vitamins to reduce migraine symptoms?

11. May 2009 by admin.

This new study is much more promising.

Migraine patients take note: I think this team from Brisbane may be on to something big.

———————————————————–
Chain of events
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Researchers at the Genomics Research Centre at Brisbane’s Griffith University have been doing their migraine homework.

Previous GRC research reveals a cascade that begins with a mutation of a specific gene, which prompts higher homocysteine levels, which disrupts the cells that line blood vessels in the brain, which triggers migraines in some patients.

With that in mind, the GRC team recruited more than 50 subjects who had migraine with aura. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups to receive either placebo or a regimen of B vitamins that have been shown to help control homocysteine levels: 2 mg of folic acid, 25 mg of B-6, and 400 micrograms of B-12.

After a six-month intervention, researchers reported these remarkable results:

  • Homocysteine was lowered by nearly 40 percent in the B group, but only negligibly in the placebo group
  • Prevalence of migraine disability fell from 60 percent at baseline to 30 percent in the B group, but no change in the placebo group
  • Headache frequency and pain severity were reduced in the B group, but not in the placebo group
  • The most pronounced response in the B group occurred in patients who were shown to have the mutated gene

Lead author of the study – Prof. Lyn Griffiths – was refreshingly optimistic when she considered the use of B supplements. She told NutraIngredients-USA that the trial’s success “has shown that safe, inexpensive vitamin supplements can treat migraine patients.”

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Your migraine arsenal
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The GRC study provides a welcome new advance in the growing arsenal that migraine patients have at their disposal.

In previous e-Alerts I’ve told you about several non-drug treatments that have been shown to successfully reduce migraine symptoms and help prevent migraine attacks.

“The Best Offense” (9/29/04)
As I mentioned above, riboflavin (vitamin B-2) supplements may reduce migraine frequency. In a study in which 23 subjects took 400 mg of riboflavin daily for six months, average frequency of migraines was cut in half.

“Power to the Powerhouses” (6/28/04)
In a Swiss study, researchers found that migraine frequency, total days with migraine, and total days with nausea were all significantly reduced with 300 mg of CoQ10 daily. Incidence of migraines was almost cut in half in the CoQ10 group. Researchers believe that CoQ10 helps prevent migraines by promoting proper respiration on the cellular level.

“Like Buttah” (1/19/05)
A large majority of migraine patients reported a 50 percent or greater reduction in their frequency of migraine attacks after taking 75 mg of Petadolex (a butterbur root extract) daily for four months.

Talk to your doctor about these supplements before adding them to your daily regimen. And please pass this link on to any friends or family members who suffer from migraines.

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Evidence Based Practice resources for massage therapists

15. April 2009 by admin.

Journals

Couldn't pass up posting this picture

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Headaches - Thermalball / Icyball products and lifestyle suggestions

6. April 2009 by admin.

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of
ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional,
some frequent, some are dull and throbbing,
and some cause debilitating pain and nausea.
What do you do when you suffer from a pounding
headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie
down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There
is a better alternative.
New research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary
form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic, massage and rehabilitation therapists
– may be an effective treatment option for tension
headaches and headaches that originate in the neck.

Icyball or Thermalball products used cold can reduce inflammation when applied directly to the head or behind the neck.  The reduction in swelling not only reduces headache pain, but can provide a refreshing, stimulating and energetic effect.

Researchers at the Duke
University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham,
NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost
immediate improvement for those headaches that originate
in the neck, and had significantly fewer side
effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type
headache than a commonly prescribed medication.

Headache Triggers
Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These
may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises,
lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive
exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent
of all headaches are warning signals caused by
physical problems.
Ninety-five percent of headaches are primary
headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster
headaches. These types of headaches are not caused
by disease. The headache itself is the primary concern.
“The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated
with muscle tension in the neck,” says Dr.
George B. McClelland, a doctor of chiropractic from
Christiansburg, VA. “Today, Americans engage in more
sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours
are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can
increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck,
upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.”

