Posts Tagged ‘holism’

Edema Sufferers Turn to Massage Chairs

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

There quite a number of people who suffer from a swelling of the feet and legs. This can happen when fluid is retained between the body cells. Charlie, fluid is retained in the body cells and not between them. This condition is known as edema. Sufferers of edema typically have progressively more solid feet and lower legs. Many of these pieces are turning to massage chairs to provide a compression massage for relief.

Edema can result by a serious condition of the kidneys, the heart, the liver or even blood vessels. Some of the following have been late to contribute it to edema: pregnancy, PMS, neuromuscular disorders, and abusing drugs. These have been known to cause fluid to be retained between the body cells.

Typically sufferers of edema will notice swollen legs and feet. This is due to the fact that the feet and lower legs are typically at the lowest elevation. The accumulation of fluids will happen in these low elevation places of the body.

Some of the typical symptoms of edema are the swelling of the feet, calves and lower leg areas. Typically the swelling will be at its lowest levels in the morning and then began to increase as the day goes on. This can cause stiffness in the legs or joints.

As the day progresses, you may feel your feet or lower legs swelling. This can start to bog you down as the swelling causes increased stiffness in the muscles and joints. With increased stiffness, it starts to affect your mobility.

Persons suffering from long-term edema may have what is called pitting. Pitting can be checked when you press a small area for a few seconds. Once you release your finger you may notice an indentation continues in that area. This needs to be checked as continued swelling can cause skin ulcerations.

Another common set of symptoms are puffy eyes, swollen hands and swollen wrists. Also reported are higher incidences of higher blood pressure, increased urination, palpitations and higher blood pressure. Many times this condition can also lead to weight gain.

Preventing edema is always the best measure, but seeking relief is also a good alternative. Since you are dealing with swelling, elevating the legs is always important. When you elevate the legs above the level of the heart, this puts minimal pressure on the back of the knees and thighs.

One important area is to elevate your legs while you sleep. This helps keep the fluid buildup in the legs to a minimum and also helps flow more blood to the area. You should also check on getting good shoes. You should try on shoes in the afternoon when swelling is at its maximum.

Many times a compression massage is used to help reduce swelling and restore flexibility. A compression massage uses a gentle squeeze and hold. This helps to loosen the muscle or joint.

Many massage chairs have lower body air compression massages. A leg rest contains a number of airbags to provide a gentle hold and squeeze massage. These airbags are designed for the feet and calves. This can be great relief for someone with stiff joints and muscles.

Like any medical condition, you should always check with your medical provider to see what is right in your case. There are many options that may be available to help relieve the stiffness and pain from edema. Massage chairs have been used in some cases to help patients relieve stiffness and help improve their mobility.

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Massage Chairs Help Fibromyalgia and Polymyalgia

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

If you suffer from pain in the joints and muscles areas then you may have polymyalgia. If you have stiffness in the ligaments and tendons then you may have fibromyalgia. Although both conditions can cause stiffness and pain, one involves the joints and muscles where as the other involves the ligaments and tendons. The result of either situation is the muscles become tense and stiff. A number of chiropractic doctors have been treating both conditions using massage chairs are some aspects of their treatment.

Polymyalgia is in inflammatory condition in the muscles or joints. The stiffness of muscles and joints causes mobility to be decreased. The stiffness also causes pain and this condition can be prevalent throughout the body. This condition mainly affects women of northern European descent. Some speculate it could be linked to genetics, but no solid evidence has been presented.

Polymyalgia or polymyalgia rheumatica, affects the joint and muscle areas. This condition is inflammatory in nature, whereas fibromyalgia is not. Polymyalgia most commonly affects the elderly population. Most sufferers of this condition are women and are frequently descendents of Scandinavia or northern Europe.

Natural methods such as massage therapy aim to restore flexibility of the muscles. Massage therapy along with stretching can help to restore flexibility in the joints. Massage chairs are used to deliver these types of therapies to help people with these conditions. To relieve the discomfort is very important to assist a persons positive outlook.

Like any we routine it starts with the basics. It’s important to get a reinforcing routine going. Start your day with some light stretching. Help the major muscles that are stiff become more flexible. Perform light exercises to help build stamina and strength. Restore your muscles and joints with massage chair therapy.

Natural methods of treatment include stretching, light exercise and massage therapy. The focus is on restoring more flexibility and elasticity to the soft tissue areas. Stretching helps to elongate the soft tissues to restore elasticity. Light exercise helps to increase the strength of the soft tissues. Massage therapy is used to elongate the muscles to help them recover after exercise and to keep them elastic.

You should think about getting a normal daily routine going. Think about doing light stretching in the morning followed by some light exercise and then a relaxing massage. Think of your healing process as a three-step cycle including stretching to improve flexibility, exercise to build strength and massage to restore health and vitality.

Imagine having the constant pain from one of these conditions. Further imagine that there is no known cure. Relieving the symptoms becomes of paramount importance. When these symptoms flare up you need to seek relief. A massage chair is an important asset in the fight against these two conditions of polymyalgia and fibromyalgia.

Massage chairs provide you with the tools you need when you feel stiffness. You can apply different massage techniques to the area you need. You can focus it until it relieves a certain area. This helps to maintain better control over your daily routine.

Massage chairs provide effective massage therapy and have full body capability. Additional therapeutic treatments are included in massage chairs such as heating elements, traction systems and even music players. These help to restore the elasticity back to the soft tissue areas affected by these conditions. Consult with your health care professional on treatments that are right for your condition.

