Posts Tagged ‘Acupuncture’

How Does Reflexology Work?

September 26th, 2009
arizona reflexology information

Photo Credit: www.media.tiscali.co.uk

Most people are both shocked and surprised when they have a reflexology treatment performed.  At once it’s relaxing and painful, especially if they’re not all that healthy, yet it can alert you to issues in your body that you weren’t aware of.

I had my first reflexology treatment about a year ago, with my wife’s encouragement.  I thought it was going to be a foot massage, and who doesn’t love having their feet massaged?  I was in for a surprise. 

There is a little bit of foot massage within reflexology, but not much.  The basics of reflexology will remind people of acupuncture without the needles.  The concept is that there are pressure points on your feet that are in connection with different organs and muscle groups in your body.  Some of those areas can be assisted by rubbing or working on those pressure points, while others can be diagnosed by a reflexologist working on your feet.

My feet hurt before I went to this therapist.  Within a few minutes, my feet were hurting even more, but I was also feeling it in my side.  When I mentioned this to her she asked me if I were diabetic; I didn’t see that coming, but I said yes.  Seems she knew from the area she was working on and my reaction that I had to have some issues there. 

As she worked on others areas, she would ask me about things in parts of my body where I had to admit I wasn’t feeling as comfortable as I might have wanted to feel.  One spot she touched immediately went to my neck and shoulders, and I could see tension leaving that area of my body, even though she was still only working on my feet. 

I have to admit that half the time she was working on my feet it hurt; other times it felt wonderful.  The oils she used at first soothed my foot so she could do her thing, then later on, as it got closer to the end, she mixed a couple of oils that brought a warm feeling as well as a tingly feeling; it was great, actually.  The idea is that, when the therapist is finished, you feel better overall, and not just your feet.  It’s not like a deep tissue massage at all, because though your feet are being rubbed, the therapist is really working on other areas of your body, not your feet.

There are some reflexologists who will work on hands instead, but the feet work better, in my opinion, though I’ve had both.  You will leave feeling pretty good, and if the therapist is good, you’ll know if there are some things you might need to see your doctor about later on.

See more:
Additional Reflexology Information
How Does Reflexology Work?
Try Reflexology for Your Headache

1 comment »

Posted in Reflexology

Tags:

A Massage Might Just Be the Right Medicine

September 16th, 2009
Mesa Medicine Massage

Photo Credit: iamchiq.fooyoh.com

Many people have very different ideas of what massage is and what it can do for them.  They hear a lot of comments about the illegal kinds of massage, which is a strange concept when one thinks of the intimacy of massage.  They also hear about how some people feel pain after a massage, where a therapist might have hurt them while trying to hurt them.  And finally, they worry about being disrobed while having their massage.

Massage is one of the oldest therapeutic procedures in history.  Going back more than 7,000 years, it’s been known that massage can produce feelings of euphoria in a person’s mind, as well as help to work out areas of muscle pain.  It’s been more of a science in the last 4,500 years, thanks to Chinese medicine, and along with acupuncture has always been considered a legitimate therapeutic process in Eastern societies.

There are different techniques with massage.  Each one is geared towards either making someone feel better or working on making muscles relax so people can feel better, even if it’s feeling better at a later time.  There’s Swedish massage, which works more on specific areas of pain and muscle tension.  There’s sports massage and deep tissue massage, which are similar in that they work on specific injuries.  And there’s traditional touch massage, where the person will get a lighter touch, almost like a firm or soft body rub depending on what the person wants, where the intention is only to bring mental relief.

Deep tissue massages are the ones that can be painful.  That’s because sometimes the muscle aches are coming from deep within the body, and a massage therapist has to work their way through all the different muscles and tensions to get there.  The concentration in one area for a long time can be painful after awhile, but the idea is to get fresh blood flowing through that area, which can help it heal.  Sometimes a massage therapist will feel tension in an area you might not have specified and their experience will cause them to start working on that area more deeply.  If it gets uncomfortable, you always have the right to ask them to move on, or tell them at least that they’re hurting you.

Being disrobed helps a massage therapist get to the root of your issues, whether you’re there for pain, stress, or pleasure.  Therapists often use oils or lotions to help their hands move across your body easier.  However, no one is under any obligation to disrobe; it’s just that the massage one gets with their clothes on might not produce the same results it will without all those clothes on.

As for intimacy… well, the level of intimacy is always a shared choice.  Massage can feel good, and if one can feel totally relaxed, their body will go places they might not expect.  Therapists have seen it all, and the idea is to relax.  If you’re worried about feeling uncomfortable, talk to your therapist about it before you begin your session.  The therapist will be sure to avoid any areas where you might feel uncomfortable.  After all, no one can relax if they’re worried about things happening.

Massages are relatively inexpensive, but always relaxing in some fashion.  Every person should try a massage at least once in their lives.  You’ll never believe what you’ve been missing.

See more:
How to do A Holistic Medicine Massage
Massage Therapists Help Patients Manage Pain
Mesa Massage & Reflexology

No comments »

Posted in Massage Therapy

Tags:

How Does Acupuncture Work?

September 11th, 2009
Photo Credit: www.alltogetherhealth.com

Photo Credit: www.alltogetherhealth.com

Most Western countries have no real concept of what acupuncture is, other than it looks scary.  It looks scary because of all the needles, and we all have this negative reaction against needles of any kind.

The truth is that acupuncture is one of the oldest treatments in history.  It’s been tracked back to 3000 B.C., even though metal wasn’t around then, so stone needles were used instead.  These days, most acupuncturists use disposable sterilized stainless steel needles.

There are more than 400 acupuncture pressure points on the body.  The theory is that pressure points aren’t necessarily in the area of pain or suggestion, but located in other places.  Placing needles into the nervous system along these points, known as distal points, shifts those feelings elsewhere, and possibly eliminates them altogether.  The needles help to relieve tension, bringing a sense of peace and relaxation, which allows the body to heal and brings comfort to the patient.

Acupuncture is said to cure so many things that it seems almost impossible to believe.  The most obvious thing is pain in all areas of the body.  Some people believe acupuncture can cure cancer.  Headaches, nausea and vomiting issues, and mental problems have been said to be cured by acupuncture.  Two big things that have also been attributed to acupuncture are smoking cessation and weight loss.

Depression is one of the newer reasons acupuncture is used.  As it supposedly stimulates the brain and brings about peace, it can make depressed people feel more of a sense of calm and enjoyment.

Of course, there are many questions with acupuncture.  The first question is the most common one; does it hurt?  For the most part no, but there are some points that surround a high number of nerves, or are close to the bones.  Putting needles directly into the muscles doesn’t hurt most people, but they do feel the sensation of the needle going in.  The needles aren’t pushed in all that far, so the feelings are only surface deep.

Does acupuncture work?  That depends on who you ask.  Scientists have said outright that most acupuncture doesn’t work, especially on serious issues.  Many scientists believe people start feeling better based on a placebo effect.  But some patients swear by it, and they go at least twice a week for relief, which is the recommended number of times to do it over the course of three to four weeks.  If you’re not feeling anything by that time, then it’s probably not going to work for you.

See more:
Doctor, What’s Acupuncture All About?
Can Acupuncture Help Relieve Arthritis?
The Acupuncture Weight Loss Solution

No comments »

Posted in Acupuncture

Tags: