Reduce Pain with Natural Reflex Therapy®

Natural Reflex Therapy (NRT) is an advanced massage technique that reduces pain by placing the body into positions of comfort. The notion that certain body positions can benefit health goes back thousands of years, (from yoga to the martial arts). In America, different systems of healing have emphasized the use of positioning to release acute and chronic pain. Though not as well known as more traditional methods, releasing pain through positioning is effective, safe and gentle.

In the 1950’s Lawrence Jones, D.O. discovered by accident that when he placed the body into a comfortable position pain and dysfunction would heal quickly. He initially called this approach to pain “spontaneous release by positioning.” This work is now known generically as Positional Release or as the "fold and hold" technique." In most cases the position created is the original position of injury or an abnormal bony relationship. NRT is a variation of positional release that has been developed for use by Massage professionals.

NRT works with the sensors within our muscles that cause most of our painful symptoms. Tender points develop when the sensors of the proprioceptive reflex system in the body become dysfunctional. These sensors monitor our physical structure at all times including our sense of movement and posture. The reflex arcs, which are created by this information, help coordinate all of our movements, muscle tone, and maintain our posture and form physical habits.

The correct position allows proprioceptors to reset and stop firing protective signals. Within 10 to 90 seconds the body begins to release spasm, restore normal muscle tone, increase circulation, remove pressure on nerves, and allow bones and joints to move freely. All the energy and attention that was used to deal with pain is now available to the body’s healing process.

Practitioner of NRT are applying this technique to many kinds of painful condtions including: arthritic conditions, back problems, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia syndrome, foot pain, headaches, neck pain, psoas pain, Sciatica, sprains, stress management, and Whiplash.

NRT works with pain from a holistic perspective. Holistic healing is a philosophical approach to health care that evaluates and treats the patient as a complex and integrated being. Rather than search for a single reason for pain the NRT Practitioner looks at the whole person including the origins and history of a problem; its relationship with other pains in the body; and multiple factors that may be directly or indirectly involved.

The potential to provide long lasting relief from pain is intrinsic to NRT. It gives the Massage Therapist, Bodyworker and/or the client powerful tools to address a wide range of problems in a comprehensive fashion.

Author Resource: Barry Krost is the co-founder of Natural Reflex Therapy, a Licensed Massage Therapist and Massage Instructor in San Antonio, Texas. He has been a professional Massage Therapist and Bodyworker for 24 years. For more information go to http://naturalreflexes.com/pages/NRT.html or http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/barry_krost.html

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Colon Health And Your Nerves

The nervous system is closely related to bowel health. This can be seen from the fact that if we are nervous - such waiting for an interview - this can easily translate into loose bowels.

More problematic are long term stress and nerve weaknesses which sometimes produce chronic inflammatory bowel conditions. These are most commonly:

* IBS or irritable bowel syndrome

* Diverticulitis

* Colitis

All these are inflammatory conditions of the colon. They are most predominantly found in people who are 'high stress' types. In other words, the constitution of such people is that they don't deal well with stress. You might be a person who reacts with stress to many situations for all to see; or you might be someone who 'bottles up' their stress. In either case, the colon can be affected and inflammation can be easily caused. Also, any inflammation already present - such as that caused by waste food becoming stuck in a small diverticulum, or pocket - can be made worse.

The long term answer in all these conditions includes colon cleansing which almost invariably helps improved bowel function. However, this may be too much to start with on its own, so measures to calm the bowel down must be used either alongside, or before colon cleansing is begun.

The prime methods to 'calm down' the colon are:

1. Supplements to build the nervous system. An example would be a 3 month programme of herbs which are known to build nerve health. For some people this will easily product a dramatic improvement. Other options are a course of homoeopathic treatment or acupuncture.

2. Behavioural and lifestyle measures to deal with, or reduce,stress.

There are various possibilities when considering behavioural and lifestyle changes:

A. If you can see you are producing stress in your life, take measures to reduce this. These commonly include:

i. 'Martyr syndrome'; that is, spending too much time on others. Answer: spend more time on yourself. After all, if you are ill you are no good to yourself or others

ii Overwork; Answer, clearly, is to somehow make it OK to work either less, or less stressfully

B. If you are not quite sure why you produce your stress, ie it 'just happens', you need to break the habit. Valuable aids, if pursued diligently, are one of the various types of meditation, or NLP. The latter is best followed with qualified assistance; however, it can be studied from a book too, and some of its methods are fairly easy to learn, and might produce good effects quickly. To help you practice it on yourself, videos are available. (In the UK you can rent these from the company 'The Anglo American Book Company', located in Wales.)

Regularity Is Essential

Behavioural methods combined with nerve building measures - eg with a 3 month nerve programme - will work very, very well IF you do them regularly, daily, assiduously... for 3 months or more.

As always, the help of alternative practitioners as well as your doctor's advice are invaluable.