What Can You Do?

• If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed
position, such as in front of a computer, on a
sewing machine, typing or reading, take a
break and stretch every 30 minutes to one
hour. The stretches should take your head and
neck through a comfortable range of motion.
• Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain
associated with primary headaches. However, if
you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches,
avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities
as walking and low-impact aerobics.
• Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should
never touch the lowers, except when swallowing.
This results in stress at the temporomandibular
joints (TMJ) – the two joints that
connect your jaw to your skull – leading to TMJ
irritation and a form of tension headaches.
• Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a
day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead
to headaches.

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Chronic Pain and Depression

16. March 2009 by admin.

Pain serves an important function in our lives. When
you suffer an acute injury, pain warns you to stop the
activity that is causing the injury and tells you to take
care of the affected body part.

Chronic pain, on the other hand, persists for weeks,
months, or even years. Some people, often older
adults, suffer from chronic pain without any definable
past injury or signs of body damage. Common chronic
pain can be caused by headaches, the low back, and
arthritis. Unfortunately, there is scant objective evidence
or physical findings to explain such pain.
Until recently, some doctors who could not find a
physical cause for a person’s pain simply suggested
that it was imaginary—“all in your head.” This is unfortunate
because we know that all pain is real and not
imagined, except in the most extreme cases of psychosis.
Emerging scientific evidence is demonstrating
that the nerves in the spinal cord of patients with
chronic pain undergo structural changes.
Psychological and social issues often amplify the
effects of chronic pain. For example, people with
chronic pain frequently report a wide range of limitations
in family and social roles, such as the inability to
perform household or workplace chores, take care of
children, or engage in leisure activities. In turn, spouses,
children, and co-workers often have to take over
these responsibilities. Such changes often lead to
depression, agitation, resentment, and anger for the
pain patient and to stress and strain in family and other
social relationships.

How is depression involved with chronic
pain?
Depression is the most common emotion associated
with chronic pain. It is thought to be 3 to 4 times more
common in people with chronic pain than in the general
population. In addition, 30 to 80% of people with
chronic pain will have some type of depression.
The combination of chronic pain and depression is
often associated with greater disability than either
depression or chronic pain alone.
People with chronic pain and depression suffer dramatic
changes in their physical, mental, and social
well-being—and in their quality of life. Such people
often find it difficult to sleep, are easily agitated, cannot
perform their normal activities of daily living, cannot
concentrate, and are often unable to perform their
duties at work. This constellation of disabilities starts
a vicious cycle—pain leads to more depression, which
leads to more chronic pain. In some cases, the depression
occurs before the pain.

Depression associated with pain is powerful enough to
have a substantial negative impact on the outcome of
treatment, including surgery. It is important for your
doctor to take into consideration not only biological,
but also psychological and social issues that pain
brings.


What is the treatment for chronic pain
and depression?
The first step in coping with chronic pain is to determine
its cause, if possible. Addressing the problem
will help the pain subside. In other cases, especially
when the pain is chronic, you should try to keep the
chronic pain from being the entire focus of your life.
• Stay active and do not avoid activities that
cause pain simply because they cause pain.
The amount and type of activity should be
directed by your doctor, so that activities that
might actually cause more harm are avoided.
• Relaxation training, hypnosis, biofeedback, and
guided imagery, can help you cope with chronic
pain. Cognitive therapy can also help
patients recognize destructive patterns of emotion
and behavior and help them modify or
replace such behaviors and thoughts with more
reasonable or supportive ones.
• Distraction (redirecting your attention away
from chronic pain), imagery (going to your
“happy place”), and dissociation (detaching
yourself from the chronic pain) can be useful.
• Involving your family with your recovery may be
quite helpful, according to recent scientific evidence.

Feel free to discuss these or other techniques with
your doctor of therapist. He or she may suggest
some simple techniques that may work for you or may
refer you to another health care provider for more indepth
training in these techniques

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Two choices

14. March 2009 by admin.

You have two choices

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant. He is always in a good mood.

When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply: “If I were any better, I would be twins!”

Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs,

so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant

Why?

Because Jerry was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there, telling him how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him.

“I don’t get it! No one can be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?”

Jerry replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today.. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood.

I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life.”

“But it’s not always that easy,”  I protested.

“Yes it is,” Jerry said.

“Life is all about choices.. When you cut away all the junk every situation is a choice..

You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. It’s your choice how you live your life.”

Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business.

He left the back door of his restaurant open in the morning, he was robbed by three armed men.

While Jerry trying to open the safe his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination.

The robbers panicked and shot him.

Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, “If I were any better, I’d be twins. Want to see my scars?”

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied.

“Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or could choose to die. I chose to live.” “Weren’t you scared I asked?

Jerry continued, “The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine.

But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expression on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared.

In their eyes, I read ‘He’s a dead man.

I knew I needed to take action.”

“What did you do?” I asked..

“Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry.. “She asked if I was allergic to anything.”

“Yes, to bullets,” I replied.

Over their laughter, I told them “I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.

I learned from him that every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it.

The only thing that is truly yours - that no one can control or take from you, is your attitude, so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

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Ever want to know what Reike is all about?

20. February 2009 by admin.

Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) is a system of natural healing that can be used for stress reduction and relaxation. It’s an old laying-on of hands technique that claims to use life force energy to heal and balance the body’s subtle energies that affect each of us physically, mentally and spiritually. Receiving Reiki can be a richly relaxing and balancing experience — but not everyone has time or money to get the treatments regularly. In a recent conversation, Reiki practitioner Phylameana Iila Désy, author of The Everything Reiki Book, told me about exercises she has adapted for people to do themselves that may help them experience some of the calming, centering benefits of Reiki. This is unlikely to deliver the same level of energetic balance a trained Reiki master can, but doing this self-treatment ritual regularly may help you maintain equanimity on a day-to-day basis. Désy describes it as a way of loving yourself each day.

REIKI BASICS

There are 12 basic Reiki hand placements, but Désy says it is fine to use your hands in whatever placements you find most relaxing and comfortable. It’s recommended that each hand placement be held for five minutes, especially in the beginning — Désy recommends one-hour daily sessions for 30 consecutive days in order to get your energy flowing, after which you may find that once or twice weekly is enough. However, if you don’t have an entire hour, remember that some time is better than none. You can also use one or two particular positions if you feel tension in one part of your body. “There’s no right or wrong way to invite Reiki energies into your life,” says Désy. “Just do it.”

Sit comfortably. You may place your hands directly on your body or an inch or two above — it’s a matter of individual preference. You may or may not feel a tingling or heat sensation in your hands as you go through the Reiki-derived hand positions — if you do, then this is an indication of the Reiki energy flow. Some people are more sensitive to energy than others — not everyone feels the sensation but everyone should feel some degree of relaxation, stress reduction and greater mental clarity.

First Position: Hands over Eyes

This position is good for reducing stress and for increasing clarity of thought and concentration. Hold arms parallel to the floor, bending your elbows so that your palms go toward your face, covering your eyes. Direct the energy toward your eyes. This position assists in activating the “third eye,” which can help you to see the divine within everything.

Second Position: Temples

This position can be restorative to the brain and helpful for relieving worry and depression. It’s also good for headaches. Place your hands, palms facing inward, on the sides of your head (temples) and focus the energy in this same direction. This position is helpful in integrating the left (analytical) and right (creative) sides of the brain.

Third Position: Base of the Skull

This position enhances relaxation, calms thoughts and relieves pain. Slide or place your hands behind your head at the base of the skull, elbows out. The third finger of each hand may be slightly touching the other. You may feel heat in your hands in this position.

Fourth Position: Throat and Jaw

This position improves self-confidence and relieves anger and hostility. Slide (or place) your hands over the sides of your face, fingers pointing up, from about the ear down to the throat, covering the jaw as though you are supporting it. Practitioners believe we hold many intense emotions in the jaw, including anger and helplessness. As you focus your healing energy in this area, you may find it easier to “speak your truth,” saying what you mean and meaning what you say.

