Medicrit – Medicare

Archive for February, 2009

Thai massage originated in Thailand over 1,000 years ago and is a very popular form of massage in the Western world. Based on Ayurvedic medicine and yoga, this art form has been handed down through an unbroken chain of masters for centuries. Thai massage is becoming increasingly popular in the Western world, and is one of the fastest growing massage types in the United States.

The main difference to this type of therapy is no oil is used and the therapist uses a mattress on the floor instead of a typical table and the client remains completely clothed throughout the session. It is so different than what most people in the West expect, many people describe this type of therapy to have yoga performed on you.

Some people call this therapy yoga in action since it employs many sequences of stretches by having pressure applied with the thumbs, palms, elbows, knees, and feet.

Before the therapy begins, the therapist typically interviews the client to find out any specific conditions the client and discussing their pain tolerance before beginning the massage. Once the massage begins, the massage takes on a rhythm and only stops if the pain is too much from too much pressure or too light if not enough pressure is applied.

Thai therapy usually begins with the extremities starting from the feet and legs and then moving to the hands and arms. From there, the abdomen is massaged with yoga stretches and the back is massaged for relaxation. Finally, the head, neck, and face are massaged to complete the treatment.

There is nothing more frustrating than having people ask you to repeat yourself because they did not hear what you were saying. There are several reasons why this may be happening: you may be soft-spoken; you may have an accent in which you are not enunciating your words clearly; or, you may mumble. Mumbling occurs when the mouth is not fully open, thus your words are not being articulated distinctly.

Mumbling is not only annoying for your listeners since they cannot understand you; but, it is bothersome for you, the speaker, because of the amount of time you waste
repeating yourself.

From my experience, I have found mumbling to be more common among men, especially tall men. [I rarely meet short men who mumble. To compensate for their lack of height, short men often have big voices and good diction.]

One man, who had a spectacular voice and was at least 6’4″, admitted that he was afraid to speak distinctly and use his wonderful voice for fear of intimidating others. I say nonsense. A dynamic voice does not threaten, it commands respect. Do you find the voices of James Earl Jones or Sean Connery threatening? I don’t think so!

A lot of the men with whom I have worked refuse to believe that they mumble until they see themselves on video. To see if you are symptomatic of Lazy Lips, try the test below.
# Stand in front of a mirror and say something you know from memory. Be as natural as possible. WATCH YOUR MOUTH. Did your lips move?

One of the exercises for curing Lazy Lips is quite simple although you will feel like an idiot with this exercise, so make sure you are alone when you try it!
# Standing in front of the mirror, greatly exaggerate the movement of your lips and lower jaw as you say something again from memory. Open your mouth excessively wide and noticeably move your jaw in speaking your words. (Yes, it will sound silly.) Now having accomplished this feat, say the same thing again without the exaggeration.

You should have noticed that your lips began to move normally the second time you said your words. Practice this exercise several time using the words of a song, for example, The Pledge of Allegiance, a poem, The Lord’s Prayer, or anything else you know from memory.

This is a very simple exercise but it is surprisingly effective. Practice it daily and become more aware of your speech and the movement of your lips throughout the day. I have had many clients successfully end their mumbling within a week. All it takes is practice and awareness.

Stop your mumbling today and be heard the first time you say it!

If you have ever been treated to a massage with scented oil, you may have been treated with aromatherapy, fragrant essential oils that come directly from plants and are used to promote well-being and healing. Advocates of aromatherapy market their products as being a helpful complementary treatment for chronic pain, stress, depression, anxiety and insomnia. Some essential oils have antibacterial effects when they are applied directly to your skin. Oils made with a chemical process are not considered true.

The treatment works because your nose is a sensational instrument. When aromas enter your nasal cavity the scent receptors in your nose send chemical messages directly to your brain at the limbic system. It is the limbic system that influences your heart rate, your blood pressure, respiration and many emotional responses.

Over 40 oils from plants are commonly used in aromatherapy, each with its own purpose. For instance, lavender is used for calming. Other popular oils include lemon, chamomile, peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree. On the other hand, fragrance oils are not the same because they contain synthetic chemicals and do not provide the therapeutic benefits of essential oils say the experts.

The practice of using plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being goes back 2000 years or more. The therapy works when the oils are inhaled which stimulates the brain to trigger a reaction. Inhaling into the lungs can also result in the natural constituents supplying a therapeutic benefit such as eucalyptus essential oil easing congestion.

Essential oils applied to the skin can also be absorbed into the blood stream. The rule of thumb is that if they are too concentrated to be applied directly to the skin they must be diluted.

The U.S. does not regulate the use of the word aromatherapy on product packaging, labeling or in advertising so that just about any product can be listed as suitable. Some products on the market contain unnatural ingredients including fragrance oils and do not provide therapeutic benefits. Make sure you look at the label before purchasing.

When used as directed essential oils have few side effects. However, as with most of life, use aromatherapy in moderation.

Do not swallow essential oils; they can be toxic if taken by mouth.

Dilute the oils before you apply them to your skin. Some oils may cause irritation. If a rash takes place, discontinue use.

If you have asthma, talk to your doctor first. Some oils can trigger bronchial spasm.

Keep oils away from your eyes.

Lavender and tea tree oils have been found to have some hormone-like effects. Used over time they may cause breast enlargement in boys who haven’t reached puberty.

Some essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy.

Essential oils are flammable. Keep them away from fire hazards.

And finally be selective of where you purchase your essential oils. The quality of essential oils varies widely from company to company.

Nearly 5 – 10% of children and infants are affected by asthma, which shares the term reactive airway disease. Kids may suffer from wheezing, difficulty in breathing and chest constriction as well as coughing, which is the most common symptom of this disease.

There is currently no cure for asthma in children, although researchers are diligently working to unravel the mysteries of why this disease is so prevalent, however, a Pediatrician can assist with the management of airway constriction to make the quality of life much better.

You will find that the ability to control symptoms, avoid missing school days, as well as avoiding trips to the hospital emergency room and minimizing symptoms overall requires checking in regularly with your son or daughter’s Pediatrician. According to the CDC, 6.5 million children and infants today are suffering with the symptoms of this disease.

Your child will not be slowed down by their asthma, and will be able to enjoy activities such as sports and other physical activities while they play with their age group without worry if proper measures to control the symptoms are taken. The cause for asthma is not known, but airways can be hyperresponsive or very sensitive and triggers can cause attacks.

Triggers that cause attacks are dust, exercise, smoke and pet hairs to name a few, and the airways react by producing mucus which limits the air that can come through their passages. Airways become inflamed and narrow, causing the amount of air into the lungs to be dramatically depleted. Bronchodilators reverse the constriction of airways, however long periods of narrowing make attacks last much longer in children and can also cause exacerbation.

It is found that asthma runs in certain families, and children with instances of allergic eczema or rhinitis have a higher occurrence. If allergies and asthma are very strong in your family, it is more likely that your children will suffer from similar issues, and reducing triggers will prevent asthma from developing. Ensuring to minimize exposure to triggers will prevent attacks.

Long-term relief as well as short-term relief can be found through medications of the anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator form. Anti-inflammatory medications are corticosteroids which function to have long term effects on bringing relief from airway constriction. Bronchodilators provide quick relief by helping the muscles that tighten around the airways to relax.

Ensure that your kids stay indoors in air condition environments when the pollen count is high, add air filters to your home and be sure to lower the introduction of triggers such as pet dander around your offspring to prevent attacks