Temporary - But Welcome - Relief

Palliative measures - to give relief while the above are taking effect, include:

* Slippery Elm - a miracle aid for colon inflammation. Best is the pure powder (no sugar please!) where you mix a teaspoon to a paste with a little cold water, and add hot water to make a mugful of a drink resembling a thin porridge. This wonderful drink, which can be drunk 2-3 times a day if you wish, will often give relief to inflammation of the bowel within the hour. If the drink sounds awful it is available in additive-free capsules. But... the drink is much better if you can possible take it.

* Cayenne Pepper if there is any bleeding present. Again, a 'specific' herb, in this case to stop bleeding. This works well internally. Best taken with food or a drink - or with the slippery elm drink, to avoid any slight burning.

* Wild yam, a herbal 'antispasmodic' which is sometimes combined with bayberry and agrimony ('astringent' herbs these are anti-inflammatory for the bowel) and other herbs. If you can find this formula, 6 capsules a day have achieved dramatic improvements, and can be used 'symptomatically', ie as and when required, until deeper measures as described above are taking effect.

With a careful plan, colon health which has been compromised by your nervous system has a very good chance of improving with the above measures. Do apply them every day for at least several months. After this time, you will have a good idea of what works for you. This is valuable knowledge which will help you for a lifetime.

Author Resource: Max Hill, a practitioner for over 20 years, has written extensively about colon cleansing for http://www.alternative-healthzine.com and http://www.shs100.com. Take a look today, and get the benefit of Max's valuable knowledge.

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Gastritis: More than Just a Grumbling Stomach

Ever experienced vomiting blood or having coffee-ground like material and dark stool? Ever felt abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and constant hiccups? Then you might be one of the more than 10% of people who come to a hospital emergency department with gastritis. Gastritis is a common medical problem of the stomach.

The stomach is an organ of the digestive system, located in the abdomen just below the ribs. Swallowed food is mixed with gastric juices containing enzymes and hydrochloric acid. The lining of the stomach called the epithelium is layered with multiple folds. The epithelium is coated with mucus (gastric mucosa) secreted by special glands. Inflammation caused by gastritis occurs in this lining.

Gastritis occurs when a bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, or the chronic use of drugs or certain medications weakens the protective mucous coating of the stomach and duodenum, allowing acid to get through to the sensitive lining beneath. Helicobacter pylori bacterium is also responsible for most peptic ulcers.

However, gastritis is not just one disease but a group of conditions, all of which result in the inflammation of the stomach lining. Inflammation of the stomach means that white blood cells move into the wall of the stomach as a response to an injury to the stomach. Commonly, the inflammation results from infection with the same bacterium that causes most stomach ulcers. Yet other factors such as traumatic injury and regular use of certain pain relievers can also contribute to gastritis.

Gastritis may be caused by many factors including infection, alcohol, particular medications and some allergic and immune conditions. It can be either acute, with severe attacks lasting a day or two, or chronic, with long term appetite loss or nausea. In many cases, gastritis has no symptoms (asymptomatic). But, common symptoms may include:

Loss of appetite
Pain in the upper abdomen just under the ribs
Nausea or Indigestion
Hiccups
Blood in the bowel actions
Weight loss

Gastritis can be caused by many different factors, including:

Medications such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
Bacterial infection
Alcohol
Protracted vomiting
Overproduction of gastric juices, which is a stress response in some people
The backflow of bile from the small intestine (duodenum)
Some allergic and immune conditions – for example, pernicious anaemia
Severe stress due to major surgery, traumatic injury or burns
Exposure to radiation.

Diagnosing gastritis involves a variety of tests, including endoscopy and biopsy. In endoscopy, a thin flexible tube is threaded down the esophagus into the stomach. The endoscope is fitted with a small camera so the physician can look at the stomach lining. If the gastric mucosa is reddened, this may indicate gastritis. A biopsy is needed for confirmation. Biopsy involves small tissue samples which are taken during an endoscopy and tested in a laboratory. The pathologist will look for changes, including the presence of inflammatory cells and epithelium damage. Treatment of gastritis varies from person to person and depends on the specific cause. For most types of gastritis, reduction of stomach acid is helpful. Stomach acid is reduced by medication and antibiotics are given for infection. Most people recover from gastritis. Depending on the many factors that affect the stomach lining, gastritis symptoms may flare up from time to time. Overall, gastritis is generally a common, mildly troubling ailment that responds well to simple treatments. On occasion, rare forms of gastritis can be serious or even life threatening. Severe, ongoing symptoms or internal bleeding should alert a physician to search for a more serious underlying cause.

Author Resource: DrugstoreTM.com is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman's health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient customer access to various health medicines, including an array of health product and medicare prescription drug. Buy Soma Buy Tramadol

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How To Use Natural Herbs For Healing

With cold and flu season coming up, many of us would benefit from using a vapor bath to help open the sinuses and facial pores. To start, place the herbal mixture you have chosen into a pot of boiling water and let it steep (covered) for about 10 minutes.