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Losing Weight After Pregnancy

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

Pregnancy is a beautiful time in a woman’s life that brings with it a glorious blessing after nine months. A few fortunate women sail through their pregnancies and their bodies bounce back without a hitch or any additional weight gain. For the majority of the women though this is not the case. The key to getting the weight off is diet, exercise and massage chair therapy.

A woman will not lose as much weight as she expected to lose after the birth of her child. She may end up with unwanted pounds due to excessive weight gain during the pregnancy. In many cases, fluid retention is the problem and the weight will drop approximately three weeks after delivering the baby due to frequent urination and perspiration.

If you are not one of those women that just drop pounds like nothing, then prepare yourself for what may come. Realize that weight gain is part of the process. You are becoming a Mom or you have already been around the block. Half the game is mental, so be prepared from an emotional standpoint. You can lose the weight and you will, but it takes time and do not forget about effort.

There are numerous suggestions that will help you to lose this extra weight. Some of these helpful hints are obvious such as diet and exercise. Others are not so obvious such as massage therapy. When taken together, the weight can be lost and lost for good.

Diet. Diet. Diet. You are what you eat. Food is your energy. The types and range of fuels helps the body run and regulate itself appropriately. Do not fight an uphill battle. Get your intake of foods to be better quality for your bodys nutrition and you have won half the battle. Its OK to indulge with a dessert, just not everyday!

The problem with fast food is it contains high levels of sodium. Sodium helps to retain water. A good portion of the weight gain in pregnancy is water weight. Water intake is essential in flushing out the toxins of our bodies. Replace any soda or juice drinks, which contain sugar, with mineral water.

Exercise starts with E and means Effort. You have to make an effort to get a consistent routine of exercise going. It is all too easy to go from one thing to the next and never exercise. Take time for you and get yourself in shape. You and the baby will both be happier. Talk to your medical professional as to what is right for you.

Are you planning on breastfeeding? Did you know that by breastfeeding you can make a deposit of five hundred calories per day? Yes, breastfeeding can help you lose weight. Your body is prepared to serve two individuals. Find out from your health care provider how breast feeding and other items can help you lose weight.

Massage therapy has been used throughout the ages for recovery and healing. Your body goes through tremendous changes during pregnancy and after as well. You have to deal with improving your diet and exercising. You also need time for your to recover. A quick massage from a massage chair is ideal. Its the friend you need, when you need. Relief is finally on your schedule.

If you want to see the look of fear on woman, ask her to check her weight during pregnancy. Most women have spent their whole lives keeping the weight off. Yet pregnancy naturally puts it on. When the pregnancy is over, then you need to get in gear to work the remaining weight off. Give yourself a nine month time frame to lose it.

Pregnancy is a wonderful experience and the greatest gift of life. As with all important health issues, speak with your medical doctor about what is right for you. Weight loss is important, but make sure you get the doc’s blessing on what you do. Find out how diet, exercise and massage chair therapy can help you find that new balance.

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Massage Chairs Are Prevalent in Chiropractor Offices

Friday, May 15th, 2009

Chiropractic medicine is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on diagnosing and treating problems of the spine, nervous system and musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors are specialists in holistic medicine and use natural therapies to help their patients to restore health to their backs. Chiropractors use a variety of treatments such as massage therapy to restore health to the back. Massage chairs are becoming increasingly prevalent in many chiropractor offices across the country.

Did you know the word chiropractor originates from Greek? This is a combination of “cheir” and “praxis” from the ancient Greek language. Together they mean a treatment done by hand. Technology has come a long way since the Greeks. I am sure the ancient Greek chiropractors would be enthralled with today’s high tech massage chairs.

Chiropractors receive three main types of conditions. People that have overstressed or injured their spine. Conditions where the parts of the spine are degenerating or wearing down. The third condition is certain pre-conditions of insufficient health from the beginning. They are trained by a college accredited by the Council on chiropractic education. To become a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic medicine, they must earn a D.C. degree and be licensed from the state.

Even though chiropractic medicine has been around since Egyptian times, it has not been covered by major health insurance plans. Big Medicine is covering more chiropractic treatments as now many state workers compensation systems are covering chiropractic treatment. This has forced Big Medicine to ante up and now many HMO’s and private plans have included chiropractic coverage.

Chiropractors are trained to understand a patient’s symptoms. They then test theories and validate them to find the root causes. They may take x-rays, perform certain tests or touch and feel what is going on. The spine is a complex arrangement of bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments, etc. that must be looked at in unison.

Chiropractors are known for making manual adjustments to the spinal column. They use the force from their hands to exert pressure on the bones of the spine to align them. Most people are familiar with the cracking or popping sounds of getting an adjustment to their spine.

Massage therapy is being more commonly employed at chiropractor offices. Massage chairs have found a niche in providing a number of possible therapies in a convenient form. Massage chairs are programmed to deliver a targeted massage for a specific duration based on the patients needs.

Typically pressure on the spine is concentrated on a few of the vertebrae which puts undue pressure on the muscles, tendons and ligaments which hold the spine together. This concentrated force causes stiffness in these soft tissue areas. This can be caused by incorrect posture, improper lifting techniques or by an injury.

The chiropractor seeks to alleviate the concentrated pressure off of these areas. A doctor helps the patient to identify how they can better distribute the stress put on their spine. Patients may need to make changes to their posture or lifting to help the spine to recover and prevent future injury.

Massage chairs are being used extensively to deliver a variety of massage therapies in chiropractor offices around the nation. Massage chairs also provide the application of heat, traction for the legs and arms, air compression massage, music therapy, and vibration. The spine has many soft tissues like muscle, tendons and ligaments that need to maintain their flexibility. They become stiff and hurt. Massage chair therapy helps to reduce stiffness, while helping to restore flexibility and pliability.

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