Fifth Position: The Heart

This position improves the capacity both to love and be loved. Slide (or place) hands over the chest, palms facing the body, third fingers touching, elbows relaxed. Focus the energy on your heart. Some people report a sensation that is like breaking down a protective wall, which can lead to an increased willingness to be vulnerable.

Sixth Position: Solar Plexus

This position helps to center yourself and also to release fears. Slide (or place) hands over the solar plexus, underneath the chest and on the rib cage. This is the power center of the body. Focus your energy there and you may experience a feeling of increased confidence, security and strength.

Seventh Position: Abdomen

This position helps you to release the past, including negative feelings of frustration and bitterness. Slide (or place) your hands at your waistline. The hands can point slightly downward. Bringing energy to this area can help release negative thoughts, since such feelings are so often “stuffed” down inside of us. This position is very calming and may also assist in digestion.

Eight Position: Pelvis

This position enhances feelings of well-being. Slide (or place) your hands over the pelvis and hip area, slightly angled down. The area is the center from which we express ecstasy and creativity… as well as resentments toward the opposite sex. Sending positive Reiki energy to this area may also sooth some digestive problems.

Ninth Position: Shoulder Blades

This position facilitates the release of burdens. Slide (or place) your hands on your shoulders, right hand to left shoulder and vice versa, as if you are patting yourself on the back, fingers aimed down. Most of us experience tension in this area — it’s the reason for the expression “carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.” At stressful times, placing your hands in this position while you focus on sending energy to the area may help release the burdensome feeling and make it easier to relax.

It may be difficult to achieve the hand placements for the 10th, 11th and 12th positions due to the logistics of reaching the proper areas of your back, as they are typically done when receiving a Reiki session from a professional practitioner. However you can modify them by placing your hands along your sides, elbows out, then reaching behind your back in the following three positions at rib level, mid-back and lower back.Tenth Position: Upper Back

This position helps increase the capacity to give and receive love. Slide (or place) the right hand comfortably over the heart, fingers pointing slightly up, then place your left hand at your waist, on the right side, fingers pointing slightly down. After 2½ minutes, reverse positions so that the left hand moves up toward the heart area and the right hand goes to the left side of your waist. Since many of us feel tension in our backs, focusing the energy in this area helps bring a soothing sense of peace to the body.

Eleventh Position: Lower Back

This position helps to release self-criticism. Slide (or place) your hands in the small of your back. The palms can be facing either forward or backward, whichever is more comfortable for you. The lower back is another area where many people feel tension — focusing positive energy here helps to release negative feelings, particularly self-blame. You may feel lighter and clearer after doing this position.

Twelfth Position: Coccyx

The coccyx is the “seat of power” and the center of creativity. Slide (or place) your hands down to cover your tailbone. When focusing your energy here, envision all that you want to experience in your life and imagine reaching your full potential.

Reiki Resources

Though many advanced Reiki practitioners speak about how each position relates to specific organs and/or physical symptoms, the truth is that Reiki energy is systemic — positive energy flow throughout the body, no matter where the hands are placed. You can use any of these positions to focus positive energy that can help melt away the physical tensions and negative emotions you are holding throughout your body. It’s not magical or mysterious — these positions are merely tools to help in focusing energy to flow freely through every part of our bodies. Try it. There’s nothing to lose and a great deal to gain.

Those wishing to learn how to practice Reiki on others and on themselves should take a Level One training. You can find out more at The International Center for Reiki Training (www.reiki.org). If you wish to experience a Reiki session, you can locate a certified practitioner through the International Association of Reiki Professionals (www.iarp.org). There are some excellent short videos on YouTube showing exactly what a Reiki session looks like (put Reiki into the search engine at www.youtube.com). Désy’s book, The Everything Reiki Book, serves as a wonderful introduction as well.

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