Make a tent with a towel over your face and neck and put your face down over the uncovered pot. Be careful; you certainly don't want to get scalded! If the steam is too hot, you can wait a short time and try again or add some cold water. Breathe deeply and enjoy!

Adding herbs to your bath water can be therapeutic. Make sure the bath is warm enough to be comfortable (somewhere around 90 degrees is recommended). You can choose sea salt, herbs, or a combination of the two. If you would like to add herbs, one way to introduce them to the water is to hang tea bags under the spout as the water fills up the tub. Herbs can also be added to water for a refreshing foot bath.

When using herbs, it is important to educate yourself about the different properties associated with different kinds, to ensure that you will get the benefit you are seeking from whatever herb or combination you choose. Check that the herbs you choose are pesticide free. Be sure that you are using natural products in a safe manner; some of them are safe to be used on the skin but will cause illness (or worse) if ingested. In the beginning, it would be prudent to experiment with just one herb at a time. If you have an adverse reaction, you will at least know which type of herb you are allergic to.

When starting out, a good choice is to work with the Aloe Vera plant. Known as the "healing plant", the juice from the leaves of the Aloe Vera can be applied to any kind of skin condition. It is especially useful to take the sting out of burns including sunburns.

These hardy plants can be grown at home by even the brownest thumb. They are very easy to use: simply peel off one of the leaves from the base of the plant and tear or cut it open. It's the "juice" inside that you will want to apply to your skin. The most convenient way to accomplish this is to simply squeeze it directly onto the skin irritation. No special preparation is required and the stinging will stop very quickly. The properties contained in Aloe Vera also help the skin heal quickly.

As you get to know more about herbs, you will be able to add to your repertoire of applications for them. Perhaps you will start your own herb garden!

Author Resource: Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a natural health products at http://www.health-nature-wellness.com

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Do You Dare To Try Chinese Yoga?

Qigong ('chee-kung') is slowly but steadily taking the health and fitness world by storm, one gentle graceful move at a time. Just like its eastern practice counterpart, yoga, Qigong encourages mental focus and self-awareness. In fact, it is yoga that has paved the way for mind-body exercises and eastern practices like Qigong to be embraced in the western world. While some forms of yoga can be strenuous, the gentle flowing and easy-to-learn nature of Qigong makes it accessible to all age groups regardless of fitness level. In fact, children, people recovering from injury and those suffering from Alzheimer's disease can benefit from qigong as well. Qigong requires no exercise apparatus, not even a mat. It is estimated that millions in the world today (besides in China where it originated) practise Qigong on a regular basis.

Even so, you may still wondering what exactly Qigong is, and how it can benefit you? Qigong has been around for thousands of years and is a part of the system of traditional Chinese medicine. In the Chinese language, Qi means breath or gas, and breath is regarded to be the vital energy flowing through the human body. Gong refers to work or technique. So Qigong is basically the art or technique of managing one's breathing. Coupled with the coordination of different postures and body movements, Qigong can provide many health benefits such as relieving stress, increasing one's energy and stamina, healing injuries, improving bone joints and creating harmony between mind and body. Qigong has also been said to be able to improve one's self-confidence, sex hormone levels, immune system, internal organs, as well as detoxify the body.

There are four major areas of Qigong. Healing Qigong (Yi Gong) teaches one how to manage stress. External Qi Healing (Wai Qi Zhi Liao) enables one to tap into his or her 'energy fields' to increase the body's wellness and ability to heal. It includes exercises, meditation, acupuncture and massage. , Sports Qigong (Wu Gong) or martial arts Qigong includes kungfu and taijiquan ("tai-chi-chuan'). It cultivates the body's strength, stamina, speed, balance, flexibility, and injury resistance. Finally Spiritual Qigong (Fo Gong, Tao Gong), evolving from Buddhism and Taoism, is a discipline in spirituality that teaches one to be more self-aware and create a peaceful and harmonious relationship with nature.

Sure, Qigong can't really give you a perfect physique, but with the highly stressful environment we live in today, it provides a welcoming respite for the weary soul. Its gaining popularity is evident of the shift in focus from being merely health-conscious to seeking a more holistic mind-body-spirit rejuvenation. Experts are predicting that qigong may one day supercede yoga in popularity. Already, more and more former yoga practitioners are switching over to Qigong due to "mat fatigue" (read: too much hype and overcrowded studios with too little mat space).

Qigong can be learnt on your own or through attending a course. But as there's no specific training required to be a qigong "master", make sure you do your research well before signing up for any classes or buying random Qigong tapes. A good source where you can learn Qigong on your own would be QigongWeb. The guy behind this website is a long-time practitioner of Qigong and he provides a comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide for the different Qigong exercises.

As per usual, before you start on any exercise program, make sure you consult a doctor before starting on Qigong. Finally, breathe, relax, and embark on your journey to total wellness.

Author Resource: 3 years ago,Estevan was a frail and sickly person who visited the doctor almost once a month for various ailments.One day she discovered QiGongWeb) and became a practitioner.Today,she's the healthiest person in her workplace,going more than 468 days without sick leave.

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